Running Away to Sea

[gbhunt]

Hi, a few images from our recent cruise up the Australian East Coast. Hopefully even those of you in lockdown will enjoy the blue water and calm oceans! And a random sunrise at sea.



Our catamaran, Alchemy 1, anchored in a remote reef about 80 nautical miles offshore. We can only go out there when the weather is calm, and we are usually the only people around.



I was watching the beautiful batfish (bottom right) when I realised I had company.



Sunrise at sea. Always a welcome sight after a long night on watch.

 

[RK Wallis]

What a wonderful view! So inspirational for writing

 

[Nikky Lee]

It's so nice seeing photos of coral in good condition! We went snorkelling in Fiji before covid happened and I was a bit disapointed. So much bleaching and damage from people walking all over it. So sad

 

[gbhunt]

What a wonderful view! So inspirational for writing

It's certainly good for the soul, and it has its moments. We get very close to nature (the animals and the weather), and have many opportunities to explore our own personalities and responses to stress when we are sailing or exploring an uncharted reef

 

[gbhunt]

It's so nice seeing photos of coral in good condition! We went snorkelling in Fiji before covid happened and I was a bit disapointed. So much bleaching and damage from people walking all over it. So sad

Hi, Nikky, there is some lovely coral in Fiji, but you have to get far away from villages and tourists. Likewise in Australia. The bleaching here is much worse in the far north (due to the water temperature). There is a lot of very healthy reef left, but with bigger and more powerful engines, even small private fishing boats have enough range for trips offshore, and the marine life is coming under more pressure. Fortunately we have a lot of protected "green zones", and as soon as you drop into the water in those zones, you see what the reef could be if we would just leave it alone!

 

[Steve C]

Your exploits take me back to a very happy time in my life. I won't say I am jealous as I am happy where I am but you are so lucky to be living your life.

We get very close to nature (the animals and the weather), and have many opportunities to explore our own personalities and responses to stress when we are sailing or exploring an uncharted reef

This is so true. Sailing as a way of life teaches you so much not just about the world but about yourself and those around you.

 

[Victoria Bastedo]

Gorgeous. Thanks for sharing the adventure!

 

[Emily]

That's so fascinating, Geraldine, and those photos are amazing. In a nice burst of synchronicity, my three smaller kids were doing a "Living Planet" online class this morning and it was all focused on coral and coral reefs, and bleaching of the reef (which I'd only heard for the first time a few minutes previous on here ) Enjoy that immense blueness!

 

[Jonny]

What beautiful pictures, Geraldine, and what an amazing experience it must be to be able to witness all of this first-hand.

 

[gbhunt]

That's so fascinating, Geraldine, and those photos are amazing. In a nice burst of synchronicity, my three smaller kids were doing a "Living Planet" online class this morning and it was all focused on coral and coral reefs, and bleaching of the reef (which I'd only heard for the first time a few minutes previous on here ) Enjoy that immense blueness!

The blueness is something I will never forget. Sometimes it is like swimming through a giant Blue Hawaiian cocktail!

 

[gbhunt]

What beautiful pictures , Geraldine, and what an amazing experience it must be to be able to witness all of this first-hand.

Yes, we feel extremely fortunate every day to be doing this.