Day 5. Saturday 18 May. Helsinki to Iceland.

A gremlin got into the post yesterday and inserted the photos of the Rock Church after those of the Wintergarten. No idea why, and no idea why we couldn’t correct it!

Helsinki continued to bless us with fine weather – a very sunny 21 degrees. Our early start had us packed, breakfasted and out by about 8 AM – that’s very early for us. First stop after dropping our bags at the Central Train Station was the Old Market Hall for a coffee and a shared cinnamon bun from Story – taken in the sun overlooking the South Harbour ferry terminal.

To get there we walked through Saturday markets in the park, which included celebrations of the 100 year old Finland-Japan relationship. Lots going on, but as we understood neither Finnish nor Japanese it was a bit over our heads.

T had a senior’s moment, and began talking to a bystander who had a remarkable resemblance to D. Furthermore, like D, he didn’t talk back.  It was all sorted out eventually.

And what an appropriate name!

It is the name of all the Government liquor stores (yes, truly, trust me).

Then on to an exploration of Finnish design and manufacture (although D noted that some was made in China) at Marimekko, Artek and Tre. Lovely work, although very expensive, a bit like everything so far! T had a few moments of temptation, but couldn’t quite find the right item. At Marimmeko, the women went one way and right next door the men the other – something for everyone.

Walking in circles, we visited the Lutheran Cathedral overlooking Senate Square. Huge and impressive, but understated, without the gilding and stained glass of some equivalents. It was actually a far more spiritual experience, as much as could be had sharing it with the selfie-snappers from tourist buses, because it invoked less questioning of what else the money could have been spent on.

Returned to the Old Market Hall to share two seafood lunches on rye bread – one smoked salmon and the other crab meat. Delicious.

But by now we’d had enough, so back to the main railway station to catch the train to the airport. D stressed almost all of the way there ‘is this the right train?’ but T calmly reassured him that it was passing the same places we’d seen on the way into Helsinki. She was right, of course.

Check-in was smooth – except that T was inspected for explosive residue rather than D for a change – but our flight was delayed about an hour, so T would have had time for that exhibition at the Art Gallery (a local resident had told her it was a must-see)!

Boarding was chaotic, with a group of Chinese passengers jostling for position and avoiding the otherwise orderly queues as we got on buses to take us from the terminal to the aircraft. The jostling continued along the gangway, the time taken to stop to take a photo outside the aircraft obviously necessarily made up by clambering past the rest of the passengers patiently waiting their turn on the steps!

We recognized an Aussie accent in the queue and passed on the early election results but they were distracted (as you would be) by having left their duty -free scotch behind in the terminal. Although they explained the loss to the cabin staff, who tried to help, it could not be retrieved.

There were no formalities on arrival – no immigration or customs, just baggage collection, duty-free wine and scotch purchased, and car pick -up and we were on our way to our Borgarnes Cozy Apartment. Outside it was 8 degrees, breezy and gentle, intermittent rain.

Google maps (bless them) advised that it was a one and a half hour drive to Borgarnes, north of Reykjavik.  We stopped for essential supplies at a Kronan supermarket and were on our cautious way, seemingly the only car on the road travelling at the speed limit  – as much as anything trying to get used to driving on the wrong side of the road. Lots of roundabouts – D had to concentrate as he had horror memories of trying to enter one in Spain years ago on the left!  ‘Keep right, give way to the left….keep right, give way to the left…..’ was the mantra. T’s knuckles were white. The guidance was simple – Route 41 until it joined Route 1, then continue.  About two hours later doubt started to creep in – were we on the right route? What does Route 1 N mean as opposed to Route 1 S? Why are the signs pointing to Reykjavik when we had left it behind half an hour ago? D was confident – well, outwardly. Pulled over to check the map in Lonely Planet, which was of no use, so took the next roundabout into a Service Station to check. ‘Yes’, said the young girl with a wave of her hand in the direction we were heading, but with a look that said she was surprised that anyone was going to Borgarnes, ‘straight on and into the mountains’. T was wondering at the choice of location, but the idea of being ‘in the wild’ had been appealing back in the January planning phase! After two and a half hours we arrived, found our cottage (a recently converted garage) but it is warm, super-quiet and very stylishly appointed: T’s first comment was ‘its like being in an Ikea showroom’, but later revised to observe that this seemed to be very much an interior designer’s project – which has worked beautifully.

