The process of making sugar starts with sugar cane. Lots and lots of sugar cane! Workers used to cut it by hand, but now they use a machine because too many people died from snakes in the fields. After cutting, they put the cane into a crusher, which c…
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Bergquists Visit Australia
Our good friends, Kurt, Desiree, Grant (6) and Camden (9) Bergquist joined us at Hamilton Island for two weeks of fun in the Whitsunday Islands of Australia. After a few days of enjoying the pools at Hamilton Island, we headed out to explore the …
Great Barrier Reef
We have been hanging out in the Whitsunday Islands with our guests Kurt and Desiree and their two boys. These islands are a charter boat paradise with many close in islands and anchorages for vacationing boaters. …
Tiger Butterflies by Bear
On an island in Australia, I saw a Tiger Butterfly, not just one, but ZILLIONS! Swarming together into thick clouds of butterflies. So thick that you could reach up and grab one! It was amazing!!The Tigers are light blue and black. The males are li…
Soldier Crabs by Bear
Have you ever seen a soldier crab? I have! They are round and light blue, and about the size of a quarter. They swarm together in huge armies of hundreds of crabs. But when you come near, they all dig into the sand, turning like a corkscrew. When they …
Back in the saddle ……
It’s 1/2 hr before sundown and we are doing a 170 nm run north bound along the Queensland coast. A bit of dejavu with our sistership Mystery Ship a mile ahead of us. Oso was in great shape when returned from Utah on …
An Eye for the Camera
All Easter photos are courtesy of Behan Gifford on s/v Totem who has a gift for capturing the moment as witnessed in this spectacular shot of her daughter Mairen finding Easter eggs in the trees.
Easter in the Sand Dunes
How well do chocolate Easter eggs and sand dunes mix in the autumn sun of Australia? As it turns out, not so well……In Queensland in April (mid to north, eastern part of Australia), temperatures hover in the upper 70’s and the bright sun shines in t…
Ski Racing
Bear has been skiing since he was two years old. He is lucky in that he has a dad who taught skiing for 25 years and a sister who currently teaches, so his skills have been honed since day one. Those skills were put to the test this year when he was pa…
Land Ho!
Every passage ends with the first sighting of your destination and the satisfaction of traveling from A to B. There is the excitement of arriving and exploring new lands or the joy of returning to familiar places and old friends.&nb…
