Just got back from a great 2 weeks of sailing,visiting friends and sleeping in my van.Took my Mistral Prodigy inside my Falcom Van leavimg enough room just..to sleep next to the board...no camping fees for me.just pull over anywhere safe and sleep.

North coast to Port Macquarie and after reading a posting via Gidget on places to sail up north i ventured that way and actually ran in to Gidget too by coincidence.

firstly i head to Old Bar beach to share New Years eve with my brother in The caravan park.

Investigation eventually disclosed Mudbishops reserve a large flat water spot.Great place for teaching as shallow edges,consistant winds when i sailed,access via 4wd easier from beach but normal access down a 15 foot rough rock staircase.
It took me two hours to get everything rigged up and ready due to the fact by the time i had checked the site and carried everything down to the water low tide was coming in thus making a further 100 meter walk to deep enough water...after at least a further 200 meter walk across sandbars.

Due to my health problems this knocked the sh@t out of me and i sailed roughly one hour as day was ending with a further roughly 2 hour derig and walk back and forth.i was stuffed but felt alive.

Yes the sailing there was worth it...but after returning to the area 5 days later I couldnt face the rig up again unless i could get my brothers family involved in learning to sail...thus reducing the effort...they were not interested...damn boring families so i left another sail there and now realise the attraction of a 4wd for sailing.

from here I headed to Taree for a tour of second hand shops hoping to find some windsurfing treasure and looking at houses for a move to coast for my sailing and health..and onto Harrington to catch up with
some more family who wasnt home so I drove to Crowdy Head where I saw a girl sailng from the beach.

As it was time for a hamburger i thought I'll stop here to eat and watch this sailer for something to do...but as my burger was being made this sailer came in to derig and go home.

Upon receiving my hamburger I headed to my car to sit, watching the sea and by coincidence was parked next to the sailer.
A pleasant chat was exchanged when i mentioned seabreeze she said she was Gidget.

i told her that it was her posting on North Coast sites,ie Smiths Lake that had helped in my decision to find such places.
yes Gidget I did continue to those other sites to sail...maybe next time we might get a few forumites to meet at one of the lakes..eh...nice to have a sail with company for a change.

Next headed for Lauriton...to check out what was available...my choice was Lake Cattie as it was still closed to the sea and offered a good sail for us lake sailers.Good flat water ,shallow for those teaching friends,but can be prone to gusting and wind direction changes.Although the first sail was very good consistant winds.
Yes you have to be wary of swimmers but once away from beach no problem..besides once the holidays are over it would be deserted compaitively.

2 days later I sailed it again and had a lot of problems with wind changes and gusts,but it was fun and easy access.

continued up to port Mac to visit friends and then out to Telegraph Point for other friends.
On my last day in Port I visited Jordans boatshed ...a great river sail,with nice rigging grass,and Jordans range of sailboards on hire,and expert tuition available,nice people and good advice.

Didnt sail there this time as i was heading down coast that day,but have previously rented there and enjoyed the river sail...a must to see.

Back down to Lauritan to spend a few hours with relos and then back to Old Bar.Had checked out Queens lake too but it proved to be a bit filthy looking and access was a little uninspiring so hence my use of cleaner looking Lake Catie...From here I headed to Forster

Straight to the beach for a swim,into town for a feed,checking secondhand shops out for sailboard bits or vintage music gear.
then onto visit a friend.

Next day i head to Smiths Lake to look at house prices and view the lake.Lovely beach and outlook at the Cafe...ready to sail there until a sailer said it was prone to gusting and sheltered till half way out..so I headed for Wallis Lake instead having sailed there years ago.
Made a beeline for the boatshed mext to Tiona Camping grounds where I had camped before and sailed from..Also had rented gear from the boatshed yeatrs before....and loved the atmosphere of this place.

Great treelined grounds,good boatsdhed and cafe..great people running the boatshed under the name of PACIFIC PALMS Windsurfing.Chris and Gabe are passionate about getting beginners interested,good gear for rental and reasonable prices,and loving to meet other sailers.
Made me feel right at home.

I sailed from 11 til probably late afternoon,taking a break for a late lunch and finding after eating and chatting to the owners it was 5.30 ready to derig as the gates are closed aroung 6 pm.

this is the cleanest waters,shallow for begginners near boatshed,warm water because of this,
I actually enjoyed the atmosphere here,with up to 10 sailers or learning at once,and a chance for me to even help a family of newbies to get the most out of thier hire gear...that was fun and the atmosphere generated here,makes the sometimes lonliness of sailing rather exciting...I imagine this is what the heydays of the 80's sailing felt like.

From here home to sydney stopping in At Board Crazy and getting a good deal on a S/H Fin just as they were leaving .

Stopping at Canton Beach on the way home to see an incredibly consistant breeze blowing with up to 6 saiboarders and 2 kites sailing,had a chat and onto the Entrance for dinner,saw a vintage car show where i actually knew many of the owners from Sydney.and home by 11 o clock.

A rather nice trip with enough sailing to keep me excited without stuffing my health any further.

Thanks Gidget for your thread on places to sail...although I had sailed up there before,your advice found me a few more places...cheers Rusty.

I am envious! sounds like a great trip