Wednesday, June 5, 2024
Today’s breakfast came with an announced request to allow the COVID-infected people to pick up breakfast first, after which they would clean the serving utensils and invite the rest of us for breakfast. We were asked to wash our hands at a sink on the back deck to limit any further spread.
Today’s activities consisted of two outings in Zodiac boats, which we just toured and didn’t land anywhere. The morning cruise was around a few nearby islands and into a mangrove-lined area where we hoped to see some crocodiles. We didn’t see any, but we did see some birds and the stunning local geology, and we were treated to some more stories from Goyma, our indigenous guide, who happened to be on our zodiac boat.
Around lunchtime, I ran into Dr. Bob, our ship physician. He said there was a “trickle” of additional COVID cases but that some had recovered, none of the existing cases were severe, and most patients were taking Paxlovid. This is probably appropriate considering most passengers’ ages (we estimate the median age at 73).
After another ship repositioning, we were off on zodiac boats to Montgomery Reef, a unique reef formation. The reef is just below sea level at high tide but emerges more than several feet above water level, to the delight of birds and other creatures. We saw several turtles in the water and many birds (mostly egrets) on the reef and in the air. During the approximately 90 minutes we were there, the reef went from just emerging from the water to over 10 feet above water level, with very substantial amounts of water draining from the edges of the reef.
As we were leaving, we noticed a zodiac boat flying the Lindblad/National Geographic flag. Sure enough, we pulled up alongside it and were treated to tropical drinks served from a punchbowl before our ride back to the Orion.
Dinner was again outside and comfortable; meals will probably be outside for the rest of the cruise. After dinner, they arranged to shut off the lights in one area of the ship and held a star party. We easily saw the Southern Cross, as expected, but also the Big Dipper, except it was pointing down to Polaris, which was below the horizon.
This article is part of a series about our recent trip to Indonesia and Australia. To see the introductory article in the series, click here.
Tuesday, June 4, 2024
Bigge Island (pronounced “biggie”) is named for someone named Bigge although the island is big. It is the home for some more Gwion Gwion (ancient) and Wandjina (newer) rock art. Starting from the beach where we landed, we took a short hike to the art sites, with narration by our guides, particularly our indigenous guide, Goyma. I practiced some of the photography skills taught by our photo experts at some lectures earlier in the trip, with some success.
After lunch (and some repositioning of the Orion), we landed at a different beach with a few boab trees. This included a huge and notable tree called the Mermaid Tree, around which a low platform had been built to protect its roots, much as has been done around some giant sequoia trees in California.
We then walked further along the trail to where a couple of “parade grounds” built by bower birds were located. The bower bird is very plain-looking, so to impress a potential mate, it creates a straw tunnel and decorates its approach with local materials. These aren’t nests, just ways to attract a mate.
Returning to the ship, we found menus tucked into four doors across the hall, indicating additional COVID cases had been found. Dinner was moved outside to the aft deck, which was very comfortable and pleasant, but a lot of work for the staff since the galley is downstairs, necessitating a lot of shuttling back and forth.
This article is part of a series about our recent trip to Indonesia and Australia. To see the introductory article in the series, click here.
Monday, June 3, 2024
The Orion was repositioned overnight at our next destination on the Kimberley coast. Fortunately, the seas were relatively calm (as compared with the trip to and from Darwin), and we didn’t need to work as hard to walk around.
Our morning destination was the site of a World War II plane wreck, a C-53 that had gotten lost on a trip from Perth to Broome. They neglected to bring along a navigator. The plane ran out of fuel, tried to land on a mud flat, and skidded into the forest, losing one of its wings and an engine. Fortunately, they were rescued after several days, and everyone survived. The metal frame and skin of the plane are relatively intact, and we had an opportunity to walk around a bit and examine them.
While in the area, we walked through the woods and saw several things described in our preparatory lectures: a boab tree, a paperbark tree (essential to the Aboriginals for many uses), and a potentially quite old termite hill.
We walked back to the beach across the mud flat, examining large sandstone formations along the way.
