Gold Coast - Mooloolaba 18/5 - 24/5

Leaving "Bums Bay and the Gold Coast.

Our first anchorage on the Gold Coast gave us pleasure from a number of perspectives. First, was that although officially termed “The Stadium”, its common tag, “Bums Bay” referred to the fact that budget conscious mariners preferred to anchor there for free, compared with paying $60 a night in one of the up-market marinas upstream from Sea World. We warmed to Bums Bay from the start! Being just around the corner from the Gold Coast Seaway, having excellent holding (anchoring qualities); protection from weathers, and a short duck ride in and access to transport were added bonuses. By night we had water reflections of the multi-colours of the high rises, and soon after “dropping the pick” Ann and Cran, reunited with friend Roy – who had earlier joined Lettin’ Go as a third crew member for the challenging Great Australian Bight Leg of their oz circumnavigation – soon had us headed for the Mirage Markets, and a café breakfast to celebrate our arrival. Later we returned to ship to watch the marvellous welcome for Jessica Watson into Sydney. Although your crew on Calista are hardened seafaring types, as this remarkable young woman stepped ashore, and Sydney turned on a welcome that only Sydney can, there was not a dry eye to be seen on this ship. ‘Onya Jess!

After being out on the blue expanses for extended hours, we have felt detached and disconnected at times when we step ashore to traffic, retail hoopla, and the frenetic nature of it all. Even crossing roads can see us in some peril as we are still somewhere else. We stand in a mall and we sway like drunks in recovery. We can only imagine how Jessica feels!

If all the glam of the Gold Coast draws travellers from near and far, the truth is that it did little for us. We wandered through some shops in retail denial and sought solace in a plunge in the surf to re-connect ourselves with the sea. From Bums Bay we just strolled across the dunes to the ocean.

Back on board, Cran shared with us a Google derived plan to cruise up the waterways to the Coomera River, from where we would have ringside seats and ease of entry to the Sanctury Cove Boat Show, a marine event that draws honest saline folk through to the seriously heeled from across Australia and from overseas. It is apparently the biggest marine show in the Southern Hemisphere, and we were really keen to check it out.


A new house under construction on Sovereign Island


For us, getting to the Coomera was an event in itself. Following our wonderful guides on Lettin’ Go we puttered upstream abreast of the glamour of Sovereign Island to the world of millionaires and mangroves. It was hard to comprehend that, as we headed upstream, on the one hand there were the most extravagant mansions where owners seemed to have only one mission in life – to out splurge their neighbour in built and floating ostentation - and directly opposite there were oozing everglades with marine backwaters and marshlands with crabs, mudskippers and even sea eagles wheeling overhead. Sir David Attenborough emerging from the mire with a film crew from the BBC would not have surprised. By mid afternoon we were agreeably nestled along the banks of the Coomera, with a park and middling suburbia on one hand and impenetrable stands of native wilderness on the other.


Wilderness on the left side, ritzy houses on the other!


A reconnoitre the next day would prove the adroit nature of Cran’s Google sleuthing, for while other patrons heading to the Boat Show arrived florid faced through battling traffic and distant car parks, we “ducked” ashore and had a pleasant stroll across the golf course to the event. Soon after anchoring however, Cran and Ann took us to see the Gold Coast City Marina and Gold Coast Marine Centre, just upstream on the Coomera. At these marinas, travel lifts, like ancient Stegosaurs, towered over us gobbling up 40’cats as though they were gadflies and depositing them in “garages” for marine work, that each might have housed a 747. The scale of these operations had us suggesting to Ann that we felt we lived in the land of Lilliput by comparison in all things marine. We were gob smacked. Nearby we met Kerry Mason the friendly captain of a 74’ luxury cruiser, Adagio that had newly arrived from New Zealand for the Boat Show. Getting on board this luxury vessel at the Boat Show would be by appointment, but through Kerry’s generosity we had a personal tour from stem to stern, of this truly remarkable vessel. This is how the other 0.001% live!


Massive travel lift about to put a 40' Cat in the shed.




Colin ( top right ) Ann & Cran on board Adagio.

That eve the crew of Lettin Go assembled on Calista for a sub-continental repast with Cookie’s pappadums, and Raita de la Coomera acting as precursor to Lamb Rogan Josh (that had simmered to succulence on the journey upstream), pan fried eggplant, tomato and capsicum masala, and mixed roast vegetables oven tossed in tomato and dusted spices. With chilled offerings from the good Dr Cooper of Leabrook, plus selected vintages to lubricate, by mid evening we were internally and externally ready for rest and then to tackle the Boat Show.


Relaxing after an Indian Feast on board Calista.


The delightful anchorage on the Coomera River.

Cran had cautioned us that a visit to the Sanctury Cove Boat Show needed to be planned as a full-day affair, and again Cran was spot on. With three yawning pavilions, numberless landed displays and representation from every company derived from Archimedes, there was enough to sate the appetite of the most committed of seafarers. Then there were the on-water exhibits. They were genuinely spectacular, providing floating access to the very latest, and the very best, powered by wind and by motor. And what manner of ships they were, particularly the floating mansions that are the luxury cruisers of today. We had entered the event at 9.00am, and departed at the 5.00 close with hours having flown by as if they were nanoseconds. It had been an eye-opening and exhausting day, but strangely, having recently emerged from such glamour, we were perfectly contented to step back on board our comfortable older-style cruiser. Calista feels like home.
The sea of boats at Sanctuary Cove. The new 65' Fleming in foreground.

