Although we left Broken Bay on Sunday to sail further south, we only managed 40 miles in strengthening conditions. It was a fairly rough passage to Jibbon Beach, Port Hacking, in short chop, rain showers and threatening skies.
Sailing past Sydney in grim conditions
The forecast for the following days looked mean; we never like seeing lots of orange and red on the wind charts – even less burgundy! We had two days of gale force wind, heavy rain, thunderstorms and brilliant sunshine in close succession. Wild weather!
We knew we would need to stay put at Jibbon Beach for most of the week, but it is a safe place to be in the SW gale and once the wind and rain ease, there are stunning walks in the Royal National Park, beach wanders for our Bengie, easy dinghy rides to Bundeena for food, and the ferry to Cronulla for a change of scenery. So it is actually easier than if we had stayed in Broken Bay.
Wade is a very good spotter of tiny little birds. On one of our walks, he saw this brilliant male Variegated Wren and his female mate staying in the bushes close to their unfledged chick, despite his presence. This gave me the chance to set up my camera and click away. Having never seen this particular wren before, I was very impressed. Here are our two favourites images out of the many taken.
Male Variegated Wren
A few other critters caught our attention – just as well Bengie was not with us as she has a particular liking for both dragonflies and lizards, with dire consequences for them!
And then there are the big waves! With a forecast of 3 to 5 meter swell and the warning of “large and powerful surf, hazardous for small crafts and bar crossings”, we are glad to be in a sheltered bay. Out in the ocean, it is looking ugly, but spectacular!
Calm conditions for Take It Easy at Jibbon Beach, Port Hacking
We are not sure when we will be able to move on. The weather has been very unsettled and contrary, and after big storms the sea is horrible when the wind finally shifts. Since Broughton Island, we have repeatedly had a week of bad weather, followed by only one or two days of NE. It has suited us up to a point, allowing us to explore different spots and spend time with friends. But all of a sudden we start wondering about our timeframes! We thought we had plenty of time, yet at the rate we have been going for the past month we might soon be under pressure!
So we are prepared to motor in light conditions to make progress, hoping to get to the Crookhaven River or Jervis Bay on Friday night and Broulee on Saturday. But who knows!
Sv-Anui 
How good is that wren! Glad you had a good time in the south of Sydney. It is a wonderful place with national parks in the north, south and east of my home town. Can be reached in about an hour of town. Good sailing south. 😀
Hi Sue – still at Jibbon for a couple more days. The wren was stunning. Hope to see more birds today or maybe do some macros of wildflowers as we are doing a big loop walk! Did some Christmas shopping for the frenchies yesterday … caught the ferry to Cronulla and train to Miranda!
Fairy wren pics are amazing!
Hi Elgar, Those Variegated Wrens were a first for us. We normally see Superb Wrens, so very happy with our sighting!
The waves look rideable but it’s hard to judge the size of them with no surfer on them. Next time, you need to force Wade to paddle out and try and surf a few of them so that we very important blog followers can have a reference point for judging the size of the waves. Even if Wade goes crashing over-the-falls, if you catch him in the photo, it’ll be much easier for us to judge the size of the waves. It would be a good use of the ship’s Captain have on days when you’re not sailing. Hahaha.
Wade says he was too scared to go out in them and I would hate the carnage on the nearby rocks! But we’ll keep that in mind!
Fantastic Photos of the Wren, I love it!
Loving your blogs.
Safe sailing.
Hello Marty – what a nice surprise! Yes that wren was so beautiful! I got quite a few photos of him in different poses. Might have to restart my Bird Photography Challenge posts!
That wren is a beauty! Please be in a safe place ’till the rough sea subsides again. You can put your new lenses to good use. Just an idea. 🙂
Hi HJ – the Wren photos seem to be a hit with quite a few people … and taken with the Tamron 18-400, not my bird lens! I’ll follow your advice over the next day or two and go out for some macros!
We’ve been wondering how you three have been coping with the weather. I am happy to repeat praise of the wren photos – they are terrific! Jibbon Beach is a great place to anchor – though we’ve never been there for enough time to consider a ride into Cronulla.
Hi Trish – we have been on one the two courtesy moorings there so it’s pretty handy! The ferry ride to Cronulla was fun! There are some amazing waterside properties. Back to the Royal NP today for some exercise and photography!
I love that walk around the point. Enjoy – we are back to under the hull today for some cleaning. We will be getting exercise but it definatey wont be fun! 🙂
Terrible weather but spectacular for photos. The waves look incredible.
Yes the sort of weather to witness from the land! Thanks Leanne😊.