Cruising on the Clarence - or, the leisurely pub crawl

Stop 1 - the Pacific Hotel

Pubs were always going to play their part in our time on the Clarence River; both the captain and first mate had separate happy memories of the Pacific Hotel at Yamba, so that was our first destination after we tied up at the Marina on a wet Friday afternoon. While the view was not as clear and blue as we both recalled, it was still lovely looking out over the sea and the break wall and reflecting on our successful entry through the bar and into the river. Talking with locals at the Yamba Yacht Club, it became clear that entry into the Clarence is no mean feat and we were right to be pleased with our achievement!

The brand new jetty at Maclean

Saturday was wet again, with continuing rain forecast along the coastal strip, so we cast off from the Marina just after breakfast, heading upstream and hoping for better weather! We passed the Iluka-Yamba ferry on her way in, then cruised through the narrow northern opening in the middle wall and out into the river proper, cruising past Iluka and Harwood on our way to Maclean. The Clarence River is wide and mostly deep, which made navigation easy. We tied up at the brand new public jetty at Maclean and went for a short walk to investigate the Main Street, check out the local (Scottish) information centre and consider options for lunch and dinner. Most shops close at noon on a Saturday and don't open at all on Sunday, so we were happy to find a nice pork roast at the butchers before returning to Manookatoo for lunch. As the weather had cleared in the afternoon, we went for a long walk, admiring all the historical buildings and the regular references to the town's Scottish roots, including many power poles painted in tartans and dual language street signs! We visited the Big River services club for an afternoon drink overlooking the Clarence before returning to the boat for the night. 

Brushgrove beer garden - with boat view!

Brushgrove Hotel

Sunday dawned with sunshine and blue skies, so after breakfast we cast off and continued upstream. We cruised along beside Woodford Island, the largest inland island in Australia, then tied up at the jetty at Lawrence for a long walk to the ferry crossing, the local museum in the old ABC radio studios, then along the ridge and back into town. All the towns along the Clarence have substantial levee banks, as flooding is a regular issue in the valley - the highest recorded level being in 1890, followed by 2001. Returning to Manookatoo we continued  cruising until we reached the south arm of the river, where pulled up at the public jetty at Cowper and crossed the bridge to Brushgrove, where an old fashioned pub serves delicious lunches on the banks of the river. A lazy afternoon followed, with the captain taking the opportunity to watch his beloved footy team win, then pizzas for dinner and an early night.

Looks low from here!

Drizzle started again on Monday, so the captain cast off while the first mate lazed in bed. Continuing upstream, we stopped at Ulmarra for breakfast. By then the sky had cleared, so we kept heading up the Clarence, bound for Grafton. A stiff wind made the river a little choppy as we approached the Grafton bridge with some caution, being unsure of the clearance below. With a metre or two to spare, we cruised across to the northern shore, tying up at the jetty at the end of Prince Street, the main shopping strip for the town. We were happy to have a secure place to moor as the wind increased over the afternoon. Deciding to explore the town, we walked around the streets on the northern bank before crossing over the double-decker bridge to find the information centre and explore south Grafton. There is a lot of history in the town, which used to be a major inland port, and the many heritage listed buildings reflect this.  We returned to Manookatoo for lunch, then took advantage of the range of supermarkets (and a Dan Murphy's!) to do some restocking of the pantry. A late afternoon drink at The Family Hotel capped off an enjoyable stay in Grafton.

Ulmarra Hotel beer garden

On Tuesday morning the captain took Manookatoo (and the first mate) over to the marina at South Grafton for a walk before breakfast. The smaller township on this side of the river also contains many historic buildings and we took advantage of the local greengrocer and butcher to plan our lunch and dinner. We returned to Manookatoo for breakfast, then cast off, passing under the bridge again to begin our journey back downstream. Just over an hour later we tied up at Ulmarra, a beautiful heritage town with a pub that boasts one of the best beer gardens in NSW, overlooking the river. 

Which team to support in State of Origin??

Wednesday started cold and overcast but by after breakfast the sky was beginning to clear so we took the opportunity to do the historical walk, admiring the many period buildings including a court house, two pubs, a dairy and council chambers. Ulmarra was certainly once bigger than it is now! Most shops these days sell arts and crafts, antiques or coffee and food and it is easy to see why, with lots of tourists stopping here on their way up or down the Pacific Highway. Our next destination was only a couple of hours south, at Lawrence, so we took a leisurely cruise down the river, enjoying a lazy afternoon and an early evening drink in the Lawrence Hotel. The fire was going and the State of Origin was on the TV, but we returned to Manookatoo for dinner and watched the game relaxing in front of our own TV. 

