Sailing the Great Barrier Reef is nothing short of exhilarating. Sailing north of Cairns, you are sure to experience fabulous snorkelling and diving, exciting fishing, pristine environs and sensational sailing. We did indeed have a perfect sail from Cairns to Low Isles. However, the sun was getting ready to set by the time we arrived, so we missed out on having a snorkel. With a deadline to arrive in Darwin, we decided to skip Port Douglas and keep pushing north because we had already spent plenty of time in PD.
Following a night anchored at Low Isles we set off early in the morning. We stopped at Undine Cay, a favourite of ours, and went snorkelling. We decided to stay the night. Once the tide came in, it got a bit rolly, so the next night, after another perfect sail, we were glad to find a sheltered spot behind Hope Islands.
Freshly caught fish
We caught a couple of mackerel just out of Undine Cay. We cut one fish into fillets and the other into cutlets and topped up our freezer. At Hope Island, we cooked a delicious meal of cajun mackerel fillets with pineapple, tomato, and corn salad. Yummo!
From Hope Island, we sailed on and spent a night anchored off the mainland at Cape Bedford. We had an afternoon of relaxation before moving on the next day to Lizard Island. Fantastic sail in 25 knots, and we arrived by lunchtime. After a yummy lunch of teriyaki marlin sushi, we went for a snorkel in the bay. Fantastic! We saw clownfish, titan triggerfish, massive batfish, trevally, parrotfish, coral trout, etc.
Over the next few days at Lizard Island, our many forays into the water revealed the whole star-studded cast of “Finding Nemo'”. Clownfish, sharks, turtles, and so many giant fish!
While at Lizard went for a walk to Blue Lagoon Beach and the top of Cook’s Look; with beautiful beaches and views. There were around 12 other boats in the bay, and we had happy hour on the beach each afternoon. We met the crew of ‘Miss Polly’, a catamaran also heading north. Polly and Gerry are great people and a lot of fun, so we sailed in company with them to the top of Australia.
We went to the Howick Group from Lizard and stayed a couple of days. We spent time snorkelling the beautiful reef, catching crayfish and sitting around the fire on the beach eating crayfish and mackerel.
We then spent a night at Flinder’s Island before moving onto Morris Island, where we spent another couple of nights. It was a beautiful place where we once again enjoyed cooking on the fire. During the relaxing days on Morris Island, we went fishing, walked and played bocce with Polly and Gerry. It was windy, so Dwayne and I built a lean-to out of some timber and coconut fronds to keep the sand out of our food when cooking a BBQ. We also took the time to do our chores – make water, do washing, charge the batteries etc.
The wind has been a perfect east-southeast 20-25knots since we left Cairns, so we had another great sail. We stopped at the Lockhart River for the night, and Dwayne and Polly dropped the crab pots. We caught one crab and a little shark.
We stayed a couple of nights at Forbes Island – our last chance for a snorkel. There was a crocodile sign, and the snorkelling wasn’t the best, so for the two days we were there, we walked the hills and beaches and collected coconuts and heaps of oysters. We cooked some oysters on the fire and pickled the rest.
Our next stop was Bird Island, where I could see some ‘tracks’ on the beach. Looking through the binoculars, Dwayne said they were turtle tracks. Dwayne and Polly went looking for mud crabs. Walking through the mangroves and crossing lagoons, knee-deep in mud, they got one mud crab and a heap of oysters. When I got to the island, I checked out the ‘tracks’….. crocodile tracks, not turtle tracks!
We enjoyed oysters on the fire and went back to the boats before dark, in case the croc decided to return to the beach. In the morning, we saw the crocodile lying on the beach.
We spent a night at Escape River before sailing through Albany Passage and on to the Tip of Cape York. A short walk took us to the very tip of Australia for the requisite photos and some lovely views of the bay.
Next up – Sailing – Seisia to Darwin
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