In 2021 after a year of lockdown and the end of my Cape to Cape project (driving from Tasmania to Norway) due to the pandemic, we decided to travel within Australia as a family aboard our new vessel, a 42ft pilothouse cutter named Euphoria. After rapidly preparing her with heating, communications upgrades and general preventative maintenance, we departed Tasmania at the beginning of winter, seeking warmer latitudes. With some minor issues along the way and waiting out powerful south westerlies for safe passage, we successfully crossed Bass Strait from St Helens to Bermagui on mainland Australia.

After wrangling some starter motor issues, we continued north as the Delta variant started to take hold of the country. With looming lockdowns putting us on edge, we tried to speed up our voyage north, hoping to cross the Queensland border before it was shut. Unfortunately we were unable to make it in time, making it as far north as Yamba in the northern rivers region. As expected, the country locked down and we became stuck here for six months.

With our dreams of reaching the Great Barrier Reef dashed and a new family member on his way, we decided to sell Euphoria and move back to Tasmania.