The 18 strong Riviera fleet makes its way to Brisbane.
The R Marine Crawley Brisbane Experience long weekend in June started with a change of plan, leaving Runaway Bay and anchoring for the first night at Myora instead of Peel Island, thanks to a bit of weather coming in from the south – a decision made by Travis Edney who was running the trip on the crew vessel, a Riviera 5400 Sport Yacht Platinum Edition.
It turned out to be a great move, not just for the weather, with Myora, on North Stradbroke Island, proving to be one of the many highlights of the four-day trip north to the Queensland capital of Brisbane.
And there were plenty of fun activities to choose from including a stand-up comedy night, a Thai cooking experience, a visit to a city brewery and even a chance to climb the heritage-listed Story Bridge, which spans the Brisbane River and is the longest cantilever bridge in Australia.
The team from R Marine Crawley made sure there was something for everyone on the roughly 100-nautical-mile return trip, with plenty of laughs, fun experiences shared and friendships created.
But back to Myora. That same Thursday afternoon other Riviera owners all came to meet up and have a drink on the three-yacht raft-up at Myora. The yachts were the 5400 Sport Yacht Platinum crew boat in the middle, with Somnium, a 545 SUV on one side and Joka, another 5400 SY Platinum Edition, on the other.
After a lazy Friday morning on anchor, and some off fishing in their tenders, a total of 18 yachts with 50 people aboard proceeded west through Moreton Bay to the mouth of the Brisbane River at 1pm, ready to head up the river and berth with a slack tide at Dockside Marina.
There, more new friends were made and old friends reunited, some heading out for dinner while others took part in the pre-organised Vanilla Zulu – a Thai cooking experience.
Enjoy this film of the great Brisbane experience for owners of 18 Rivieras.
On Saturday, the more adventurous made their way to climb the Story Bridge while others took the time to explore the city before everyone met up for lunch at Felons Brewing Co at Howard Street Wharf. That night the owners and their guests had a good laugh at the stand-up comedy show.
The next day it was time to head back to the Gold Coast, with a lunch stop at Peel Island.
Among those taking part were John and Rhonda Monteleone, new owners of Monte, a 4600 Sport Yacht Platinum Edition, delivered in February. The Angus cattle farmers, who live in Trafalgar in Victoria, also have a canal home in Sanctuary Cove, where they spend as much time as possible.
John was one of those who loved the Myora stopover. “It was so nice and calm in there, the weather was fantastic, as flat as a tack – so a great decision by the Crawley boys.”
John and Rhonda, on their first experience, also loved Dockside Marina at Kangaroo Point. “It was a great spot with access by river taxis to anywhere we wanted to go. We had such a good time. We wandered the cliffs on the first night, then we did the Story Bridge walk before taking the KittyKat water taxi to Felons.
“It was amazing. There were hundreds of people along the foreshore, all having a great time, just a real eye-opener. We had a couple of drinks and then had a bit of time aboard before heading out to the comedy festival. It was a great night for everyone.”
John said the decision to take the trip had been two-fold. “We wanted a chance to use the yacht and hadn’t done any decent long trips around the Gold Coast, so we really felt like going somewhere with a bit of distance in it.
“And we wanted to get to know a few more people up there – and we did meet some great people. Rhonda even met a couple who live around the corner from us in Victoria with a farming background – country people which was really nice. “We really enjoyed the trip and are going to attend as many as we can, time permitting.”
John said the couple loved everything about their 4600 but having said that, they have already put in an order for a 5400 SY. “We haven’t had the 4600 for very long, and we love it, but we want to do a bit more travelling up the coast, so we are going for something that is just a little bigger.
“We would have happily hung onto the 4600 otherwise, but we thought we are going to do it, so there is no point in waiting. But the 4600 has been terrific, it’s efficient, has a great ambience, it’s very comfortable and has all the amenities you could need – it’s really first class. Also, coming back from the Brisbane trip it was quite rough in places but it handled all the rough stuff really well with no worries and we felt safe and secure.”
John said when the couple visited their Gold Coast home they used their yacht most days. “We don’t just use it for the big trips, we use it quite regularly, probably going out most days. We just love it.”