The afternoon destination was Jar Island, a nearby island featuring ancient Gwion Gwion indigenous rock art. We were given three options for our short hike: “easy,” “moderate,” and “difficult,” with the more challenging routes giving us more to see. We chose the difficult route, which, other than requiring a little use of hands to ascend and descend some rocks, was not that challenging. The rock art was of uncertain (but very old) age and was painted on the sandstone at the three sites we visited.
Returning to the beach just as the sun was beginning to set, we were surprised by an impromptu beach party (cocktails and music) that the staff had set up. The party was a lot of fun, and we returned to the Orion just as it was getting dark.
Upon our return, our festive mood was quickly dispelled by an announcement from the ship’s doctor that three cases of COVID had been found on board the ship. Masks were distributed (but were voluntary), and arrangements were made to isolate the affected people in their cabins for a minimum of 24 hours and to bring their meals to them. I had noticed someone wearing a mask picking up breakfast early that morning and was suspicious that there was an outbreak on the ship. It soon became evident who the affected people were, as dinner menus appeared in the document holders on their cabin doors. Two of the cabins across the hall from ours were included.
This article is part of a series about our recent trip to Indonesia and Australia. To see the introductory article in the series, click here.
Sunday, June 2, 2024
Today, we begin our visit to the Kimberley, which is the trip’s theme.
The seas again became choppy overnight as we crossed the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf west of Darwin. To give us time to complete the trip from Darwin, we spent the morning listening to lectures on birds and the geology of the Kimberley and headed out to visit King George Falls in the afternoon.
After lunch, we boarded one of the Zodiac boats for King George Falls, which was about a 3-hour round-trip ride with some narration stops. The early part of the ride was a bit choppy, but it settled down as we approached the coast. At one of the stops early on, we were fortunate to see a rock wallaby, which is notoriously shy. We also saw a couple of peregrine falcons, which are said to be the fastest animals.
The sides of the canyon on the way to the falls are red sandstone cliffs, with the different layers of sandstone visible. Our Zodiac boat was paired with another carrying Kirt, the geologist, and Goyma, our Indigenous guide, so we had detailed descriptions along the way.
The falls themselves were very picturesque. There was a fork in the canyon with falls on both sides. Our driver took the Zodiac boat right up to the falls, allowing those who wanted to be doused under them (Kenna and I didn’t, but Jan and Dave did). It was fun to watch.
The ride back to the Orion was speedier than the outgoing leg, but we stopped for a few bird sightings.
This article is part of a series about our recent trip to Indonesia and Australia. To see the introductory article in the series, click here.
Saturday, June 1, 2024
Early this morning, the ship’s rocking settled down as we approached Darwin, where we were traveling to clear Australian immigration and customs. In preparation for our arrival, we needed to undertake biosecurity measures to ensure we didn’t bring harmful seeds or hoof-and-mouth disease into Australia. We collected clothes with soil (or sand, etc.) in pockets or Velcro fasteners that might hang onto seeds. We vacuumed the Velcro and pockets and also dipped the soles of our shoes in disinfectant.
Upon arrival, we went in groups to the terminal, where we presented our passports and declaration forms. We were quickly processed and able to return to the Orion.
A little while after returning to the ship, we were notified that we could return to the pier for a cultural performance. Our indigenous tour leader, Goyma, had a number of his relatives there to give us a short musical and dance performance, which was an excellent introduction to aboriginal music.
We again returned to the ship, and soon began our journey to tomorrow’s destination, the King George Falls.
By popular request, the staff arranged a tour of the ship’s galley where our many wonderful meals are prepared. The executive chef, Rannie, showed us the facilities and described the workflow when his staff prepares our meals. We were impressed by the close teamwork and by what they are able to accomplish in a relatively small space.
We (and Dave and Jan) were invited to join one of the naturalists, Kirt, for dinner. While primarily a volcanologist, Kirt is also the National Geographic photographic expert for the expedition. We enjoyed getting to know Kirt a little better. Later in the evening, Kurt and Mike, the other photographic expert on the cruise, led a photo feedback session, teaching us how to make the most of our pictures.
