Gypsea Fever update - (Jane 5 June 2014)

Hi all
To pick up where our Chief Purser, PA, Galley Slave, Chart Updater and Filer, Fender Handler and most thorough Pilot House Cleaner left off,  we had sundowners and nibbles and a delicious dinner on board. After the usual chatter and varying reports on the size of the waves in combat against the outgoing tide of the afternoon, we retired to our comfy bunks in preparation to face the bar again and head to the Gold Coast and Southport. I am sure that it those waves were at least 15ft.  Our very able skipper timed our crossing of the bar perfectly and I am sure, all silently ticked Ballina off our Bucket Lists in indelible ink.
The journey to Southport was easy and as has become the norm, enhanced by the spotting of whales and dolphins. We reached the entrance to The Gold Coast Seaway in the afternoon and to our berth at Southport Yacht Club. This marina abounds with million dollar boats and vessels, some of them so large and luxurious that they can surely only be managed by a permanent crew.
The first thing Dave did when planning our voyage and adventure, was draw up a daily duty roster for each of his crew. It is through this that certain crew members have had the opportunity to display their deeply hidden true and very important talents.  I've yet to achieve some form of recognition from the Skipper, however Marie has earned another Gypsea Fever degree,  I think we have all had a turn at cleaning the exterior of the pilot house windows and the aft cockpit, and dare I mention the day heads.  When entering or leaving a marina, John and Ron are in charge of getting mooring lines out of a locker on the foredeck and placing the shore power cord at the ready.  The ladies place the fenders in the appropriate positions and prepare spring mooring lines.  Ron has the agility of a young buck so, once along side the dock,  he steps or jumps ashore to fasten the stern line and then takes the bow line from John and secures it.  Once Dave is happy with the position of our good ship alongside the dock, the spring lines are secured and all is well.
Southport Yacht Club marina is huge.  I am sure it was almost a half a kilometer walk from our boat to the clubhouse bar and restaurant.  We spent two nights there and on the second night had a very enjoyable evening with John Lobenstein who drove some 100k's from the Tweed Valley, to see the boat and join us for dinner.  We had dinner at the yacht club restaurant which is right on the waters edge.
John had suggested that as we had some provisions to get, we should go to the Robina Town Centre as there is a good selection of shops and stores.  John and Joan went to Seaworld so Marie and I had the task of stocking up on essentials like roller towel, salad stuff, milk and and that vital beverage that keeps our skipper in good humour.  Robina Town Centre is not exactly in Surfer's Paradise so we,  courtesy of our cab driver had a good look at all the expensive and palatial homes along the various canals alongside the main area of Surfer's.  We then meandered through the less salubrious suburbs and finally came upon the largest shopping centre on Earth, or so it seemed.  There are two Woolworths stores, but at separate ends of the centre and only one has a BWS section.  We unfortunately ended up in the one without the BWS so had to traverse the centre again, with a heavily laden wayward shopping trolley in order to complete our mission.  Thankfully we didn't have to wait for a cab.  A most delightful little Chinese man helped us load our bags into the boot of his Prius and we set off for "home".  He had the most wonderful music playing in his car, Dean Martin, Jim Reeves, Nat King Cole and that genre.  We complimented him on his choice of music and he, in quite broken English, explained that he doesn't understand all the words but listens to the music to hopefully improve his English. He was born in Shang Hi and has been on the Gold Coast for 22 years.
Our next port of call was Mooloolaba where we tied up at the yacht club and had dinner at the club restaurant.   We were again on an outer mooring on the river / channel and towards evening, so many yachts were returning to the club, obviously having participated in Wednesday afternoon racing.  It might have been a "Ladies Race" as most of the yachts had a female at the helm.  After the yachts came the tinnies with rods and fishing gear and then a kayaking group all clad in pink and some in pink kayaks.
We departed Mooloolaba at 6.30 this morning and are bound for Tin Can Bay, inside of Fraser Island.  We have passed Coolum Heads and Noosa and the sea is calm and the sky clear of clouds.
So, until the next time
Warmest wishes from Gypsea Fever