Location: Lizard Island
The day started early at 4 am as we were underway all night to get to our destination of Lizard Island. We had a team of ten with alternating positions of being on stand-by, manning the helm, and bow watch, along with an hourly boat check. Once we arrived at the island, we had a boat appreciation. We scrubbed Argo’s underbelly in snorkel gear, and Cory and I tackled the marine growth with soft bristle brushes. After that, we enjoyed a nice lunch with the homemade white bread that I had made the night before, which turned out surprisingly well for my first bread-making experience. Once we arrived on Lizard Island via the dinghies, my group and I sought out cold drinks, which turned out to be for the resort guests only, but they did have a cold-water fountain that we could fill our bottles with! Hans and I decided to check out some of the trails on the island and learned a fair amount about the plant life on the island – there are ants here that, if you grind them up and boil them, the brew can be a good cure for cold and can also clear your lungs. After we had headed back to the beach, we found the rest of our shipmates playing and searching for hermit crabs in the lagoon just off the ocean.
Alec got one of the crabs to come out of its shell and perched itself onto his elbow – I believe he named it Bob! After showers and a little marine identification homework, we had a squeeze, and the question I picked was If you could have any animal, real or mythical, as a pet, what animal would you pick? The answers ranged from mini polar bears (Sean) to half Harry Potter half hobbit! (DJ). PS, Sorry for the lack of communication. Mom and Dad were pretty busy up here, but I love you guys, and you have nothing to worry about. I got a new haircut, and I hope you like it! Signing off now, and I hope to write to you soon.