How did this all start? When did it begin. I, for one, am not sure. All I know is, I had this beautiful yacht, Don Pedro and my nephew, Patrick, made a comment about doing what I did many years ago with Amigo and if there was a chance I would want to do it again, he would "be there". I contemplated it for awhile, 5 seconds, maybe, then jumped at the thought. Making another ocean voyage, living on Don Pedro in the Tropics, exploring the South Seas, circumnavigating our globe.......wahinnes, sunshine, clear waters, swaying palms and exotic new things to be discovered.
This was all happening when I wasn't very sure that Linda would be spending the rest of her life with me or........ As it turned out, she got swept up into "The Dream".
For the mild mannerd, sweet natured and not so adventurous person that she is..or ..was, Linda not only accepted the idea, the possibility or whatever it was at that time, but also went with it, jumped in with both feet and the actuality of the dream was now hers too.
Well, here we are, in Australia, having crossed an Ocean that covers 2/3 of the world's surface, having experienced ancient cultures, having enjoyed jade lagoons, sweet scented breezes and people that you never could imagine. People untouched by the tentacles and temptations of our "modern world". Thank God for that!!! The Pacific remains, and will remain, a part of our world, too far, too inaccessible for the masses to ruin it with what we think is better for any people who have lived quite contrarely to our way. What we think is CIVILIZATION. They live happily with their few processions, pleasures and perceptions. Somtimes you wish you could be one of them.
Three years have passed since we pushed off our dock at Deep Cove, BC, sailed the West coast of America, wintering in Mexico, spending 21 days crossing to French Polynesia, traversing the Pacific, discovering a world we never could have imagined. The Marquesas, Tuamotus, Tahiti, Bora Bora, The Cook Islands, Nuie, The Kingdom of Tonga, New Zealand, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and finally to here, Australia.
However, the realities of a circumnavigation have come home. The possibilities of losing your life at the hands of a jumpy, amateur wannabe pirate, cyclones, typhoons, uncharted reefs....yes, they are out there. From here on, if we were to continue, these realities are tenfold from where we have been. Also, we miss being nearer to and spending more time with our families and friends. And, it's not the same now that Patrick has moved on. We are so happy he has found something so much more suited for him than what he was doing before. He is employed in the crewing of Mega yachts and working in an industry that will carry him to the most exotic and interesting places in our world instead of sleeping in the crew cab of a truck at 40 degrees below zero in an oil field in northern Canada watching a surf DVD filled with bikini clad young vixens. Linda and I miss him very much, his smile, his laugh, antics.... Pat, I miss your shoulder..you carried a big weight with me..gracias amigo.
However, its more important to us for him to be happy doing what he is. Even if he were still with us, this adventure of ours would still be coming to the end it is.
It's time for a change, change is good and we are looking forward to it.
This June we will make a last swing back through the western Pacific revisiting Vanuatu, the jewel of the Pacific, New Caledonia, a wee bit of France with a Kanak native twist, also a jewel. If time and tide permits we may enjoy a brief visit to the Solomon Islands. After this last hurrah we will return to Sydney, Australia,(looking for crew...anyone interested? see some of New Caledonia then a 7-8 day crossing to Sydney, Oz.??). On arrival, we, sadly, will place our dear friend, our home, companion and protector, Don Pedro, on the market, say goodbye and "thanks for the memories". We will never forget that day! Donde voy, ahora?
March 17, 2010 St. Patricks Day Scarborough, Queensland, Australia Slante
Love to you all. John and Linda
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
On the road again!
In 1 of the photos is a man, Andy, his son, Christopher, his daughter, Danielle and Linda standing near a termite mound. We met Andy while in the Mesquiline Islands in Vanuatu where he was rebuilding an old plantation house on a remote island he had purchased. During dinner that evening he invited us to come stay with him and his family on his "little" 1300 acre farm near Canberra. His farm is self sufficient for water and electricity. That is his solar array and wind generator in 1 photo and the massive battery bank in another. We went for a "bush" walkabout to view Wombat holes, kangaroos and the beautiful bush forest on his land. Our stay with him, his sweet wife Robyn and family was a definite highlight of our 4 week roadtrip. We also stayed in their lovely cabin at Mystery Bay on the coast after our visit with them on their farm. They are a shining example of just how friendly, outgoing and generous Aussies are.
The images of us driving a 4 wheel truck on a beach is from Bribie Island, just N of Scarborough. Jens and Norma who bought our friend's(Brett and Naomi) boat, Fearless,(who we had crossed the Pacific with) are also new aquaintences and they were kind enough to give us their 4 wheeler when they were away for a week. Driving on sand within 5-10 yeards from crashing surf was quite an experience. We had visions of getting stuck and watching the tide roll in over the truck. No worries, mate!!!!!
