In which we visit Endeavour Reef

Endeavour Reef - Cape Tribulation to the south west.

After picking up "The Rock" in Cooktown, a week of calm weather was predicted - a perfect opportunity to visit the reefs, of which there are no shortage between Cooktown and Cairns. We headed out to Cairns Reef via Osterland Reef to anchor overnight. This was a very comfortable anchorage in the 15-20 knot southeasterly, a natural harbour protected on 3 sides by reef. With the wind still up though, the visibility wasn't great for snorkelling. A really big dolphin came and swam upside down in our bow wave for about 500m. He had a few chunks out of his dorsal fin, possibly from close encounters with boats, but didn't seem at all deterred.

The Journey to Lizard

It's the island on everyone's lips in these parts: Lizard. The nominal turning point for the multiple vice commodores of the Shaggers, the grey navy and the general cruisers as well as long term home for some yachties. We left the channel markers out of Cairns and turned our bows towards the north to make our push to these fabled, fantastical bays of Lizard Island. However, Lizard is not just down the road - its a triple digit nautical mile trip from Cairns requiring some degree of planning and the odd course correction that wrinkled the brow of even one of history's greatest navigators. This area of the coast bristles with the ghosts of Cook, Flinders, King and others. The water coursed with the descendents of the Endeavour's barnacles - and in fact several great grandchildren had taken up residence in our speed sensor rendering it completely inoperable.

An interesting camera angle makes the Low Isles lighthouse seem taller than it is. Eagle perched on railing