Itinerary Change #4: No Cooktown For Us!

Day 1 of 3 days at sea.

Instead of visiting Cooktown on the Cape York Peninsula of Far North Queensland today, we are having a sea day … cruising the Coral Sea … weaving in and out of the Great Barrier Reef as we make on our way to Darwin.

We are 0 for 2 where Cooktown is concerned.

The first time Cooktown was canceled was on our 2017 world cruise. On that occasion, the culprit was the weather. Insignia got as far as lowering its tenders to transport pier-side paraphernalia to prepare for the arrival of passengers. The tenders turned back before they ever got ashore. The seas were just too rough; the rain was coming down in sheets.

The weather is the culprit for this cancelation as well. Not the weather at present however, as we are having a sunny day today … with calm seas and light winds. Rather, the weather in question this time is ex Cyclone Jasper.

The first named storm of the 2023-2024 Cyclone Season for Australia, Jasper formed on 2 December, became a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone at its peak on 8 December, and finally dissipated on 18 December. Long-lived definitely, it brought disastrous, drenching rain … dropping some 88.5+ inches in places … with sustained winds in the range of 120-140 mph.

Having watched the news coverage of the storm while we were in Sydney, we were pleasantly surprised that we were able to dock in Cairns yesterday. We kept our fingers crossed for Cooktown. But when we found the cancelation letter from GM Dimitris in the cabin upon departure from Townsville on the 26th, we were not surprised.

Last night, Captain Giulio further explained the reasoning for the cancelation. The Australian Government has designated the Far North QLD as a natural disaster area. The military has been activated to help with the clean-up. Communities remain cut off. And contaminated water carries bacteria that can lead to some serious illness. IMHO … all good reasons for us to not venture into the area.

Our thoughts are with all the people affected by the disaster. Hopefully the area will have recovered by the time we drive back up this way on our overland. Perhaps third time will be the charm for Cooktown.En savoir plus