Endeavour

A replica of Captain Cook's sailing ship the Endeavour is making its way around Australian waters and is presently in Brisbane.  It was built in Australia, and is one of the world's most accurate maritime reproductions.  The ship is circumnavigating Australia and will recreate one of the Endeavour's voyages.

In April 1770, the Endeavour became the first seagoing vessel to reach the east coast of Australia, culminating with Cook's landing at Botany Bay (Sydney) and laying claim for the British.  After Botany Bay they sailed north along the Queensland coast, eventually running aground in the shallow waters of the Great Barrier Reef, which required 2 months of repair work.

With a crew of 94 men and being at sea for nearly 3 years, we expected the Endeavour to be larger than it actually was.  Those were some cramped quarters!  None the less, what a beautiful sailing ship, representing a significant piece of history.

In keeping with the Imperial theme of the weekend, we were able to watch the entire Royal Wedding, which started at 8pm here.  Although Australia is much more republican than Canada, the Royal Wedding was celebrated across the country.  It was even shown in pubs!