24th October
Tuesday morning and after a few final odd jobs such as buying a couple of frozen mullet for the crab pots, we unmoored at 11.00 to go with the start of the outgoing tide. Gladstone tidal flow runs at 2 knots or more so not something to push against. The harbour was busy with tugs and ship movements. 
There was a bit of easterly breeze outside the harbour so the salt Ed had washed off Suzanne was soon back on again.
We had yet another early start next day as it is quite a long run down to Bundaberg so we left the dinghy up and just relaxed on board for the rest of the day.
25th October
In the morning we waited a bit past the turn of the tide so that it was on the rise and got under way at 6.00. The breeze was about 10 knots from the north with a bit of a sea still running from the previous day so it was fairly rolly for the best part of the trip.
On arrival in the Burnett River Channel at 2.30 we could see the source of much of the debris because the river and adjacent coastal water was brown with mud.
When we tied up in the Bundaberg Port Marina at 2.45 we were even more horrified about the amount of sticks and water hyacinth in the marina. But it was too late and too far to go anywhere else so we tied up well forward in the bay to keep the rubbish away from the stern, and determining to get away as early as possible we didn’t connect the shore power and left the fridges off for fear of sucking debris into the water intake.
Apart from that Bundaberg was its usual hospitable self with the bonus of some beautiful fresh seafood off the trawlers at the Factory Outlet and another delicious seafood marinara at the marina restaurant.
Back at Suzanne and settling down for an early night’s sleep in anticipation of meeting up with Sandra and Tim at Hervey Bay tomorrow morning, we got a phone call from Sandra throwing all our plans into disarray. The way Ed heard it from Lyndal, with his hearing aids out, was that Tim had “bloat”. Turns out it was Krug, their doted upon German Shepherd! However Ed drifted back to sleep thinking of cows with bloat and “poor Tim, that would be a real bugger!”
26th October
Thursday morning and the deadline of Sandra and Tim’s arrival had gone but we still had the incentive of a rising wind forecast and the desire to get out of the muddy and debris filled marina so it was another “picaninny daylight” start and we motored out of the Burnett River into another dawn. 
The wind was still northerly about 15 knots, starting to get a bit of a sea running but not too bad downwind. At any other point of the compass Suzanne will steer herself and hold course with barely a touch on the wheel, but not downwind so with the autopilot out it was hand steering all the way for five hours. 
Approaching Sandy Straits Marina there was consternation as we now wanted to stay the night and it seems there were few if any berths available. They finally found one for us on a corner which added to the crowded state of the marina and the narrow laneways was a real corker to get into. However the Marina staff and helpers arrived en masse to take our lines and Suzanne was wedged in to a very tight space with another boat’s bowsprit and anchor only a couple of feet from our bow.
While we settled down and waited for news as to whether the Swains would ever get here we decided to make a start on the seafood and had a very tasty prawn salad dinner aboard.
27th October
The morning saw us talking to Sandra and finally resolved it was not worth their while to come up for a couple of days with the weather a bit doubtful. A bit more re-planning and we decided Lyndal would fly home from here so a call to our faithful crewmember Scott followed. Scott rose to the occasion and agreed to drive up on Sunday and Lyndal would take his car back on Monday morning instead of flying. So up to the marina office to see about a few more days stay which revealed we would have to move to another berth.
Bob the marina manager came down to walk our bow line back so we would not drift against the very close boat on our starboard bow and we then moved to the new berth without further drama.
At lunch time, with no Swains present, so we just had to eat four bugs by ourselves – a bit like the proverbial “death of the rich uncle” really – sad the Swains weren’t with us …. but the bugs went down very nicely!
Back in Gladstone, when entering the marina, Ed’s interest had been piqued by an old fashioned looking sailing boat just ahead so he walked round the marina later to have a look. On saying hello a fit looking wiry little bloke put his head out of the cabin. On being asked the history of the boat he responded : “Built her myself last year”. The boat is about 25 feet long, built of marine ply, more or less flat bottomed with a “box keel” (perhaps you sailors will know what that is). She is a “motor sailer” – the motor you ask? A 9.9hp outboard fixed in a well ahead of the rudder! Austin is a solo sailor and he left Ballina earlier this year, had been as far as the Whitsundays and was on his way back south. Her average speed under sail or power? 4 knots. 
