The quarantine officer wished us a hearty, ‘Welcome to ‘Straya!’ Clearance into Mackay on Australia’s Queensland Coast was straightforward except for the fiscal shock we received when he informed us that we owed the Aussie government $550 for the privilege of a biosecurity clearance. Let’s just say that it was a bit more expensive than what we had been expecting!
We departed Aotearoa in May 2023, setting off on a circumnavigation. The first stop was Noumea, then a very pleasant and
