Bundaberg Botanical Gardens

We did it with Joshua when he was seven, now it was Sadie's turn

When things are going so well at sea it's the important things we forget, like Hannah's birthday, oops!!
​A quick recovery from all parties onboard with last minute art work and lots of hugs. 

Followed by a meal out in Port Bundaberg marina restaurant with dessert

Pushing 4 large trollies around the super market prompted lots of questions like.........
​Do you live  way out in the country?
Do you have a shop?
Are you travelling in a camper van?
​Are you selling that? We were outside the market.
​We were never asked if we were sailors, guess its our pomme accents! Still more shopping tommorow.

Carpe Diem's 11 days passage with mid way weather forecast above

A little under the weather on the first day at sea

Top of the conversation in Opua has been cyclone Donna as she slowly makes her way south to New Zealand, blocking out any chances of having an early start in the tropics. Some yachts have left, challenging mother nature's most brutal force. Most have succeeded with only their experiences dampened of heavy winds with steep waves, some have returned to start again in fairer conditions. There was one yacht that suffered rudder failure only a day out from Fiji and had to be towed www.whereispawpaw.com. They are safely anchored in Fiji but now have to dodge the appoarching storms. Not the sort of risk taking that Carpe Diem is prepared to take.
​It looks like everyone sailing north has been put on the back foot making daily weather checks for that prefect weather window. Good business for the busy 'Marina cafe'.
​We were planning to leave on Saturday but the weather has changed again with cyclone Ella moving over Fiji and a low developing off the coast of Australia. We will make our weather judgement closer to the time.
​For now we can only wait and get on to those small boating jobs lurking around the yacht.
​