North to Thursday Island

Here's a brief post from Charles.  Nicky has flown back to England for a couple of weeks to do some wedding planning (and to fit in a visit to her parents in Geneva).  Charles is sailing with Carsten de Koning, who was crew on Gwylan back in 2009 when we crossed the Atlantic (ARC).  Carsten's daughter, Lara, will join them next week for the 1000NM passage to Indonesia, but meanwhile the two of them are heading north from Cairns to Thursday Island.  Here's Charles's report, including an appreciative comment about one of the many meals with which Nicky stocked the freezer before she left:

Carsten on Lizard island

Koala on Magnetic island

We are in Owen's channel. Yesterday we walked up Lizard island to Captain Cook's lookout where he went to look for a route back out of the reef after Endeavour had been grounded near Cooktown, and found Cook's passage. 350m high and very good views. Then it was midday and we started sailing west to
get towards the peninsula that ends in Cape York. We had meant to go 50NM
but the wind was so good we then kept changing our destination until we
arrived at 9pm after 80NM. We sailed poled-out and deep reefed but it was
still very fast. Chicken curry for supper - very nice!

Near Port Douglas