Port Denison - Finally we get our toes wet

After a big couple of days sailing we were content to spend a relaxing Easter at Port Denison, with no hurry to get to the Abrolhos, knowing that Easter is one of the busiest periods on the Islands.

We were also fortunate to be sitting on a mooring on the western side of the marina, so armed with a bowl of cereal and a cup of tea we conducted what would become ritual for the four days of our stay - surf check!!

There was a fun little left hander right outside the marina and we were keen to get our toes wet and finally get a surf. We had been so focused over the past six months on getting the house ready for sale, offloading our ‘stuff’ as well as finishing up our respective jobs that we hadn’t really had much surf time.

We would have been content just getting wet; lucky for us, we managed to surf everyday for the next four days in a range of size and winds. Great fun and awesome to get some wax under our feet again, as well as getting some surf fitness back. It was just a case of jumping off the back of the boat and paddling out through the marina entrance, then around the corner and up the reef. If you timed it right coming home, there was a cheeky little left hander to propel you closer to the rock wall and back to the boat.

Between surfs, we explored the beautiful twin towns of Dongara and Port Denison. Having no car can be an advantage and several times we walked from Denison into Dongara, taking different routes and exploring the area. Highlight was a walk that took us past the rivermouth and wetlands and along the south side of the Irwin River into Dongara. There is a section of boardwalk that skirts the wetlands and then takes you to a quiet path that follows the river upstream. A few kilometres in and we found ourselves at Denison House, nestled on the banks of the river. Heritage listed and now looked after by the Shire, it is a lovely old building with an interesting history, including being owned by the Benedictine Monks of New Norcia at one point.

The path continues into town where we had a coffee (tea for Pete of course..) and perused the local stores. Back to the boat via the northside of the river this time, with a quick hop across the sand at the rivermouth to reconnect back to Denison.

A great way to spend Easter - thanks Paul for use of your mooring - and we look forward to returning.

Next stop Geraldton, a passage of about 40nm. We departed around 7am with a nice East South Easterly breeze which continued until almost Cape Burney, when as forecasted it died and we motored for about 15 minutes until the wind swung to the south. We sailed inside the scattered reef that lies about 3nm off the coast, all the way up to Cape Burney, which saw us pop out inshore of African Reef. A great downwind sail on a 15 to 18 knot south westerly followed as we began to see the grain silos and port facilities up ahead. Still dodging craypots of course, but that is just par for the course when coastal cruising in WA.

We finally cleared Point Moore, distinct with its red and white ‘Where’s Wally?’ striping and made our way down the shipping channel, giving us safe passage into Geraldton. We anchored up just off the Geraldton Yacht Club in Champion Bay where we reacquainted ourselves with some other cruising buddies who were already in the anchorage.

Our few days in Geraldton were spent making the most of facilities available when anchored in a port. A truck load (or boat load to be precise) of washing to catch up on, re-stocking of the fridge and pantry items, topping up the fuel and water tanks, as well as some admin tasks / boat jobs to complete before moving on to our next destination. We were lucky to time our visit perfectly to be able to catch up with Captain Ash and his crew (Jade and Liv) on Silverado. He was able to talk us through, and share some of his vast experience, with what to expect on our first visit to the Abrolhos Islands. Thanks Ash for taking time out of your busy schedule to help us feel a little more at ease with the prospect of negotiating all that reef!

Next stop: Houtman Abrolhos!