July

July was a marvelous month for the crew of Amandla with new horizons, a new ocean and some really cool crocodiles sprinkled in as the cherry on top.

Ascent To Cook Lookout With Robbie Image Courtesy The Captain
Beginning The Ascent To Cook Lookout With Our Friend Robbie
Image Courtesy The Captain

Our keel did a bit of sand hopping as we exited the shallow Endeavor River in Cooktown near low tide at the end of June.  But the Captain’s skilled maneuvering allowed us to stay afloat and steer clear of the numerous boats anchored in the channel.   Once we were out, we enjoyed a lovely day sail over to Jiigurru (Lizard Island) with 15 knots on the beam.  We were up early the next morning for a hike to Cook’s Lookout.

View From Cook's Lookout For Cardinal Guzman's 'The Changing Seasons'
North-West View From Cook’s Look
For Cardinal Guzman’s ‘The Changing Seasons’

The extremely difficult trek up a 359 m steep, rocky incline was totally worth it for the 360 views. It was from here that Captain James Cook sought to identify a way to sail The Endeavour out of the Great Barrier Reef.  

Cape Weymouth
Sailing The Great Barrier Reef Inner Passage Near Cape Weymouth

On 28 June, we had planned to go snorkeling at Lizard Island, but a crocodile that had been spotted on the Reef (15 nm offshore!) kept me out of the water.  Instead, we lifted anchor for the 320 nm sail to Mount Adolphus Island. With frequent course adjustments in 20 + SE winds, sailing in the shipping lanes of the inner GBR required a vigilant eye. So we tucked in at Lloyd’s Bay along the way to allow The Captain one full night of rest.

Mount Adolphus Island
Mount Adolphus Island

We arrived at the top of Australia on 1 July and spent the evening in the Mount Adolphus Island anchorage off the tip of Cape York. Then we waited for a favorable tidal stream to carry us through the Endeavour Strait, into the Gulf of Carpentaria and onward to The Indian Ocean.

Making Way Through The Endeavor Strait
Making Way Through The Endeavor Strait

Early on the morning of 2 July, we set out into that patch of sea which is the stuff of harrowing legend. But for us, it was serene as we left Mt Adolphus Island in calm seas when the current was slack at Hammond Rock. As we made our way, the current rate increased to a lively clip of 6.42 knots and we were out before the next slack at 1408 when the tide would turn against us.  

Amandla In The Gulf Of Carpentaria
Amandla In The Gulf Of Carpentaria

Initial depths in The Gulf of Carpentaria were 16 m, shallower than the shipping lanes through the GBR. We’ve anchored in deeper places! This results in a beautiful blue color and a slightly uncomfortable chop when the winds picked up. Luckily, the winds were a comfortable 15 knots, so the ride was comfortable.

Captain With Yellow Fin
Captain With Yellow Fin

After a 770 nm sail from Mount Adolphus Island with stopovers in the Wessel Islands and Alcora Bay, we arrived safely and virtually repair free in Darwin on 8 July.  Still, there was a lot of work to be done before we could sail onward to Indonesia including installation of a new radar and a few big sewing jobs, visas that needed to be secured and a life raft that needed to be serviced.

But there was also a birthday that needed to be celebrated (mine) and The Captain delivered with a four day tour of  Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks. My favorite bit was the crocodiles. I’ve grown to love (respect/admire) them…from a distance.

Yellow Water Crocodile Crocodiles Were The Cherry On Top Of A Marvelous July
Yellow Water Crocodile

Other highlights included a Yellow Water cruise ….

Yellow Water - Kakadu

…the birds…

Yellow River Bird At Sunrise

… the Aborigal art …

… and the views at the Burrunggui (Nourlangie) Rock Art site …

Burrungkuy (Nourlangie) Kakadu

… the colors of Ubirr at sunset….

Sunset Ubirr (4)

… the plethora of termite mounds…

Termite Mounds En Route To Litchfield

… lots of 4WD driving over the rivers and through the woods with The Captain ‘on the helm’….

Off-Road To Litchfield

…the falls that weren’t running (Jim Jim Falls – Kakadu) ….

Jim Jim Falls - Kakadu, Australia

…and the falls that were running (Wangi Falls – Litchfield National Park).

