Destinations:
No single vessel could ever hope to fully explore this amazing and remote area, but it's been a delight to experience so much of it. I'll keep blogging over the next year or so to tell many of our coral cruising stories from the past and present; plus provide as much useful information as I can. I will show dates on destination stories because conditions may have changed since I visited. Negative events such as cyclones, coral bleaching, Crown of Thorns starfish, moving sands , etc can cause rapid deterioration , alternatively, when conditions are good places improve and can turn from ugly rubble to become beautiful and pristine . This wilderness is forever changing.
Lihou Reef Atoll
Lihou Reef is one of the biggest atolls in the world. Crystal clear water made it an amazing place to dive. On top 20 vegetated and sand cays chock full of marine birds and turtles were extraordinary.
Great Detached Reef to Cape York
Following the route taken by the early sailing ships though the outer GBR to the Australian mainland is easy and can be a lot off fun.
Photographing Mackay Reef Nth Qld
Mackay reef is only 30nm nth of Port Douglas and has a glorious sand cay on its Nth West edge. Good protection from the SE trade winds, two 24 hour moorings and plenty of space for anchoring make it an ideal place for us to hang loose for a day or two or a week…
Ham Reef – & our 100 magic miles
Ham reef cay is just one of the numerous patches of sand and exposed coral rock that pops up along my favourite 100nm edge of the GBR. This barmy day the pristine purity at Ham Reef was breathtaking. We anchored just 50m away over soft sand and leapt into the crystalline water, dog and all.…
PELICAN ISLAND – INSIDE 100 MAGIC MILES
Pelican Island island is in the centre of a beautiful cruising area stretching between Morris island down past the Hedge reef sandbank. There is a well-developed sand spit here affording a good anchorage. On our second day, a nature show came to us with a little crocodile and hundreds of marine birds perched on it…
Wishbone Reef 2011/2020
We are about to cast off for our 2020 cruise north to Wishbone reef 🙂 I recall watching two Nudibranchs (Nembrotha Kukaryana) cavorting in 5m of water. Wicked lovers one day and still at it the next. Nudibranchs being hermaphrodites are both male and female. Note the blue genitalia on their front right. The image…
Cruising Cairns to Townsville 2019 -21
Frankland Islands / Taylor Reef Cay / Burnett Patches/ Armistice reef & more. Numerous fascinating islands and coral reefs fit between glorious coastal mountains to the west and the deep blue coral sea to the east. It’s always a great pleasure taking different routes and doing a little exploring when cruising between Cairns and Townsville. In…
Ashmore Reef QLD – cruising 2011/2018
Ashmore Reef is a large Atoll 23nm east from the GBR and not far from its end point coming from Australia. Being so isolated it has a certain adventurous feel about it. In 2011 we cruised east from Masig Island in the Torres Strait, entering the Coral Sea via the rather…
Remote North East edge off the GBR – cruising 2018
Revisiting the GBR Nth East Edge Today we cast off and head to one the most remote but exciting coral reef sections off the Australian coast — Wreck bay to Ashmore Reef. We will return in 2019 with lots of stories to tell and information for those interested in cruising, diving and fishing this wilderness…
Lawadi PNG 2017
Diving around Lawadi Here, within just 500 meters the marine diversity is mind-blowing. Perhaps the most famous muck diving available anywhere in the world, a short ride in our dinghy to a magnificent coral garden, or drift among underwater mountain peaks spiralling up from the abyss. All this in clear, warm…