Gliding out from the Gold Coast’s Sovereign Islands under bluebird skies, a fleet of 14 Riviera luxury motor yachts carved a smooth path through the sparkling waters of Moreton Bay for a wonderful sojourn led by the expert team at R Marine Crawley.
Angela and Rob Swincer had long dreamed of sailing to Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef. However it’s a long way from their home in South Australia’s Port Lincoln – 2,600 nautical miles to be exact.
The Riviera Sports Motor Yacht owners have been oyster farmers for 30 years, holding leases in Coffin Bay, a beautiful waterway west of their home.
Left video – Fitzroy reef, pilot whales at Port MacDonnell, seals at Wilson’s Promontory. Right video – Yeppoon, and our friendly turtle.
Oyster leases in Coffin Bay.
Located on the southern tip of the Eyre Peninsula. Coffin Bay was named by British explorer Matthew Flinders in 1802 to honour Admiral Sir Isaac Coffin, who helped prepare Flinders’ ship, ‘Investigator’, for his voyage to Australia.
When they want to get away from the business, Angela and Rob like nothing more than heading out to sea in pursuit of game fish. Over the past 20 years they have owned three Riviera motor yachts. The first was a 3850 Flybridge named ‘Saltiga’, followed by a 45 Flybridge of the same name, taken from a brand of heavy-duty saltwater fishing reels and rods. Their passion led them to extend the cockpit of this motor yacht by a little more than a metre, and to participate in the annual Port Lincoln Tuna Classic game-fishing tournament.
A snapshot of the many fish caught during the trip – Spanish Mackerel (left), Coral Trout (centre), Longtail Tuna (top) and Gold‑spotted Rockcod.
“The flybridge of our Sports Motor Yacht gives us the visibility and the confidence to visit unexplored areas where others may not go.”
Angela Swincer
In 2023 they purchased a luxury Riviera 50 Sports Motor Yacht that they have named ‘Offshore Outlaw’.
“Rob has always liked the name,” Angela says. “The flybridge of our Sports Motor Yacht gives us the visibility and the confidence to visit unexplored areas where others may not go.”
Having escaped the algal bloom that devastated fisheries along much of South Australia’s coast, the couple decided to spend much of 2025 fulfilling their long-held dream: a relatively leisurely 2,600-nautical-mile voyage to Lizard Island aboard their yacht.
The power, spacious living areas and reassuring security of ‘Offshore Outlaw’ inspired the couple to begin planning their major voyage.
The voyage would take eight months – no small commitment for business owners. But Angela and Rob have built a highly skilled, experienced team capable of running the business in their absence, with Angela continuing to oversee the finances while they were away.
“We have Starlink on board and our financial system is all online, so it is relatively simple to maintain an internet connection wherever we are – out on the ocean beyond Port Lincoln or running alongside the Ribbon Reefs off Far North Queensland!” she says.
Left – Althorpe Island – the first anchorage on our adventure. Right – the chart of the Swincer’s amazing voyage from Port Lincoln in South Australia to Lizard Island in far North Queensland.
The couple embarked on the voyage in late summer with an easy 90-nautical-mile cruise to the east, anchoring on their first night at Althorpe Island – a speck of land on the Southern Ocean below the tip of Yorke Peninsula that’s barely one and a half kilometres long. The island is home to a historic lighthouse that first began operation in 1879. Its 20-metre-tall tower rises to approximately 100 metres above sea level, and the lighthouse was fully automated in 1991.
Angela and Rob are fans of Australian Rules football, so a stop in Adelaide was a must. The couple received a warm welcome from the extended Riviera family, with the owner of a Riviera 58 Sports Motor Yacht offering them a berth for the weekend.
Top left – Catching Hapuka Fish. Top Right – Pilot Whales. Bottom left – Refuge Cove Wilsons Promontory. Bottom right – Entering Lakes Entrance in times of rough weather conditions requires diligent navigation, and a capable motor yacht.
Continuing east, they passed Port MacDonnell, near the Victorian border, where they spotted a pod of pilot whales while deep-dropping for hapuka fish in 400 metres of water. Members of the dolphin family, the long-finned pilot whales of the Southern Hemisphere usually swim in pods of between 20 and 100 individuals. Contrary to what their name suggests, they don’t steer ships or lead them away from danger.