Tomorrow will probably be a rest day, as we try to adjust, once again, to different time zones.

Day 4. Friday 17 May. Helsinki.

A slower start after our long day on foot yesterday. Having got the transport system sorted, we took Number 4 Tram to Central Park, which has a lovely lake in the middle, with numerous walking/running/cycling tracks. Stopped at a rustic lakeside café for coffee, to be joined in conversation by a local who thoroughly agreed with T that chocolate on a cappucino was excessive, and who noted that in Belgium they also added cream. Across the lake were some examples of earlier-times wooden Finnish homes.

Wandered on to the Wintergarden (conservatory/hothouse) displaying some fascinating flowers. A group of students, either secondary or college level, were taking innovative photography shots around plants and garden items such as chairs, benches, alcoves etc.

Then headed for ‘Rock’ church, with D confidently navigating. Having walked for about a kilometre, we stopped to re-examine the map, turn it around a few times, and scratch our heads. The street names seemed wrong, and D wondered how the authorities had mucked it up. A policewoman saw our confusion, explained we were heading in entirely the wrong direction, and without any hint of derision sent us in the right direction. She apologized as she rushed back to her duty station, which we shortly saw was part of the traffic control for a foreign dignitary (D thinks the flag was Turkey) being escorted with a large police escort, lights flashing and sirens sounding. Must have been important.

We made it to the Rock Church (Lutheran) and by wonderful chance, found a quiet moment in the tourist day. Described accurately as exemplifying the spiritual essence of Finland (nature, simplicity, beauty)…wow!

Hewn into rock, glass roof allowing for the combination of sky, sun, shadow, birds overhead, a domed ceiling of copper strips and a piano recital… a totally sublime experience. T thought she’d gone to heaven.

Onto the highly recommended gourmet street food locale. We were a bit disappointed as we sat down at an outside table overlooking a square that had a small flea market operating. T went inside to check out the menu, to then beckon D inside: the food stalls were all in there, and were well set up to provide a range of options – pasta, Portuguese cuisine, Filipino, Peruvian and so on. We opted for bowls of soup – a bouillabaisse and a beef borsch, both of which were satisfying – not least because it was by now 3 PM. Only disappointment was that we were too early for the craft beers that had been recommended – they only became available at 4 PM.

On to the Finnish Design Museum. T did suggest that D might prefer to sit in the little park nearby, but as tempting as this was (and the outdoor bar just outside was even more so) D decided that his cultural and artistic education should continue.

T wished that she had done some design studies; the concept of combining functionality, aesthetics, excitement & pleasure (ingredients for mental health) in the production of things is easy to understand.

Happily a Number 10 tram stop was adjacent so we could rest our weary legs. The 24-hour supermarket gave us a ready-made dinner: roast chicken & salad mix. The range of prepared meals was more than adequate: fish in various guises, pork cuts, chicken cuts and a salad bar for mix& match. After picking up supplies, a dilemma: which way was ‘home’? Help came from the strangers nearby who confirmed the direction. The kindness of strangers has been notable.

As we write this, Art Pepper played ‘Patricia’ for us. It seems she’s everywhere.

Day 3. Thursday 16 May. Helsinki and Tallinn.

Still getting used to the six hour time difference, so the earliest 10.30 ferry to Tallinn seemed like a good idea, since the day was bright, sunny and calm. Sorted out transport for the three days – one ticket to cover all public modes: the system is efficient and regular. Trams have been an eye opener since our trip with Charlie on the new Canberra light rail, but it shouldn’t have been because we’ve regularly used the Melbourne system.

Ferry to Tallinn, in Estonia, took about two hours over a calm Baltic Sea, with very little other shipping in view apart from a couple of other ferries in the distance and one tug. That changed on arrival – three cruise ships tied up. Horror! … memories of disgorging tourist ships (Alaska trip) and crowds crawling all over town.

An easy walk into town to catch up with all our fellow tourists, with cafes and restaurants full of lunchers and drinkers, people hovering to snaffle any table that became vacant.