This article is part of a series about our recent trip to Indonesia and Australia. To see the introductory article in the series, click here.
Friday, May 31, 2024
Today was our first “sea day” as we traveled southeast from Kupang, Indonesia, to Darwin, Australia. Soon after we left Kupang (and the shelter provided by the Indonesian archipelago), the ship encountered noticeably higher surf as we crossed the Timor Sea. It was enough to make it challenging to walk in a straight line for those of us unaccustomed to the ship’s movement. Some of the travelers whose cabins were further to the front or rear of the ship reported more difficulty. Fortunately, our cabin was close to the ship’s middle. The movement of the ship continued all day.
As is typical, the day was filled with several presentations to give us advance information on the Kimberley and help us understand the region better. I also finally got a chance to take a morning stretch class and spend some time on the elliptical machine in the fitness center. Fortunately, the elliptical machine had good things to hold onto while the ship rocked.
Our passports were also returned to us, and we were given customs declaration cards in preparation for our arrival in Darwin, where we would clear Australian immigration and customs.
This article is part of a series about our recent trip to Indonesia and Australia. To see the introductory article in the series, click here.
Thursday, May 30, 2024
We got to sleep in a bit longer today, which was a welcome change. The plan for after breakfast was to go to a nearby beach for snorkeling, kayaking, and stand-up paddle boarding. We were delayed a bit to let the tide come in, but then we still couldn’t go snorkeling because the water was too shallow. But we happily paddled around in one of the kayaks and tried the paddleboards. Although this was our first try, we both were on our knees on the paddleboards. It seemed like every time I even thought of standing up, the board became a little unstable. In any case, it was fun to try.
During lunch, the Orion was repositioned for us to disembark at Kupang, the regional capital of Western Timor. A welcoming ceremony was held for us; then we took a bus ride (less festively decorated, but air-conditioned) with police escort (!) east across town to a food market. Many open-air stalls had various vegetables, fruits, and dry goods like rice, spices, etc. When visiting a new country, we always like to see a typical food market, and this was our opportunity. The vendors were very accommodating even though we weren’t buying anything.
We then continued a few miles east to an area where several performing groups representing different areas and islands had gathered. Each was dressed in the traditional attire of their home area and performed music and dance for us. At the end of the performance, we were invited to join them in dancing, which we did. It was fun, joyous, and a nice way to connect more with the people. Many pictures and selfies were taken to commemorate the occasion.
Returning to the Orion (again under police escort), we cleaned up and had our usual debrief over cocktails, followed by dinner. We were told that our clocks were being adjusted to Darwin time, 1 hour 30 minutes ahead of Indonesian time, to give us time to adapt. The following day would be a sea day, our first of the trip.
This article is part of a series about our recent trip to Indonesia and Australia. To see the introductory article in the series, click here.
Wednesday, May 29, 2024
This morning’s activity was another opportunity to snorkel from a nearby beach. Kenna had gotten a bit of a sunburn yesterday, and I wanted a little downtime, so we opted to stay back at the Orion, check in with our daughter Celeste and Kenna’s mom, and relax in the very comfortable observation lounge. Of course, we expect to hear that the snorkeling today was the best, but we’ll take that chance.
After lunch, we disembarked the ship to visit a village on Sumba Island that specializes in weaving and other textiles. After a short bus ride on festively decorated (but sparsely upholstered) buses, we arrived at the village and were treated to an elaborate dance program and a welcome from the King. After the program, we were invited to see a demonstration of ikat weaving and dyeing and buy textiles on display all around us. As we walked around, the locals competed furiously for our attention. We were able to find a table runner that we liked and negotiate the price down to the amount of rupiah that we had remaining.
We returned, cleaned up, and attended the “usual” cocktail hour, daily summary, and dinner. After dinner, we enjoyed a talk by one of the naturalists on the state of coral, especially the current problem with coral bleaching.