Wangi Falls Litchfield National Park

We’ve made our way back to Darwin and are busily preparing for our 470 nm sail to Kupang in West Timor, Indonesia. Winds and weather permitting, we will depart early in the morning of 24 July 2016. Once we leave here, we will be off-grid for about a week but will be sending periodic position updates via satellite phone along the way.  You can follow our updates on Farkwar or on Twitter.

Sunset Ubirr (3)

For Cardinal Guzman’s ‘The Changing Seasons’ and The WordPress Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge: Cherry On Top

97 comments July

🙂 Beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing!
HAPPY weekend! 🙂

Thank you very much for your visit and kind compliment. Have a great weekend.

garym6059 says:

She’s alive I’ve been looking periodically for a new post. I was afraid a whale shark or something might have gobbled you all up. Amazing pictures as always and Indonesia from Australia that’s going to be a culture shock! P.S. Yellow Tail……..mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Ahoy there Gary! Great to hear from you as always. Thank you for looking out for an update from me and for your lovely compliments on the photos. I am happy to report that I was not eaten by a shark ..or a croc. Am very sad to be leaving Australia but looking forward to getting to know Indonesia. But you are right, it is going to be a culture shock as we have been in Australia for nine months. Still, the cooler the place, the more quickly I adapt..and Indonesia strikes me as very cool. The yellow-fin was delicious. We enjoyed it as poke, seared and breaded ?

Peta Kaplan says:

Fabulous photographs! The birds, the termite mounds, the falls…its all quite stunning. I’m not a big fan of crocodiles but I can understand and appreciate your respect for them.

Good luck for your voyage. You guys are intrepid adventurers! Look forward to reading more about your journey. I know nothing about sailing but I love the concept. How long will it take to get to Indonesia? Wow what a journey!

Peta

Thank you so much for your lovely compliments Peta and for sailing along with us virtually. We leave at sun up tomorrow and if all goes well, we should arrive in Kupang by the 29th. We will have a day sail tomorrow, sleep overnight in a bay, and then sail another three evenings. Compared to the long slog from Sydney, this is a very short trip. But culturally, it will be very far away from where we are now. Looking forward to experiencing it!

Wow. Sounds just amazing!
Looking forward to reading about it.

Peta

[…] July […]

Ladybuggz says:

Gorgeous pictures Lisa! The colour of the water is amazing!! Love the photo of the White Bird and just love that swimming Hole!! Happy be-lated Birthday Girl!!! Many Wishes!!
((hugs)) T.

Thank you for the birthday wishes T! Glad that you liked the pictures and could share this adventure with us! We are up tomorrow at dawn to head out of the locks here in Darwin and onto Indonesia. I still haven’t quite gotten my head around the fact that we are leaving Australia, but I know that once we are underway, I will start looking forward to Indonesia. It has been an amazing 9 months.

Beautiful and emotive photos this whole experience must be a cherry on top. Amandla to you

Thank you so much for your visit and lovely compliments. Its nice to meet someone who knows the meaning of ‘Amandla’. I look forward to visiting South Africa someday.

Oh my goodness, where to begin? All so beautiful, but that open-jawed crocodile is the most, well, jaw-dropping. I have been to Cooktown which I enjoyed as far as one can when in plaster up to the knee 🙁 Some day, I have to go back.

Bon voyage!

Thank you so much for your kind compliments Anabel. I do hope you make it back to Australia, and this time, sans plaster. The jumping croc with his jaws wide open was my favorite image of the post too. Almost looks like he smiling ?? – written at sea 24 July

An excellent and vivid report. For your birthday I wish you that crocodiles never stop coming if you really love them so much. 😀 And a wonderful continuation of your journey!

Thank you for your birthday wishes and lovely compliment ! I hope to have more crocs in my future too, but always from a distance ? – written at sea 24 July

[…] July […]

Lisa, thanks for having shared your Australian experience with us. Seeing it from your eyes was a unique experience, unlike the mainstream touristic photos and narratives. I truly enjoyed all your posts and photos and the photojournalist you became. Way to go.
I wish you both a safe and sweet journey and even more adventures.
I’ll be thinking of you. Lots of love and hugs. L

Lucile – it’s been wonderful having you on board as virtual crew since meeting in Photo 101 back in Nov 2014. Your encouragement, support and friendship have meant the world to me and kept my personal ship afloat ?. I look forward to a day when we can sail together in person – written at sea 24 July

Love this update Lisa! The photo of the croc out of water was my favorite! It looks gorgeous there and a great place to spend your birthday. Safe sailing and looking forward to the next update!

