Our cook Kate was shanghaied by Windward Bound – currently cruising the east coast of Australia. She wrote on the 16th of September:
Time flies when you’re fun!! We are currently in Eden on Windeward Bound, departing with a full ship again on Tuesday bound for Devonport. The following and final leg of this amazing six month Odyssey then sees us getting back to Hobart on the 15th of October, so not long to go now…. the Devonport to Hobart trip will be our annual Youth Leadership Challenge, which if you haven’t seen it yet, is covered in the recent ABC Compass program about Winde and Captain Sarah Parry (Series 13, Episode 37). That voyage brings together young Tasmanians and young refugees from all over the world and all kinds of backgrounds. Every youth voyage on this ship is wonderful and enlightening, learning vicariously through and alongside the sail trainees.
I am excited and slightly nervous about our upcoming Bass Straight crossing – will it be glassine smooth or will it be rough and tumble?!?! Please let the winds blow the right way! We will be skipping to Flinders Island and Deal Island on the way, so that will be another added excitement! I will definitely be creating a photo book of my adventure, and am keen to host a slide night (seriously!! We have been talking about this at the LBT for years! But I will get a presentation of pictures and tales together for sure!!)
It has been delightful to sail the coastline and visit South Coast NSW again, where I grew up, and have lived and worked for many years along the way. I have visited family and old friends, and a number of new friends formed on the Tawe Nunnugah earlier this year. I have had the opportunity to drive through some of the fire ravaged areas, and see the regrowing and rebuilding processes in action. To visit places so familiar and yet so changed has been very moving. And the town of Cobargo had an absolutely fabulous community resource called “The Tool Bank”, which reminded me of the LBT (just with every sort of building and maintenance tool you could possibly need!). Amazing, and helping build and reiterate the resilience, cohesion and strength of that community.
Saw a pod of 4 whales (and another pair) in Twofold Bay on Friday on the day sail with all my family who’ve come down to visit (eight of us!). Yet another incredible experience on this voyage of a lifetime. And so good to see everyone xxxx.
There are lots of pics from Kate here.
Late breaking news: one of our spies has spotted Windeward Bound in Devonport snuggled up beside the Julie Burgess.
