Airlie Beach to Broome 16th July to September 18th 2004The last installment forwarded to you many months ago finished…… The voice on the other end of the phone sounded tired. “Provided that you do not diverge from a direct path to Townsville and thereafter to Cairns and further that you do not stop or delay to indulge in such pursuits as swimming, snorkeling, fishing or sight seeing you will not require a permit at all.” I replied that there was no way that I could agree to those conditions. Another silence followed. I didn't know it at the time but this was to be the beginning of a saga that was to become a feature of our voyage through Queensland. We had put up posters in Airlie Beach advertising for paying passengers. This immediately drew the attention of various other commercial operators. They rang The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) to ask who we were and what we were doing there. They could have just come over and asked us in person. But, in a gesture which was to be repeated often in other locations up the coast, they preferred to hand us directly to the authorities, without so much as a hello. Perhaps the fact that each of these operators has had to negotiate a virtual minefield of bureaucratic red tape, in order to win the right to run a commercial vessel on the GBR might have something to do with it. Once an official complaint has been logged however they are obliged to do something about it. Suffice to say for the moment that a process had been set in motion and that we were now being observed with some interest. Our operation is unusual in that we are not based in one place. If all parts of the Australian coast were as regulated as Queensland’s GBRMP it would become a full time job managing the permits and applications necessary to complete a circumnavigation of Australia. Given the increasingly bureaucratic nature of Australian society I believe this is inevitable. And so the young boy’s dream of sailing away to a life of adventure on the high seas becomes the grown man’s never ending task of providing the various bureaucracies with information. This includes permit applications, fees, phone calls, meetings and of course the research time necessary to ensure that all regulations, requirements and obligations are being met with regard to both federal and state legislation in seven states and territories and with an even greater number of NGO’s who monitor and manage the resulting policies. We of course support the regulation and management of such treasures as the Great Barrier Reef and must learn to anticipate the needs of the organizations that manage those policies. In Airlie Beach everything is aimed at the tourist (and in particular the back packer) dollar. It is hard to penetrate beyond this perception and discover the real Airlie beneath. The facade is so in your face with countless twenty something backpackers cramming bars, restaurants, tourist shops and of course the many options of boat trips available out of the town. The trade is brisk and competitive. Boat operators are working on incredibly small margins and are forced to form alliances with travel agents who market the trips aggressively but take a large cut of the price. Airlie beach could in fact be any tourist town anywhere in the world dominated as it is by its self-promotion as the good time capital of Central Queensland. As it turned out the only people who responded to our posters were the authorities. We departed Airlie with a group of friends onboard having been unsuccessful in procuring any new passengers. Unknown to us however people were watching. We spent a very pleasant couple of days in the Whitsunday's before heading off to Townsville. They are a magic group of islands. In particular the outer islands posses a remarkable combination of native pine forests, white sand beaches and fringing coral all set in the idyllic waters of Queensland's Great Barrier Reef. On July 18 we arrive in Townsville after a pleasant sail from Border Island in the Whitsunday's. We have arranged a series of meetings with organizations such as Australian Institute of Marine Science, James Cook University, and a local film production company specialising in marine projects and others . We showcase the vessel to them as a potential platform for future projects. There is quite a degree of interest which will hopefully develop into projects in the future. We are also visited by several officers from Queensland Parks and
Wildlife service who seem very interested in our vessel and our operations.
They ask lots of questions and then return an hour later with a tape
recorder and a written formal warning that they issue to us with no
small degree of ceremony. I decide that this may be a good time to take the vessel out of survey and thank my lucky stars that all the people aboard Pelican are friends. It seemed ridiculous to be ringing Marine Safety Victoria asking them to take Pelican out of survey when I have just spent the last six years hassling them to grant it to me. The officer who takes my call says as much. I reassure him that we will be returning to survey as soon as we exit the GBRMP. That evening we share a roast dinner on deck prepared by myself in a token gesture of solidarity with Holly whose meals have become legendary. Everyone else on board helps to lighten her load throughout the trip and we are spoiled by a constant flow of fabulous food. On board for this leg are Tim and Santha, Damon and Emma, Ruth, Sandy, Holly and myself. The next stop is Hinchinbrook Island where we have decided to make a circumnavigation taking in both Zoe Bay as well as Hinchinbrook passage on the inland side. Hinchinbrook is one of my favourite places except