Gladstone...Gladstun

Tomato... tomato.  Clearly the spelling is Gladstone.  Australians however pronounce the name of this cute Port City...Gladstun.

We left the Lady Musgrave lagoon as soon as Wayne picked me up from diving.

We maneuvered through the cut during the last of the good daylight with the tide changing. 

We anchored around the back side of the island and left in the middle of the night so we could enter into the mouth of the river near Gladstone with the tide.  Then came the forecasted high winds. 

We are on the end of the pier on the Gladstone Harbor Marina and have had GREAT wind flow through the "house".  No need for air conditioning even for Capt Paul. 

The marina provides a bus daily into town.  A delightfully air conditioned bus and we have gone in for two days in a row. 

Jo and I felt energetic yesterday morning and took an early morning walk over to the park across the way...Spinnaker Park. 

Beautiful little park with a small beach swimming area. 

Not where I would swim... but I guess some do/would!  The net is suppose to stop critters and box jellyfish from entering! The walk was LONG for a hot morning... and, it was nice to have to keep up with Jo!! 

 I really am impressed with the well kept parks that I have seen/used in Australia.

 This IS a port city.  Sugar Cane, coal, gypsum, aluminum boxite, and some salt all exported in bulk carriers.  Every morning is an early start for the Mariners and I'm usually awake to hear them motor by!  

And, if I wasn't already awake, there is a flock of birds that swing by each morning for their morning ritual.  They are very happy birds and very loud... they must be telling us they are happy?

Jo, by the way is English... and I am so happy she is aboard!  It brings me back to tomato... tomato!  Capt Paul and Wayne sometimes cannot understand her and I get to translate!  She says bumf...curtain twitching...knackered...crusty bits.... crisps...chips,  birds, "orts and sorts", mossies, "to be fair" (one of MY favorites... especially the WAY she says it), and tomato OR tomato!