Lizard Island to Townsville (19th September - 1st October)

Research Centre at Lizard Island

Getting south from Lizard Island is never easy!  According to the statistics the wind blows from the SE for 91% of the time in September so the chances to get south can be slim.  We had a small window of opportunity in the weather to head south on the 19th so figure we better take it as you are never sure what you are going to get.  The forecast is for around 15-20knts from the SE for the next three days and our course to Low Isles is around 160^o so it is going to be 'on the nose' all the way.

Crown of Thorns

It is up early on the 19^th and we are off and aiming to make it to Cape Bedford for the night.  As the course for today is a little kinder (180^o) we were able to make it quite comfortably in to the anchorage at 13:00H although it was a pretty bumpy sail.  The next day wasn’t quite as kind as the wind swung more to the SSE which meant it was a true beat all the way to Hope Islands in around 20-25knots of wind.  We ended up with 2 reefs in the main and our very lovely #4 headsail up which gave us the best angle to the wind possible however, it was still a very long day as we didn’t arrive at Hope until 16:30H and we covered 55NM but only made 30NM in a forward direction – not much fun at all.    We are kind of figuring that unless something improves in the weather overnight we will be spending a few days in at East Hope Island until the next weather window presents itself.

The BOM is very good at forecasting the weather these days and true to form there is no let-up in the weather on Sunday so it looks like it is Hope Island for the next few days.  We have plenty of company for our stay as a bunch of fisho’s are camping on the island for a few days and there is a regular procession of people stopping in on their way north - strangely there don't seem to be many people arriving that are also heading south!

Over the last few weeks our house batteries have being showing signs of ageing and we have been having to charge twice per day just to avoid going under volt.  This was even more noticeable during our sailing days when we have been using plenty of electrons on all the nav. gear and auto helm.  Luckily we have enough internet and mobile coverage to do some research and during our stop have arranged for a couple of batteries to be delivered to the marina once we arrive in Townsville. 

Hope Island - Not TOO tough!

We didn’t waste our time in Hope Island – it is a very pretty spot so we went for plenty of walks around the island (both clockwise and anti-clockwise) and also went for a snorkel most days and were pleasantly surprised with the diversity and good condition of the coral even though the water is not as clear as what we have become accustomed to. 

On Thursday (25^th September) the weather has started to settle down and we have a more comfortable 10-15knt SE wind blowing so we figure it is time to get moving again.  We left the anchorage early and had a go at motor sailing and did much better than expected for the day.  The original plan was to make it in to Low Isles for the night however progress was so good that we were able to make it into Port Douglas in time to meet the fuel truck which was a bonus as we were keen to top up the tanks before we do the overnight trip to Townsville.  It was a real treat to be in marina world again where we could have long showers and even enjoyed a meal off the boat. 

Friday and again we were up early for the trip down to Townsville which is around 190NM.  The winds were very light and we motored, with and without some sail, all day and night which was very comfortable.  At dawn on Saturday we did the math and figured that we still had a chance to make it into the Breakwater Marina by 14:00H when we still had enough water under the keel (there is only 0.5mts at LAT tide in the entrance channel which can make it a bit tricky).  So it is back up with the main so that we can achieve the 6.2Knot average that we have to maintain to make it.  Luckily the winds played fair and we had a light NE wind start to make its presence felt and before we knew it we were roaring along with time to spare.  

The first job at Townsville was to replenish our hydrocarbons so we are now full to the brim with diesel and LPG.  As usual there are 'boat jobs' to be done.  Mark serviced the gen-set which didn't go quite as well as expected.  Before he started work the impeller went which was a bit annoying and then after changing the oil and fuel filter found that the motor wouldn't run for more than 60seconds which was very annoying.  We have had a bit of a feeling that there has been a small air leak in the fuel system for some time as the gen-set hasn't been running quite as well as it used to and after much fiddling and tightening of hose clamps etc. it looks like it is all running at 100% again which was at least a good outcome.  While this was going on I was keeping myself busy on deck polishing the stainless steel.  If you haven't noticed there is a lot of SS on Sally!

Late on Monday the new batteries turned up.  They are even bigger and heavier than the ones that we have which is all well and good but installing something that weighs around 75kgs under the floor of the boat was always going to be a bit of a challenge.  Ryan from Alco Batteries was great and delivered the batteries down to the boat and even helped to bring them on board.  Tuesday was battery day so we managed to lift out the current batteries and slowly but surely get them onto the wharf.  With some careful planning Mark installed some fixtures to secure the new batteries and we managed to get them into position without wrecking our backs so all good.  So far they seem to be working great.   As a bit of a treat we went and did a few laps at the Tobruk Pool and then went out for dinner at the Yacht Club with Graciella and Oscar from Zenitude who we first met in Lord Howe in 2013. 

