07/04/2009, Cape Grenville, North East Australia
We're presently anchored at Cape Grenville about 80 miles south of Cape York (north east coat of Oz) after leaving Lizard Island 2 days ago. They don't call this stretch of water the Great Barrier Reef for nothing. Moments arise when you feel like you're playing a video game that goes something like this: Pretend you're in control of a sailboat that you must sail through an almost 1000 mile route densely interspersed with reefs. If you hit even one the game is over, bonus points for greatest distance traveled over 24 hours, but no way of otherwise keeping score-oh and because you'll be sailing at the edge of the shipping lane, make sure you don't hit the big ships either, this will also end the game ". Contray to popular belief, the seas are not always flat inside the reef but at least are free from the ocean swell. Thankfully, we are fully equipped with accurate charts (paper & 2 electronic backups) to guide us through. We caught a Spanish Mackerel soon after leaving Lizard Island and after Uwe hauled it in, while his brother bit on the 2nd line, then a third one bit when he forgot about the 1st line that he dropped back in to clean and in addition to biting the line, he poor Uwe on his big toe. How about that, nothing for weeks, and then 3 in one day. (We let the other ones go free of course, and Uwe kept his toe). We're enjoying gourmet fish dishes, but slowly running out of dish ideas. I don't know how others resist the urge to nod off after 15 minutes of night watch patrol, but I have to constantly invent new ways of staying awake since we find ourselves in unfamiliar territory of not being tossed about by a wild ocean. Lately I've resorted to sneaking below to the galley, switching on the bright light, weapon in hand, (a tissue) scanning the surface for some pesky cockroaches that may happen to scurry toward their hotels. I should be a trifle embarrassed about admitting the presence of a pest that is synonymous with filth, but I've lost all sense of shame. Beyond cleaning to the point of obsessive compulsive, setting up cockroach hotels, bombing them to oblivion that may only ensure our death not theirs, they're still with us. What is one to do? Tonight Uwe and I will enjoy a welcome rest, for Kara it's just another night of 12 hours of sleep, before departing again tomorrow for another overnighter around the top end: Cape York.
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A stone atop a windswept clifftop is not the best choice of a tripod; we struggled to get a picture of us 3 with the help of the self timer that always seemed to click just as Uwe managed to wrangle himself beside us; that's why we look a bit contorted.
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06/28/2009, Lizard Island, GBR, Australia
Fourthly, we just consumed what Uwe refers to as the best dinner he ever had(again) here on the lovely Lizard Island. Thirdly, we climbed the 370 meters up to Cook's Lookout this afternoon (school behind us this time). We ambled up the steep meandering trail without difficulty; a most pleasant hike as singing birds hovered above us, all the while inhaling the sweet scented Eucalyptus trees and wild shrubbery. Kara's only exasperation on such hikes is the lack of entrepreneurial presence; that is a welcoming committee in the form of an ice cream stand to greet us at the top. I'm a big fan of Mr. Cook; seriously, he was one unique man and I think about his intrepid achievements very often. For those of you who need clarification, Cook got trapped inside Australia's Great Barrier Reef, while voyaging into the unknown for the beloved British crown, who really didn't give a hoot about him when you think about the klonker "Endeavour" with which he was banished out to sea, a hazard even back then. He climbed up to the top of Lizard Island in an effort to forge a way out. He should have just stopped here and lived out his days at one of the 5 star rooms at the resort with some nice exotic lady, oops, I'm getting carried away, that was after his time. Secondly, Uwe and Kara saw the biggest clams they have seen anywhere, live ones at that. Firstly, we received an email with the title, "Good news" from our lawyer. That could only mean one thing involving the recent lawsuit we had battled with for 2 years. We clearly won the case, with the judge ruling almost positively on our behalf, not yet quite final but now we are quite relieved at a conclusion, thus we are able to continue our journey a little longer perhaps. Fifthly, the snorkels are out, the fish are too, the water is great, the resort only welcomes wealthy people, and us underprivileged echelons are exiled to our own little portion of the island with its gorgeous beach, which is mighty fine with us.
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