for the sand flies. On route we sail through the Palm Islands and I remember our visit on Redbill to the main settlement on Great Palm Island in 1999 where we talked with people about working with the community. I am still keen to follow this up but for the moment it will have to wait as our schedule precludes it. Our first sighting of Hinchinbrook is from the southern end of the palm group. Mt Bowen rises 1142 metres straight out of the sea and towers over the Palm Islands like a big sister. As we approach our first land fall at Zoe bay the distinctive shape of the rock off Hillcock point is visible for many miles and I feel the excitement of returning to a much loved place. Fortunately nothing much has changed. This is one of the most stunning places on the coast and yet we have the bay to ourselves. This is partly due to a poor anchorage with little or no shelter from the southeast trade winds. There are a number of bush walkers camped on the beach but who could begrudge sharing such a place with people who have taken the trouble to walk there. The tides are heading towards neaps which precludes us being able to enter the inlet at North Zoe Creek so we anchor close in to South Zoe Creek getting what little shelter we can from the headland. The next few days are spent walking, fishing, collecting coconuts, swimming in the water holes and falls of South Zoe Creek and feasting at night. There are eight of us aboard Pelican which is on the luxurious side of comfortable. The inlet yields some nice fingermark bream and mangrove jacks but I curse not remembering to bring the crab traps. The night of July 21 is rough at anchor and we awake to the sounds of surf only metres from the boat. On the previous day Qld parks and Wildlife service arrived and set fire to the island. The policy of burning off appears to be a national one whether it is appropriate for the prevailing conditions and landscape or not. The sky is filled with smoke which makes for some stunning photos but we are left pondering the wisdom of unattended burn-off operations being conducted in rainforest areas while people are still walking the islands trails. Unable to withstand the rough conditions and the choking smoke we decide to head south and make our way through Hinchinbrook Passage. We arrive at Deluge inlet about midday on July 22. Smoke and ash is still falling from the sky from the burn-off at Zoe Bay. Otherwise this is a stunning mangrove inlet where we stay for several days to explore, fish, relax and careen Pelican for a quick scrub. While there we observe crocodiles, Irrawaddy dolphins and variety of birds and fish. Due to an anchor dragging in the soft sand bottom of the inlet we are almost neaped (stranded for many days) by the tide but manage to get off by the narrowest of margins before the tide retreats for the next week or so. Heading north Hinchinbrook Passage lives up to its reputation as the finest sheltered waterway on the Queensland coast. We are disappointed not to have any dugong sightings. Next we head to Cardwell to restock our water supplies and have a look at the new marina. It was carved out of the mangroves at Oyster point amid some controversy in the late nineties. Interestingly it appears to be less than half full despite virtually all of the local boat traffic migrating to it, and to the nearby ramp/store, for refuelling, launching, and mooring. The marina itself is a bit of an eyesore with large inappropriate houses built right on the waters edge among imported palms in the so called reclaimed areas. For the moment at least however most of Cardwell appears to be holding on to its identity as a sleepy backwater. May that last as long as possible. By that evening (July 25) we are anchored just inside Cape Richards in Missionary Bay near the resort at the northern end of Hinchinbrook .We go ashore for a walk where we encounter a large group camping as part of a school sail training expedition. We are informed that another large contingent is due the next day on a tall ship to swap crews (sailors for campers). We decide to leave the area to them and relocate next morning as far up the mangroves at the head of Missionary Bay as we could get. From there we explore the extensive mangroves on boardwalks provided by Qld Parks and Wildlife Service and hike through to the beach on the eastern side of the island for a swim. We depart that night for Cairns with the intention of spending some time on the reef en route. I have discovered a fault with the dead eyes which are part of the main cap shrouds in the rig (main stays). As a result I decide to motor the rest of the way to Cairns until repairs can be affected. We are passing through some of the most stunning parts of the GBR but sadly no time is left on this occasion to explore many of the wonders we are passing in the night. On our last morning we attempt to visit various reefs off Cairns. Unfortunately the sun being very low at that time of the morning does not allow newcomers such as ourselves to make our way safely between the reefs and bommies without adequate vision or local knowledge. Our charts of the area do not seem to correspond accurately to the readings we are getting from GPS and sounder, so deciding that discretion is the wiser course, we head inshore for Fitzroy Island. This to my surprise is a pleasant enough place with good anchorages in a SE trade though slightly on the crowded side. Large maori wrasse are spotted cruising up and down the fringing reef. All in all a nice place to snorkel and finish the process of cleaning Pelican’s hull in the places I failed to reach earlier at Hinchinbrook. We arrive as scheduled in Cairns at Marlin Marina on the afternoon of July 