So we wandered up and down a few back streets and found a perfect spot. Salmon and duck, shared, accompanied by two local craft beers. D just wanted to find a quiet warm spot to curl up and have an afternoon granddad nap, but this was not on the agenda.

A comprehensive tourist map gave us about fifteen ‘must see’ sites, which T had narrowed down to about five. So off we went, over cobblestone and paving streets, marveling at the structures and colours, with glimpses into the inner courtyards behind the street frontage.

T commented that at any moment, she expected Villanelle (‘Killing Eve’) to pop up…there were so many look-alikes. And lo….!

Needless to say, Old Tallinn is 800 years of history. A comprehensive display at the Tallinn City Museum presented a 100 year synopsis, by decade, as an excellent introduction to everyday life in more recent times with alternating German/Russian influence/control. T was taken by the reference to the Russian small –concrete -apartment-building period, creating ‘Kruschevskies’. Other galleries covered aspects of Medieval history to give a comprehensive overview. We were reminded of those history lessons in middle high school.

The Town Hall Pharmacy, from 15^thcentury, and still serving today, has a fascinating display of previous compounding ingredients. We were a bit doubtful about some of the remedies on offer!

Tallinn was a walled city and three towers were open today – the lady in charge told us that on one day only in September all of the towers were available to the public, with music at each of them, but we can’t imagine how this works, as it’s a steep single file staircase climb, with rope handrail, requiring good balance, no vertigo issues (and some insurance).

We passed a small but vocal protest against Russia, just down from the Consulate. Two policemen arrived but they were more interested in interrogating the bicycle taxi driver than the protest.

Our final stop was St. Olav’s Church, with a spire that dominates the landscape.

By now it was time to head back to the ferry for our 19.30 return trip, but not before a quiet beer (D) and herbal tea (T) on the way. The architecture near the port and below the old town is marvelous. At the terminal, T chatted to a Finnish guy who ‘has a friend in Australia…in a big city down the bottom’…eventually worked out he meant Perth. He loved watching ‘The Flying Doctors’, and appreciated the importance of this service. When T commented on the Russian era, he offered comment on how important it is today to maintain a watchful eye all along the Finland-Russia border (‘noone likes the Russians’)

The sun was just setting as we arrived back at the dock. It’s an amazing feeling…daylight still at 10pm and plenty of folk out walking in town. There’s an air of ‘no menace’. And T remarks on the genteel public behavior…no aggro, no rubbish and very limited access to alcohol apart from at bars and restaurants. A 24-hour supermarket provides soup and bread for a midnight snack and then the trusty tram to ‘home’. Tomorrow is ‘Helsinki in a day.’

Day 2. Wednesday 15 May. Tokyo to Helsinki.

Daylight crept in around 5, with the promise of some sun. Of course we were early for the shuttle and the 20 mins ride was almost accurate – the distance was, after all, less than 5 kms. The hotel claimed we’d be there at 8 AM – it was actually 8.02. Where had the train taken us last night?

Efficient, orderly clearances and then into the sky with Finnair. The staff will be twiddling their thumbs with only a handful of passengers this time. 10 hours of sunshine, blue sky, the frozen land below, food, food and more food! And some wine.

After extensive advice from two very helpful railways officials we trained into Helsinki railway station – about half an hour. Again, impressive and efficient system. Our instructions, again with the aid of Google, included the next leg, a tram to the area of our apartment. These instructions, as it turned out, were accurate, although our grasp of the city meant that some of our decisions on where to go in following them were mostly guesswork. The cobbled footpaths tested the small wheels in the suitcases, but they survived. And the tram took us to just below the apartment, much closer that we’d anticipated.

It’s old and probably a converted housing complex – solid walls, high ceilings – but it’s warm (almost too much so), plenty of room and basic amenities.

Shop for limited supplies was followed by a stroll down to the wharf area in the sun – but the air was still cold if we passed into shade, enough to need a jacket. Plenty of people enjoying the late afternoon sun at cafes and bars, soaking up the warmth and the beer. There were lots of brave souls in the outdoor swimming pools,which didn’t appear to be heated in any way.

