Since leaving Bundaberg, or in fact since leaving the Whitsundays, we have been part of a procession of yachts on their southerly journey out of the cyclone zone. We are now in Moreton Bay, in the Brisbane region. It feels like the end of a long holiday, even if for us life afloat continues. It is a change of pace we had not consciously anticipated. After the crescendo of wonderful experiences at the reef, it all feels a bit flat and “back to reality”.

Cruising buddies on Bossa Nova heading home!

Cruising buddies are either going home, going further south or going touring inland. But for us home is wherever we drop our anchor. So what is on the horizon for the next two months?

Cruising wise, not a lot! We will hang around Southern Queensland, spending time around Moreton Bay, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. We will probably also do some annual boat maintenance, hauling Take It Easy out at Boatworks, the biggest and greatest boatyard in Australia!

While floating around in Moreton Bay, within easy access to the big smoke of Brisbane, we are using the next weeks to attend to several less than exciting things: a battery of medical tests, skin checks and Skype consults for both of us.

Family wise, we are catching up with Wade’s relatives in the area which is quite fun, and I have booked a brief visit back to France on my own to see my Dad and sister Véronique over Christmas. My dad has pancreatic cancer, so I feel it is important to spend some time with him while he is still relatively okay.

Between now and my departure for France I have some articles to submit to yachting magazines. There is plenty to write about between our experiences as live aboards and our reef explorations!

And then there is a photo book to pull together about the incredible diversity of marine creatures we have seen, the 2018 Coral Sea Cruising story to compile… lots to reflect on after a year and a half on Take It Easy.

So although the sailing and exploring might slow down a bit, there are a few things to keep us busy. As you realise by now, life afloat is not a continuous high, but a succession of ups and downs. There is duality in all we do and feel: the excitement of our adventures yet the frustrations inherent in a nomadic life, the beauty of the seascapes that surround us but the difficulty of being weather dependent, the freedom yet the vicissitudes of living on a boat. It is not always easy, but it is part and parcel of the life we have chosen.