26. Although the marina is expensive we have been given a discount and all facilities are laid on, very comfortable. Being tied up a short walk from the centre of town gives us the opportunity to sample what Cairns has to offer, food, music, films and shopping. I busy myself with a range of repairs and small upgrades to the vessel which will take me most of the week. In particular the Cap shrouds need repair. It is also an ideal time to commission the desalinator as the manufacturer is located in Cairns. The rest of the crew help out or concentrate on sightseeing. One day Holly comes back from town and says she thinks she is being followed. When she spots the same fellow the next day watching the boat we are almost sure. She confronts the guy who she originally noticed in a Latin dance class that she was attending. He is cagey and says he is working for military intelligence and that like us he is heading to Thursday Island. He keeps popping up everywhere she goes and eventually asks her out. I make a point of photographing them together. All the while he is asking her questions. Holly responds with typical enthusiasm and it becomes a battle of wills to see who can find out the most about the other whilst giving the least away. Around the time that this is unfolding I look up from my work one morning and notice six rather serious types striding purposefully down the wharf. I remember thinking they are headed this way and sure enough they walk up and I ask them to come aboard, figuring to get in first. They introduce themselves and flash cards and ID's in my face as they climb over the safety lines. I from Dept of Transport who manage vessel survey and operations in Qld, 2 from Qld Police, two from Qld Parks and Wildlife Service, and one from the GBRMPA. I hope I’ve got that right. I marvel at what organisational complexity must be involved to get representatives from all these organizations involved in the same operation. One of them asks for my commercial vessel papers and log book. I move to comply but mention that as a private vessel I am not bound to either carry or show such documentation. This appears to slow all of them down a little. I point to the numbers displayed on the side of the boat and repeat that Pelican is registered as a private vessel and that we are not carrying commercial passengers and that all people aboard are friends. I hand over the private registration documents. He asks for the vessel log book which I hand to him and he begins to photograph pages dealing with Queensland passages. The police start questioning me about safety gear and as I take them around the boat ticking off the various items other members of the boarding party take various friends aside and question them as to their status and how long they have known me. At the end of it all they shake my hand and tell me that they are satisfied that we do not appear to be in breech of regulations as though it is simply a routine check. But routine checks do not usually involve representatives from four govt. agencies synchronising visits to vessels. I can’t help wondering if there is a link with the surveillance operation that also appears to be focusing on us. As we leave Cairns several days later we cant help noticing a gentleman standing on a nearby wharf clearly watching everything we are doing, and classically, speaking at length into his sleeve. Wonders will never cease. Thank God some one is looking after national security. You never know what lunatics are lurking around our coastline posing as environmentalists and social project volunteers. Before our departure most of the previous crew have left. Sandy, Holly and myself are now joined by Ed, a friend of Holly’s and Nic one of the Pelican construction team and his Mum Julien. Once again we are unable to take on paying passengers which is crippling us financially. We depart for Cooktown via Hope Island On Aug 3 at 1545. Aug 4 07.10 Hope Island (east) Again we arrive too early to be able to make a visual approach through the bommies and reefs but this time we have the benefit of a bearing to follow. Following our bearing from the channel between the two islands we feel our way gently in to the anchorage without incident in time for a nice breakfast on deck. We spend the day swimming, diving, fishing and lazing on the sand. Hope island is a beautiful sand cay. Balls of bait fish are congregating in the shallows on the south side and a couple of throws of the bait net yields more than we can possibly use so I prepare the rest in the fried whitebait style for lunch. In fact they appear to be small mullet and need to be scaled which is a rather laborious job but they are delicious never the less. Aug 5. 06.10 We depart early for an appointment in Cooktown with the some people from Hope Vale community. We have agreed to take them sailing. Some background information might be useful here….In 1999 our TV series, “If It Doesn't’t Kill You”, went to air. In response we received a number of letters. One of them was from a young aboriginal woman from Hope Vale community. Dear Peter (Malcolm) The reason I am writing for is to ask for your assistance and support in my idea and would really appreciate your help. I saw your advertisement on the television and thought this would be ideal because the sea is the only escape/time out apart from other sources such as rainforest, bush, mountains etc from society. Queries:- I believe it'll be an adventure of a lifetime for these youth that'll change their lives as well. About 6-7 years ago my Uncle shot himself caused by peer pressure,
drugs, alcohol, depression, loneliness then suicide. He drove past
me on the night he did it looking for help and I totally ignored him.
