Year One
Date: 12/6/2008 15:00
Weather: Clear and warm, windy
Location: Butterfly Bay 20'04 40S, 148'55 47E
Author: Peter

I would have said that as a cruising ground Tasmania had much more to offer than the Whitsundays, but its hard to compare. Each days sail saw something completely different in Tassie, and each anchorage pretty much had a walk or shore activity. On the down side it can be a little coool. In the Whitsundays, each island seems similar to the next, and the majority of walks seem to be on islands with resorts that almost expect you to pay for one of their moorings before coming ashore. It is all beautiful but a change would be nice and yesterday saw that change.
Sunset at Stone Haven anchorage.

We once again had one of those fantastic days that are just so hard to convey with my poor literacy skills. The morning started out clear and sunny with light winds and after breakfast we dropped the mooring at Stonehaven (20'05 51S, 148'54 40E) and headed round to Blue Pearl Bay (20'02 52S, 148'52 84E) arriving around 9 and before the crowds. After picking up a mooring just off the reef we donned scuba gear and headed below. To put it simply this is the best dive I have ever done even though we were only at about 15m. The coral and variety of fish was just brilliant. So many new things were seen by both of us including Kylie's first clown fish, a glide past by a huge Manta Ray and to our joy we spent the last of our air with a turtle. To have swum with these last two is a highlight of my cruise so far and is something I will remember forever. The feeling of exhilaration as we climbed back on board Jura was just fabulous and the high could have lasted us all day but it only got better.

At around 11 we dropped the mooring just as a gaggle of boats arrived and set sail over the top of Hayman Island and around the corner to Butterfly Bay. On our way we had our own personal fly past by the RAAF as 4/5 F-111 used us as a rounding mark with their extended wings about level with the top of our mast and so close you could see the helmets of the pilots through the top of the canopy. The noise as each jet flew past in single file was outrages but to have our own show, "priceless". After lunch (hot dogs) we headed ashore where Kylie promptly set up camp on the beach and started reading and I set off into the bush for an explore. Just off the back of the beach in the dappled light of vine encrusted forest I entered upon a wonderful sight of thousands of butterflies flitting all about me. I have been in butterfly houses before but they had nothing on the staggering quantity just here. As I slowly made my way through and across the back of the beach they were so close I thought I could just reach and grab one. So I did. I then carefully carried it back out to the beach to show Kylie before it flitted away and she followed me back in expecting butterflies, but not as many as were there.

After a relaxing afternoon Pete and Jess who were back out and about after much more work on the boat including careening (stay tuned for photos) and some rather nasty scraping to clean up their hull came over for an afternoon chat and then we all headed back to their boat for dinner.
Careening

A great day, just a great day, wouldn't have traded it for anything, and we are definitely not missing work although we will have to do a little again soon.

Today has been just as good with breakfast of pancakes (yes some of you know the ones I'm talking about) aboard Jura before we all moved over to Manta Ray Bay (20'03 56S, 148'57 37E)for some snorkeling over the best coral gardens I have seen so far (just like in "Finding Nemo") and the biggest wrasse I have ever seen being about the size of a large body board (and about the same shape given the large bump in its forehead). The techni coloured fish up here showcase the full spectrum of colours available in the rainbow and then some (sometimes in just one fish). They are so bright and loud that they can out wow Austin Powers. What the islands lack up top they make up for down below.

Some of my sisters fly up in a few days so we are hoping that the weather is kind so that we can show them some of these things.

A big good luck to Rhys and Byron, who start the 29er Youth Worlds today in Denmark.

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