“Was bei uns die Schwäne, sind hier die Pelikäne…”

One thing I hate packing in the morning is a wet AND sandy tent… :-((

It was still raining on launching, I had to jump in wet gear from last night. My Polypro shirt and light windbreaker proves not to be enough those days! I hope to get my Reed long sleeve fleece shirt soon out of Peter Treby’s gear depot in Melbourne…but the parcel was too late for David’s place, so I have to wear what I have…again the PFD had again to be my additional warm vest. And I promised myself when it is that rough that the little bungee holding it on the back deck let it slide sideways into the water, then it’s time to put it on anyway. This was certainly the case today!

“Rewinding my GPS” from headland to headland again today makes it mentally easier to take when you plan a 70-80 km day…firts Gerringog, then Bass Point, then Big Island, then Flagstaff Point – maybe already a campsite? Then Bellambi Reef – “Recreational area” sounded inviting, but it was nothing for my tent – then Bulli, where I heard it was a campsite.

That ugly guy was chasing me coming directly behind me out of Woolongong harbour…eventually we “agreed” he was going out and I was going in…

I was passing Wollongong, happy I didn’t feel the urge to go in somewhere…a heavily used industrial harbour, followed by a city with some high-rise buildings…nothing for me…

Wollongong Industrial Harbour…

Some little headlands further up north looked promising for an overnight stay on the map, and I pulled in behind Bellambi Reef, hoping to find something (or someone…) inviting…but just a bare parking lot with a later flooded beach, plus a concrete baot launching ramp…

I was asking some people about a campsite, and was told across the bay at Bulli there is one…so I launched again, cut across the quiet bay and run directly into a swarm of young surfski guys just riding out through the surf, obviously havig fun after work! they probably looked at me like being an alien, but I dared to ask them about a campsite as well – “There is one straight ahead!” (waht I knew already…)

It took only a minute, and the whole swarm turned in again, and two guys came up to me asking if I’d like to stay at their Surf-Lifesaving Clubhouse! Sure I liked…much better than on a public campsite! And for free – hot shower included…thanks, guys!!!

My “inside” campsite – then tent was up for drying out!

Message via satellite phone:

34.19 150.55 80 km dry at the Bulli Lifesaving club moderate to strong following winds all day, lowish seas