Australia Circumnavigation

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Australia Circumnavigation Traveler
Iron Range National Park
November 25, 2024 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 28 °C
Travelling north along the coast of Cape York, we get close to shore near the Iron Range NP.

Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) is located 1,940 km northwest of Brisbane and 100 km east of Weipa. Within the National Park is the Iron Range, Scrubby Creek mining site and the Aboriginal Shire of Lockhart River.Read more
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Torres Strait sunrise
November 26, 2024, Torres Strait ⋅ 🌬 27 °C
Up really early for our slow passage navigating the shallow treacherous waters of the Torres Strait.
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Torres Strait Islands
November 26, 2024, Torres Strait ⋅ 🌬 27 °C
Blessed with coral reefs, deserted beaches and pockets of rainforest, the 274 islands of the Torres Strait off the tip of Cape York are a fascinating mix of culture, breathtaking scenery and WWII history. The Torres Strait Islands are virtually untouched, a series of stepping stones reaching from Cape York towards Papua New Guinea.
It’s a region with a rich history, dating back 70,000 years when the first Torres Strait islanders migrated from the Indonesian archipelago. Less than 20 of the islands are inhabited and just a few permit visitors.
During WW2, 5000 troops and airmen were stationed on Horn Island, which was the second most-attacked location in Australia after Darwin.Read more
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Lectures at sea
November 26, 2024, Arafura Sea ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Two lectures today…
1. “There be Dragons” about Komodo’s Island - Karen Woodman. Interesting snippets about the ecology, culture and the Komodo Dragons.
2. “The Aussie who saved JFK - Reg Evans” - Michael Adams. Fascinating unknown backstory about JFK’s rescue from PT109 in the Solomon Islands in WW2.
3. Joel Bowerman, Tasmanian pianist, fabulous instrumental concert, so far the very best there has beenRead more
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Sea day - across the Top End
November 27, 2024, Arafura Sea ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
A true sea day - no sight of any land at all; and only one fishing trawler. Weather is hot and humid and as the day progresses the storm clouds build.
Today’s lectures include a port talk on Darwin; Michael Adams “Titanic with a twist”; and Sonz of Soul concert this evening [Motown]Read more
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Dawn arrival in Darwin
November 28, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C
Wake up at 6am and we are almost into Darwin. Already it’s hot and steamy.
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Australia Circumnavigation Traveler
Thanksgiving Breakfast
November 28, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
It’s Thanksgiving in the US, so we have all things Thanksgiving today, including the Turkey dinner tonight. For breakfast we have a Thanksgiving muffin [pumpkin, ginger & cream cheese]. Followed by Pumpkin Spice French Toast with cranberries and caramelised pecans.Read more
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Australia Circumnavigation Traveler
Smith Street Mall
November 28, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C
Leafy mall with plenty of shade and places to rest. Still some very old buildings here that have weathered multiple cyclones over the years.
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Larrakia Cultural Centre
November 28, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C
The Larrakia people are the Traditional Owners of the lands and waters in and surrounding Darwin, including Darwin Harbour. The Larrakia are ‘saltwater people’ and consist of nine family groups, with over 2,600 people living in and around Darwin. We chat with Mark, mostly about football. His role is to ‘network’ the Larrakia culture in the wider community. They are in the process of moving to new premises, so their displays are limited at the moment.Read more
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Street art in Darwin
November 28, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C
Vibrant street art in the lane behind Star Village Mall.
The Star Picture Theatre was built in 1929 & was once the “social hub of the Territory”. This open air picture theatre survived the bombings of WW2 and entertained people up til Xmas Eve 1974. It was severely damaged during Cyclone Tracy.
The original Tin Star at the front of the theatre was toppled by 200mph winds; a steel bracket supporting the star was bent in one direction by the force of the wind during Cyclone Tracy. Now it is the site of Star Village, a collection of shops and eateries. Historical memorabilia is displayed throughout.Read more
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State Square
November 28, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C
A quiet, shady tranquil spot in the centre of Darwin, linking the government buildings to the CBD.