Ahoy from Timor Indonesia Nicole! I am delighted that you liked the update and are on board for more. The jumping croc was my favorite image of the set too!. I’ve been thinking of our discussion on FB (re: Trump) while checking into Indonesia. Every official that we met in this Christian/Hindu/Muslim country (and we met with many) asked me who I was going to vote for. When I said ‘Hillary’, they smiled widely and then went on to express their ‘curiosity’ about Americans that want to vote for Trump. Other countries are laughing at the US because of Trump. I am not laughing… I am embarrassed and frightened.

Traveller at heart says:

Lovely pıctures as usual.

I would lıke to check out Indonesıa ın the near future as I wıll soon be ın Asıa but there ıs so much to see

Ahoy from Indonesia. I do hope that you make it to Indonesia when you are in Asia. My first two days here (currently in Kupang, Timor) have exposed me to so many friendly people. And my reading of the Cruising Guide and Lonely Planet of the places I will be visiting in the next three months have totally stoked my excitement about the place. The AWESOME that awaits includes Komodo Dragons, orangutans, waterfalls, several active volcanoes, mountain treks, diverse cultures, city buzz, historic temples, endless beaches, and an extensive underwater paradise. But I hear you that ‘there is so much to see’ in Asia. It could be explored for a lifetime without scratching the surface. Let me know your travel itinerary when you have it nailed down. Thank you so much for your compliment on the pictures!

Traveller at heart says:

3 months in Asia!! I note you did not mention food.

Indonesian food can be on the sweet side but chili hot, too.

I have 6 weeks holidays in December/January. I was thinking of spending couple of days or so in Hainan Island, a tropical island not far from from Hong Kong. I have had decent Asian food for years. Yes, I love to eat.

The food so far has been magnificent. We do most of our dining on board to conserve money, but with food being so affordable and yummy here in restaurants, we’ve been dining out more. I just looked up Haian and it looks marvelous.

Liesbet says:

These photos are stunning, Lisa and they are landscape ones! :-). I’m so glad you had a good time, and wonderful weather by the looks of it, in Kakadu. What a nice birthday gift. I hope good luck in regards to (the lack of) boat repairs will follow you across the strait to Indonesia. New adventures await!

Ahoy from Indonesia Liesbet! Had a nice trip – 40% under sail which was more than expected. Sadly, we did not make it here without the need for repairs. Current on the list of need to address immediately – Radar and Navigation Lights. But our spirits are buoyed with the arrival of two friends tomorrow and three months of activities to look forward to in this really awesome country. Still fondly remembering my birthday in Kakadu. Thank you so much for thinking my landscape photos are stunning ?.

What a way to see the world and be truly part of it. Free and easy and non-invasive. Love the references to other people who have passed by, like Captain Cook.

Ahoy from Indonesia Diane! Seeing the world by sailboat is definitely the best way in my opinion, but it certainly has its challenges – repairs, repairs, repairs. Still, when I compare our trip from Tonga to Kupang with Captain Bligh’s post Mutiny on the Bounty journey here, I think we’ve had it very, very easy.

So good to hear that sailing to the tip of Australia has been overall smooth sailing. The Amandla crew certainly did well pulling together battling the different knots and repairs along the way. So lovely of them to celebrate your birthday with you by seeing more of Australia 😀 Beautiful images all round, Lisa. Wangi falls looks particularly stunning. You know, you could always come back to Australia in the future and be a photographer for tourism here 😉

Safe sailing and take care out there. Mr Wobbles waves his paws to you…as his mother is telling him to go to sleep! She is a bit shy in front of the camera but I am determined to wrangle a few shots of her at some point 😀

