Family Time In Australia

Back in Australia we were fortunate to stay with our good friends Ray and Jan Pitt, who are regular visitors to Crystal Blues. We lived with them in Williamstown and at their holiday home on the south coast at Fairhaven, near the start of the Great Ocean Road. The image above shows the view across the inlet to the lighthouse, from their balcony. 

We were also able to spend time with our families, specially sweet with grandchildren Harrison and Sam, who with their parents have now relocated back to Melbourne following two years living in Singapore. Harrison is now at school in Williamstown while Sam is still learning to cause a commotion like his big brother. Splashing in the bath isn't half of it ...

Ley and I also visited my brother Peter's holiday home at Blairgowrie on the Mornington Peninsular, right on the edge of the vineyard country that has blossomed south of Melbourne. Yes
we drank some wine, but we were also able to spend a morning with Peter onboard his classic timber fishing boat.

Back in Melbourne I was able to crew onboard Peter's very competitive A35 race boat Moneypenny (see the Moneypenny stories here & here).  Did I say crew? I was more like slow moving mobile ballast - it's amazing how fast a well tuned race crew can move and work. Completely opposite to the slow and steady approach we adopt when short-handed cruising. The good news for the Moneypenny crew was a series win in the Wednesday night club racing, which draws a big fleet from around Port Philip Bay. Ley and I were there for the prize giving dinner after the final race, sharing a table with the very happy crew.

That's Peter in the back row, looking bearded like me, getting fresh with his "Other Wife" - partner in Moneypenny, Tony Spencer.