Their are a number of boats in here that we know including Windana and Osiris so sure there will be plenty of catch up sundowner's during our stay.  At this point it is looking like we will be here until Saturday when we will head over to Horseshoe Bay on Magnetic Island to wait for a weather window to get down to the Whitsunday's which we are hoping will turn up sometime early next week.

 

 

 

Lizard Island (8th - 19th September)

Lizard Island is a pretty amazing place to spend a couple of weeks and we can now understand why it is such a popular spot to visit for us boaties!  While Leapy was here we went for at least 2 snorkels per days in beautifully clear water and every time managed to see something new.  The diversity of coral and fish is amazing and the back of the boat is more like an aquarium most of the time with plenty of Bat Fish, GT’s, Reef Sharks and numerous other fish hanging around that we are not able to identify.  We also saw plenty of big fish on the reef – just wish we could work out what they all are – note to self to get a better fish ID chart when we get back home.



Resort - Post 'Ita'

As Ann and Col (Annacol), also fellow Hunter owners, had been waiting on our arrival for some time they had a couple of very nice bottles of bubbly waiting on ice for us so after we had settled into life on LI they had us over for sundowner's one night which was a lot of fun as they are always great to catch up with although I think we were all a little worse for wear the next morning!

During the last few days while Lynda was on board we also got to go for a lovely walk and had a swim at the Blue Lagoon on the SW corner of the island.



Blue Lagoon

A very sad looking Lynda had to fly out on the afternoon of the 11^th but was rewarded with a very scenic flight back to Cairns and managed to identify most of our stops on the trip north.  It was a bit like a tag team in the 11^th as Wayne and Helen flew in on the same plane that Lynda caught out.

As is normal the first order of business, after dropping their bags at the boat, was to head to the beach for sundowner's with ‘The Mob’ at the so called ‘Table of Knowledge’.  Wayne and Helen were very kind and brought a good supply of fresh food which we very much appreciated as we were just about depleted on any fresh rations.

Local Lizard at LI

On the 12^th we headed off to the reef near the boat for their first snorkel which was closely followed by the walk up to Chinaman’s Lookout which was closely followed by a snorkel on the Clam Garden so that night we all slept very well!.  On the Friday we headed off early to do the walk to Cook’s Look.  This is the highest peak on the island at around 350mts and was the place where Cook went in order to try to find a suitable passage out of the reef and luckily he did and it is now aptly named Cooks Passage!   The start of the climb is a bit challenging however, the views from the top where definitely worth the effort.  The afternoon on board was rather quiet with plenty of Nanna naps all around. 



View of Watson's Bay

 

 

South & Palfrey Islands

Cairn at Cook's Look

 

 



Helen & Wayne - Cook's Look

Again we did plenty of underwater exploring whilst Wayne and Helen were aboard.  Mark also decided it was time to give the bottom of the boat a bit of a tickle before we start heading south and was closely monitored by the usual mob of Bat Fish plus a couple of Black Tip Sharks. 

Wayne and Helen flew out on the afternoon (18^th September) after what seemed like a very brief stop at LI.  They had a great time and certainly made the most of their stay spending plenty of time in and under the water as well as exploring the island.  They also had the daily job of filling our water containers from the local well as we are not using any of the ships water at the moment to make sure we have plenty on board for the start of our trip south.  

Cairns to Lizard Island (27th August to 8th September)

Our new crew, Leapy Lynda (aka Vanuatu Survivor if you have read the BLOG on our Cora Sea Cruz from 2013), joined the boat.  After the obligatory tour around the main centre of Cairns and a swim in the Esplanade Pool we did the final stock up of diesel, gas, unleaded and fresh produce before departing for the final push north to Lizard Island.

We left Cairns Marina on the 29^th August and headed to yet another marina in the very beautiful town of Port Douglas.  We had a lovely sail up to PD and after a bit of confusion finally found our berth in Marina Mirage.  We found John and Jo from Kirra Kirra at the local pub – they are spending quite a bit of time in PD as they have a wedding to attend – not too shabby a spot for a wedding!   On Saturday (30^th), after some yoga and some more exploring, we headed to the ‘Tin Shed’ to watch the last game of the AFL home & away season between Carlton and Essendon.  Lynda and I are both quite rabid Blues supporters and the skipper just happens to be Essendon.  We normally have a bet on the game – the team that wins shouts the loser dinner and drinks.  This lead too much confusion as the game ended up in a draw so we were neither happy or sad and not sure who was buying what but think we ended up shouting each other!  After the big game we went to see the local Queensland Giant Grouper feeding which was a bit disappointing as George the Grouper failed to show however, the bar at the feeding station was doing a wonderful trade as most of the spectators were partaking in a beverage or two while enjoying the views over the inlet.

