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Australia Circumnavigation
  • Lacey Travels
  • Lacey Travels

Australia Circumnavigation

~ a legendary voyage ~ Read more
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  • Lacey TravelsAustralia CircumnavigationTraveler
    From Deck 3
    From Deck 3

    Sea Day - Indian Ocean

    December 2, 2024, Indian Ocean ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Getting used to these sea days and loving the chilled feel. Today the Christmas decorations have started to go up. They are different to last years.
    Today we had Australian Border Force onboard doing our passport & customs check for re-entry back into Australia. It was a well-oiled machine, thanks to the HAL protocols. Completed well ahead of time.
    This afternoon I attended a crochet class and then we had drinks in the ocean bar listening to trio, Third Avenue West.    Read more

  • Lacey TravelsAustralia CircumnavigationTraveler
    Cable Beach

    Sailing into Broome, WA

    December 3, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 33 °C

    The skies are blue, the water turquoise; it’s hot but no wind. The temp is forecast for 37C. The jetty at the port is so long to make up for the enormous range of tides in this part of northern Australia. The channel is narrow and tricky for the ship to navigate.Read more

  • Lacey TravelsAustralia CircumnavigationTraveler
    Last day of setting up
    From Deck 2From Deck 1

    Christmas Decorations on Westerdam

    December 3, 2024, Indian Ocean ⋅ 🌬 29 °C

    While at sea, they continue working on the Christmas decorations throughout the ship. All the public areas are now decorated. At 8:30, the Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony takes place. By the time we got there, people were standing 4-6 deep on all 3 levels of the atrium. Tonight’s show was Sonz of Soul, R&B from the Motown era.Read more

  • Lacey TravelsAustralia CircumnavigationTraveler
    Convoy of shuttles
    Sea-eagle nestThe tide has already receeded and its nowhere near low tide yet

    Broome, WA

    December 3, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    There are a lot of shuttles going into town but the turn-around is slow. I wait for more than 2 hours to get ashore but I give up at 3:30pm. We need to be back on board by 6:30 and, with the slowness of shuttle turn-around earlier, there would be so little time ashore. By now the heat is intense, so we stay on board. We watch a sea-eagle who has built a nest at the top of a pole on the jetty. As the afternoon draws on, we see how far the tide has already gone out. In the evening, the show was Anne Frances Celebrating the 70’s.Read more

  • Lacey TravelsAustralia CircumnavigationTraveler
    Cape Range

    Exmouth, WA

    December 5, 2024 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 27 °C

    Today was to be Exmouth but the high winds and wave height does not make tendering safe, so we will not be going ashore today. We will instead be heading for sea after we get maritime clearance.
    Announcement over the PA - one tender has transferred a seriously ill passenger to Exmouth hospital.
    The shore is a low-lying peninsular, North West Cape. The Cape Range forms the backbone of this area. It’s a small town and very remote.    Read more

  • Lacey TravelsAustralia CircumnavigationTraveler
    Harold E Holt Communications Base
    Naval jetty12 towers space around a central tower, 350m highTip of NW Cape

    North West Cape

    December 5, 2024, Indian Ocean ⋅ 🌬 27 °C

    As we leave Exmouth Bay, we have a great view of the North West Cape Naval Communications Base. There are 13 radio towers set around a central tower that stands for than 350m tall. All have significant stays to protect from cyclones. This is a joint Australian/US endeavour built in the 60’s and named after Harold Holt, former Prime Minister. There’s a naval jetty almost on the point. The Cape Range forms the backbone of this narrow peninsula. Exmouth is a small low-lying town set amongst the sand dunes.Read more

  • Lacey TravelsAustralia CircumnavigationTraveler

    Modern Day Wrecks from WW2

    December 7, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    HMAS Sydney II and the German, HSK Kormoran went into battle in the Indian Ocean off the WA coast on 19 November 1941. Sydney’s entire crew of 645 was lost and this still remains Australia’s worst naval disaster.
    Of the Kormoran’s 397 crew, 317 were rescued.
    For decades the location of the wrecks was a complete mystery until they were found in 2008.
    At the Museum we watched a 3D film made on the site of the wrecks in the Indian Ocean off Geraldton.    Read more

  • Lacey TravelsAustralia CircumnavigationTraveler
    Batavia's bell
    Sandstone ballast form the Batavia wreck was a complete Roman gatewayBatavia was carrying a fortune in coins and jewels.One of Batavia's cannonsBatavia longboat model

    The Wreck of the Batavia

    December 7, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    The Batavia Story
    On 4 June 1629 the Batavia was shipwrecked on Morning Reef in the Wallabi Group of the Houtman Abrolhos islands. Commander Francisco Pelsaert and select crew set off in the ship’s longboat to seek help and those left endured one of the most horrific mutinies in history.

    The Batavia was the flagship of the Dutch East India Company fleet and left Holland on its maiden voyage 27 October 1628 en route to the East Indies to obtain spices. The ship was under the command of Pelsaert with Adriaan Jacobsz as skipper. Also on board was Jeronimus Cornelisz, who conceived a plan with Jacobsz to take the ship with all its gold, silver and supplies. After Jacobsz deliberately steered the ship off course it was eventually shipwrecked at Morning Reef near Beacon Island.

    Abrolhos Islands
    The survivors, including women and children, were transferred to nearby islands. With no food or water Pelsaert decided to gather a group and head for the mainland. After an unsuccessful search for water they headed north to Batavia (now known as Jakarta). The journey is ranked as one of the greatest feats of navigation in open boats, taking 33 days with all on board surviving.