By the time we got back it was around 7 PM local time, but our body clocks were telling us it was 1 AM the next day. Off to bed; T dons the ‘Lone ranger’ mask, as the sun is still bright and no, the curtains are NOT blockout.

Day 1. Tuesday 14 May. Canberra to Melbourne to Tokyo.

The around-the world adventure starts with that 0400 alarm set why bother?) in readiness for the first flight at 6.15 AM. When you wake up at 1 AM (T) or 2.39 AM (D) you know you are finally going somewhere. D was restless, with a myriad of concerns and thoughts – not the least being ‘was our phone/internet travel agent legit?’ It sure was and Melanie had done a great job. T was restless with a thousand thoughts – as usual.

Canberra airport at 5 AM is super quiet and thankfully was fog-free but needless to say, D was screened for explosives residue. The flight to Melbourne was on time, although D was still pretty much asleep. So much so, in fact, that he took another passenger’s backpack from the overhead locker. The owner caught up once in the Arrivals lounge, brusquely said ‘that’s MY back pack’ took it away and that was it  – didn’t even have the courtesy to bring D’s pack with him! So a wait ensued while all the other passengers disembarked and then the flight attendant  good humoredly went back onboard  and retrieved it. D had been worried about a short connection time at Melbourne but hadn’t allowed for a ‘theft window’.

Was this an omen? At the international departures security check in, D forgot to pick up his book after screening, but fortunately a guard asked in general if anyone had left it behind. D was decidedly sheepish by this stage. Nothing else could go wrong, could it? From the look on T’s face, she wasn’t convinced. And indeed, there was more. T went through the automatic face recognition/passport matching without a hitch – the machine didn’t like the look of D, so he was shepherded through another line to be screened in person. He passed.

There’s not much one can say about ten hours in a full aeroplane, but we were comfortable, the service and food were excellent and T briefly wondered. at the ‘monogrammed glass’ of chardonnay. T found the seat button for lumbar massage and did not need to worry about the proximity of the baby: the little girl (8 months?) across the aisle was perfectly behaved, if a bit of a flirt.

Trained from the airport to Narita having learned that the hotel shuttle was 40 mins wait and it was possible to train and then a short walk to the hotel. Well, the train actually covered a route of 40.1 kms  in about 30 mins; we wondered if we’d got this wrong, as the hotel was listed as an airport hotel. Alighting, we were baffled by any way off the platform other than down several flights of steep stairs. A posse of five uniformly dressed Japanese girls came to our rescue, using Google maps to guide us through a maze of lifts, tunnels and ramps to ground level just in front of our hotel. It turned out they worked in a Travel Agency, so we complimented them on their service.

The room was tiny but comfortable. A couple of local beers as a nightcap and hope for a sleep. Strange that the airport shuttle booked for the morning will only take 20 mins in peak hour!

But to think that we missed this until we were departing.

Day 13. Friday 17 August.

Whales all around for the morning! Cows And calves, pods and solos, just basking and rolling, diving and blowing. A marvelous lazy morning for passengers.

Our last expedition day – tonight we sail for Broome. We have a slow start – the first activity – actually our last – is a 2 hour zodiac trip to the Lacepede Islands leaving at 2.15 PM. We have been promised something special in this location, a protected nesting area for many species of birds. There were birds in the thousands – more than we could count. The one that pooped on T’s hat made a quick getaway and was not clearly identified! We saw Brown Boobies, Crested Terns, Capped Plovers, Red Legged Stilts, Pied Oyster Catchers, Frigate Birds, Pied Cormorants and Common Gulls. The Brown Boobies, which numerically dominated, were curious about us, and flew with, across and over us for most of the time. Needless to say, the combination of moving birds and a bobbing zodiac meant that most of the photos taken were blurred!

We also saw many Green Turtles, as this is also a year-round breeding area for them. Apparently the noise of the outboard motor either doesn’t bother them or they can’t hear it: we could see them rise to the surface, poke their heads out of the water, see us, then immediately disappear. D took multiple shots of clear water without capturing a single picture of a turtle. This is as good as it got.

Fascinating o watch the zodiacs being winched from & to the top of the ship – an operation that occurred before and after each stop.