He was a role model before the incident for every young person including
myself. Today we buried my 15 year old niece. She hung herself with a cord. Again the same problems as the others. My fear is if nothing is done now a lot of teenagers are going to head in the same direction having thoughts of suicide seeing it as an easy way out. I wasn't there for any of the deceased but I'm sure that I want to be here for the rest. Please I'm desperate for help and as much support from yourself and others. Yours Faithfully Peter contacted Coraleen by phone. He promised that we would come up and do a project with young people from her community as soon as we had finished building our new vessel. Redbill had been sold that year and we estimated it would take us about three years to complete Pelican. In the end it took us nearly six. After the launch of Pelican and completion of sea trials we started planning what we would do for the coming year. Soon after we had decided to circumnavigate Australia, Peter phoned Coraleen’s number again and asked to speak to her. A voice asked who is calling. Peter explained who he was and the reason for the call. There was a pause on the other end of the line. “You’re too late. Coraleen killed herself three weeks ago”. We were all shocked and saddened by the tragic news. In subsequent phone calls however we promised to drop in and at the very least take people for a sail. We would also try to secure funding for a more ambitious project. 10.00 Aug 5 We arrive in Cooktown and pick up about 30 people for the first of two three hour sails. Most of Coraleen’s family is there, her mum and dad (Estelle and Des), her sisters, her kids, cousins and a whole lot of other people from Hope Vale. They love the sailing and it gives us a chance to get to know people better. By the end of the second sail we are all getting on really well and everyone is having a great time. You can see it is a special day for all of us. Estelle said she could feel Coraleen there. Coraleen’s dream was that time on the sea would help diffuse the epidemic of depression and suicide and we all felt like we had taken a big step towards making that a reality. Hope Vale has a long tradition of involvement with the sea and sailing. I am proudly shown a picture of an old lugger which was built and operated entirely by people from Hope Vale. “One of the best vessels on the coast” for many years. That night all the Pelican crew were invited back to Hope Vale community where we were guests of honour at a special BBQ in memory of Coraleen and her brother Mark who also recently took his own life. There was dancing, music and lots of speeches by community members as well as an amazing array of traditional foods including Dugong, Turtle, fresh water muscles, yams and much more. Holly and Sandy suggested we should invite a couple of people from the community to travel north with us. I put it to Estelle and Des and the next day they rang to say that jazzmin (Coraleen’s son) and Gresham two young men would love to join us for the trip to Thursday island. Aug 8 10.05 We depart Cooktown with the two young men on board and head for Lizard Island. Pretty soon Gresham hauls in a large spanish mackerel which will feed the whole crew for a couple of days. We arrive at Lizard about 1600 and anchor in the lagoon on the southern side of the Island. The boys have been teaching us words in their language and are delighted to discover signs all over the island naming natural features and resources in their language (with translation). The next day most of the crew take a walk up to the other end of the island where there is a very up market resort. One of the most memorable images of the whole trip is of jazzmin and Gresham lounging in the shallows on banana lounges provided by the resort making themselves right at home. Lizard Island is part of their traditional country but this is the first time the young men have been here. Day three we get a guided tour of the research facility on the island which monitors the reef and all its varied life forms. The research here is currently done either in tanks within the facility where specimens can be observed at leisure or out of small boats on the adjacent reef areas. No real role for Pelican or vessel based research at this stage but fascinating to learn a little about the history and the work being done. I manage to get in a couple of dives in the lagoon where the coral is incredibly varied and colourful and seems to be in remarkably good shape. Aug 9 12.10 Weighed anchor and threaded our way by sight through the coral beds and bommies of Lizard Island lagoon back to open water. Set course in perfect sailing conditions for Barrow Point on the mainland. Over the next few days we stopped at Ninian Bay, and Bathurst Bay (Cape Melville) where the boys went ashore to get some oysters. When they returned empty handed I asked if they had scored any. They looked slightly guilty as they told me they had eaten them straight away because they had nothing to put them in. I made a mental note to provide them with a bag next time. Aug 11 05.50 Depart Bathurst Bay for Horn Island far to the north which serves as the airport for Thursday Island and all the Torres Strait Islands. We are now on a schedule and need to deliver Nick, Julien, jazzmin and Gresham to catch flights on the 13th. We get off to a slow start but the winds gradually build until we have a steady 25 to 30 knots on the quarter and are cruising at around 12 knots making very good time indeed. We are passing some extraordinary coastline, rivers, capes, amazing country, but it will have to wait until next time around. Perhaps next year when a project in conjunction with Hope Vale, but also networking other Aboriginal communities seems very possible. Aug 12 18.20 We arrive at Horn island having covered some 550 nautical miles since departing Cairns nine days before. Next morning we go ashore and are surprised to find a car waiting patiently to pick up the boys. They have family here and as so often happens in Aboriginal time people are expecting us. jazzmin and Grisham are in good hands and will be looked after until their flight that afternoon. I speak to Estelle