Mackay Reef

When Captain Cook sailed up the east coast of Australia, the Great Barrier Reef almost scuttled him. Today we’re at the Mackay Reef, and we can see Cape Tribulation, where all Cook’s problems started. 

He scraped a reef near the Cape, then went further out to sea to avoid that reef, but a few hours later, the Endeavour ran aground on what’s now known as Endeavour Reef. The crew threw a lot of stuff overboard to lighten the ship, including six cannons, 48,000 gallons (imperial not American) of water. They finally got it off the reef and sailed it to the mouth of the Endeavour River (where Cooktown now is) and spent 48 days repairing the ship. When you look at a map of the reefs in that area, it’s remarkable that Cook managed to get out of the Great Barrier Reef (Cape Tribulation is just under the line under Queensland on the map we were given). He must have been getting a bit worried, because the purpose of the trip was to view the transit of Venus, and he might miss it.

We stopped at the cay in the middle of the reef, and snorkelled from there. Cape Tribulation is a tourist Mecca, so there were plenty of boats about.

The suits a couple of people were wearing reminded me of smurfs.

The coral was excellent and the conditions were perfect.

People went out again in the afternoon, but I was sleeping. When they came back, they all said that it had been challenging because there had been a current, so it was a bit tiring. I was glad I hadn’t gone.

At sunset we saw Mount Pieter Botte behind Cape Tribulation really clearly.