Ahoy from Indonesia Mabel, Mr Wobbles and Momma Wobbles! We’ve arrived safely and are getting settled into our new ‘backyard’. Missing Australia terribly (how lovely are you to say I could come back as a tourism photographer…how great would that be :-). I can not wait to come back. Still, I am looking forward to seeing all that is awesome about Indonesia. The people of Kupang are very nice and we have so many cool places to visit over the next three months. Then it is onward to Malaysia and Singapore. Hope you are well. Big Hug!

lexklein says:

What a great update! Fabulous photos (of course) and I loved hearing what you did in all the different places you’ve visited since the last post. I would have loved that steep climb up to the lookout. Your water shots, as usual, have me envious of your location, and I’ve never been in that part of Australia, so it was very fun to see the sights. Keeping my fingers crossed for a safe, smooth, repair-free trip next week.

Ahoy from Indonesia Lexie! We arrived safely albeit with a few new repairs required (Radar, Navigation Lights).
You would have loved that hike up to Cook’s Look. For me, it was a challenge but for you it would have been a walk in the park. We actually came across two families that did the hike barefoot which was amazing as it truly was a difficult terrain. And you would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Northern Territory. Again, we only did a drive by and missed more than we saw of the place…guess I will just have to go back someday to do the rest. But I am happy to be in Indonesia as there is a ton of AWESOME to be experienced here. I was just at your site to see how your adventures are going but no updates yet and no updates on Instagram. My hope is that you are too busy enjoying your adventure 🙂

lexklein says:

Ahoy back, or whatever they say in Korea and Mongolia! I leave tomorrow morning and have been social-media-ly silent as I pack and prepare all my stuff. Next post from Seoul! I’m glad you are safe and doing well and enjoying an exotic new locale!

OMG so excited for you. Can’t wait to see the pictures and read the stories. Safe travels |안전한 여행 | аюулгүй аялж

Safe trip! Love the croc photgraphs–such a ham. They are really different looking from alligators.The view from Cook lookout is truly beautiful: the water looks so inviting. The Captain looks to be in fine fettle, may it continue
Can’t wait to see the pics from Asia.

Ahoy from Indonesia. The crocs were totally hamming it up. They are incredibly intelligent. If they weren’t prone to eat me, I’d want to give them a big cuddle. We had a great trip from Darwin to Indonesia albeit with a few new things to repair. Slowly getting settled in.

Brita says:

Sand hopping … Haha… Sounds familiar from our Bahamas days. :). fair winds

? Oh how I’d love to do more sand hopping in the Bahamas. There is nothing like that Bahamas’ blue. Will definitely be back that way again someday. We’ve safely made our way to Indonesia and are slowly getting settled. Big hug to Jason.

What an amazing journey you are on! Those croc pics are scary and fascinating at the same time. We also have a termite “issue” here in Southern California but, fortunately, they don’t build mounds like that (they only eat our houses bit-by-bit ? ). Safe sail to Indonesia (although, personally, I think I’d be tempted to stay in Australia).

Ahoy from Indonesia Janis! It was terribly hard to leave Australia. I was crying as we exited the lochs in Darwin. But when we got underway, I started reading the Indonesia Cruising and Travel Guides and am now totally psyched to explore all the AWESOME Indonesia has on offer: Komodo dragons, orangutans, monkeys, diverse cultures, waterfalls, volcanoes, ancient temples, and an underwater paradise. The people of Kupang have been wonderfully welcoming . But still, I miss Australia and will be back someday.

badfish says:

Cherry on top, indeed, young lady! I love reading your stuff because there are so few people who write about their sea voyage, and sailing the world has always been something I wanted to do but knew I never would because…well, there are no 7-11 stores or gas stations to ask directions, and you have to depend on yourself and fix stuff that breaks, and I hate stuff that breaks let alone fixing it. Great photos even if there was no street art out there…there was aboriginal art. Hey, and I think I have a shot of that same art on the rock!!

Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of ? Mr Badfish. We have made it safely to Kupang and are slowly getting settled into this beautiful country. There is so much to do here that my head is going to explode! The rally schedule has been updated which give you a sense of our plans. http://www.sailindonesia.net/rally/schedule.php Let me know if your travels bring you this way.

Absolutely stunning photos!!

? Can’t miss in Australia – so much beauty there. We’ve safely made our way to Indonesia. Slowly settling in. The people are really nice.