by phone and we agree to be in contact regarding projects for next year. Despite the obvious problems at Hope Vale I have been impressed with the community and their motivation to find creative solutions to the problems they are facing. All the Pelican crew feel a strong affinity with them and we say goodbye to them and to Nick and Julien with a touch of sadness. Aug 13 15.56 Depart Horn Island. We exit Torres strait on a course that takes us between Friday and Goods Islands and set a course for Gugari Rip or Hole In The Wall nearly four hundred miles WSW. Crossing the Gerard Bank which is a large area of shallows extending from Friday Island we observe 3 Dugong within about 45 minutes who appear to be feeding on sea grass beds. The winds are light and remain so all the way to Darwin rarely exceeding 10 knots. This is Pelicans longest open water passage to date and with light winds on the port quarter and with little to do as far as course or sail changes are concerned we fall into a routine of watches, relaxation, reading, sleeping and occasionally checking the trawl lines out the back. I begin to understand the appeal of crossing oceans, nothing but 360 degrees of uninterrupted horizon. We are outside the normal shipping channels and so we hardly see another vessel for days at a time. Life aboard Pelican takes on a relaxed holiday kind of feel. With only Holly, Sandy, Ed and myself aboard it is easy to find space to ourselves. The nights are clear and full of stars. All seems right with the world. We catch two tuna, which after consulting the ID book we conclude is big eye said to be one of the very best sashimi fish. I was disappointed with the sashimi having had my expectations raised so high but over the next day or two it was delicious either grilled or in a curry. We also caught several more Mackerall so our fish supplies were looking very strong. Aug 17 06.00 We pass through Cumberland strait after changing course to the north. Our timing was wrong for us to pass through Gugari Rip with the tide and it would be foolish to do it otherwise. Continuing on we arrive at Port Essington on Aug 18 at around midday. Victoria Settlement is a fascinating example of a failed port in the remote far north. To this day there appears to be no road to the ruins, which mark an early attempt to create a city of the north. People were eventually driven out of the area by hardship and illness. The ruins provide a fascinating insight into their lives. Aug 19 11.25 Depart Victoria settlement for Darwin. Apart from some strong tidal currents near Melville Island the passage was uneventful. After looking at various options we dropped anchor in Darwin just off Stokes Hill Wharf. This is a short dingy ride to a pontoon hinging off the main wharf, which offers access at any stage of the tide and reasonable security for no cost. Darwin is another boat friendly place and the centre of town is only a short walk from the main wharf. Sandy Holly and Ed were all due to get off and I sadly waved them goodbye as I settled in for a couple of weeks of maintenance, catching up on the books, and correspondence etc,. Luckily I have several friends in Darwin and was able to enjoy the city in their company. For the first time there are no modification or repair jobs to do after a longish passage. Pelican is settling into a groove now that we have ironed out most of the teething problems. But the next leg will be the most challenging so far, fourteen people for 14 days in one of the most remote and difficult stretches of the Australian Coast, the Kimberley. Sept 4 13.00 We depart Darwin amid a tangle of streamers courtesy of my friend Marina who has turned out to say goodbye. We head out of Darwin and set a course for the Berkly River 225 nautical miles SW across the Cambridge Gulf. I had flown down the Berkly with my dad nearly twenty years before in his two seater, cloth covered, aerobatic plane. The sheer walls of the river gorge had always stuck in my mind. I was keen to see it from the deck of a boat and had been unsure if it was accessible beyond the large expanse of sandbars at its mouth. I had found a contact in Darwin, Bruce, who knew the area well. He spends six months of every year in the area. He simply loads up a 12 ft tinny with potatoes, rice and seeds and sets off from Wyndham. With just his dog for company he sets up camp and lives off the land and what he can grow. Amazingly Bruce spends the other six months of the year earning a living as a professional pool player. Anyway he assured me that the river is accessible right up to some rapids nearly twenty miles upstream. We needed to cross the Berkly bar entrance at high tide and the best time was going to Monday morning. So on Saturday afternoon, in light winds, we set off across the Cambridge Gulf at a leisurely pace. It was a good introduction to shipboard life for our guests as they eased themselves into a daily routine. On board were myself, Savaad as first mate, Andy as cook. Andy had arrived on the morning of departure as a deckhand but due to our chef dropping out at the last minute was promoted, or shifted sideways, to cook. Damien one of the shareholders rounded out the crew as deckhand. Also aboard were Anne, Doug, John, Gary, Pam, Helen, Jenifer Charles, Bereneece and Deb. Deb Thiele had booked herself on at the last minute in order to do a reccy of the Kimberly. She is a marine biologist specialising in whales and dolphins and hopes to establish a study of Irrawaddy dolphins, which are thought to inhabit the area although no confirmed sightings have been logged at this stage. For her this is a working holiday but her presence and her knowledge are very welcome aboard Pelican. She sets herself up in the wheelhouse at my invitation with a logging computer program and GPS which will help us to detail all sightings and observations that we make throughout the voyage. On Sunday night, north of Wyndham, after barely seeing another vessel we found ourselves becalmed amongst a fleet of prawn trawlers all working in the same area. Manoeuvring as if in a surreal game of slow motion chicken, we managed to stay clear of them. They steamed up and down with lights and engines