The city photos are of Melbourne, a most beautiful city with great food, fun, parks and waterfront. We took trams throughout the city and spent Australia Day there celebrating with a million Aussie hosts. 21 gun salutes, military flyovers, parades, barbies(not as in Barbie doll, Bar BQs). A great time was had by all. Small world department. The first person we met in Melbourne was from Victoria and her dad lives in Sidney(our Sidney) she was the on duty manager at the hotel we had booked into so she upgraded us to a mini suite!!! As they say here, Sweet As! Thats about it for now. Love to all. John and Linda
Greetings, Linda and I are on a 4 week driveabout of E and SE Australia between Brisbane and Melbourne. This is 1 BIG country. I'll expand later but will upload some photos today. We are presently on the coast staying in a friend's cabin about 150 miles from Canberra, Australia's capitol. The photos are from The Blue Mountains, Melbourne, an old hippie town called Nimbin and a wine area called Mudgee. Nimbin is unique in that the law turns a blind eye to the sale of drugs in the streets and alleys. This is the only place in Australia like it. In 1962 they had an Aquarian Festival in the mountains around Nimbin and nobody went home...ever..they just stayed and turned the town into a Shangrila of their own lifestyle. Meanwhile, back in the real world... Later. John and Linda
The images of us driving a 4 wheel truck on a beach is from Bribie Island, just N of Scarborough. Jens and Norma who bought our friend's(Brett and Naomi) boat, Fearless,(who we had crossed the Pacific with) are also new aquaintences and they were kind enough to give us their 4 wheeler when they were away for a week. Driving on sand within 5-10 yeards from crashing surf was quite an experience. We had visions of getting stuck and watching the tide roll in over the truck. No worries, mate!!!!!
The city photos are of Melbourne, a most beautiful city with great food, fun, parks and waterfront. We took trams throughout the city and spent Australia Day there celebrating with a million Aussie hosts. 21 gun salutes, military flyovers, parades, barbies(not as in Barbie doll, Bar BQs). A great time was had by all. Small world department. The first person we met in Melbourne was from Victoria and her dad lives in Sidney(our Sidney) she was the on duty manager at the hotel we had booked into so she upgraded us to a mini suite!!! As they say here, Sweet As! Thats about it for now. Love to all. John and Linda
Greetings, Linda and I are on a 4 week driveabout of E and SE Australia between Brisbane and Melbourne. This is 1 BIG country. I'll expand later but will upload some photos today. We are presently on the coast staying in a friend's cabin about 150 miles from Canberra, Australia's capitol. The photos are from The Blue Mountains, Melbourne, an old hippie town called Nimbin and a wine area called Mudgee. Nimbin is unique in that the law turns a blind eye to the sale of drugs in the streets and alleys. This is the only place in Australia like it. In 1962 they had an Aquarian Festival in the mountains around Nimbin and nobody went home...ever..they just stayed and turned the town into a Shangrila of their own lifestyle. Meanwhile, back in the real world... Later. John and Linda
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Life in the land of Oz Good as Gold!!
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G'day !
Sorry for the silence. Usually I am inspired to create a new posting by the beauty of the places we visit. This part of Australia(S. Queensland) doesn't possess that quality. Its a flat dry landscape with a few hills that they call mountains. Sugarcane fields everywhere. What is exceptional here are the people. Open and friendly doesn't come close to describing them. They go out of their way to welcome and help you and are as genuine as you can imagine. Good on ya!
We have been spending the last 2 months here slowly winding our way down the Sunshine coast to Scarborough, just N of Brisbane. Looking after the Don has been a priority with seeing some of the sites, visiting vibrant Brisbane with just living taking up the rest of our time. We bought a "beater" for $2,000. that we'll resell just before we push on in April and it manages very well to get us around in relative comfort. Our plans are to head S in mid Jan. to Sydney and Melbourne for about 3-4 weeks visiting the Blue Mountains and checking out Australia's wine growing areas. We feel this is an obligation we owe to all of you so we can help guide you when it comes to buying Aussie wines. Meanwhile, we are here, prepping for Christmas in 30+ deg heat-we even have a small tree with lights and rope lights strung along Don Pedro's lifelines.