Looks like your birthday was mahvelous! I toasted yours while we were in Mammoth Lakes celebrating my dad’s 80th on the same day (7/15). Two adventurous souls enjoying life to the fullest!

? I toasted to your Dad’s birthday as well! We are both lucky to be the daughters of such awesome Dads! We’ve made our way to Indonesia and are slowly getting settled in. Hope you are well.

Belated birthday wishes, Lisa. The water in those first photos is incredible! All the best on the nest leg of your journey.

janet

Thank you for the birthday greeting and well wishes for the voyage Janet. We’ve arrived safely in Kupang and slowly getting settled into beautiful Indonesia. I think I’m going to like it here.

Happy birthday. 🙂 and thank you for sharing your trip. SAiling tomorrow, right? Fair winds. Brian

Ahoy from Indonesia Brian. We arrived safely and are slowly settling into our new ‘backyard’. Thank you for the birthday wishes!

Amazing, so fascinating – very well captured… 🙂

Thank you for your kind words Drake. Appreciate the love.

Belated birthday wishes, Lisa. What a fabulous time you had on this last section of the Australian trip. I had a fabulous time sharing it with you, in the virtual world.

Thanks for hanging out with me virtually in the Northern Territory Ann. Australia never stopped delivering! We’ve now made our way safely to Kupang and are slowly getting settled here. We have received a warm welcome here!

Wonderful. 🙂

Wonderful photos and Happy Birthday, Lisa. I remember that hubby went up to the top of Cook’s Look early one morning. I stayed in bed, then when I saw his photos, I wished I’d not been so lazy. 🙁 Such fascinating Aboriginal artwork. Safe travels to West Timor. What a great adventure you’re having! xx

Thank you for the birthday wishes and gift of generous compliments Sylvia. Totally thought of you whenever we ran into wildlife in the NT. I am sorry to hear you missed the view at Cook’s Look, but the opportunity to sleep late in a comfy hotel room bed sounds like a good alternative. One of my favorite parts of Kakadu was a hotel room with a stationary bed and long hot showers ?

Fabulous views, Lisa. And those whopping big crocs. The rock art is very special too, but my favourite shot is of the Amandla in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Ahoy from Indonesia Tish! Thank you so much for your lovely compliments. Delighted to know that you enjoyed sailing with Amandla virtually through the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Aquileana says:

A most beautiful post… the photographs captivated me… wishing you well, dear Lisa. Happy week ahead. Aquileana ?

You are lovely to say so Aquileana!We have safely arrived in Indonesia and are slowly getting settled in. This place seems magical.

What a fantastic adventure! Love the pictures!

Ahoy from Indonesia Sandra. So glad that you like the pictures. We are sadly missing Australia but looking forward to new adventures in Indonesia. We have arrived safely in Kupang and are slowly getting settled.

Amazing photos, Lisa. What a voyage, adventure, and exciting life you lead, although, those termite mounds gave me the willies. lol. Be safe Lisa and can’t wait to see your next set of awesome pics.

Ahoy from Indonesia Eva. Hope you are doing really well. Thank you so much for your compliments and well wishes. We’ve safely arrived in Kupang and are slowly getting settled in. Luckily we didn’t pick up any termite hitchhikers on our way out of Australia ?.

Heyjude says:

When I see photos like these I really wish I had better sea legs. What a marvellous way to travel around the world. Good luck on the next part of the voyage and I shall look forward to seeing Indonesia through your lens 🙂

Ahoy from Kupang, Timor Indonesia Jude! Sailing is indeed the best way to travel – wherever I go, I’m home, only our backyard changes. We are slowly getting settled here and have many new backyards to look forward to as we make our way through Indonesia through to Malaysia in the next three months. Thanks for sailing along virtually ⛵️

A belated Happy birthday Lisa! Amazing photos leaving me feeling as though I am on the boat with you. that’s quite the catch the Captain has made. Glad to hear the crocodile was avoided. Gulp!

Ahoy from Kupang, Timor Indonesia Sue! We made it here safely, fully checked in, and are now out and about 24×7 trying to get as much in as possible before we head to our next destination tomorrow. Its been a mind-blowing whirlwind full of wonderful people who make me feel like a movie star or royalty. But more on that in the next post. Thank you for your kind compliments and for the birthday wishes. I celebrate all month so they were not belated ?.