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NT Library and Archives
November 28, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C
The Parliament building is very impressive, overlooking Darwin Harbour in a leafy park.
The Parliamentary Library and the NT archives are held here.
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NT Archives - a wall of headlines
November 28, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C
Impressive historical timeline created by archived Page 1’s from a variety of publications.
The final storyboard tells the extent of devastation caused by Cyclone Tracy on Christmas Day 1974.
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NT Parliament - “The People’s House”
November 28, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C
Parliament was sitting today, so we went into the Visitor’s Gallery - no pics here! A motion was before the Legislative Assembly to recognise the 50th anniversary of Cyclone Tracy. Members spoke passionately about the effects this disaster had had on people at the time and the lasting memory it has left on the Territory. Very heartening to hear such kind, orderly, passionate presentations.
The Main Hall has a lot of historical artefacts including a tattered Australian flag which was found after the bombing of Darwin.
The state’s emblem, Sturt’s Desert Rose, is created in marble inside the front entrance.Read more
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And then came the rain!
November 28, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C
It had been building up all morning and then it just dumped down in 15 minutes.
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Slawi Bay, Komodo
November 30, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
Komodo Island is totally unlike what I would have expected to see in the tropics - the islands are largely bare, very rugged and steep. There are pockets of forest in the few valleys we can see, Transportation is obviously by boat, the terrain does not facilitate roads. As we sail in at breaking day, porpoises ride the bow wave of our ship. The forecast is overcast with rain.Read more
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Boat traffic on Komodo
November 30, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C
Only organised shore excursions are allowed onshore, we have opted to stay onboard because the walking is difficult. There is no guarantee of sighting Komodo’s Dragons in the wild and the tickets are very expensive.
Afterword: So glad we did not go ashore.....15+ people suffered heat stroke and had to be stretchered back to the boat; long waits with no shade; steps to/from tender had no handrail.Read more
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The moods of Slawi Bay
November 30, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C
The light changes throughout the day - from overcast and dark, to bright sunshine as the day progresses and the heat and humidity increase.
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Komodo Dragons
November 30, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C
Komodo Dragons are the world’s largest lizards. They have a venomous bite and prehistoric appearance and can only be safely observed on a naturalist-led tour. Guides carry sticks in case they get close. On any such tour there is no guarantee you will see them as they roam freely in the UNESCO World Heritage site.Read more
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Sailaway from Komodo
November 30, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
Sail away was delayed considerably by young men/boys in boats begging for money/food. They were so close to the ship that the captain did not dare start the engines…we had to wait it out - delayed by almost 2 hours.
Once again the dolphins danced among the bow waves.Read more
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Sand Artist
November 30, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
An unusual concert tonight - Māori sand artist Mark Wilson created his pictures from sand and “paint sticks” set to a sound track of modern music. He used a light box and projections to screen.
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Benoa, Bali
December 1, 2024, Bali Sea ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C
Sailing into Benoa, port for Denpasar, capital of Bali. As expected it is flat near the coast and raining this morning. Clouds are blocking the view of the mountains. The waterfront areas we can see appearance to be geared towards boating and tourism and the bars/restaurants are full of people by 8am.Read more
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From the ship in Benoa
December 1, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ 🌧 27 °C
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The mountains finally revealed
December 1, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
The weather remains overcast and very humid with a little rain in the morning. The bay traffic is continuous. The volcanoes on Bali, peak out thru the clouds but it’s not until later in the afternoon that they are mostly revealed.Read more
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Leaving Bali
December 1, 2024 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
As we leave Bali, no sunset and the night comes quickly. The outline of the volcanoes is the best it has been all day and Bali’s nightlife is just beginning. We watch the second of Joel Bowerman’s concerts. He played Happy Birthday in a variety of styles [Beethoven, Liszt, Chopin, and Mozart while lying on the piano stool with his head under the keyboard]. Spectacular Elton John medley and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue were some of the highlights, finished off with the Black & White Rag.Read more
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