We’re heading south, but without Sunny Spells and without wind power.  After various discussions and planning and replanning we decided to leave the boat behind and fly down to Tasmania.  We are both reluctant to leave her behind – it feels a bit like we are leaving our home for the second time in six months.  However, the relentless humid heat of the Queensland summer (wimps that we are. Whinging pom that I am – I do realise) has taken its toll on my tolerance and I’m looking forward to the cooler climes of Tasmania.

What Mooloolaba has certainly given us is a social life. My word! Our social calendar has been booked up with sundowners and supper every evening with some really interesting and lovely people.  My only regret is that the boys have not had the fun of lots of kids on the neibouring boats.  They had ‘live-aboard’ friends prior to Christmas, but they’ve all moved on, and not been replaced.  The boys are therefore twitchy: finding the heat hard work, and nowhere to call home;  they mss their friends; their beloved toys and even miss school (hardly surprising when the alternative is grumpy-mum as your teacher!).

So we’re heading south, excited at the next stage of our journey, but with a few regrets about what we haven’t done, and haven’t achieved a long the way.  There’s always next time, I keep telling myself…..