I know, I know… Sometimes I get so behind on this blog that it seems impossible to resume. It’s far too easy to slide from one experience to next and put writing them down on the back burner. You’d almost think that nothing was going on over here, though it’s honestly due to the exact opposite.
We’ve been busy. Like, really busy. The tasks we’ve been facing lately have been particularly tolling; I might get into it down the road. Now that I’m recollecting our final weeks in Cairns, our frustrations and anxieties at the time seem almost ridiculous. But I guess it’s all relative, right…?
There were some things to attend to back in the States (back in August, ugh I’m so behind), so we parked Cavalo in a Cairns marina for two months. We returned a bit behind sailing-season schedule and wanted very badly to get a move on. All we needed to do was get our visas for Indonesia. Alas, this is when we met the Australian postal system.
We’d done the scariest thing imaginable and mailed our passports off to the Indonesian Consulate in Sydney. Our visas were processed almost overnight, which was awesome, but even with Express Post it took over two weeks to get everything from us to them and back again (side note: we just got a package sent from the east coast of the US to West Papua in four days). The day we got our passports back in hand, we also got an email alerting us to a series of purchases we’d made in France for a slew of high-end audio equipment. The marina kindly berthed us for yet another two weeks while we waited on a new credit card.
Eventually we made it out, yes. But this series of setbacks had us all of a sudden facing expiring Australian visas, the beginning of cyclone season (and the limits of our insurance policy), and a counterproductive level of impatience. Being in a hurry while sailing can be an issue for a rainbow of reasons, but at this point we had no choice but to expedite our last leg up the Queensland coast.
Fortunately some friends who had managed to stay on schedule were able to put us at ease. We hate the idea of missing anything, but they assured us that if we could at least stop and spend some time at Lizard Island we would see the best there was between Cairns and Thursday Island.
After a successful and pleasant 23-hour shakedown sail, we had the anchor down at Lizard. Our friends were right- this place was worthy of a visit. The anchorage was shallow and comfortable with good holding, and the scenery was stunning. We’d been avoiding beaches back on the mainland (actually we were avoiding crocodiles and stingers, that just happens to be where they hang out), and found great relief in Lizard’s soft white (safe) shore. It grew almost invisibly out of the clearest blue water, shone like the sun and disappeared under the shade of palm trees. My favourite mangroves were well established just beyond, and all lay perfectly in a valley between two mountains. Ahhh, to be exploring again.
We figured that if this was going to be our one stop, we might as well stick around for a few days. There were a number of reefs to dive on, and a network of trails meandering around the island were sure to keep us entertained during time not spent in the water.
A hike to the top of the highest peak took us to Cook’s Lookout, from where Captain Cook scouted a way out of the labyrinth that is the Great Barrier Reef in 1770. Heeey there, history! We left at 6am in efforts to beat the heat, which kind of worked. It was foggy at the top and we couldn’t see where sea met sky, let alone the reef, but was still absolutely worth it and offered a spectacular vista of the island.
The trail did its best to switchback up the sun-soaked cliffs, and levelled back out under tree shade. Features appreciated by surely everyone who makes the trek. There was also a certain elevation at which one could find 3G cell service. We used this opportunity to email our parents after hightailing it out of the marina with reckless abandon.
Back at sea level, or below it really, was some surprisingly good snorkelling. Lizard Island sits in a marine reserve, and while much of the GBR is suffering from coral bleaching and extensive die-off, Lizard is thriving with a healthy and intact underwater ecosystem. We spent a full day exploring the reefs, and capped it off the following morning with a visit to the research station on the southwest side.
There was so much to explore on Lizard that we really didn’t leave ourselves much time or energy for domestic duties. Fortunately for us, the island has a resort. While it remains fairly exclusive (don’t walk on their beach before 5pm), they do open their beach bar to yachties three nights a week. Zapped from our exploits, we kicked the sand off our feet and played a few rounds of pool while our pizzas bubbled away in the wood fired oven. They were, undoubtedly, the best pizzas we had after a year in Australia.
After three days the pressure to make some miles finally set in. Though I suppose it’s best to get out while things are good… Anyway, further adventure awaits. See you guys in Indo.
