Baker’s respite

Oh, the luxury of having the time to indulge in making fresh bread! The fact that it’s a necessity (if we want to eat bread) is beside the point. There is skill involved and initial attempts have been far from perfect – but Matey hopes this skill can be refined with experience. Yesterday was the first time she has used yeast and she was exited to see the dough rise.

To avoid the weekend crowds at Peel Island we spent Friday night at the Blaksley Anchorage on North Stradbroke Island. It’s a pretty spot with mangroves and trees rather than houses. Unfortunately though a few other boats had the same idea and the night was not entirely free of anchor angst ... As Saturday progressed bevies of boats with big engines and breweries of beer aboard pulled up. Too much excitement for TC and her crew – time to move somewhere quieter. We made our way to the southern end of Macleay Island and ended up in an anchorage between Macleay and Lamb Islands, with Karragarra Island opposite – a beautiful spot where the peace is only interrupted by the ferries and barges and the swell they create as they pass.

It’s the full moon and theoretically a good time for fishing – so before departing Blakney’s Captain practised his perch-dispatching skills. Matey hasn’t quite overcome her reluctance to rob the fish of their lives yet (yes, she knows she is a hypocrite as she enjoys eating fish – she is just slightly traumatised watching as they gasp for their last 'breaths') but soon enough she will have to face the reality of being an omnivore and catch what she is willing to eat (or embrace the joy of lentils more regularly). One hurdle at a time …