be careful who you sit next to on a plane...

---

... as if you had a choice.
Two days after arrival I came down with something that sounded exactly like what about 10 other people sitting on the plane around me had, hmm.

I'm still recovering, about 75%!,(MISSING) I think it's probably the flu, as in the past when I would get something - it would bugger me for a day, then the following morning I would be back to 100%! (MISSING) This thing was BAD the 1st couple of days, and is slowly going away.

Luckily, as opposed to the 3 previous trips I've done, there is little preparation that needed to be done. My kayak arrived with all gear entact, my first months food from Tinderrytucker arrived and I've packed away in appropriate containers, and some extra gear I called in to Mark at Expedition Kayaks came to me the day after I placed the order.

So the only thing that the unwelcomed 'down-time' has affected is my 'paddling' preparation. This morning, I did paddle down from Woy Woy and poked my head around 'Box Head'. After about another hour paddling, I saw a lot of lightning in the SW, and, though I suspected it would not affect me, I turned around anyway, and headed back to Broken Bay and Woy Woy. (turns out, we did not get anything, though further south there were some storms).

As briefly a time as it was - it really felt great to be in the 'warm' Pacific again. (contrast to the 'cold' Pacific of my previous home in the Seattle area).
There was also the feeling of 'caution' - always being on guard - as paddling this coast - you need to be aware of a safe place to 'get off' if necessary. (the area I live now - Jacksonville, FL, the seas are rarely too rough to land just about anywhere - other than during hurricane season)

Happy Australia Day to all Aussies (the OZ equivilant of the US '4th of July').

---