Here's a brief description of some of the photos. Dave, our crew member from New Caledonia to OZ is pictured with his prize catch-he also caught the sea snake you see! There are many islands off of this coast and 1 of them has a man made reef of old wrecks, sunk to make a breakwater. We were anchored off of them during 1 of the numerous thunder/lightning/rain squalls that sweep over this area in the heat of the afternoons. There are some Tolkien looking trees and Linda on a boardwalk in Mary Caincross National Park-a beautiful 2 hr. stroll through a rain forest with giant eucalyptus, strangler figs and even small Wallabees(kangaroos). The brilliant red tree is a Flamboyant-they are everywhere. There are some shots of Brisbane as seen from 1 of the Rivercats(a ferry system plying the Brisbane river right through the heart of downtown). For $5. you can buy a ticket that allows you to travel all the ferries(fast river cats, small cross river boats) and all the buses in Brisbane for 24 hrs. The last 2 are of a typical pre storm cloud heralding a fresh breeze, a drastic drop in temps, high winds and torrential downpours and of Don Pedro doing it's best to slow down to cross the bar into Mooloolooba-we were going 7 knots with just that sliver of sail up and the engine in reverse. We were early and the tide was too low to cross the bar at the very narrow entrance to harbor. As it was, we had no more than 12 in. under the keel and had to keep an eye on surf type breakers that swept across us at the last minute. Straight to the bar after that one!!!
That's about it for now.
We are thinking of all of you and wish you all a very wonderful Christmas, a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2010. Take time for yourself, your dreams and hopes and spend time with the ones you love.
Life....doesn't it go by in a blink! Love, John and Linda
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
New Caledonia and the Isle of Pines
Greetings one and all.
As we know, the French are a peculiar lot. Nothing negative, they are just different and they do somethings very very well, for example, wines, cheeses, pate, infrastructure-their roads in their colonies are incredible, carved into Marquesas mountain faces, across volcanic plains etc. their aids to navigation always work as where other Pacific nations place tree branches on a reefs to warn you of danger, the French build a 20 story lighthouse that actually works!!!
However, the number 1 thing that they have excelled in for hundreds of years, drum roll please!!! Penal Colonies. Although they no longer function, the buildings, cells, holding blocks etc. all stand. Today they are covered with vines yet are a reminder of France's past and their inhumane treatment of political prisoners. They sent these wretches half way around the world, placed them on beautiful Pacific islands incarcerating them a arms length from beautiful sandy beaches, azure clear lagoons, swaying palms and no doubt, bare breasted maidens in grass skirts. Now if that wouldn't make you loose it, I don't know what would. Anyway, New Caledonia is a reminder of that past and 1 island in particular, the Isle of Pines, although 1 of the most beautiful, idyllic islands we have experienced in the south Pacific, is covered with these crumbling, old vine covered vestiges to the past and the complete disregard of how most powerful nations treated anybody with different political views in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Enough of my rant! I'll try to review some of the images on this posting. You will see a most stunning, architechual building with spires reaching to the sky, some images of brightly clothed elders milling about and some totems, a drum and some strange statues. This is the cultural centre in Noumea, the capitol of New Caledonia and is named after and dedicated to Jean Marie Tjibaou, a charismatic leader of the Kanak(native to New Caledonia) people who spearheaded a move for independence from France. It was a very moving and emotional afternoon for Linda and me as we toured the centre and learned about the Kanak's desires and efforts to get out from under the big colonial thumb of France. All these people have ever wanted to was be free and have self government as their neighbors in Vanuatu and Fiji have. During our visit we got "caught" between a group of elders who had come to make a traditional greeting and show their respect to the heads of the cultural centre(including a director who we believe to be the daughter of Jean Marie Tjibaou). As this group of over a hundred elders slowly marched to where the greeting party waited, Linda and I were sort of "mid field" between the two. I motioned to the welcoming party that we will be more than happy to get out of the way but they insisted we join them in their group and be part of the ceremony. We were speechless and swept up by the ceremony that followed(speeches and gift presentations by both groups in their traditional manner of doing so). We thanked everyone for allowing us the honour of joining them and slowly walked away in silence after it was over, pinching ourselves just to make sure that what had happened had actually happened. We'll never forget those moments and emotional electricity that flowed amongst the participants.
Other images show the beauty of the Isle of Pines. The blue green waters, trees creating a natural canopy over the road, the traditional fences of the Kanak people some carved, some plain. Another is a shot of Dave doing his monkey imitation on the path to the grotto where a queen of the Isle of Pines hid out for a long time avoiding retribution from an opposing tribe who obviously weren't too happy with something she did. There is also a shot of impromptu Canadian ingenuity when we had to make a French flag out of an old Canadian flag and white duct tape!! Another shows Linda and I standing in the shallows of a river mouth where it meets the sea. You walk for about a mile down a very shallow river to a spot where enormous boulders have created a natural swimming area where salt and fresh mix. Schools of brightly coloured fish dart about your legs as you stand or walk about.