We realized that we hadn’t gone to look at the stars in the evening, so we went up to the observation deck and could see quite a bit of the sky, although light from the ship didn’t make for ideal viewing conditions. I did get to try out one of the suggestions from yesterday’s class on iPhone photography: I put my phone in night mode and took a long exposure photo of the stars. Despite the ship’s movement, the picture came out sharp, and it is easy to see the Southern Cross in the image.
This article is part of a series about our recent trip to Indonesia and Australia. To see the introductory article in the series, click here.
Tuesday, May 28, 2024
Another early start today (we are getting used to these) for our outing to Komodo Island. Initially, it was planned that we would land at the pier (a “dry landing” in regular shoes), but the tide was very low, so we had a wet landing (in water shoes or sandals) instead. Komodo Island is, of course, known for the Komodo Dragon, the largest lizard in the world. We didn’t have to look far to see one: one was lying on the pier that we didn’t use.
After changing into shoes for our hike into the national park, we immediately saw more Komodo dragons on the beach. We broke into smaller groups accompanied by a local naturalist and two local guides, each with a big stick to protect us in case one of the dragons decided to attack. We took about a 1.5-mile walk along a park trail and stopped at a watering hole with three or more dragons, some local fowl, and occasional deer. Further along the trail, we saw a nest, a pyramidal pile of dead vegetation (compost), about 3 feet tall. The nests are not made by the dragons but are shared with them by the fowl that constructed the nests.
During lunch, they repositioned the Orion a short distance away for our afternoon activity, snorkeling from a pink sand beach. While the tide was low in the morning, it was very high in the afternoon, leaving little of the beach for our use. We donned snorkel gear and swam out a bit. There was, again, excellent coral but not quite the vast diversity of fish from the previous day. The water also wasn’t quite as clear.
I had a bit of confusion on the return: I had heard that they would be serving afternoon tea, which I assumed would be on the ship, but it turned out that they had set it up in a different area of the beach, behind a tree from where we were standing. Kenna figured that out, but I had already headed toward one of the Zodiac boats, and the staff member loading the boat did not appreciate my hesitancy about getting in. So I finished getting in quickly and then discovered the part of the beach I had not seen before, where afternoon tea was underway. The staff was also disappointed that several of us missed the event and apologetic about the miscommunication.
Upon returning to the ship, we found a note on our door inviting us to have dinner with the Hotel Manager, Fran, who oversees the ship’s accommodations. We were joined at the tables by two other couples, and learned about Fran’s career progression to hotel manager. Fran is one of those rare people who can approach a job of great responsibility with a very fun outlook. Fran also shared stories about some of the challenges they encounter, like Australian customs regulations when a ship full of food arrives there.
This article is part of a series about our recent trip to Indonesia and Australia. To see the introductory article in the series, click here.
Monday, May 27, 2024
Today, we rose early (according to our internal clocks) for breakfast, followed by a Zodiac boat ride to a village on the island of Sumbawa. There we were welcomed by local officials including the mayor and local schoolchildren. We took a short walk through the village and were then seated on the beach for several musical and dance performances. Various different groups, including the men, women, and (very cute) children of the village participated. The last event was a contest where local boys tried to shinny up a greased pole to reach several items and an Indonesian flag at the top of the pole. They predictably failed until they teamed up and the grease wore off the pole. We were struck by the number of cellphones being used by the villagers to take pictures of the event.
After lunch, back at the ship, the first snorkel outing of the trip took place off the island of Satonda. We were in the second group, which gave us a little time to rest. When our turn came up, we rode a Zodiac boat out to a platform between two other Zodiacs, making entering and leaving the water easy. There was a current, which made it challenging for some people to stay in the area where we were snorkeling, but otherwise, conditions were excellent. The water was very clear, and there was a wide diversity of coral and fish, which made it look like a very large well-stocked aquarium.
After getting cleaned up from the snorkeling outing, we dressed up a bit for the Captain’s Welcome Dinner. We sat with Dave, Jan, and one of the other guests and had an empty seat at the table. We were honored to have Captain Alex himself seated with us. He answered the many questions we had and told us quite a bit about his travels as well.
This article is part of a series about our recent trip to Indonesia and Australia. To see the introductory article in the series, click here.