On Sunday (31^st August) we left PD and marina world.  We are very much looking forward to spending some time on the anchor.  The first stop is to Low Isles which is only about 10NM from Port Douglas and is a beautiful spot to hang out for a few days.  It is also a popular spot for the tour boats from PD so we had plenty of company during the day.  Thanks to Parks we were able to pick up a mooring which was rather nice.  We did the quick island tour – it is a very small island so it doesn’t take a long time to complete however, there is plenty of infrastructure present which includes a light house, two lighthouse keeper homes and another residence which is where we figure the caretaker resides.  There is plenty of great snorkelling around the island so we spent plenty of time in the water and Lynda got to try out her new snorkelling attire!  One of the highlights of the snorkelling was the very friendly turtles that didn’t seem to be too worried about us swimmers.  We found one that was very intent on foraging in the coral – were not quite sure what he was looking for but he didn’t seem to find it while we were watching. 

Low Isles

After a couple of nights at Low Isles we headed out to Tongue Reef for a snorkel on our way to Cape Tribulation, which was our stop for the night.  Tongue Reef was another great snorkelling spot so we spent plenty of time exploring underwater – we even pulled out the Go Pro for some more practice at underwater photography which turned out not too shabby even if I do say so myself.  We arrived at Cape Tribulation late in the afternoon but had enough time for a quick shore party.  It is definitely the spot where the jungle meets the sea as the rain forest comes right down to the beach.  Luckily we are in a patch of calm weather so the night at Cape Trib. was pleasant – it is not a common anchorage in these parts due to the prevailing strong trade winds that persist in this region.

Enjoying East Hope Island

On the morning of the 3^rd September we departed from Cape Trib. to Hope Islands which is to be our home for the next couple of nights.  The entry from the south into East Hope is a bit interesting as there are a few bommies to avoid however, once into the anchorage we were lucky enough to have our choice of two moorings to pick up.  There is plenty of bird life on East Hope and also plenty to see under the water so we had plenty to keep us entertained for our stay.  We were also joined in the anchorage by the MY Lauriana who were very kind to share some of their excellent homemade brew!



Cairn Reef

As we have some good weather forecast, and as we are not ones not to miss an opportunity, we decide to head over to Cairns Reef on the morning of the 5^th September for the next two nights.  Not many people go to Cairns Reef as it is in the shape of a big U and it is around 8NM from the entrance upwind to the head of the reef where the best anchorage is located.  We were glad we made the effort as we again enjoyed some excellent snorkelling and were lucky enough to have several Manta Rays lingering around the boat for much of our stay.  We also went for a shore party during low tide and saw a plethora of wild life in the shallows including huge fish (have no idea as to what type), plenty of turtles and quite a number of small Black Tipped Reef Sharks that seemed very interested in my feet while I was towing the dinghy along behind. 

After our excellent adventures at Cairns Reef we are up early on the morning of the7th as we have a long day ahead to reach Cape Flattery which is around 52NM.  It is a great day for a sail with around 20knts blowing from behind as is standard in these latitudes.  We made good time and arrived at Cape Flattery at 17:00H.  Cape Flattery is apparently the site for the largest Silica Mine in the world so there is plenty going on ashore and it made a good anchorage for the night before the last leg of our trip north to Lizard Island.

As the weather is still being kind to us we decide rather than heading straight to Lizard we might take a detour out to the outer reef.  We were hoping to stop in at the Cod Hole however, when we arrived we found that the public moorings were not there anymore - we think as a result of cyclone Ita that went through earlier this year, and there was already a large dive boat in the anchorage so we didn’t feel all that comfortable so decided to head over to the nearby Cormorant Reef for an explore.   As we were not familiar with the reef we decided to anchor in the deep water on the western side of the reef rather than going in to the shallower water however, we had a couple of fantastic snorkels on the nearby bommies.  Mark reckons we had around 40mts visibility underwater and the diversity of fish and coral was amazing.  The fish are also huge which was great to see and they certainly showed no signs of any fear sharing their waters with us humans.

The Table of Knowledge with Bill and Sue

It was a bit hard to leave the outer reef but as we wanted to arrive at Lizard Island by dark we up anchored at 3pm and headed to LI.  Getting the anchor up wasn’t quite as easy as it should have been as we kind of hooked the chain on a bit of coral but after a bit of mucking around we finally freed ourselves and headed off.  We arrived at Lizard Island around 17:00h and were pleased to hear the dulcet tones of Bill from Dilligaf on VHF welcoming us into the anchorage and also inviting us into the beach for sundowners so it was quickly down with the anchor, drop the dinghy and on our way to the beach before you know it.  It was great to catch up with the Dilligaf’s again especially as they are heading south tomorrow!  We also met up with our old friends Ann and Col from Annacol who have been here for around 7weeks – obviously they really like it here! 

Sunset at LI

Our position at LI is 14^o 39’.607S 145^o 27’.114E which is as far north as our travels will take us this season – it is all south from here on in with the main land on the starboard side!

Will report on our time at LI in the next BLOG



LI Resort - Post 'Ita'