Paynesville with the parents

Week three
Day six
With the First Mate's parents arriving today, we rose early, walked across to the beach and returned to the lake for a dip before untying and heading back to Paynesville, having breakfast as we cruised along. We were very happy to get the parents aboard and head back out onto the water - the heat was fierce and the breeze was non-existent! We tied up at Ocean Grange and immediately leapt into the water to cool down. A delicious lunch of prawns and chicken on the back deck in the shade restored our good humour and a small cooling breeze kept us comfortable.

We cruised back in the afternoon so that the parents could have a "Nanna nap" and we could organise some food and refuel the boat. A Barbecue tied up at the main jetty capped off another lovely day.
Day seven
The parents boarded Manookatoo just after 9am and we set off for the "grand tour", through the MacMillan Straits and into Lake King, past Metung and Nungurnah towards the entrance and tying up at Flagstaff Jetty for a quick walk up the hill to admire the Bar and Ninety Mile Beach.

Back through the channel full of dolphins, past Barrier Landing and Fraser Island, tying up at Metung Jetty just in time for lunch!! The First Mate and Mum made a beeline for a dress shop and made a purchase while the Captain and Dad had time for their own quick purchase - a beer - before lunch was ordered and served on the deck in the shade with a lovely breeze blowing. It might be 44 and sweltering in Melbourne but it's very pleasant here on the Lakes!! Returning to the boat we continued the tour with a circumnavigation of Raymond Island before returning the parents to their motel for a rest and tying up outside the Yacht Club for tonight. We joined the parents in their motel apartment for a dinner of Pizza and salad to top off another great day.
Week four
Day one
Another scorching day was predicted so it was up to the Captain to find somewhere with a cool breeze and a trip across the lakes was definitely in order. We picked up the parents from their Motel jetty and headed west into Lake Victoria, turning into Duck Arm for a scenic cruise and then back across the water to Point Wilson and the Sperm Whale Head jetty. Perfect!! With a breeze across the water and a short jetty walk to a shallow beach, everyone was able to enjoy a swim. Drinks, nibbles and a chicken and ham salad lunch were enjoyed in the shade on the back deck. Cruising back, we detoured into the canals of Payensville for some "rubber necking" before berthing in the Marina - always  challenge when a fresh easterly breeze springs up!

Dinner at the Cruiser Club, Paynesville

Dinner tonight was at the Cruiser Club, with a lucky raffle ticket winning a bottle of "Two Buck Chuck" - a New Zealand Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc, before we returned to Manookatoo for a refreshing drink upstairs. The  breeze disappeared and the cool change did not really appear and the air was quite steamy in the cabin so we "indulged" ourselves with a blast of air conditioning before bed - it wasn't until the wee small hours that there was much natural relief but we were still a lot cooler than most of Victoria.
Day Two
Surrounded by boats in the Marina, we felt we were back in suburbia! We escaped early, first picking up the parents in the car and checking out the Farmers Market, buying some fresh salad ingredients, then untying and heading across Lake King and into the Silt Jetties of the Mitchell River - the second longest silt jetties in the world, beaten only by the mighty Mississippi! It's a fascinating place to cruise - with two narrow arms of land either side of the river and lakes either side beyond it is very picturesque. We cruised upstream and past Eagle Point and "the  cut" through to Jones Bay as far as the tall sandstone cliffs which show the power of the water of a river in flood, gouging out the cliffs as it roars around the bend.

Turning around we cruised halfway down the river to where there are no houses or people and dropped anchor for a peaceful stop. The Captain and First Mate enjoyed a quick dip before lunch, then we retraced our journey downstream and across the lake to Paynesville, tying up outside the Yacht Club for the night. We celebrated our final night with the parents at the local Chinese restaurant before saying a fond farewell and returning to Manookatoo.