LIZARD ISLAND
NORTH QUEENSLAND
Lizard Island was visited by Captain Cook in 1770. He found it a great spot for navigation purpose and climbed the 350 meter hill to see the reefs that need to be avoided sailing the area for the safety of his ship.
A climb to Cook's Lookout is not easy. It is a steep approach with many boulders on the way. Today the area is dry, vegetation is olive in color rather than spring green. The view is spectacular though and the effort of climbing is well rewarded by magnificent views and there is a strong possibility of sighting a lizard. Captain Cook has a close encounter with Endeavour Reef, called so after the name of his ship and the climb to the top of Lizard Island gave him a clear picture of the reefs now called Great Barrier Reef.
The history of Lizard Island is rich. The Watsons settled on Lizard Island in 1880s to run a beche-de-mer, sea slug business. Mary left alone has been attacked by local indigenous people that treated the area as a sacred site and escaped in a sea slug boiling tub to a nearby island only to die from lack of water.
Now the tragic history is almost forgotten and Lizard is a well protected anchorage. It has a popular and upmarket resort and holds fishing competitions. Lizard creates a spectacular diving and snorkeling ground in its lagoon created between Palfry and South Islands.