So tonight is the Gala Night. We don’t think that we’ll have the energy to be celebrating for long!  The activities started with the Captain’s Cocktail Party on the open deck: all the crew – marine, maintenance, room service, naturalists, cooks, stewards – 150 of them, were introduced individually and thanked in their own language (French, Italian, Ukrainian, Polish, Tagalog, Bahasa Indonesia, Spanish….and English).

Shared a delightful buffet meal after the formalities on the deck with two gentlemen from Melbourne, then finished the evening with a taste of Deck 4 entertainment: Paris Express can can dancers. In these times of PC culture, the teasing suggestiveness of the girlie lineup (with one boy) is amusing but a bit jarring. No photos.

Day 12. Thursday 16 August.

D started the day with a bonus zodiac visit to the Horizontal Falls on the outgoing tide. A 2 metre visitor before the zodiacs loaded created great excitement, particularly for Re (Rebecca) and Danni, our two shark specialists in the naturalist crew.

 The falls, and there are two about 300 metres apart in line, are created by the tide entering and leaving huge landlocked embayments through two narrow gaps in the cliffs of the McLarty Range. The seawater builds up faster on one side of the gaps, the massive banking up resulting in the waterfalls. The waterfalls can be as high as 5 metres apparently; we saw drops of about 2 metres and that was impressive.

The zodiacs from L’Austral took it in turns to enter the area just before the fall and face into the oncoming flow. Great whirlpools, eddies and occasional waves made the trip just a bit exciting, but the craft were remarkably stable – less bumping than crossing the choppy water we’d faced on a few trips previously. This didn’t seem to matter in one boat – man overboard, although he retained his grip on the side ropes and wasn’t completely immersed. The rescue boat and the tour leader’s boat were there promptly!

We’ve shared most of the locations in the past few days with a vessel named “True North’. Our safety guidelines have been explicit and comprehensive and very sensible. We’ve watched with horrified bemusement as people in tinnies, including children, have not bothered with life jackets or PFDs – they are mandatory for us. On one occasion we were told, a vessel was observed underway at speed with children sitting on the bow! L’Austral crew are frank in describing some other tour operators as ‘red-neck cowboys’.

Perhaps the most annoying incident occurred at the falls this morning. The L’Austral zodiacs were waiting to enter the falls in turn in an orderly manner for obvious safety reasons, when three True North tinnies appeared, and when asked politely to wait a minute for a gap, just replied ‘Nup’ and arrogantly barged through at speed. Not a good look, True North, and definitely not a good advertisement for your business.

A late morning zodiac trip back to the falls and beyond for both T & D. The tide had turned, so we were now observing the water entering the bays with reverse urgency. Our zodiacs, powered with a single 60 HP motor, do not attempt to cross the waterfall, an adventure only attempted (usually) by specialist boats. 

Talbot Bay was busy…seaplanes, helicopters, a couple of houseboats and a small yacht kept us company. We must be getting closer to civilization!

 At the entrance to the falls we were treated to a good overview of the size and strength of the flow: in the larger gap which is 22 metres wide and 40 metres deep, a million litres of water flow in one second. During this activity another man went overboard: apparently in both cases the boat had been caught in turbulent waterfall and tipped up, throwing one person overboard and others to the floor. Sod’s law that the careful and safe operation should have mishaps, but in both cases the ejectee was quickly, if not easily, hauled back on board.

After the visit to the falls we investigated other parts of Talbot Bay, specifically Cyclone Creek. We were privileged to catch several fleeting glimpses of a Rock Wallaby, plus some interesting fauna: the Kimberley Rose and an unusual yellow leaved Mangrove. The rock formations here are very different from the flat layered sandstone which we’ve been seeing. Here, the layers are tilted at 80 degrees, having been forced upward millions of years ago. The scale of time is hard to take in. The effect reminds us of rock formations at Karajini, which we visited 11 years ago.

Then on to our short fast boat ride to and through the falls – although only the first, wider one, as the second, at half the width, was deemed too dangerous at that stage of the tide. So, after a bit of a look and a couple of circuits around the bay in front,  we zoomed through like kids in drag cars, and zoomed back to do it all again a couple of times! Good fun, but  also a demonstration of the volume and power of the water. The fast boat, carrying 40 or so passengers, was powered by four 300 HP outboard motors.