(Click the arrows on the left or right of the image to view the full picture gallery)
R Marine Crawley provided plenty of entertainment for everyone.
Neill and Trisha Ford headed out on Amarillo, a 545 SUV, with “Riviera people from way back”, friends Peter and Gail Butler.
Neill and Trisha have a family property Alsace – with cattle, a polo field and a wedding venue – at Veresdale Scrub, near Beaudesert in Queensland. Neill is also involved in importing classic cars, such as ’60s convertibles, from America.
“It’s just a coincidence that I have always liked Ford cars, and my name is Ford, so it all works,” he said.
The couple’s 545 SUV is now at Sanctuary Point in Sanctuary Cove, a new little area, where they have their own pontoon. “ It’s a great place to sit in your lounge and look out at your boat. I sit there and decide where I want to go, step aboard, press the buttons and away you go.”
Neill said two of the highlights of the Brisbane trip were Horseshoe Bay and Myora. “There was some wind around that weekend and the Crawley boys were very cluey on where to go and drop anchor to stay out of that wind.”
But Neill said the biggest highlight was being at Dockside Marina at Kangaroo Point. “I spent the last 13 years living at Kangaroo Point in a beautiful unit on the water and sold that a year ago to go to Sanctuary Cove, so there I was tying up my boat less than 50 metres from where I lived.
“I got to see my old friends at the Story Bridge Hotel and you wouldn’t believe it but that same weekend my younger brother’s daughter was getting married at Victoria Park – so talk about things working out.”
Neill said there was something special about travelling with 18 Rivieras line astern. “It takes a lot of the guesswork out; you have the lead yacht and the tail gunner, so you just cruise along. We had our two guests, Peter and Gail who are boaties from Raby Bay, and they have been boating as long as I have known them from our early days in Logan.
“And there is something special about taking a boatie with you as a guest. I had a boat about 25 years ago, but I was heavily involved in my business, so I used a skipper all the time. But the world has moved on and it is a lot easier to drive a 57-foot yacht these days than back then. The joysticks take the guesswork and the stress out of it.”
New friends were made and old friends were reunited.
Gold Coast-based wholesale timber company owners Naomi and Mike Lipscombe took Somnium, their 545 SUV, and for Naomi the trip provided one of those “aha” moments of why they have a motor yacht.
“We were at Myora and the sun was setting, the water was glass and everything was just shimmering. It was one of those moments when I thought ‘this is why I have a Riviera’.”
It was also the chance to take an escorted trip to Brisbane, giving them the confidence to do it on their own the next time.
“To be honest we love getting our yacht out on the water, but we didn’t know our way up to Brisbane, We quite often have dinner at OTTO and always look out and think ‘wouldn’t it be nice to come up here on the boat’.
“So, it was great to venture somewhere we had never been before and gain the confidence to do it next time. We always thought we would have to stay at Manly but now we could easily do it ourselves – and know how to communicate with the CityCat ferries. We just had a really good time with everyone on the trip. We enjoyed the company.”
Naomi, who took business partners and fellow boat owners Jason and Dianne Westerman along for the weekend, said it was great to see Brisbane at night from the water.
“And it’s not just using your yacht. You had the bridge climb, the brewery, the comedy club and the Thai cooking class – so you are getting out and experiencing where you are as well. It’s great to be on our Riviera but that’s what we always do, so it was nice to get off and enjoy what Brisbane had to offer. We would definitely do it again.”
R Marine Crawley – Brisbane Experience Social Gallery
To enjoy the social gallery, click on the first image on the top left-hand corner to enlarge the preview
and then click the arrow on the centre of the right side to advance through the full gallery.
MORE RIVIERA NEWS
We’ve received an amazing collection of entries for our latest competition which celebrates special moments aboard your Riviera. It’s so satisfying for us to see members of our Riviera family having so much fun – in destinations all around the world. It’s now time to vote for your favourite photo!
BBQ Lamb Cutlets, Spiced Pumpkin and Tzatziki with a vibrant salad.
The magnificent new model will flank a fleet of 11 Riviera motor yachts showcasing its outstanding collection from 39 to 78 feet.
Sharp minds refocus their attention on inventing better ways to live, work and play.