The couple navigated Bass Strait, and with a 20-knot north-easterly wind making cruising uncomfortable, they opted to take shelter for the night at the aptly named Refuge Cove, on the eastern side of Wilsons Promontory, a national park east of Melbourne.
From there it was a relatively short 100-nautical-mile cruise to Lakes Entrance, which offers a calm anchorage.
“We were looking for a spot to tie up when we saw a man waving at us,” Angela says. “His name is Ian Hall, a long-time Riviera owner and well-known member of the Victorian boating community. He indicated we should park next to his boat and helped us tie up. We joined a group of boat owners, including quite a few Riviera owners. What a great way to spend Easter.”
Their first fishing thrill of the voyage came as they neared Bermagui on the NSW south coast, where they hooked and landed a 120-kilogram striped marlin. Angela says their greatest challenge throughout the voyage was hauling their catches on board before they were lost to marauding sharks.
Left – Catching a marlin. Right – Shellharbour Marina.
As Riviera owners, Angela and Rob have friends in many places, including the pretty town of Shellharbour south of Wollongong, where they took the opportunity to spend a little time ashore.
Coming from the cooler southern regions of the country, they like to seek out warmer weather, so as autumn approached, they continued heading north, taking brief breaks to fly home and attend to their business.
“We flew home a couple of times and it was quite a shock,” Angela says. “After weeks in singlets we had to quickly pull on jumpers as we stepped off the plane!”
At the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef, Lady Musgrave Island offered a secure and calm anchorage for Offshore Outlaw, along with the chance to see enchanting corals and sea life.
From there, the pair spent a couple of weeks island hopping through the Whitsundays.
Left – Lady Musgrave Island. Top right – abundance of sea life. Bottom right – picturesque Hamilton Island, Whitsundays.
“Our old 45 flybridge is a great boat, but it is chalk and cheese to compare the comfort and technology we now enjoy aboard Offshore Outlaw.”
Angela Swincer
“At Chalkies Beach on Haslewood Island, we were having dinner aboard a friend’s boat when a turtle came to see what was happening,” Angela says. “Next morning, he visited us on ‘Offshore Outlaw’. He was so friendly; he stayed close and long enough for us to pat him.”
On the way to Lizard Island, they took time out near Cairns with the couple who now own one of their previous Riviera yachts.
“It was fascinating to compare the two yachts again,” Angela says. “Our old 45 flybridge is a great boat, but it is chalk and cheese compared to the comfort and technology we now enjoy aboard ‘Offshore Outlaw’.”
Their son-in-law flew from Port Lincoln to Port Douglas to join the couple on the final leg of their journey to Lizard Island, along with another couple they met in Port Douglas who were also sailing up the coast.
After their epic journey, Angela says reaching their destination was an extraordinary experience.
Left – Turtle encounter. Right – Fuel stop in Cooktown before heading to Lizard Island.
“While the boys hiked to Captain Cook’s Lookout, the girls explored the rest of the island,” she says. “Inevitably, we enjoyed a drink at the Marlin Bar. We were fascinated while sipping our drinks to watch a large goanna slowly wander past the front of the pub. It gave the impression that it owned the place.
“Another thrill was meeting Simon. He is a giant groper and a resident of Lizard Island. We were anchored in Watsons Bay and he would visit when we turned the underwater lights on. The lights also attracted giant trevally, lemon sharks, bronze whalers and batfish. It was fascinating to watch night after night. We wish we could have stayed longer.”
“We experienced the strength of the Riviera family and have formed many lasting friendships.”
Angela Swincer
Enjoying a drink and the view at the Marlin Bar on Lizard Island. Right – fish thronging around the lights of Offshore Outlaw.
Angela and Rob are already looking forward to their next adventure aboard ‘Offshore Outlaw’.
“We enjoyed so many wonderful experiences and, in particular, meeting many like-minded people who are also on cruising adventures,” Angela says. “We experienced the strength of the Riviera family and have formed many lasting friendships.”
View from Cook’s Look offering the most spectacular views of Lizard Island and reefs beyond.
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