blaring in the mirror calm conditions. Once clear they would turn as if coming back for another crack at us, Sept 6 09.15 Arrive Berkly river entrance. The charts are quite non-specific about whether or not there is a channel amongst the sand bars here. This is a common problem in the Kimberley with the word UNSURVEYED written boldly over some sections of the chart, other sections are inaccurate or out of position. It was impossible to see into the muddy water at the mouth, to gauge depth, so we slowly felt our way in. After a few back ups, detours, and second tries, we found ourselves once again in deeper, clearer water in the river proper. By midday we had made our way to the head of Casuarina Creek. We managed to squeeze Pelican all the way up to the end where we were greeted by an amazing amphitheatre of sheer rock walls surrounding a circular lagoon with a small island in the middle of it. At the far end a waterfall fell down the 20 metre rock face with just enough ledge to stand on for a delicious shower under the falls, clear of the crocodiles. We moored Pelican just metres from the falls and settled in for a day in one of the most remarkable places I have ever had the fortune to see. Access to the top of the falls was awkward so we placed a rope to help some of the guests who were game enough to try the climb. Those of us who did were greeted by a series of crystal clear pools complete with fish, and lotus lilies. Lounging in the cool water of the pools and looking up, I could see that in the wet season, this whole valley could become a torrent, metres deep and hundreds of metres wide. The sound of rushing water would be deafening. I let the water close over my head and drank deeply from the still pool and felt truly blessed. Later that evening on a short fishing foray with Anne along the lower reaches of Casuarina Creek we saw our first croc. Less than a metre long he seemed unconcerned by our presence as we passed about twenty metres away. Sept 9 05.30 Depart Casuarina Creek for the head of the Berkly river. As we made our way upstream the vertical rock walls rose higher and higher as much as 50 or 60 metres sheer out of the water on both sides of the river. Waterfalls, dry for the moment, etched the cliffs in numerous places. The water was deep, over 30 metres in some places and as the river turned and twisted the walls followed suit. Everyone was quiet, taking it all in. Ospreys are a common sight here and are often observed carrying fish to ledges where they can be devoured with a view. There were several sightings of turtle in the river and numerous powerful swirls and splashes. These although unidentified, fed the imagination. The walls gradually became closer and finally lower and eventually we found ourselves at the base of some rapids able to proceed no further. We moored Pelican between the two sides of the river just downstream and immediately in front of Mt Casuarina, a distinctive flat-topped mountain. Wow what a place! Most of the crew spent the afternoon walking and swimming in the waterhole's they encountered. On one short foray that I took I encountered several of them lounging in a shallow pool which they shared with a single lotus lily. Their coloured parasols, very practical protection against the sun, lent the scene a slightly comical air. I felt like I should be offering them exotic drinks from a silver tray. Sept 8 04.55 Depart early to make Berkly River bar at high tide. After obtaining advice from another vessel regarding the best course we exit with almost a metre of water under the keel and set a course for King George River. Deb has found an able observer and assistant for the research in Damien. The two of them tirelessly scan the horizon making notes about all forms of life that we encounter. The logging system automatically references these sightings to position, time, course, visibility, weather and whatever other factors that are entered into the system. I am disappointed not to have sighted any Irrawaddy dolphins but Deb is philosophical suggesting that so far we have explored only river and open water habitat. The Kimberley has much more variety to show us yet as we move along the coast. Sailing conditions are perfect and after rounding cape Rulhieres we anchor in Koolama Bay at 14.35 to wait for the tide to allow us into the King George River. With Savaad and Bereneece I take the rigid inflatable, which Deb has christened “Seahorse”, to scout the best route across the bar whilst it is still light. At low water when I can easily see where the bars and channels are, I enter a series of waypoints for the passage on a portable GPS unit. Later I transfer them to the ships chart plotter. We will need to cross the bar without the benefit of vision. There is no moon this evening and high tide is around midnight. Everything goes smoothly, and we motor across the bar in complete darkness and anchor a short distance up the river without incident. Sept 9 14.05 We anchor about 500 metres downstream from the falls after spending most of the day exploring the length of the river. I drop the crew ashore to explore above the famous twin falls. At this time there is barely more than a trickle of water coming over them but in full flood this river would be an awesome sight. The depth of the water at the base of the falls is 65 metres. We spend that night at anchor and have the falls to ourselves. There appears to be no shortage of fish but we are having trouble catching them. Our attempts for the last few days have yielded no rewards. Next day we return to the river mouth and spend the day walking, fishing, and crabbing still with no results. Sept 11 04.45 We cross the King George bar once again about an hour after high water and set a course for Cape Londonderry. This area appears to be a border between two tidal zones. To the east we have been experiencing semi-diurnal (one tide per day) To the west the tides return to diurnal (two tides per day) mode. This area also appears to experience less tidal variation than the coast in either direction. In the Kimberley tides dictate the rhythms of your day and the timing of your movements. From Cape Londonderry the tidal variation increases as