All this was fairly awe inspiring, so when Ed met Austin round at the Boat Club he invited him round to Suzanne for a bit of afternoon hospitality. We sat on the back deck, comfortably cool with a glass of wine in hand and learnt about Austin’s sailing adventures in “Francis Clare” and his rather knockabout life which encompassed RAF service in North Africa as an air traffic controller, a horse wrangler on a dude ranch in Hampshire, a rouseabout on a Wellington NSW sheep station and time in Alaska (as not sure what). He has drifted all across America, England and Europe, working in some places and just travelling in others. He is from County Tyrone in Ireland and is one of 9 children. His parents are from large families and he has relatives all over the world.
His boating adventures include taking a Dragon keelboat from Malta to Tripoli to help out a mate, having never sailed before and using nothing but a compass and a road map of Europe. It’s a distance of 350 kilometres and took them three days and nights, crossing some of the busiest sea channels in the world, and when they got to the other side they were only out by 12 kilometres. He has also helped to man a charter boat in Bass Strait and sailed around the islands of New Guinea – where many of the natives had never seen a white man.
He came down to Sandy Straits marina behind us yesterday, and was still crossing Hervey Bay when the wind got up to close to 30 knots in the afternoon. He did admit it was the worst experience he had had in his entire voyage to date and he sometimes doubted he would get there at all the seas were so big. He arrived at the Marina well after dark and quite exhausted. He must be closer to 80 than 70 and is quite an inspiration.
Well you certainly meet some interesting people while cruising. We wished Austin well for the rest of his voyage. Perhaps we will catch up to him again later.
We finished off the evening with dinner at the Cafe Balaena restaurant just at top of our ramp in the marina.
28th October
The morning started slowly, with breakfast on the deck and then a few odd jobs and catching up with some bookwork. Edgar in his investigations had discovered the Boat Club had two movie cinemas and one was showing Victoria & Abdul with Dame Judy Dench. The movie had excellent reviews which, as we discovered, were well founded (the speech Victoria gave to her son and senior members of her household when they were trying to have her declared insane was quite something – a masterful performance by Dame Judy).
For lunch we tackled the wood smoked fillet of salmon on toast with a lovely Reisling – sorry Sandra and Tim. 
With the crab still to consume (Crab Linguine on the menu for tonight) we thought we should get a bit of exercise so decided to walk to the jetty at Hervey Bay. We had a lovely walk along the Charlton Esplanade and were reluctant to turn back it was so pleasant. 
29th October
A fairly leisurely day with a walk around the marina and the purchase of snorkelling fins for both of us. Scott arrived late afternoon and settled in and then it was time to head out for dinner at Coast along the Esplanade in Urungan.
We had no great expectations of this restaurant but it had some good reviews and it was open on a Sunday. It turned out to be a fantastic dining experience, reasonably priced and on a par with some of the best restaurants we have dined at. 
We started with drinks – Ed had a Burleigh Brewing Co. Big Head lager whilst Scott and I tried the Elderflower Collins. The menu is a share platter arrangement and there were a number of very delicious dishes to choose from – which took us some time – and negotiation! During the ordering process we came across a drink called Gin & The Giant Peach which consisted of Gin, Champagne, Peach and Citrus. We decided we had to have one to celebrate the end of the trip for Lyndal and the close to the end of the trip for Edgar and Scott. It was totally delicious and only the thought that one of us had to drive home stopped us ordering another – definitely on our menu from now on.
In a very short time our entree platters arrived – Grilled Hervey Bay scallops with kombu butter and wakame (absolutely delicious), Whole fried whitebait with preserved lemon aioli and Thai fish cakes with daikon and nam prik pao. These and the rest of the meal was paired with a 2016 Rosa by KT, Granacha Tempranillo from the Clare Valley (also very delicious).
Our main meal consisted of another three platters. Zucchini textures with dill, tomatoes and almonds, Sticky beef short ribs with coconut & ginger caramel and finally Vietnamese spiced chicken with star anise & lemongrass broth and a side dish of Pumpkin, honey, cumin, lemon, fetta and sage. Our waiter had strongly advised us against ordering any more and he was so right! Only the fact that the food was so delicious kept us going.
After a short break we were lured in by the dessert menu. Edgar, wisely, contained himself to coffee but Scott was taken by the Liquorice sponge with caramel, chocolate, vanilla and popcorn and I couldn’t resist the Yoghurt panna cotta with summer berries, spiced granola and lemon balm.
If you are ever in Hervey Bay – Coast is the place to go!
And so to bed well wined and dined. Lyndal was leaving in the morning and Edgar and Scott were setting off to bring the boat home on it’s last leg.