Hi Mark
Small world this cyber space .......l am thinking of doing the same. If you are interested ina historical perspective on the "anti clock wise route" There is a fantastic book called "The Mermaid Tree". It has the
history of the all the main players in the exploration of the top end and Wa coast. Most of their trips, even when they were looking at only a small part of the coast involved a
circumnavigation. From my perspective the two biggest problems are 1. timming the trip so that you dont bump into the WA cyclone season (its at the same time as QLD) which like the early exploreres means either a lengthy stay in WA (near a cyclone hole) or a bolt across the top and down to about Perth. 2. The run across the bottom has so few
anchorages and from my studies Autumn seems to be the best time. This again means you have to either speed right up or slow down. As a trip in its own right l am sure it would be amazing. Vast areas of pristine coast line. With permission some unique culture (top end islands). No visas...No
anchor fees...No language barriers....(unlike going to NZ...:-) ). The "thing" with this trip is isolation is a fact. Total self relience is a must. The tidal range is enourmous, so ground tackle of the "impressive" kind would be needed if you plan to
anchor in the more
remote spots. l would be pleased to swop notes over the comming months.