Where is Ruth II ?

Having a nomadic job may mean that I haven't had a GP in ten years and most of my mail is returned to sender, but it doesn't come without it's perks. This week my ever patient wife, and my in-laws are coming to visit me in Australia! The Shanahan clan have gone back to Ireland to remind themselves of all the different types of rain so I have the Americans helping me move the boat up to the north of Australia. (Despite how easy the Oysters are to handle, that's a trip too far for one.) Over the next few weeks we will sail from Airlie Beach to Darwin, and on the way we will visit the Whitsundays, scuba dive on the Outer Reef, bush walk with the wallabies, take a cable car over the rainforests of Cairns and go looking for crocodiles in the parklands of the Northern Territories. Never has the Yachty mantra been more apt; You can sleep when you're dead.   James

Wednesday 3rd August  When I last wrote we were making our final approach quietly towards Mackay . On our passage up inside the reef I had been somewhat jealous of the chat on the SSB call that lots of people were getting some great whale sightings particularly Yolo However that evening  we were greatly rewarded by the most amazing breaching of a mother and calf hump backed whale not more than about 50 metres off our Port bow .Liam grabbed the wheel and altered course it was really spectacular  ,if not a tiny bit scary. Unfortunately  I can't share the whole video thatJames managed to take but will have it available for multiple showing when we get home !! Our four days in Mackay were really enjoyable and provided a great insight into life in Queeensland . Mackay is  a modern mining town with a big history of sugar cane production .We hired a car ,swam in a beautiful 50 m out pool, toured Eugenella National Park ,hiked in Finch Hatton Gorge and swam in the waterfalls