Stories From Down Under: Day 3- 6 Lizard Island

Jan 6 - 9th Day 3 - 6

Lizard Island
(Karen)

As previously stated, our trip to Great Barrier Reef was a "do over" and Lizard Island (LI) did not disappoint. LI is the northern most resort in the Great Barrier Reef and our resort is the only property located on the island. We were greeted at the airport -- which is just a small airstrip -- by the general manager, who whisked us away in a golf cart. Within two minutes, we were sipping wine, eating a fresh fruit platter while overlooking the Coral Sea. This level of service, hospitality and magnificent views continued throughout our stay.

Occupancy at the resort ranges from 40-60 guests with a staff of 90. So you quickly become "friends" with all inhabitants. Beth even reconnected with a neighbor from her childhood in Akron, Ohio ( crazy coincidence)!

On our first full day, Steven went on a Scuba dive adventure and his dream was fulfilled. Diving just 50 feet down to the coral reef, he saw a 6 foot stingray, two reef sharks and amazing colors. Larry, Beth and I went for "a wander" and ended up on Watson's Bay, named after Mary Watson who was one of the early inhabitants of LI (tragic ending to her story).

view overlooking Coral Sea

After a gourmet lunch (the food on LI also did not disappoint), we were dropped off via motor boat at "Mermaid Beach". We spent an hour snorkeling around coral reef where we saw the magnificent colors of the reef, bright blue starfish, giant clams (more on these later) and numerous colorful fish.

Wetsuits to protect us from the jellyfish and sun

Day two commenced with a guided hike back to Watson's Bay and a snorkeling excursion. First, we hung out with the giant turtles, floating just feet above the turtle. Check out this up-close and personal video of the turtles taken by a fellow snorkeler from Oz.

Afterward we swam out to the reef -- more amazing colors of the reef and lots of beautiful fish. Most unusual -- and amazing -- were the giant clams. The clams ranged in size from 6 inches to 4 feet and were "trimmed" in different colors (red, blue and green). The largest clams were an over a hundred years old (and certainly something you would not want to eat!).

That evening we went on a guided hike to see the Flying Foxes, which are very large bats! 🦇 We approached their resting place right before sunset. They make a lot of noise while they sleep - their rowdiness is how they compete for the best hanging place to sleep. They do EVERYTHING while hanging upside down. As the sun set, they woke and ascended above our heads -- out to find food and start their day!

Our final day was our departure day. Steven and I decided to get up extra early and climb Cook's Mountain, where Captain Cook climbed when he discovered LI and needed to map the route for ships. Due to the heat and straight up ascent, this hike needs to be done before the rocks heat up from the sun. We made it 2/3 of the way up when panic of how we were getting down set in so we slowly made our way back down.

Our travel day was long -- flight from LI to Cairns, quick van ride to main terminal in Cairns, flight to Sydney, rental car and drive in the dark to the Blue Mountains. Beth will take over and describe our adventures at the Spicers Sangoma...