2017-05 - MONTHLY LOG STATISTICS

Still enjoying our time pottering around the Gippsland Lakes, we’re in no rush to get further north. We are mainly killing time and sorting out the installation of the watermaker. We are also waiting for a final catch-up with family and friends.

2017-05-02 - FROM Progress Jetty TO Dawson's Cove

Wind picked up a bit at Progress Jetty and so we enjoyed a (very) early morning trip across to drop the anchor instead of copping a bashing against the jetty.

Diamonds on the water. A constant deluge of magnificent sunrises and sunsets.

Dusk at Dawsons Cove. How’s the serenity.

2017-05-04 - FROM Dawson's Cove TO Progress Jetty

Back to Progress Jetty as the weather improved enough for us to go for a bit of a ride. We took the trail down to Eagle Bay. Colleen was taking full advantage of her new bike, and she likes the colours and the bell of this one better than the old one.

Colleen’s replacement bike. She thinks the colour and the bell are an improvement.

On the way, we found a great Op-shop and they were having a special where you could fill a bag for $2. David was after a new bag to store one of the parachutes, so we brought a bag and grabbed a few more items as well.

2017-05-06 - FROM Progress Jetty TO Picnic Arm

Pelican in flight. Colleen waited twenty-eight minutes to take this shot. It had been sitting on that pole for most of the morning.

Competitors head off on a paddle-race from Paynesville to Lakes Entrance. Keen!

2017-05-08 - FROM Picnic Arm TO Dawson's Cove VIA Progress Jetty

2017-05-09 - FROM Dawson's Cove TO Steamer Landing Jetty

We decided to go across to see the other area in Bunga Arm. We had visited Ocean Grange in April, and wanted to take a look further down the Arm. Colleen took the helm for the run in, and managed to weave through the channel and put XTsea up against the jetty without a problem.

We enjoyed a walk along the beach, and sat and watched while a couple of guys prepared and launched themselves into the air on motorised parasails. Next morning we returned to the beach to play a bit of trac-ball,which is a retro 1970’s plastic racket and ball game.

2017-05-11 - FROM Steamer Landing Jetty TO Progress Jetty

2017-05-13 - FROM Progress Jetty TO Dawson's Cove

2017-05-14 - FROM Dawson's Cove TO Progress Jetty

2017-05-15 - FROM Progress Jetty TO Lakes Entrance

Our LPG gas was running low, so we thought we had better zap to Lakes Entrance and get a tank filled. The only place that did refills was an old Shell, and they charged $30 for a 4kg fill was was a bit steep.

Standing room only on a small jetty near Metung. We went past it a couple of days later and it was still fully occupied.

We rode across the footbridge to take a photo of XTsea and check out the surf beach. It sure was banging!

XTsea at the public jetty in Lakes Entrance. Picture taken from the other side of Cunninghame Arm.

2017-05-17 - FROM Lakes Entrance TO Metung Pub Jetty

A glorious sunrise at Metung. Taken from the Metung Pub jetty. The photo does not do justice to the actual event!

Spent a couple of days in Metung. We checked out the pub but the food prices were off the chart so we grabbed a couple of pies instead. Enjoyed a bit of a ride around the area, riding past the yacht club and around to Chinaman’s Creek.

2017-05-19 - FROM Metung Pub Jetty TO Picnic Arm VIA Paynesville

Back to Paynesville, and we decided to give the parachute a try after David had spent some effort removing corroded fittings and re-rigging it with dyneema. It looked really good in the sunlight, and maust have looked interesting from above as well. A military chopper deviated from its flightpath for a much closer look.

Using the parachute just for a change between Metung and Paynesville. Shortly after we had a military chopper fly over for a close look.

Rounding the east tip of Raymond Island, we were joined by a pod of dolphins who were having a great time. David managed to get a couple of good pictures which is always hard with wildlife.

Dolphins at play in Lake Victoria. Maybe they appreciated our parachute sail.

2017-05-22 - FROM Dawsons Cove TO Progress Jetty

With a bit of free time and some leftover paint, David repainted the marks at 5 metre intervals on our anchor chain and touched up the cross-beam where paint had worn off.

2017-05-23 - FROM Progress Jetty TO Wattle Point VIA Town Jetty

David had a hankering for some spuds on a fire so we headed down Lake Victoria where we could light a fire. David swung the compass on the autopilot on the way, which would have confused anyone looking at our movements.

We initially picked the wrong jetty, squeezing into a private jetty a kilometer or so short of the Wattle point. Realising our mistake, we threw off the ropes and continued on, with only a couple of feet clearance each side as we left.

David soon had a fire happening, and we enjoyed spuds and snags for dinner before retiring. Our sleep was interrupted by some thunder and lightning, with a HUGE bolt nearby making the whole boat shake. Colleen took the precaution of removing the cabling from our chartplotter after the bolt. There was a group of schoolkids camping in tents nearby who would not have enjoyed their evening.

2017-05-25 - FROM Wattle Point TO Waddy Point VIA Loch Sport

We motored across to Loch Sport to take a look around and dispose of some rubbish. There were McMansions as far as the eye could see, but not a lot of people were around and we couldn’t even find a bin to chuck our rubbish in! Lots of For Sale signs too. The place is probably full-on over Summer but for now it looked like a ghost town.

We motored back to Waddy Point where we picked up a mooring for the night.

2017-05-26 - FROM Waddy Point TO Progress Jetty

2017-05-27 - FROM Progress Jetty TO Picnic Arm

2017-05-30 - FROM Picnic Arm TO Picnic Arm VIA Progress Jetty

So all in all, a pretty uneventful month. The highlight was probably the dolphins at play in Lake King.