Riviera Welcome Party For Round-Australia Navigator Ian Reynolds

A massive Gold Coast welcome home is being prepared for 80-year-old Ian “Seaweed” Reynolds as he completes an historic 9,000 nautical mile circumnavigation of Australia on board his Riviera “Investigator IV”.

Reynolds will arrive at the Gold Coast Seaway at about 10am on Saturday November 29 2008. 

A large flotilla of boats – including two Royal Volunteer Coast Guard vessels spraying jets from water cannon – will assemble off the Seaway and a helicopter carrying a giant Riviera flag will greet him as he arrives. 

Ian Reynolds, who has long been fascinated by the voyages of Matthew Flinders, has spent the past 12 months cruising the wild Australian coastline, stopping to explore the many locations first charted and described by Flinders.

In 1802 Matthew Flinders was the first man to circumnavigate Australia and is credited with naming this island continent.

The Gold Coast flotilla will follow Ian Reynolds and his Riviera 56 Enclosed Flybridge cruiser, line astern, through the Seaway channel into the Gold Coast Broadwater. They will make their way north to McLaren’s Landing where a celebration luncheon party has been organised to celebrate his achievement.

All south-east Queensland boat owners are welcome to take part in the greeting fleet off the Seaway. Places at the celebration luncheon are strictly limited.