Several international cruisers we met on our travels expressed reluctance to visit Australia because they’d heard horror stories of how difficult the clearance process is, and how expensive it is. Well, maybe the latter, especially if you break the rules….but if you follow the rules it’s really not that hard and in our case it’s been a relatively easy and pleasant experience. So for those of you who may be interested in how it all works, here’s our story of checking in and importing our boat into our home country… Continue reading “Border Force – Newcastle, Australia”
What a mixed bag of sailing conditions we’ve had on this last leg home, which is probably apt given the mixed emotions we’re feeling. On the one hand we’re so looking forward to seeing our family and friends again, but on the other hand the thought of having to adjust to the ‘rat race’ fills us with dread, and there’s also a deep sense of loss at having to forego our freedom and travels and part ways with our cruising companions. So this is our challenge, to reconcile all these conflicting emotions and embrace the changes to come, all the while safely sailing the mighty Toucan to her new home port in Pittwater. 
Remember Shredder in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie? He was the big bad villain and we suspect he’s alive and well and living at Huon Reef… 
Although perhaps not as geographically remote as the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia, this place is about as wild as you can get. Huon Reef is part of D’Entrecasteaux Reefs to the north-west of New Caledonia and is a dedicated marine reserve. We asked permission from the French Department of Environment (email 
We were keen to get out of Luganville in order to catch up with our cruising buddies on ‘Rehua’ who we hadn’t seen for a couple of months. They were anchored off Ratua island, just a few miles away, and what a stunning location it is for a rendezvous. 