    Mutiny
    Back on the islands, Cornelisz had been left in charge putting all weapons and food supplies under his control. He then moved the soldiers to West Wallabi Island under the false pretence of searching for water. This left Cornelisz in complete control and the two month mutiny endured. Of the 341 people who left Texel aboard Batavia, around 125 men, women and children were murdered and some cannibalised.    Read more

  • Lacey TravelsAustralia CircumnavigationTraveler
    Carved female figure

    The Zuyptdorp Wreck

    December 7, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    The Dutch East India ship, the Zuyptdorp, was lost without trace in 1712.
    The wreck was found in 1926-27 by families working in the area.

    They found coins dated 1711, bottle fragments, a timber spar, a carved female figure, and 'jugs' — breech blocks from swivel guns.Read more

  • Lacey TravelsAustralia CircumnavigationTraveler
    Every roundabout has a replica lighthouse
    Balayi - Open your eyes memorialHMAS Sydney II memorialPoint Moore lighthouse.

    In Geraldton

    December 7, 2024 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 27 °C

    Mini lighthouse replicas are at each roundabout. A bustling, friendly town with a beautiful foreshore and a proud maritime history. Some beautiful old buildings in the Main Street have been well restored.
    Balayi-Open Your Eyes Memorial commemorating the 400th anniversary of First European Contact 1619-2019.
    HMAS Sydney II memorial overlooks the town.
    Point Moore Lighthouse, built in 1874 was the first all-steel structure of its kind on the Australian mainland.    Read more

  • Lacey TravelsAustralia CircumnavigationTraveler
    Indiana TearoomNippers on Sunday morningLoved this tree along a shady walk

    Cottesloe Beach

    December 8, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    One of Perth’s most iconic beaches, known as “Cott”, this beach is known for its clear water, white sand and shady Norfolk Island Pines. From October to March, an eco-shark barrier protects swimmers. The Indiana Tearoom on the beach was restored in 1983. The beach hosts the start of the Rottnest Channel Swim. It’s a little after 9am and already every car park for kilometres along the beach front is full.Read more

  • Lacey TravelsAustralia CircumnavigationTraveler
    Perth skyline from Kings Park
    Wedding in the parkState War MemorialQueen Elizabeth II gum tree planted 1954A type of banksia I have never seen beforeKangaroo PawGrevilleas and BanksiaCity Skyline

    Kings Park, Perth WA

    December 8, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Kings Park is 400 hectares of grassed parkland, botanical gardens and natural bush on Mt Eliza. It was officially opened in 1895. There are several memorials in this park but the biggest is the State War Memorial. Entering the park, we drive through a long avenue of eucalypts each one with plaques honouring dead servicemen. There’s a wedding happening while we are there.Read more

  • Lacey TravelsAustralia CircumnavigationTraveler
    War Memorial from the riverSailing on a gentle breeze

    Swan River Cruise

    December 8, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Picked up a Swan River cruise back to Fremantle. Unbelievable number of boats on this river. It’s a beautiful sunny day and the sailors are out competing and families picnicking on the river beaches.

  • Lacey TravelsAustralia CircumnavigationTraveler
    Fish caught in the ocean that day were pedalled to the customers by bike.A pearling lugger and diver

    WA Maritime Museum

    December 8, 2024 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 25 °C

    Perched on the edge of the Indian Ocean, the WA Maritime Museum is symbolic of Fremantle’s past, present and future as a coastal city and port. There are significant historic objects and vessels that highlight WA’s sporting, sailing and adventure heritage.Read more

  • Lacey TravelsAustralia CircumnavigationTraveler
    The winged keel!
    America's Cup replica given to the winners

    Australia II

    December 8, 2024 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 25 °C

    The museum is home to the iconic yacht, Australia II, which made history in 1983 when it won the America’s Cup and ended the New York Yacht Club’s 132-year reign.

  • Lacey TravelsAustralia CircumnavigationTraveler
    WA Shipwrecks Museum
    Zuytdorp anchorSeabed examples which show approximate coastal location [see info]

    WA Shipwrecks Museum

    December 8, 2024 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 25 °C

    Is recognised as the foremost maritime archaeology museum in the Southern Hemisphere.
    It is housed in an 1850’s era Commissariat building which has been restored. It houses hundreds of relics from ships wrecked along WA’s treacherous coastline including original timbers from the Batavia (wrecked 1629), the Hartog and de Vlamingh Plates, and artefacts from other Dutch shipwrecks.Read more

  • Lacey TravelsAustralia CircumnavigationTraveler
    Original timbers from the hull
    Interior of the hull, including bricks for ballastDraught markers - how much water was under the hullOther artefactsKedge anchor

    Relics from the Batavia

    December 8, 2024 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 27 °C

    In the 1600s the Dutch-owned, Batavia, was shipwrecked off what eventually became known as Western Australia.
    More than 100 people died in the grounding but the carnage didn’t end there.
    What befell the survivors was sheer horror – anarchy, tyranny, madness, murder and rape, in a reign of terror where people were picked off one-by-one.
    In the end, only about a third of the 340 passengers and crew would live.
    And the waters off Western Australia were cast as the harsh and unforgiving end of the earth.
    The skeleton in the pic was retrieved after a 2014 expedition to Beacon Island. The male was 35-39; 1.8m tall; right foot missing; right shoulder broken; cutting edge wound on the top of the skull.
    The kedge anchor was not discovered until 1971 some distance out to sea from the Batavia wreck. This anchor would have been used in a desperate attempt to winch off a reef.    Read more

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