t is very nice to have time to wait for the wind, and a couple of days ago we had a great long day's sail, leaving at 3.30am and arriving just at dusk at about 5pm (the days are getting shorter). Up the coast past Newcastle there were at least 20 ships at anchor, all empty and waiting for their cargo of coal. Quite a range of condition from very rusty to very smart, mostly from Asia. Big business, no wonder Australia is thriving at the moment in great contrast to Europe (not good for the exchange rate for us).
Our destination was another big bay, Port Stephens, which covers an area as large as Sydney harbour, but is much quieter. The small town of Port Stephens is the sort of place that is perfect for people like us - free mooring with the charter boats in the marina, and a short walk to shops and laundromat. It has been pouring with rain on and off since we arrived, an opportunity to read the weekend newspapers and catch up with emails. The bay has a huge population of dolphins, and is on the migration route for humpback and right whales - they start appearing mid May heading north for Queensland so we hope for good sightings in the coming weeks.
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