Susi says:

Thanks for taking me on this trip with you! Great photos!! All of them fabulous! Nice to see one of the captain and one of you. Australia was super, I imagine Indo will even be better… Aloha….and lots of love!

Ahoy from Kupang Susi! I was so sad to leave Australia but now that I’ve arrived in Indonesia, the awesome is so distracting that I haven’t looked back. Fancy a visit somewhere along our tour of this place? The invitation is open always. Thanks for the compliments and the love.

Wow! Amazing post! The lovely colors on the rocks in the sunset photos, the crocodiles, the bird. What a fantastic adventure! Must have been fun to catch that yellow fin tuna! I bet it gives you a fight when it’s reeled in! I’ve never caught tuna, but I guess it’s like an insanly large version of a macerel. Macerels are fun to fish: they protest wildly when they’re caught on a hook.

Ahoy from Indonesia Max! Arrived here safely and am slowly getting acclimated to just how awesome this place is. In addition to the typical check-in with Bio-security, Immigration, and Customs, our first few days here included introductions to The Mayor of Kupang, The Provincial Governor of East Nusa Tenggara and the King of Boti! I have never traveled to such a friendly and welcoming place. Thank goodness we are setting sail today for Alor. I need a little down time to catch up on comments/blogs. Thank you so much for your lovely compliments on the post and for sailing along with me virtually!

PS – The Captain said that it was incredibly fun to catch that yellow-fin tuna and he hopes to catch another fish today. The fish that gives him the most challenge is a Marlin. While he has caught many a Tuna, Wahoo, Mahi Mahi and Spanish Mackerel, he has never been able to land a Marlin. It is a dream of his.

I hope he catches a Marlin! I’ll try to catch up on blogs and comments myself. 🙂

Bird in the sunset (sunrise?) and crocs – very special.

Ahoy from Indonesia Hilary! Thank you so much for your compliment on the bird (sunrise on the Yellow Water) and the crocs. Can’t miss with Australian wildlife.

Debbie says:

Hello dear Lisa ~ your photos are music to my heart, balm to my soul, and bloody good medicine for the physical aches and pains due to catching some unidentified viral infection. Seeing those beautiful pics of our north coast.. queenslands north coast – makes me so happy.
once upon a time i went up north, around simillar areas, and boarded an old Chinese junk called the Shaolin to see the Coral Sea. It was the most awesome and wondrous experience.

So,… indonesia then malaysia and singapore… any chance of you sailing up from the South China Seas to the East China seas and berthing somewhere around Shanghai? would love to see you and you are welcome to stay in our little inland from shanghai town of Suzhou. 🙂
but i have an even better idea:

like Mr Baddie, I’ve always dreamed of sailing tall ships, running away to sea, and all that.. .. ” i must go down to the sea again, for the call of the running tide, is a wild call and a clear call which cannot be denied”….

so… i reckon, any chance you doing a Blogger’s Sea Trip – all your blogging friends can join you on a sea adventure!!! we can pay! wouldnt that be way cool!

“And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.”…..

look forward to reading about your latest adventures and catching up with your previous ones, now im back in Bloggsville…. xx

Ahoy from Indonesia Debbie! We’ve arrived safely and are slowly getting settled. I am sorry to hear that you are under the weather with a nasty viral infection but delighted to know that you found some comfort in the my images of your beautiful home country!. Australia just kept getting better and better. I could have spent another couple of years thereI had a look on line at the Shaolin that leaves from Port Douglas. Was that your boat? She is a beauty. And what is not to love about sailing the Coral Sea? Blue Heaven.

There is always a possibility of sailing anywhere although my long term plans are to head west across the Indian Ocean from Singapore to South Africa and then cross the Atlantic one more time. But who knows what the future holds. And land travel is always an option should a job be elusive in Singapore. I would love to come visit you in Suzhou and my father who has a business in Shanghai is always asking me to come visit.