T has discovered the bikes in the gym and has been grateful for generous explanations on how to use them. Short sessions working the horrible foot give her a wee sense of dealing with a sedentary lot and the sciatica from bumping in the zodiac.

Day 11. Wednesday 15 August.

A 6.15 AM departure on the zodiacs for a visit to Montgomery Reef, promised as the highlight of the expedition.The reef, hundreds of kms long is covered by 6 to 9 metres of water at high tide, but ‘rises’ from the sea as the tide changes. It is spectacular. The coral is adapted to cope with exposure to air, with a coating that retains moisture and protects it from the sun. Scientists are apparently experimenting with this coating to develop it for use as a sunscreen for humans.

As the huge tide was running out this morning, the reef was a series of massive waterfalls. It is now a protected area. T asked about a history of shipwrecks on the reef????

Then, a bit of excitement for us when the steering cable on our zodiac broke, so we were tillerless!Fortunately, the tide was on our side. The rescue boat arrived, but as the mechanic was unable to fix it, another boat was summoned and we transferred across and continued on our way. Our driver Jorge was apologetic, but was reassured he was not at fault: that didn’t, of course, stop the ribbing from the passengers and his fellow crew members.

Although wildlife is not abundant we had many very brief sightings of green turtles as they poked their heads out of the water and quickly submerged: as they are still hunted by the indigenous people they are quite sensibly wary. Bird sightings included a White Bellied Sea Eagle and many Egrets: Western Reef, Intermediate and Great.

The morning concluded with a lecture on ‘Rewilding’, a program in the ‘foot’ of Yorke Peninsular re-introducing native species (quolls, barn owls, and possibly Tasmanian Devils) to environments which will predate on feral animals (foxes, rabbits, mice) in order to provide healthier, more sustainable ecosystems. Being a non-scientist, T found this fascinating in its simplicity/complexity.

This afternoon is a zodiac ride across to Raft Point and then a steep hike (for D) over rounded boulders, scree or rocks  to a rock art site. T will go part way, staying at beach level, where the ground is flat and has ordered good photos from D – which again we don’t have the permission of the traditional owners to use on social media.

Day 10. Tuesday 14 August.

Another overnight sail, and for some reason it seemed a lot quieter than the night before. Arrived in Freshwater Cove (Wijingarra Bard Bard), named (in English) for obvious reasons. The fresh water runs from several springs constantly, even through the dry. There is an aboriginal community there from the Worrorra people, although only a few permanents. The location on the beach had been set up as a premier fishing lodge, with access by float plane, but that venture has been superseded by organized tour groups to the aboriginal rock art, in the Wandjina style (a cultural belief system that includes the Worrorra, Ngarinjin and Wunambul tribes), along with sales of more recent art works, sourced from the main gallery in Derby. Wandjina is their supreme spiritual being who created the land.

We were given a traditional welcome on the beach on arrival, with a daub of red ochre. This was explained as a welcome to us, but also our undertaking to respect the land, the culture and the people.

The walk in to the cave was about 40 minutes over a mostly even path, although there were some rough patches and the last 50 metres or so were downhill, rocky and with some large steps. The art itself, which had been retouched a few years ago by an elder, was explained to us by a member of the traditional owners. They reflected stories from Dreamtime (called Lalai in this area) legends similar to other regions (and to Genesis, for that matter!). Although we were permitted to take photographs we were not given permission to share them on social media, or use them for commercial purposes.

As we left we were ‘smoked’ to ensure that the spirits were left behind.

A treat after lunch as a Humpback whale and her calf were spotted just ahead of the ship, and stayed on the surface as we slowly passed by, with the calf continuing to feed.

We relocated to Langgi, a fairly short distance, to go ashore to look at limestone ‘sculptures’ in Pentecost limestone that had been created by fissures in the rock being weathered away, and then the remaining rock being eroded by nature, primarily the tide. This area we visited was protected from heavy weathering influences, so had remained erect – similar structures close by had tumbled into heaps of rocks.

The rocks have a Dreamtime story attached. In this (shortened version), two of the largest rocks are a warrior and the wife of another man he ran away with (or, alternatively, he killed the husband to get his wife). They were chased by a group of warriors from the tribe and speared to earth and thus turned into stone: because the naughty warrior was a spiritual being, all the other warriors were turned into stone at the same time. A salutary tale.

