We hardly feel as if we are doing a major crossing, as the conditions are so light and the two stops have broken the journey. However we have used far more fuel than intended so we won't want to be leaving here until we are fairly certain of some winds. A bit of a toss up really because if we stay too long we will run out of food!!!!
Chesterfield Reef is larger than Huon but no less beautiful. Not as many turtles and birds, though. After a well earned non broken night of sleep we spot another yacht at the other end of the bay. Norbert and Antje on 'Antje' are pleased to see us as they have been waiting for some time for the right weather window to sail on to Bundaberg. As their yacht is steel and a lesser fuel capacity than ours they need stronger winds to sail in. They bring us up to date with news from other yachts we know that have also stopped on their way through. We are able to give them a variety of food items and even a meat meal. Each night we pooled our resources and had pot luck meals.
Shell hunting is on the agenda as we have been told of a really rare shell that can only be found in the Chesterfield Reef area. And wouldn't you know it, we think Sascha has found one - a perfect one at that. It was just lying there, no other shells around it, on a sandy mound that is only exposed at low tide.
Norbert is keen to practice his 'hunter/ gatherer' skills with another man, so he and Daryl are soon organising a crayfish dive. Well, if you could call it a dive, when they weren't in water deeper than a few feet!!!! They were even conservation conscious and only took a few from each hole.
Norbert was also a keen snorkeller and was happy to take us to all his favourite spots. He certainly could hold his breath the longest I have ever seen someone do. We saw the best soft coral here that we have seen so far. I also saw the biggest sting ray ever that was in the process of burying itself into the sand. I took a wide berth around that one!!!
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