you get closer to Broome peaking around King Sound with spring tides there well in excess of 10 metres. To put this in perspective from a Melbourne residents point of view tides of this magnitude in Port Phillip would leave only about 5% of the bay, wet at low tide. Around 10.30 Damien and Deb’s persistence (they have been on station at all times when Pelican is underway in daylight, including river passages) is rewarded with a sighting of Irrawaddy dolphins. These are the first officially confirmed sightings of Irrawaddy’s in the Kimberley and vindicate Deb’s theory that they are here. Their habitat is under serious threat throughout SE Asia and Deb hopes to conduct a project next year, using Pelican to study them more closely in the Kimberly region. We are also making numerous Humpback whale sightings throughout this region. When we traversed this coast aboard Redbill in 1999 we made only a handful of sightings of Humpbacks. Their numbers appear to have increased dramatically. On the western side of Cape Londonderry we also positively identified a single Blue Whale. The frequency of sightings is causing much excitement on deck as everyone aboard Pelican feels blessed by the encounters. The calm conditions are less than ideal for sailing but perfect for making observations. We anchor that evening on the western side of Sir Graham Moore Island. Sept 12 We are again rewarded next morning by a group of Irrawaddy’s feeding near the stern of the vessel. That day we make for Jar Island at the southern end of Vansitart Bay. We anchor at the mouth of a small bay on the western side of Jar Island and go ashore to see if we can find the Aboriginal paintings said to be there. We find them surprisingly quickly under a series of ledges little more than a hundred metres from the beach. They are beautiful works, very fine and expressive depicting people, animals, artifacts. I marvel that people living off the land in such a harsh wilderness had the time and the inclination to perform the works I am looking at. Having scouted the beach during the day and observed that it is free of rocks and mud I decide to beach Pelican that night on the high tide. Savaad wakes me at around 23.00 and we go ashore in seahorse to place a light on the beach to guide us in. The new moon has not yet risen and again we must perform the careening in the dark. Next morning at first light Pelican is almost high and dry and all hands chip in to scrub the weed and slime from her hulls. With so many hands on the job Pelican is quickly restored to her pristine condition. By 09.45 she is floating once again and we depart for the western entrance of Vansitart Bay. Sept 13 12.00 The wind has risen to nearly 30 knots and with a single reef in both main and mizzen we are making good time rounding Cape Bougainville. I notice a mackerel boat working its way up wind on a course opposite our own. I wonder if this might be Sandy’s friends Ian and Pam aboard Rachael. Sandy had suggested I meet them as they have been working the Kimberley for decades and would be a great source of information for newcomers such as ourselves. I had spoken to them via satellite phone from Darwin and we had arranged radio scheds but had failed to make contact. I call fishing vessel Rachael on VHF 16. As it turned out the boat I was looking at was called Olivia and they called me back to say that they were due to rendezvous with Rachael in about 10 minutes. I looked where they were headed and sure enough I could just make out another vessel anchored in sheltered water behind Hat Point. We dropped sail and turned back up wind to follow Olivia in to the anchorage. Pam and Ian were incredibly welcoming. Savaad and I tentatively went across in the zodiac to say hello but they insisted that we should bring everyone over for a visit and a cup of tea. Rachael was unlike any fishing vessel I had seen. More like a home than a workspace. I had the impression that they fished in order to be able to live in the Kimberley rather than lived in the Kimberley in order to fish as would be the case with most people. Rachael was decked out with polished timber furniture carved from local hardwoods, artworks and a hundred little touches that lent character and comfort. Out back above the stern was an amazing garden with palms, flowers, exotic ferns, succulents and I think a small herb garden. Both Pam and Ian were generous with their knowledge. They gave us a list of their favourite places with directions and tips. When we mentioned we had not had much luck fishing they produced several large fillets of mackerel from their fridge, enough to feed all our guests for several meals. Ian generously stated that he had never caught a fish between here and Darwin in 20 years and that all the good fishing lay ahead of us to the west. He listed off several locations that were an easy bet and even suggested some techniques. I figure a person with 10 tons of mackerel fillets in the freezer knows a thing or two about catching them. We all had a fabulous two or three hours aboard Rachael. They related their experiences with cyclone Rosita, the one that took Redbill away in 1999. They were there with Rachael in Broome up the Dampier creek hanging on for dear life. With a good combination of luck and skill they survived the experience without major damage in a cyclone that claimed many other vessels. Interestingly Ian built Rachael on the Maribyrnong River about 3 miles from shed 19 where Pelican started life. We departed with promises to meet again, feeling much richer for the experience. We moved further down Parry Harbour to anchor for the night. Sept 14 0600 We weigh anchor head out of Parry Harbour across the mouth of Admiralty Gulf. Here we encountered a taste of what the Kimberley can turn on for the unwary. We had been sailing well all morning still reefed and making 11 or 12 knots. The ebb tide was strengthening adding 3 or 4 knots to our speed over the ground. Between Gibson point and long reef is a narrow passage that does not allow much room to move. The wind rose steadily until it was over 30, gusting to 35 kts. A change of course to negotiate a passage through the reefs brought the wind directly on our port