#7 in the Newport Canal series
Sandpiper canal gives deep water access to even numbered houses on Australia Court and odd numbered houses on Courageous Court.
Australia is an Australian 12-metre-class America's Cup racing yacht that twice challenged unsuccessfully for the America's Cup in 1977 and 1980. Designed by Ben Lexcen in association with the Dutch designer Johan Valentijn for Alan Bond, Australia failed to win a single race against the 1977 defender, Courageous , but won one race against the 1980 defender, Freedom. Australia now resides in Sydney, Australia.
Australia II, however, is the 12-metre-class yacht that won the 1983 America's Cup for the Royal Perth Yacht Club, Australia. Skippered by John Bertrand, she was the first successful Cup challenger, ending a 132-year tenure (with 26 successful defences) by the New York Yacht Club. Australia II was designed by Ben Lexcen as well, built by Steve Ward, and also owned by Alan Bond. The design featured a reduced waterline length and a short chord winged keel which gave the boat a significant advantage in manoeuvrability and heeling moment (lower ballast center of gravity) but it was a significant disadvantage in choppy seas. The winged keel was a major design advance, and its legality was questioned by the New York Yacht Club. During the summer of 1983, as selection trials took place for the Cup defence that autumn, the New York Yacht Club challenged the legality of the keel design. The controversy was decided in Australia II's favour. Australia II sported a number of other innovative features that contributed to her success, including radical vertical sail designs, all-kevlar running rigging and a lightweight carbon fibre boom. Australia II is now owned by the Australian government and is on permanent display at the Western Australian Maritime museum, in Fremantle.
Sandpipers are a large family of waders which have long legs and bills for probing for prey in sand and muddy water. Many breed in northern Asia and visit Australia from September to April. Though the Common Sandpiper migrates thousands of kilometres every year, the species’ flight while on migration is quite different from when it is in Australia. On migration they fly swiftly and strongly, but in Australian wetlands their flight is quite different, comprising bursts of shallow fluttering interspersed with short pauses where the bird glides on down-curved wings. The Common Sandpiper hunts by day, eating small molluscs, aquatic and terrestrial insects. It is a very active bird and will follow its prey over rocks and has also been known to swim under water.
But, I suppose it is the geocache that you're really interested in, though....
The cache is in a small park at the end of Sandpiper Canal along Newport Drive, with a few seats and views of some good-sized sailing yachts. You are looking for a tiny magnetic nano. Stealth is paramount as usual when geocaching.
Congratulations to Brislions for FTF!!