But I also like your idea of a Blogger’s Sea Trip. In addition to Badfish, a few other bloggers have expressed interest in sailing aboard Amandla. The challenge (due to the fact that we are using one guest cabin as storage) is that we can only accommodate 1 guest (or a couple) comfortably in our 2nd guest cabin or 2 guests somewhat comfortably (we can turn the salon into another bed) or 5 guests not so comfortably – 2 in the guest cabin, 2 in the salon bed and 1 on the salon couch. Still, I am open to the idea.

And of course Sea Fever my favorite poem

Those blues are simply sublime! 🙂 🙂 Glad it turned out to be a happy month. You’ve had a couple of iffy ones 🙂 Quite a hike up that hill for sea legs! 🙂 You have the crocs, I’ll take the gorgeous bird! Love the pic of you on a rock, too. Wishing you much more happy sailing, Lisa. Hartlepool hugs! 🙂

Thank you for your supportive friendship throughout out ‘iffy’ months and for your lovely compliments here Jo. Our time in Indonesia thus far has seen the need for even more repairs (is that possible!!) but the challenges seem less painful as we are surrounded by the smiles locals here.

Guess who failed the eye test? ‘Him’ on a rock! 🙂 🙂

?

What an incredible view from the top of the hill ! Everything looks so blue and gorgeous. The shot of the crocodile is very impressive. It must have been nice to be able to see them up close (from safe distance I hope).

Australia totally delivered ‘awesome’ Seeing the crocs up close and viewing the GBR from Cook’s Look were icing on the cake of our 9 months sailing there. Was difficult to say goodbye! Thank you so much for your visit and lovely compliment ✨

Wow, wow and wow! My first real visit here so too much to respond to except to say, one of the adventure highlights of my life was the amazing gift of sailing Fiji (the Southern Lau Group) twice, totaling 65 days, with 7 of my closest friends and a wonderful female captain (at the time she was the first and only in the South Pacific). These things you write simply transport me, and I am once again in my own adventure, but with pictures of yours interspersed. What a treat to read and see your journey! Thank you.

OMG – I loved sailing the Lau although sadly, we only made landfall as far south as Vanua Balavu. Time didn’t allow us to go to Fulanga! Next time around! Your sailing adventure was indeed a gift! And with regards to your Captain… very impressive. Fiji can be tough for female Captains so her success there really says something.

I don’t remember now the southern-most island but I do have a photo of myself, similar to yours, of standing on a bit of tide-exposed reef (tiny atoll?) way down at the bottom of the world! It felt like being on another planet somehow.

And the yellowfin we caught (well, our first mate caught) was almost as big as me. We ate it five different ways in as many days and then turned over the rest to a grateful village who feasted on the remains. Again, thanks for the memories! And for visiting my “Rare” post about cobalt glass.

☠ The sailing life is a good life indeed. Looking forward to more of your posts ⛵️

Beautiful images, Lisa..gosh, I am so looking forward to reading your August post – hope the sailing in Alor goes well!

Thank you Indah! Australia was really, really great…but Indonesia has captured my heart. I need to stop ‘doing’ and start ‘writing’ if I want to get an August post out in August ?. We have made our way from Alor through Flores (including a visiting to the Kelimutu Lakes) and are now sailing in Komodo National Park. I❤️??

y.prior2 says:

Hi Lisa – it feels so good to get caught up on your posts this week – anyhow, happy belated bday and I like the crocs at a distance too. I had the chance to read some of the comments here and what travel fun = indonesia then malaysia and singapore…

anyhow, sending you hugs and good thoughts and will be following on twitter – xoxo

Thanks for coming by for a visit Yvette and for the birthday wishes. Big hug back.

yprior2 says:

hi – sorry replies and comments are very tough for me for some self-hosted blogs – like even after I log in it bounces and I cannot leave a comment – so I found a way around it – but it kings my commenting a times –
anyhow – have a great day and ttys
☀️?❤️

Amy says:

What an awesome way to travel and see the world. Love these beautiful captures, Lisa! Oh, these birds…
Thank you for taking us there. 🙂

Ahoy from Bawean, Indonesia Amy. Sailing is definitely a wonderful way to see the world Amy. Wherever we go, we are home! Only our backyard changes to keep things interesting. Thanks for your lovely complements and for coming along for the trip as virtual crew.

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