On Thursday morning the sun rose in a blue sky, so we took a stroll across the old wooden bridge and along the riverfront before returning to the boat for breakfast, then we cast off. With the current flowing our way we made good time, pulling in at Maclean to buy some supplies then continuing downstream to Harwood. With the lift bridge closed for repairs there were a couple of yachts on the floating jetty who could go no further, so we tied up at the small fixed jetty. We were unsure whether we would stay the night, but a visit to the Harwood "Hilton" convinced us of the merits of the place! We enjoyed a delicious seafood lunch at the pub and returned in the late afternoon for their pate and a couple of pre dinner drinks. The Pacific Highway crosses the Clarence at Harwood, but it wasn't going to disturb us tonight.

Meeting friends in Iluka

On Friday morning the captain cast off before the first mate was out of bed, bound for Iluka where we had an early morning coffee date with Mary-Anne and Tony before they left for Newcastle. It was great to catch up with them and hear of their plans for a new Marina at Iluka - we'd love to visit again in a few years time and see their new facilities. We filled up with fuel after they left, then cruised across to the mooring they had offered us for the night; it was in a lovely position just near a little sandy beach. We dropped the Brig in the water and went ashore to explore the town and the breakwater, buying bread and mushrooms in the local shops and enjoying a drink at Sedgers  Reef Hotel before returning to Manookatoo for lunch. Later, we cruised across to check out the Yamba Shores Tavern - with a lovely long jetty in front it is a consideration for a night on our return journey! Cruising back, we observed how much the bar had settled, boding well for tomorrow morning's exit. The sun set was spectacular - "red sky at night, sailors' delight"; we look forward to a new destination further north! 

Red sky at night, sailors' delight

Captain's log:

Distance traveled - 72.4 nautical miles

Cruising time - 13 hours 10 minutes

Fuel - 71.5 litres

Port to Coffs to Yamba

Leaving Port Macquarie at 6am

A weather window opened on Monday, the Queen's Birthday holiday, so we took it! We were up before 6am, keen to be underway at first light, casting off our lines at 6:15 and cruising down the Hastings River, over the bar and back into the ocean swell. Conditions were quite overcast with intermittent rain, which reduced visibility, although we did manage to see evidence that whales were about, with many water spouts in the distance and a group of three quite close to us! We cruised past Smoky Cape and South West Rocks, coming closer to shore after Trial Bay and following the coastline up to round South East Islet and enter the breakwaters of Coffs Harbour, cruising into the Marina and tying up just before 4pm. With strong winds forecast for the next few days we look forward to exploring the local area.

Coffs Harbour Marina at sunset

Tuesday dawned grey and threatening rain, but we donned the raincoats and walked the 4km into town; after a day on the water it is always good to have a long walk! We followed the Coffs creek walk back to the surf club, enjoying a drink in the bar before returning to Manookatoo via the fishing co-op for some fresh prawns for lunch. In the afternoon we tried out the yacht club while waiting for our washing to finish, then hung it up in the strong wind to dry quickly on the flybridge!

Nambucca Heads

We left home early on Wednesday morning to catch the bus to Nambucca Heads; the bar there prevents us entering the river but we had heard how nice it was so we took the opportunity to visit. We walked along the boardwalk from the highway to the heads, then enjoyed an early lunch at the RSL club overlooking the river in order to catch the bus back to Coffs. We finished the day with a walk home via Park Beach.

Under the Coffs Harbour jetty

Thursday morning started with our exercise routine - after several days of walking it was time to do some strength training! After breakfast we walked the 700m Coffs jetty then followed the beach to Corambirra Point, returning to Manookatoo for a leisurely lunch. As we plan on leaving here tomorrow, later in the afternoon we walked up to the lookout on Muttonbird Island to check the sea state, then we cast off from the Marina to pick up a courtesy mooring near the jetty, enabling an easy exit in the morning.

Whale - breaching!!