beam with the tide now running at 5 knots on our starboard quarter. This wind against tide situation created a vicious little chop of about 2 metres. The waves were vertical and extremely close together. Pelican was tossed about and covered with spray, as waves crashed onto the deck. It was very uncomfortable and nothing for it but to press on. Our guests seemed to enjoy the experience and came on deck to be washed by the spray. Down in the galley Andy and Garry were removing bottles from shelves before they launched themselves against the opposite wall. In the wheelhouse I caught the epirb mid air on its way out the aft hatch. I stowed it safely thinking this could well be the most important piece of equipment aboard. Eventually the conditions eased and we decided to sail on through the night. We anchored for breakfast in Port George just off Augustus Island. Here we saw several more Irrawaddy’s and John landed a shark after a lengthy battle on a light rig. Later that morning we depart for Rogers Strait behind Augustus Island where Savaad lands a large mackerel. At last we are eating fish on a daily basis. This whole area is dominated by pearl culture farms, which make it almost impossible to move at night due to the hazard of hitting the beds which are suspended from buoys extending often for hundreds of metres at a time. I wonder about the politics of private companies effectively holding such large areas of public waterway for their exclusive use. The companies do not welcome other vessels to the area for fear of pilfering of the pearl beds. They have people standing by in fast boats to watch over their interests, which dominate many of the best and most sheltered stretches of water. We depart Brecknock Harbour passing the pearling base at Kuri Bay and head to Sampson Inlet where we go ashore to take a look at the rainforest, butterflies paintings and the inlet itself, which is touted as an ideal cyclone haven. The inlet is indeed remarkable consisting of a narrow gorge, a classic Kimberly landscape of red cliffs milky blue water, mangroves and the tides. I drop people ashore in the dingy but when I go to pick them up a couple of hours later the tide has dropped about 4 metres and people are forced to wade back to the dingy through the mud. The tides dominate all aspects of life here and are a never-ending source of amazement. Sept 16 0610 Depart Sampson Inlet. We are now running out of time and decide to make one more stop at Pender Bay on route to Broome. We make the one hundred and forty mile trip mostly under engines in calm conditions, dropping anchor at 07.30 the following morning. I want go ashore to see if I can find Andrew, another friend of Sandy’s, one of the traditional owners of the area but am not sure where he lives. In the distance I see a small tinny with three Aboriginal blokes in it driving an erratic path in our direction. As they get closer and closer to us I realise that the bloke in the bow has a harpoon and they are in hot pursuit of something under the water. Everyone lines up along Pelican’s deck for a box seat view of the hunt. I assume they are chasing Dugong and half dread the moment when they plunge the harpoon into its soft flesh and drag it from the water. Many on Pelican’s rail are having similar thoughts. The guys in the tinny obviously know what they are doing. Patiently they work themselves into the best position, which amazingly brings them to within about 50 metres of us. We are anchored about a mile and a half off shore, to allow us sufficient water under the keel at low tide. The bow -man stamps his foot on the deck to frighten the animal or herd it forwards and upwards to where he can take a clean shot with the harpoon. The device consists of a heavy, long, wooden spear with a detachable metal head with a wire trace running along the shaft and back into the boat. The bow -man yells directions to the tiller man operating a small outboard. The third bloke handles the wire trace. The whole operation seems unhurried as the boat meanders about following the animal. Finally without warning in a single un-dramatic thrust the harpoon is thrust downwards and the harpoon man steps aside while the trace man hauls in the wire. Everyone on Pelican is holding their breath. Seconds later they haul a large turtle to the surface and manhandle him into the small boat with difficulty. I approach them in the inflatable and congratulate them on their successful hunt. The turtle takes up most of the centre of the small boat with the harpoon head still protruding from the shell. We make small talk and they give me directions to Andrews house. Following the harpoon mans outstretched arm with my eyes I can just make out a roof through the trees on the headland. I thank them and they head back inshore. Savaad and I take the inflatable. The scale had fooled me and although it appeared we were only about 500 metres from the shore the actual distance was in miles. Savaad dropped me on the beach and moved back outside a small shore break to wait. Walking up the beach I could see that the high water mark was right up above the base of the headland cliff and that despite already being some 5 metres above low water the tide still had as far again to travel to high water. It is hard to believe that that much water can appear and disappear twice a day. This area (very close to the mouth of King Sound) has the second biggest tides in the world. I located Andrew’s house at the top of the headland. What a fabulous place to wake up every morning. I called out but no one was around and as there were no cars present I assumed that Andrew was away. Better luck next time. I dropped the crew ashore just to the north of Andrews house when the tide allowed us close in and they went off to explore the wetlands area behind some sand dunes. From here we had one more overnight sail to Broome Again numerous whale sightings were made, several fish were caught and everyone looked forward to the completion of the voyage with mixed emotions. The comforts of home were calling but we would never forget the remarkable journey we had made through one of Australia’s wildest places. Sept 18 13.00 arrive Broome. Stay tuned…. |