Oct. 16.
We upped anchor around 10am and motored out of Cairns harbour. The wind being very light we motored 16NM to Upulu reef.
We weren’t very impressed with the coral here and found a couple of beer bottles on the bottom. Our impressions were further diminished when 20 to 30 tourists came by equipped with pool noodles and arm floaties.
Oct. 17.
We left Upulu reef heading for ribbon number 3 reef on the eastern edge of the Great Barrier Reef.
It was a two day sail and the wind built from the south through the night to about 18 kts which made for a swift passage.
Oct. 18.
We got to ribbon number 3 reef around 3pm in 20kts of wind. We decided to keep going and sail the extra 10 miles to the more sheltered and less busy ribbon number 5 reef.
We arrived around 5pm and tied up to the public mooring ball there (Despite appearances the reef name and arrival times were pure coincidence). The waves were still pretty large so we took a very wet dinghy ride out to the outer reef where we anchored the dinghy in 7 feet of water and donned our snorkeling gear.
Callum jumped off the dinghy first and was immediately confronted by a 6 foot shark! A little startling even if harmless.
The snorkeling was vastly better here with a landscape of brightly coloured coral complete with tall pinnacle and two sharks as well as many exotic fish and giant clams measuring four feet across.
Oct. 19.
We left ribbon number 5 at dawn and had a great 50 mile run to Lizard Island, taking just 8 hours.
We tied up to another public mooring ball in Mermaid Bay at the north end of the island.
It was a great spot bordered on both sides by tall rocky cliffs which framed a perfect white sand beach, not 30 meters from our mooring.
That evening we climbed the north bluff and watched the sun set over the bay.
Oct. 20.
We set out to climb the Cooks Look track. A short 2.25 km trail climbing about 400m to the highest point on the island. The same hill that James Cook climbed 250 years before to try and find a route out of the Great Barrier Reef.
That evening we went snorkeling and found some great coral gardens in Mermaid Bay with some of the brightest colours we’d seen yet. We also saw a massive turtle about half the size of our dinghy.
Oct. 21.
We departed at 10 am with the plan of sailing 80nm to the Flinders group. It was a glorious day of sailing.
Cianan testing out the hammock while underway
Weaving our way through the maze of reefs with a 17kts following breeze. Callum spotted a dugong from the bow and immediately after we were visited by a pod of dolphins and another dugong. At 6pm we settled into our night watches, Cianan with the 6pm to 10pm and 2am to 6am shifts and Callum on from 10pm to 2am and 6am to 10am.
Movie night while under sail!