Lizard Island

We spent three nights at the marina in Cairns.  Topped up our fuel and water and veggies and it was time to go.  Since we were not on the Great Barrier Reef we decided to go out and visit the outer reef and sailed over to Upolu reef and Dorothy snorkeled around and saw some giant clams several feet across.  Then for the night we sailed 16 miles over to Double Island an okay spot, even managed to get a weak Internet signal.
  The next day was an easy 20 miles up to Low island and more great sailing and weather. There was a mooring ball here we could pickup which is always nice.  We saw a large black tip shark and a couple of other big fish swimming under the boat.  Tour boats visit this island bringing out snorklers.  So we also did abit near shore where hopefully no sharks are.

  An unforecast NW wind came up late in the night making the anchorage a bit bouncy and when we left in the morning we were close hauled in it until it eventually swung around to the SW more behind us.  It was a 40 mile sail to our next stop, at Hope Island.  This was another pretty spot but not one I would want to enter in the dark as lots of coral patches to avoid coming in and the chartplotter not show them all correctly, It actually showed us moored on top of a huge drying patch.   
The next morning we had a cold breakfast as the propane stove would not work, no gas coming from it. After we were under way I removed the propane solenoid and then stove worked fine. That is the second solenoid I have had trouble with.  So we will do without it for now.  We were just thankful we did not have to eat cold food all the way to Darwin.
   We had a great sail all the way to cape Flattery where we anchored for the night.  Did not go ashore here as it was a bit late and we were not sure if there were crocodiles here as it was the mainland now.  It was a good secure anchorage protected from the SE winds.   The next morning we sailed off the anchor again not bothering with the engine.  It was a good beam reach all the way to Lizard Island which is a larger Island then the last few we have been on.  There is an expensive resort at one end and the bay we anchored at other.  We decided to spend a few days here and have some R and R. 
It is a super spot to stay, good snorkeling, hiking as well.  All 10 of the yachts here except one,are International yachts heading to Darwin like us and Indonesia.  There was a get together by the Resort bar the next evening where we met a lot of them.  We can get a weak internet signal here but it is not good enough to do pictures which may have to wai until we get Darwin or maybe Seisa.
We hiked up the 350M hill called Cooks lookout where Captain Cook climbed to find a way out of the barrier reef.  After our third day here the parks people came by and suggested that all the boats leave as the next day they were going to start a controlled burn on the island to get rid of underbrush and grass and that we may get ash and burns on our boats.  Great. The island would also be closed, no landing aloud for a week.  So we have diced to leave this afternoon for a night sail up to Flinders or Bathherst.