We had an early start on Sunday morning as we had a long drive to the ferry……about 500 metres! A quick check in and we were onboard. It was rocking around on the moorings!
We settled in to the comfy chairs and listened to the captain say that we were sailing into a force 7 gale with a heavy swell, but the ship was fully stabilised and he would make it as comfortable as possible, this was going to be fun ...
It started off pretty good in the lee of the Islands ...
Sammie was checking out where to throw up ...
We noticed this ad on the wall of the ferry…. the only pub in the island! Magic we thought we would head straight there and have a big fat Sunday lunch and get drunk! The weather was too bad to do anything else.
I went up the bow to the observation decks, there were more sick bags up there than observers!
We loved it, it was like being back on the Manly Ferry crossing Sydney Heads during a storm ...
How nice ...
Just over 2 hours later we were off on the mission to find the only pub on the Island ...
We stopped at a couple of lookouts, you could hardly stand in the wind. Elaine had her bubble coat on. I was still in shorts……Summer will come back!
We could not find the pub! We had the post code, a pic on the map but after driving around for about an hour we were on the verge of giving up.
Suddenly a police car appeared over the horizon, so I flagged it down and told the female PC of our predicament. She said she was on relief duty here from another island but had a good idea where the pub was. She started giving us directions, then said “Oh just follow me, I will take you there”.
She must have thought we were gagging for a drink as she took off like a scalded cat. I was spinning the wheels on the wet roads trying to keep up with her!
Years ago I was in the NSW Ambulance service and during the driver training stage they said now if the police offer you an escort, politely accept it then let them go, as they tend to drive rather fast. It felt like I was driving a bloody ambulance again trying to keep up!
We followed her for a few miles and she took us right to the door of the pub.
IT WAS 'KIN SHUT !!! Apparently the owner just takes the sign down and goes bush for a few months ...
By now were were getting low on fuel and there were no petrol stations open on a Sunday but we made it back to Lochmaddy and parked up near the pub and petrol station. We had to move the van later as it was getting blown around too much, so we moved to the pub car park. We had a lovely late lunch in the pub, and in the evening we popped in the pub again for a drink with a lovely couple who were moored up next to us. They have been living in their motorhome since April and have been touring the UK and will be heading off to Europe and North Africa when it gets cooler here. We had a great night comparing notes and story telling. Next thing we got chucked out because it was closing time!
Now here is a pic you don’t see much on our blog…..sunrise! I took this pic at 6.30am through the dunny window, too much McEwans beer had me up for an early morning wee break!
We said goodbye to Hayley and Ady as they head off ...
Today, Monday we will refuel then go off exploring the Island.
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