Hanging in Port Hacking

After leaving Kiama we motored up to Port Kembla, near Wollongong for a night on the Police emergency mooring.  Port Kembla is a working port and has shipping coming in and out regularly and doesn't provide any amenities for recreational boaties, but was a good stopping point for us especially as this was our first time ever spending a full trip motoring!

The next day we carried on up the coast and took 7.5 hours to get to Port Hacking, which was where we were heading the day the mast broke.  We stayed on a courtesy mooring off of Jibbons Beach and went to stretch our legs along the beach and around the rocks.  The rocks were amazing and provided enough entertainment to keep us all occupied with walking, photography and wildlife hunting the next morning when we went ashore to explore more.

Now that we had no rig we were confident we could get further up into the many bays and water ways under the overhead power lines and did just that. 

On the Wednesday, the tides and weather came together to allow us to dry out on a sandbank to check for any damage from the dismasting that may have been below waterline.  Thankfully we didn't find anything more, and it gave us a chance to also check the props and rudders and give her a bit of a polish and clean.

 

While we were there another boat approached us asking if we were a Schionning as they also had one on a mooring in the area.  Of course with a boat in common we soon struck up a connection which led to them helping us out with supermarket runs, water and laundry and taking Dan racing on the Saturday afternoon.  They also leant us their kayaks and we have been putting them to use daily to explore the waterways in solitude.



 

 

Boat Kids....enjoying the sand during drying out

A tape up repair of the hole left by the spreader tip

High and dry, until the tide turns anyway

So much fun finding secluded waterfalls where only kayaks and dingies dare to go

A tree trying to over come its rocky home

Such amazing colours in nature

 

 Port Hacking has The Royal National Park on its southern border and some places we have been you could believe you were the only people about, apart from the occasional jet plane flying over.  It has been so great to spend time here exploring the beauty of the area

The rocks in the National Park have been stunning

Slowly but surely the water is working its magic

Wild deer on the shore, so close to where we were on the boat.