Category: Uncategorized
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Sunday, 9th September – Coral Discoverer
Fairly relaxed day, but one highlight was a visit to the Lacapede Islands lagoon. Swarming with bird and marine life. Stars of the show were the brown boobies – the place was full of them. They are very inquisitive birds and, when they are young, they are still honing their flying skills and often crash…
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Saturday, 8th September – Coral Discoverer
Another early start, and we were tempted to stay in bed, but glad that we didn’t. We were anchored off Nares Point, and the scenery was sublime. Had a cruise round the area and, because this is iron ore country, we were taken alongside a mine that is currently not working, but is due to…
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Friday, 7th September – Coral Discoverer
Great fun this morning in Talbot Bay. Our leaders had arranged for the Zodiacs to take us across what are known as the Horizontal Falls. Because of the unique movements of the tides in these parts, there are three basins separated from each other by two sets of rapidly moving water, which can move in…
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Thursday, 6th September – Coral Discoverer
Anchored just outside of Freshwater Cove. We were then taken into the cove to be met by some of the local aboriginal people and had our faces painted ochre as a mark of respect. A young lad called Neil took us up to a cave (quite a walk up and a serious scramble down) with…
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Wednesday, 5th September – Coral Discoverer
We foreswore a trip to a local tree commemorating an expedition which occurred in the 1830s in favour of a lie-in. The afternoon took us on a long trip down the Prince Regent River on the Xplorer to see the King Cascade. Apparently it is a lot of fun to take a shower under the…
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Tuesday, 4th September – Coral Discoverer
A not uninteresting beach walk this morning with some examples of Gwion aboriginal art: This was followed by a genuinely interesting walk through a cave system worn through the rocks over time, known locally as Hathaway’s Hideaway after a certain Gail Hathaway was stranded there a few years ago: In the afternoon, we visited Bigge…
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Monday, 3rd September – Coral Discoverer
The morning of our helicopter flight to and over the Mitchell Plateau and Mitchell Falls. Despite the fact that it is the dry season, the falls still had water, but it must be a spectacular sight when in full spate during the rainy season. Very, very old landscape. Rocks around 1.8 billion (yes, really) years…
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Sunday, 2nd September – Coral Discoverer
Passed up the chance to visit the Tranquil Bay beach in favour of a lie-in, badly needed after several consecutive days of having to get up early. Later this morning took us out on the Xplorer down the King George River as far as the Twin Falls. Once again, as yesterday, some amazing rock formations,…
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Saturday, 1st September – Coral Discoverer
Our first excursion on the Xplorer – a tender which hangs off the back of the Coral Discoverer and allows the passengers into areas where the ship itself cannot go. It’s quite an operation floating this thing off the back of the ship, but they have obviously done it before….. The destination this morning was…
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Friday, 31st August – Coral Discoverer
Now finally back online and connected with reality (i.e. the Internet) via the free wifi at our hotel in Broome – see later. Got up at some horrendously early hour for the third day running to catch a cab at 7.45 a.m. to take us to Fort Hill Wharf in Darwin for the start of…