Cooktown and Lizard Island

The Internet is not liking us very much here so I have only put a few photos in which took forever. I will update this entry when I can probably Thursday Island in week or so. Thought I better put something up so I don't get in trouble form anyone. There will more photos to follow.

We arrived at Cooktown after a uncomfortable trip due to the 30knot winds. After arriving we found a brochure which told us that the Captain Cook Re-enactment Festival was on this weekend, there are lots of actives on for the weekend and the kids are looking forward to the the fun run, pie eating and pasta eating contest, along with the busking and fireworks. Cooktown is a small town but has everything here. We walked along the foreshore and found a monument to Captain Cook and a musical ship park which was on of Amy's favourite parks.


Captain Cooks Monument

 

Amy playing on the musical ship.

We arrived early in the week so it gave us a few days to look around and check the place out. We visited the Museum and the Cemetery where there are many really old graves that date back to the 1800's when the gold rush was on, there is a monument to all the Chinese who died here also.

The weekend arrived and the fun run started the weekend off for us Amy had to run 1.5km, Daniel had to run 4km and Ian ran 6km. Amy came first and won herself $35 which she was really happy about, it was very close with Amy only just in front at the end after a big effort sprint. Daniel walked a lot of the way, Ian and Daniel had the same course most of the way with a added on bit for Ian. Ian met up with Daniel after running an extra 2km where Daniel started to run again as he wasn’t going to let Ian beat him. It was a close finish with Daniel only slightly in front. After all that effort Amy came 1^st, Daniel came 5^th and last in the boys of his age group, while Ian did an impressive 3^rd in the 17yrs and over. Both Ian and Amy were buggered after their races and red in the face for ages afterward. Daniel was still in shock from getting up early. We had breakfast in the market but Daniel didn’t want to eat as he was saving himself for the pie eating contest later at lunchtime at one of the pubs and the pasta eating competition an hour later at a different pub. if he can fit it in. We had heard that last year the pasta eating competition was eating a kilo of pasta.

We had a walk around the market stall and Amy was over the moon to find some baby joeys that she could cuddle. The joeys are wallabies that are 7months old but only small and very cute. Daniel and Amy had a go at Gold Panning for a bit of fun and both found a flake each.

The pie eating contest was the quickest to eat 1 pie was the winner. The junior section which Daniel and Amy were in had to eat half a pie and was very neat in eating it. People in the audience were cheering on Amy, she was the only girl and the youngest person in the competition.

Daniel was still hungry after his half a pie as he hasn’t eaten anything else yet. The pasta competition involves eating a plate of pasta with sauce without touching the plate and no utensils, face down and start chomping first one to finish wins. Thankfully it wasn't the kilo of pasta. Daniel came second but a real close to the first place taker. He missed out on the $50 but won 2 pizzas.

The grand parade starting with the town crier, Captain James Cook with his soldiers at arms. Then other items walking and on the back of a semi trailer and the variety clubs 4X4’s. Some were throwing out lollies which all the kids ran out to get.

After the parade it was time to watch Amy perform at the busking tent. She did a good job but is very quiet and needs to learn to sing louder. Part of the rules is no amplification so she wasn’t allowed to use the microphones unless they were battery powered. There are only 4 acts in the junior section. She had fun which was great  to watch and got to carry a puppy around when she wasn’t singing. Amy won the encouragement award of $150 coming 3rd. Amy was really happy with her win and was so excited to have $150. She reckons she is coming back next year as she cleaned up winning a total of $185 this year.

Lizard Island is where many boaties call it a day and spend weeks to months here before turning around and heading back south. Not us from here we go to on to Thursday Island where Kathleen will meet up with us.

Lizard is a pretty spot with some great snorkeling in the small bit we have seen in our few days here. It would be nice to spend some more time here maybe another time and hopefully we spend another few days here on our way back home with Kathleen who loves to snorkel.

We went for a walk up to Cook Lookout which was a long way up over 300metres. The view from the top was amazing. We signed our names in the book kept at the top in a box. We aren't sore at the moment but I am sure I will be tomorrow, I dare say Ian will be to.