We enjoyed New Caledonia very much as you can have the best of French culture, the local Kanak influence, beautiful islands and some of the most stunning coastal beauty found anywhere in this world. Linda and I also took 3 days, rented a car and got away into the countryside enjoying Grande Terre. We dined on great local fresh foods, experienced the rustic countryside, came into contact with the "locals" and enjoyed some time just for ourselves. It is truly and "overlooked" gem in the Pacific mainly visited by Australians due to its proximity. You never got the feeling that it was overcrowded or felt the political undercurrent of the very much alive independence movement that is still striving to finally beak free of their colonial chains.
We are now relaxing in Bundaberg Australia after a very fast and bumpy passage where we averaged over 6 knots for the entire 5 day passage. Great to be here. Time a major WALKABOUT. Love to all. John and Linda and hello from Dave.
As we know, the French are a peculiar lot. Nothing negative, they are just different and they do somethings very very well, for example, wines, cheeses, pate, infrastructure-their roads in their colonies are incredible, carved into Marquesas mountain faces, across volcanic plains etc. their aids to navigation always work as where other Pacific nations place tree branches on a reefs to warn you of danger, the French build a 20 story lighthouse that actually works!!!
However, the number 1 thing that they have excelled in for hundreds of years, drum roll please!!! Penal Colonies. Although they no longer function, the buildings, cells, holding blocks etc. all stand. Today they are covered with vines yet are a reminder of France's past and their inhumane treatment of political prisoners. They sent these wretches half way around the world, placed them on beautiful Pacific islands incarcerating them a arms length from beautiful sandy beaches, azure clear lagoons, swaying palms and no doubt, bare breasted maidens in grass skirts. Now if that wouldn't make you loose it, I don't know what would. Anyway, New Caledonia is a reminder of that past and 1 island in particular, the Isle of Pines, although 1 of the most beautiful, idyllic islands we have experienced in the south Pacific, is covered with these crumbling, old vine covered vestiges to the past and the complete disregard of how most powerful nations treated anybody with different political views in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Enough of my rant! I'll try to review some of the images on this posting. You will see a most stunning, architechual building with spires reaching to the sky, some images of brightly clothed elders milling about and some totems, a drum and some strange statues. This is the cultural centre in Noumea, the capitol of New Caledonia and is named after and dedicated to Jean Marie Tjibaou, a charismatic leader of the Kanak(native to New Caledonia) people who spearheaded a move for independence from France. It was a very moving and emotional afternoon for Linda and me as we toured the centre and learned about the Kanak's desires and efforts to get out from under the big colonial thumb of France. All these people have ever wanted to was be free and have self government as their neighbors in Vanuatu and Fiji have. During our visit we got "caught" between a group of elders who had come to make a traditional greeting and show their respect to the heads of the cultural centre(including a director who we believe to be the daughter of Jean Marie Tjibaou). As this group of over a hundred elders slowly marched to where the greeting party waited, Linda and I were sort of "mid field" between the two. I motioned to the welcoming party that we will be more than happy to get out of the way but they insisted we join them in their group and be part of the ceremony. We were speechless and swept up by the ceremony that followed(speeches and gift presentations by both groups in their traditional manner of doing so). We thanked everyone for allowing us the honour of joining them and slowly walked away in silence after it was over, pinching ourselves just to make sure that what had happened had actually happened. We'll never forget those moments and emotional electricity that flowed amongst the participants.
Other images show the beauty of the Isle of Pines. The blue green waters, trees creating a natural canopy over the road, the traditional fences of the Kanak people some carved, some plain. Another is a shot of Dave doing his monkey imitation on the path to the grotto where a queen of the Isle of Pines hid out for a long time avoiding retribution from an opposing tribe who obviously weren't too happy with something she did. There is also a shot of impromptu Canadian ingenuity when we had to make a French flag out of an old Canadian flag and white duct tape!! Another shows Linda and I standing in the shallows of a river mouth where it meets the sea. You walk for about a mile down a very shallow river to a spot where enormous boulders have created a natural swimming area where salt and fresh mix. Schools of brightly coloured fish dart about your legs as you stand or walk about.
We enjoyed New Caledonia very much as you can have the best of French culture, the local Kanak influence, beautiful islands and some of the most stunning coastal beauty found anywhere in this world. Linda and I also took 3 days, rented a car and got away into the countryside enjoying Grande Terre. We dined on great local fresh foods, experienced the rustic countryside, came into contact with the "locals" and enjoyed some time just for ourselves. It is truly and "overlooked" gem in the Pacific mainly visited by Australians due to its proximity. You never got the feeling that it was overcrowded or felt the political undercurrent of the very much alive independence movement that is still striving to finally beak free of their colonial chains.
We are now relaxing in Bundaberg Australia after a very fast and bumpy passage where we averaged over 6 knots for the entire 5 day passage. Great to be here. Time a major WALKABOUT. Love to all. John and Linda and hello from Dave.
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