The next day, Friday 21/5 started with the patter of rain drops on the Coomera, but in no time we were experiencing a deluge that, to us would have had Noah heading for the boat shed, and in his spare time collecting pairs of animals. It must have been moist at the Boat Show. Huddled below on Calista we had Cran, who is a dab hand at technology; help us make sense of Sail Mail and other systems that we would link to HF Radio, and to Sat Phone, for communication, information and safety when we were eventually beyond the range of Telstra and the internet. His help to us has been invaluable.
The entrance to the boat show behind us as we head North.

While the Boat Show played to a full house, under clear skies the next day, we slid past the flags and carnival, bound for the Broadwater and the myriad of waterways between the Gold Coast, Moreton Bay and the sandy islands of North and South Stradbroke. With Lettin’ Go leading the way we were again glad to be on the move. By mid morn the palatial world of the islands was behind us and in its place was a natural world of national parks and waterways, separated from the roaring ocean by a finger of sand, a little like our own Coorong in SA. Soon we were abeam of the original sea-entry to the waterways at Jumpin’ Pin Bar (love the name!) and had anchored for an excursion across South Stradbroke Island to the sea. With the sniff of the ocean in our nostrils, and having been becalmed in sedentary activities for the last three days, we felt like kelpies unclipped from the farm ‘ute. We plunged into the surf like otters into a rapid. Looking up and down the long beaches of Stradbroke was, apart from the smudge of the high rises on the horizon to the south, akin to being on a remote part of the Coorong’s ocean beach. What a contrast to the glitz of previous days.

Toys at anchor on the inside of South Stradbroke Island

Ocean Beach, South Stradbroke before our swim. Note Gold Coast highrise in background.

Back on board, with Lettin’Go calling shallows in the channel, we made our way to Canipa Passage and an anchorage with cliffs beetling overhead, and a waterway that became glass at night, and oozed vapour as the crispness of evening descended. Our plans to spend a day or two in this idyllic environment before seeing Ann and Cran head across Moreton Bay to complete their circumnavigation were foreshortened by the latest forecast that had northerlies coming in and therefore we only had time to make for the intriguing Tangaloola anchorage on Moreton Island before Lettin’ Go headed home and we made for Mooloolaba.

Lovely anchorage, North Stradbroke.

Bound for Tangalooma.

Accordingly, with a forecast scheduled to see southerlies become sou’ easterlies, we left the Stradbroke waterways and made our way across the wide waters of Moreton Bay as the wind freshened, but held on to the south. Tangaloola is a resort anchorage with a line of sunken vessels making an aquatic reserve that has must see qualities. For us though, the angle of the wind, combined with an opposing current made Tangaloola uncomfortable, and doubtful, to say the least. By mid afternoon our predicament could only be resolved by a dash across Moreton Bay to Scarborough, and reaching shelter under the lee of the headland near Newport. With light fading Calista set off across the bay with heavy airs that gusted to 30kn, and our ship romping along under reefed sails doing 7-8knots.

Scarborough in the distance. Ann & Cran nearly home!

We were relieved to follow Ann and Cran to a snug anchorage, and delighted to be the first to congratulate them on completing their remarkable circumnavigation, just seaward of the leads into Scarborough. What a wonderful effort! There are lots of people who talk about sailing their yachts around Australia. Ann and Cran McLean have actually done it, and we congratulate them!! Ann had promised to have us on board for a fish curry for our last night at sea together, and after the difficulties of the day she was still about to conjure a delightful repast to cap a memorable day.

Next morning we felt more than a tinge of sadness as we departed across Moreton Bay for Mooloolaba, leaving our good friends to complete the short journey to the Newport Marina to pick up life ashore. We wondered how they would feel after so many months at sea. Soon however we were at work negotiating waypoints around Bribie Island as the Glasshouse Mountains became distinct features to the Northwest. As we neared Caloundra there was a pointed reminder of the need to be ultra careful at sea, as on the last finger of the Bribie Is beach lay the wreck of a large catamaran which had foundered in the conditions of the previous evening, and the hopes and dreams of the owners lay in sad disarray on the beach. They were on the opening stanza of a dream voyage from Brisbane to Darwin, and now all that they owned was scattering in the surf. There was little for us to do but glass the scene from out at sea, and get back to negotiating the reefs and ship channel abeam of Caloundra. By 2pm we had rounded Point Cartwright, and after clearing in with Mooloolaba VMR, we entered the Mooloolaba harbour. February 2007 had seen us fly to Mooloolaba to complete the purchase of Calista, and now, after promising her former owners Derek and Bella Reinemer that one day we would bring her back to Queensland, here we were making good our word. As we eased up to Lawrie’s Marina, there were Derek and Bella to grab our lines! It was a wonderful “homecoming”! Welcome back Calista.

Entering the Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba. Calista returns!