Guten Abend, meine Freunde, My name is Wilhelm and I am the Silent Wind generator aboard Roobinesque. (I have no idea why but the lady of the vessel insists on calling me Wilbur, as though I’m a slow moving cart-horse. Clearly I am a hardworking powerhouse, made with German precision, so I thought I should Continue reading
Tag: Border Watch
Get Wrecked on Great Keppel!
Anyone else remember that advertising campaign from the 1980’s when the Queensland Resort Islands were at their peak? It’s been 26 years since our first visit to Great Keppel when I flew north as a brand new private pilot with Graham and some of my fellow trainees. Eight years later my first job with QantasLink Continue reading
A glorious day for a sail
The weather gods smiled on us today. It all started with our early departure from Bundaberg and a sublime sunrise. They don’t get much better than this in my humble opinion. Then the wind started to blow from the south-west and Roobinesque kicked up her heels and headed north with the spray flying from her Continue reading
Where’s the Bundy rum when you need it…
We slipped out of The Great Sandy Strait marina before the sun had done more than warm the horizon. By the time we’d hoisted the sails the first kisses of sunlight glinted on Roobi’s rigging. It’s a time of day that always makes me smile. With the wind forecast to be northerly we knew we’d Continue reading
Well, really…
I know that I’m a glass half full kind of person, ever the optimist, but I’m grateful that a good friend, Liz, posted a comment on Face Book last week about remembering that it doesn’t really matter what state the glass is in because it can always be refilled. Today started with a sublime sunrise Continue reading
A ‘tail’ of perseverance…
Tucked in the top of Platypus Bay on the western shores of Fraser Island we found the humpback kindergarten today and the lessons seemed to be tail based. Whale calves the size of dolphins, closely chaperoned by their giant mothers and aunts, were learning the art of tail slamming, tail stands and graceful re-entries. Some Continue reading
Hurry up and wait…
Life doesn’t always play by the rules. We’re still in Hervey Bay, despite having the perfect weather pattern to sail north, because we’re waiting for new rope that should have arrived on Friday (at the latest), but according to Australia Post’s tracking system is currently in Sydney! Bit of shame as it was trying to Continue reading
Time to cast off again
What a busy couple of weeks we’ve had! Between Melbourne and the RWA Conference, watching the whales play in Hervey Bay, helping Captain Alana celebrate her wedding in Port Douglas, catching up with friends in Cairns (love playing with their menagerie of animals) and getting the good news from the accountant in Cairns that the Continue reading
Brisbane’s all grown up
After four weeks of being of no-fixed abode it felt a little weird flying back into Brisbane yesterday and realising it’s not home anymore. I found myself looking at it through a slightly different lens as I drove around and ticked off the jobs I needed to do. I’d booked a hotel down at Kangaroo Continue reading
Sunrise photos with a difference!
The change of weather whipped through at about 9.30 last night complete with thunder, lightening and the patter of rain. In the space of an hour the Susan River went from a washing machine to a bath tub. In the middle of the line of storms I realised I could hear running water – inside Continue reading