The captain was up early on Friday morning, keen to get going, and by 6am we were on our way, out of the Harbour and back into the sea! The sun rose over calm water as we cruised along, enjoying breakfast and taking things easy. We could see whale plumes in the distance then we spotted some closer to us, tail slapping and breaching! It was great to watch but a little intimidating when they are so close! The swell increased as we cruised along, making for a very roly-poly trip, and just before the Clarence River bar rain started, reducing visibility just as we wanted it the most. While the first mate was tentative crossing the bar, the captain handled it with ease, in an entry described as "excellent" by the Marine Rescue operator, watching from their headquarters above the break wall. We turned to port soon after, cruising into the Yamba Channel and tying up at the Marina. A rainy walk up to the Pacific Hotel followed, with celebratory drinks overlooking the entrance before we  returned via the local yacht club for dinner and an early night.

The rainy view at the Pacific hotel

We look forward to exploring the Clarence River in detail in the coming days.
Captain's log:
Port Macquarie to Yamba
Distance travelled: 131 nautical miles
Time taken: 18 hours 35 minutes
Fuel: 207.1 litres

A passage to Port Macquarie

Sunset at Port Macquarie

Tuncurry local

With winter upon us, we started to feel the cool of the days and the early sunsets gave way to chilly nights. It was time to continue north! Our first chance came on Sunday, when the winds and swells abated, although continuing rain had us wondering about whether it would be a pleasant trip. Casting off our mooring at Shoal Bay just after 6:30am, we headed past fog-covered  Yaccaba Head and turned north-east. The drizzle prevented us from seeing much and the 1.5m swell had us rocking and rolling, but once we passed Broughton Island the seas settled enough that we felt we had made the right decision to go. Passing Seal Rocks and turning more northerly, the swell was working with us rather than across us. The rain stopped and the sun even threatened to peek out from the clouds! We cruised into Cape Hawke Bay just after 1:00, tying up at the Forster launching ramp jetty for lunch, then heading over to the Tuncurry Seafood Co-Op where we enjoyed a walk around both towns and sea walls, returning to take Manookatoo to a courtesy mooring for the night. 

Friendly dolphins!

Monday morning was fine and clear as we dropped the mooring and cruised out across the bar, heading north again. The journey up the mid north coast is spectacular, with the great dividing range rising just beyond the seashore. We passed Hallidays Point, Crowdy Head and Diamond Head, bypassing Laurieton (even though we'd heard it is a lovely place to visit), as we were keen to get to Port Macquarie in this weather "window". As we entered the Port Macquarie bar, Dolphins greeted us, diving through the waves on the bow. We tied up at the Port Marina just after 2:00, then took a walk into town to check out the sights and get some local information. Port Macquarie was a convict settlement, so there are many historical things to see, and with the weather not looking good for the next few days we are keen to explore all the options.

We followed the Koolonbung Creek walk on Tuesday morning, enjoying the stroll through the mangroves before returning to Manookatoo for a late breakfast. Later that morning Bill the Marina manager kindly lent us his car, so we took the opportunity to stock up on groceries (and alcohol!). We had a relaxing afternoon with a walk to check out Settlement City shopping centre before returning to Manookatoo to enjoy a lovely roast chicken dinner.

"Old" friends catching up

On Wednesday it dawned bright and sunny (but quite cool), so we took the early bus to Laurieton. We went for our morning walk, following the Camden Haven Inlet all the way to the entrance - a pretty walk past the small villages of Camden Haven and North Haven, with oyster leases lining the banks and a few keen fishermen on the rock wall. This was a place we had thought we might come to in Manookatoo - and maybe we will on our return journey south. Returning to Laurieton we enjoyed lunch at the United Services Club before returning on the bus for a (wet!) walk along the Port Macquarie breakwater and back to Manookatoo. 

Port entry looking calm

On Thursday we took our bikes and rode out to the Hibbard car ferry, crossing the Hastings River then cycling along the North Shore area and out along a bumpy track to the northern break wall. We returned on the Settlement Point car ferry just as the rain started, sheltering in a picnic area before returning to the boat for lunch. In the afternoon the first mate caught up with an ""old" friend while the captain rode into town, then we tried out the lovely local bowls club, overlooking the river, for an afternoon drink.

Hastings River, Wauchope

Friday dawned wet but not windy, so we decided to try heading north to hopefully better weather. However, just after crossing the bar, and as the sideways swell was rolling us about, a strong wind warning was issued for the Macquarie coast, so we made a prudent decision to return to Port!! After regrouping and having breakfast, we caught the bus to Wauchope, making the most of a break in the rain for a walk along the Hastings River, then enjoying a leisurely lunch at the Hastings Hotel before buying a couple of steaks from the local butcher and catching the bus back to Port Macquarie again, just as the rain returned with a vengeance!

