Great Barrier Reef

While at Lizard Island we took the opportunity to day trip out to the outer reef with friends on their yacht, S/V Fearless.  Just when you think the water couldn't get any clearer, it did, with over 100 foot visibility. After a two hour motor sail, we picked up a mooring ball on the outer reef complete with two welcoming five foot reef sharks circling under the boat.   Included here are a few photos of the underwater delights we saw that day captured by one of the Fearless crew members, Brett, with his underwater camera. A few days later Brett would use the same camera to bop a shark on the nose that came in a bit too close for comfort.

Lizard Island

Lizard Island was the venue for several momentous occasions during the week-long stay.  It was Liz’s birthday which we celebrated on the beach with ten or so other boats. The warmth and variety of gifts she received that evening was a true testament to the ingenious and artistic nature of all those travelers who helped fete her on her special day. Lizard Island will also go down in the "lesser" history books as the place where Dylan cut her first two teeth making her Dentist daddy one proud fellow.

birthday party on the beach

Scholarship in Watson's Bay

Lizard of thee island ( a species of Goana)

Captain Cook did not anchor here, but he did sail the Endeavors' pinnace out from the headland to look for the way out of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Oh the heaviness of heart that must have beat within his chest as he scaled the 500 meter peak (which now bears his name), to look for a break in the seemingly endless trap of shoal waters. The view for us, however, was fantastic but only because we have charts, chart plotters and GPS's out the nose!  The hike was on a mercifully cloudy day.  Dylan even fell asleep in her queen’s conveyance or baby backpack while I tried to tip toe down rocky crags and bushy heath. The anchorage was the first clear waters we've seen since New Caledonia (over two years distant) and the reefs bordering the island were full of surprises. You've seen those giant clam shells in curio/ shell shops all around Florida and Mexico.  Never have I seen a live one, not to mention thirty or more. Gigantic clams the breadth of my arms with colors unimaginable pulsing on the quivering fleshy borders of those undulating shells. 

enjoying the view from on top

amazing reef snorkeling was just a short swim from the boat

giant clam

Lizard Island, made famous by that intrepid fearless pioneering sailor who blazed the path for future generations to follow in her footsteps, cutting teeth and swallowing sand, oh and also a bit by that Captain Cook fellow...

our little captain

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Over the Top

I am always writing blogs in my head.  It's finding the time to get them down on "paper" that is the problem.  There is also my compulsion to do things in chronological order. I try and and organize all the photos as we travel and write about them accordingly.  Today I am turning over a new leaf and writing about what is happening today.  It is Thursday night in Cairns, Australia.  Outside it's raining lightly as it has for the last two weeks.  Inside, Dylan is asleep in her bunk (scratch that, she is up and continues to be even after fourteen times through "These Are a Few of My Favorite Things) and Mark is in the kitchen making crustinis for our trip.  Well he was , he is  actually finished now and is trying to calm little DC back to dreamland.  You can see why getting these blogs written has got more complicated. We have been in the Marlin Marina for almost two weeks.  The marina is located in the heart of the city and we only need step off the boat to be right in the middle of everything.  The gorgeous Woolies supermarket is just two blocks away and the truck comes in the morning to collect wayward shopping carts so no worries about bringing our trolley right to boat.  We have ticked many things off our too do list, met lots of cruisers who are also heading north and gotten lots of walks in.  I can't imagine having waited through two weeks of rain without a marina berth.  It is very hard to get motivated to get in the dinghy in the pouring rain with a wiggly eight-month-old. 
From here we will sail to Darwin which is 1000 miles or so from here.  After we leave Cairns we will not see another town until we round Cape York.  We will be sailing near the Great Barrier Reef which closes with shore as we head north making navigation a bit more tenuous.  We will make stops at various capes and islets and the famed Lizard Island but we will be out there hanging off the edge of the world as we make our way to the top of Australia.  It will take us about three weeks to reach Darwin.  See you in the Northern Terri-tree (as they pronounce it) mate.  Below, a few pictures from our trip since Hamilton Island. 

Picnic Bay, Magnetic Island

Our first Mother's Day, Magnetic Island

Dylan on her way to town for some groceries

Preening rock wallabies, these guys live in the rocks at the marina breakwater

Hamilton Island

We stayed a week in the marina at Hamilton Island.  Hamilton is part of the Whitsunday Islands, a section of the Australian coast that is known for sailing and especially chartered yachts.  Hammo as the locals call it has private homes but is dominated by one very large resort with all types of accommodation.  The mode of transportation on Hammo is golf carts or the island buses which circle the island on a regular basis.  The little "downtown" has several restaurants, a bakery, a post office, a dive shop and a general store.  They have everything you could want to make you holiday complete.  We enjoyed being on land for a week with plenty of time to stretch our legs.  We also got in some pool time and re provisioned for our next trip out.  The video above is Dylan and Daddy on an early morning trip to the look out.

Middle Percy Island

the proud Scholarship

Middle Percy's famous A frame

West Bay on Middle Percy Island is a very beautiful and some say, an obligatory stop while traveling up the Queensland Coast.  Boats passing through leave their mark in the large "A" frame hut.   Constructed over fifty years ago as a gathering place for visitors,  we could see that this quiet place had seen many a party over the years.

our quickly made boat plaque

 

dylan and daddy

swinging with dylan

Visitors in Rosslyn Bay

Another gorgeous sunset, Rosslyn Bay

marina life

Just a few weeks out of Brisbane we headed to Rosslyn Bay, home of the Keppel Bay Marina.  Our Dutch friends the Van Wissens were traveling the Queensland coast and we were eager to catch up with them before we depart Australia in July.  Last time we saw them was in Brisbane, just two days before Dylan Claire was born. The family of four had spent the weekend on board and  Mark and I commented that it was the giggle of 8-year-old Jasmijn that made our baby girl come two weeks early.  

the Dutchies

 

Capricorn Coast

We set out of Pancake Creek early in the morning to head north to the Capricorn Coast.   After two sailing days which included one teething baby and one very rolly anchorage we arrived at the lovely Great Keppel Island.  We were not sure was a Keppel was but nevertheless we tucked in on the north side of the island in fifteen feet of turquoise water.  This was our first peek in a long time at gorgeous white sand beaches and clear water.  Great Keppel was a perfect place to stretch our legs after several days on board.   The island is covered with trails, all indicated by lovely hand-made markers.  We even got to try out Dylan’s “Queen of Sheba” back pack . Our little sailor was so comfortable that she was sleeping soundly with her little legs dangling by the end of the afternoon.