Day 9. Monday 13 August.

The ship (luxury yacht, if you please) makes all sorts of noises as it transits overnight: the rushing of the sea, the hum of the engines and generators, the rattle of the balcony screens, the flushing of the vacuum toilets and the occasional sounds of people movement in the corridor or overhead. Just what you need when you have a 6.30 start for a zodiac ride up the Hunter River.

We arrived in Prince Frederick Harbour, at the mouth of the Hunter River at a bit after 6 AM. Pretty much on time we boarded our zodiac, piloted by Rebecca, aka Re, one of the naturalists. Like all of the expedition crew that we’ve met so far, she has an interesting life story. She’s keen to stay on the ship for the next voyage, but has to check with her boss, difficult to do with such limited, slow and intermittent satellite internet. The other complication is that if she does stay on she’ll be away from her partner for 3 months, and she’s not sure how that will go down! Her speciality is marine animals, in particular sharks, and her work has taken her to places as diverse as Mexico and Fiji – and Australia, of course.

Spotted several crocodiles on the two and a half hour expedition, including one ‘adorable’ baby. Also spotted were an Eastern Osprey, two Western Reef Egrets, two Grey Plovers and two Striated Herons. The mangroves were remarkable, more so as we learned of their role in the ecology and in providing a nursery for young marine animals. The Life of Pi was brought to mind as we passed one section of mangroves that the high tide had created what looked like a floating island.

A short turn around for coffee and pastries and we were back on the zodiacs for the quick trip to the beach where the helicopters would pick us up and deliver us to the Mitchell Falls. There were two elements of this cruise that we were particularly focussed on: the Bungle Bungle Ranges and the Mitchell Falls. As we’ve recorded, the first on the bucket list was outstanding. We are pleased to report that this adventure was equally fulfilling and perhaps more so.

D is not a fan of flying – helicopters only make his phobias worse (about flying – the others stay the same). There were three seat options: front, next to pilot; rear, in the middle of three; or rear on the outside, with no doors.

T commandeered the front seat and a Frenchman who had greater fears than D grabbed the middle seat. This was not a good start, but the sight of the Frenchman’s white knuckle, vice-like grip on the central pillar was a boon for D, as he was able to lord it over this scaredy cat. In the event the flight was smooth and the vista over the harbour, the Hunter River, the Mitchell Plateau and the Mitchell River was magnificent. We flew over several birds: T identified a Sea Eagle, D a (probable) Brahminy Kite, and we were’t able to positively identify two long-necked white birds, probably some sort of Ibis. And again we saw two Torresian Crows.

We were off-loaded for about an hour at the falls. A reasonable trek along a rocky path took us to a viewing platform where we could appreciate the beauty of the falls. A man from Adelaide, who was on his way to see his son in Meekathara, said he’d been there for an hour just soaking up the experience. When asked how he’d got here on his way from A to M, given that it was somewhat indirect, he said he’d just taken a wrong turn at Alice Springs. That is a very significant, let alone intentional, wrong turn! There is access to the falls off the Gibb River Road, and there were two couples who’d driven in and were spending a couple of nights in the area – our pilot had told us that there is a four kilometer walk in from the camp ground.

By the time we were zodiac-ed back to the ship, the two restaurants had closed, so we’d now missed breakfast (early start) and lunch (late return). And to add to our hunger woes (warning: first world problem alert) we could only have the 24/7 Room Service in our room rather than in the outdoor deck area with our fellow flyers in the same plight. So that’s what we did. The meal was delivered by a Filipino waiter, a reminder that our indulgent cruise was being serviced by workers from The Philippines, Indonesia and the like, all on 10 month continuous contracts, working 10 hour days, no days off, involving separation from their families for all of that time, and no doubt on wages that we’d not be prepared to accept. The angles on this set up are many – there are pros and cons, but we are still left with this lingering ’guilt’ that why has an accident of birth given us so much advantage?

And tonight – a move binge: The Darkest Hour (about Churchill at the time of Dunkirk followed by Paulette, a delightful French comedy about a granny who deals hash.