The wet weather cancelled the local foreshore markets on Saturday, so the first mate spent a lazy morning pottering about while the captain caught the bus to Bunnings to buy some maintenance supplies, then returned to do a couple of small jobs on Manookatoo. A lazy afternoon followed, with sunset drinks at the Bowling Club and dinner at home. 

Port entry looking rough!

Sunday dawned cloudy but dry, so we took a walk into town and followed the historical trail, seeing where the remnants of the original convict settlement were located. It was interesting - but a little daunting when we read about the number of ships wrecked on the bar! We returned to Manookatoo for a late breakfast, then took a walk to Settlement City to buy snags for a sausage sizzle lunch and to book dinner at the bowling club. As the weather bureau issued their updated forecasts we decided that tomorrow would be a better day to travel north so we readied Manookatoo for the journey north in the afternoon before enjoying a Seafood Platter dinner and having an early night, as tomorrow will be a long trip.

Farewell Port, we're moving north!

The captain's log:

Port Stephens to Port Macquarie

Distance: 99 nautical miles

Cruising time: 14 hours 35 minutes

Fuel consumption: 127.9 litres

Perfect Port Stephens

Perfect Port Stephens

There is no better way to describe this waterway on the New South Wales coast than "perfect". We have so many memories of past trips to this area that we were keen to revisit, so we gave ourselves plenty of time to explore. Here are just a few of our highlights:

We all love prawns at Jimmy's Beach!

Jimmy's Beach
To us, Jimmy's Beach is synonomous with prawns. We usually visit the Nelson Bay fishing co-op for half a kilo at our first opportunity, grab a couple of rolls or a loaf of fresh bread from the local bakery, and zoom over, dropping anchor close to shore. Jimmy's Beach was our first stop when we entered Port Stephens this time, anchoring offshore and taking the brig ashore for a walk along the beautiful stretch of sand towards the entrance, with prawns for lunch after our walk. When the first mate's parents were visiting, we had another lovely prawn lunch there, with a large pod of dolphins swimming nearby.
Fame Cove

Beautiful Fame Cove

On previous trips to Port Stepehens, our visits to Fame Cove have just been for lunch, but this time, with our floating "house" we could take full advantage of the courtesy moorings and stay the night. This is a popular place with many boaties but at this time of year, on our three visits, each time we have been lucky enough to snag a spare mooring, lazing the afternoon away and enjoying the peace and serenity with nothing but bushland surrounding us.
Shoal Bay

The captain powered up Tomaree

Two things we love about Shoal Bay are the Fishermans Club and the Tomaree Head walk - for quite different reasons!! Both were places we have walked to in the past, when we stayed at the first mate's parents' apartment at Little Beach, and we were keen to revisit this time. The captain took great pleasure in the Tomaree walk - 1 km straight up to the top - while the first mate slogged along and appreciated reaching the top and admiring the view.

A walk back to Manookatoo via Little Beach topped off the experience. When the weather was windy we took another walk to Shoal Bay and had lunch on the terrace at the Fishermans Club, enjoying the views to sea and an extravagant seafood lunch.
Lemon Tree Passage

Finally got the bikes out!

A quiet patch of water that few people visit but a lovely location - with a waterside koala walk, a great takeaway shop and a reasonable Bowls Club, it is easy to stay there. We left Manookatoo at Lemon Tree Passage Marina while we visited the Gold Coast for the captain to attend the boat show and for both of us to catch up with friends - it is an inexpensive Marina with easy access to Newcastle Airport. We also spent a night tied up at the main wharf, taking the bikes and riding through the bush to Tanilba Bay on the Tilligery Peninsula and walking along the foreshore and through the koala sanctuary.
Nelson Bay
The perennial favourite, Nelson Bay, has so much to offer. We stayed a night at D'Albora Marina then discovered free short term berthing at the ferry jetty nearby - the perfect place to park while the first mate's parents were visiting! From here, everything is accessible, either on foot, by bus or ferry, or in Manookatoo!

The "old" generator impeller and teeth

And the "new" impeller - teeth attached

We returned when it was too windy for staying on a mooring overnight, enjoying the local amenities and making the most of the chandlery for the Captain to show his skills as the "Chief Engineer" and carry out repairs to the generator.

We loved our time in Port Stephens - our stay was extended a little by strong winds and high swells, but there are worse places to spend extra time so we were happy to wait for the right weather "window" before setting our next course north this morning.......