Cairns - Time to move onward...

The southeast winds eventually eased and a small favourable weather window appeared to open so we departed Cairns at 0500 on the 12th of October.

The grey overcast conditions gave way to a blue sky around Fitzory Island, but with the blue sky came 15-20 knots of wind from the southeast - the direction we wanted to travel.

With a confused and uncomfortable sea state we decided to stop and explore. Fitzory Island was a great place to spend a day with a number of nice walks and even a little coral.

After an early dinner we headed to bed in preparation for the journey ahead...

Cairns - Hanging around for the wind...

After the reef we headed back to Cairns to prepare for our southward journey. The plan was a quick stop to complete a few last minute things, but as always things got complicated and we were delayed first by an appointment and then by unusually persistent southeast trade winds.

We hung around with the wilder side of the local population at the marina and filled the first week with odd jobs around Lucey Blue - including polishing our topsides - and trips to the markets.

During the second week we hired a car and went exploring around Cairns. The tropical rainforest along the coast was spectacular and we all enjoyed a number of walks even if the humidity was rather high...

Each night we checked the weather forecast and snuggled up tight ready to leave when the time was right...

Michaelmas 'Sand Castle' Cay - Another sand cay appears at low tide...

As the tide dropped one day we noticed a small sand cay appear on the horizon approximately 3 nautical miles away from Michaelmas Cay so we decided to up anchor and have a look.

Emily named the transient island 'Sand Castle Cay' after we built a small structure near the high point to see if it would survive the night. Unfortunately the high tide wiped out any trace of our castle! 

The reef around the cay was pretty similar to Michaelmas Cay with plenty of giant clams, soft corals and red fans.

However, we found more Clown Fish around 'Sand Castle Cay' than Michaelmas. Some of the Clown Fish were happy to come out and play while others preferred the shelter of their anemone homes...

We even found a gaggle of Garfish in the lagoon which reminded us of North East Herald Cay!

Michaelmas Cay - Underway life remains pretty cool...

We stayed a few days anchored behind Michaelmas Cay and enjoyed the snorkelling on offer. The underwater visibility varied dramatically depending on the tide and wave conditions. But there was always plenty for Eric to see.

The fish on some of the coral bommies to the north of the cay were pretty friendly and there were plenty of red fan corals on the deeper drop-offs.

The variety of textures and colours to be found around the cay was great and we all enjoyed seeing turtles again!

Michaelmas Cay - Lots of tourists, but still nice coral...

Michaelmas Cay has really changed over the years. What was once a relatively quite little sand cay covered in birds is now inundated by large numbers of tourists who arrive on mass at around 1000 each morning aboard sailing catamarans. The majority of the cay has also been roped off and there is a no access period that runs from 1500 until 0930 the next day.

While the changes are pronounced the giant clams of old remain plentiful on the reef around the island and the coral is quite nice with a good variety of hard and soft corals.

Sam really liked the abundant yellow flat soft coral and the hard lace corals so we decied to stay awhile to explore...

Cairns - A mega city in the north...

Well after the Coral Sea, Cairns was a mega city for the crew of Lucey Blue. We pulled into Marlin Marina and were slightly overwhelmed by the range of shops and the number of people cruising around the port district.

Nonetheless, Cairns has a great feel about it and everyone is really friendly. We spent time checking out bookshops, finding ice blocks and enjoying a nice meal or two. We even managed to send off all the schoolwork that had been backing up.

One of our favorite spots was Rusty's Markets. The range, quality and price of the fresh fruit and vegetables available every Friday, Saturday and Sunday is outstanding!

What a lovely spot to stop for a while...