We are here, that is a big YAHOOO!!! The passage was super, only one thing broke, I kept waiting for something else to go, great sailing, all down wind and only one very small yelling match. (it was about the pole, that would be the spinnaker pole) which comes in very handy when you are going down wind. Barry though we would get beat up on the passage like the voyages to and from New Zealand but it was not to be. We picked a great weather window, Barry is getting to be quite the weather reader, he gets it right 3 out of 5 flips of the coin. His usual gambit is to wait about until everyone else says it good and then we depart in a panic. This time he actually went out on a limb and said "Oh man, it really looks good" and we left!!!

All the rest of our buddies stayed in New Cal and are stuck there as the lows are marching across Oz AND cyclone season here has commenced as announced by the South Pacific weather guru Bob McDavitt!!!!!! We ourselves are now SOUTH of the dreaded cyclone belt.
Aus is not what we expected, it has hills. We were sure it would be flat, there are lovely rocky hills and surfing beaches. It is first world, we went in and bought a cell phone today and had to make VERY TOUGH DECISIONS about minutes and plans and which one of the (#*&$) phones to pick, it was a wake up call after 5 months of grass huts, palm trees and sandy beaches!Our phone number is 043865531 and you have to figure out the Aus prefix because we are too tired to, but don't call now the network was down when I tried to activate the phone so we are still not connected, BUT WATCH OUT TOMORROW, the scrouge of the airwaves will strike.
We have been told how expensive things are in Aus but they are compatible with Yellowknife prices, except the bus it is a travesty, it was $3.80 each, ONE WAY, unbelievable. I only slept about 4 hours last night, we had to dodge at least 6 freighters, good thing I read that book How to Av0id Large Ships At Sea, thank you Paul and Lorraine. P.S. Barry says the secret is to yell really loud!!!