Comparing this life with sailing along the coast of northern Australia on a small ship

This is our third day ‘at sea’ before arriving at Shanghai, where I am off to see a remote village known as the ‘Watertown of Zhujiajiao’. As may be gathered, I prefer to see remote villages and countryside rather than tobe ‘let loose’ in a huge city to shop and to see skyscrapers and other buildings that do not really speak of the people and their culture.

As I write this, the sea is merging with the sky and light is shimmering over its waves. It is windy and cold outside, so I must confess my only exercise today has been walking around the inside of the ship to go to meals, to the library to collect my daily crossword and Sudoku, and to another fascinating talk by yesterday’s lecturer - this time on the women who were the victims of Jack the Ripper, all of whom had led tragic lives, and only one of whom was a prostitute, contrary to commonly held beliefs. 

I have seen albatrosses flying alongside the ship but I have not yet been able to capture them on film as they fly very quickly, gracefully gliding on the winds with their powerful wings barely moving, or swooping up and down over the waves. I wonder whether they simply seek human company in this otherwise huge void. 

You never know what delightful little moments await you on the ship each day. Today when I sat in ‘my’ usual coffee lounge for a cup of coffee, a Japanese couple came and say beside me. At the other end of the room was a very excited crowd learning how to do origami - just one of the many craft cases that are offered on the ship. When I explained to them what the crowd was doing, the very gentle, polite lady offered to teach me some origami. So there we were, making a bird with our soft paper serviettes. We laughed at their rather soft, floppy appearance, but it was a lovely opportunity to chat and learn about where they came from and all the travel they have done, including in Australia. 

There are many sources of gentle amusement on board. At the breakfast table yesterday, we all had a little laugh about the breakfast ritual in the main dining room. As we are seated, we are formally handed the menu and asked whether we want tea or coffee, a pastry, muffin or roll and a fruit juice. We then solemnly open up the menu, even though we know what is on it. (There is quite a choice, but unlike the dinner menu, it does not change each day.) And so we pretend to peruse the menu with great solemnity then give our order to the waiter. Soon the waiters bring out our drinks, then fruit then cereals then hot dishes. Meanwhile we introduce ourselves if we haven’t sat together before, and discuss all manner of things. Then we take leave of each other, wish each other a good day, and head off to our rooms or to ‘walk the boards’ or to pursue other activities.       

I cannot help but compare this life with our life on board the small ship on which I have travelled twice along the Kimberley Coast between Darwin and Broome on the northern coast of Australia. The ship was an Australian-owned ship known then as ‘Oceanic Discoverer’. With only 50 or so passengers, you soon got to know everyone on board over the ten days of the voyage. Being so much smaller, the ship can sail close to the rocky coastline. After breakfast all of us would pile into the ferry which was then lowered by crane into the sea and off we would go to cruise along mighty rivers or visit some of the small uninhabited islands along the coast and view rock art painted thousands of years ago by the local Aboriginals.

The landscape was stunning, with majestic rich red escarpments and amazing rock formations, sapphire blue seas, and in one location, a huge coral reef that suddenly rose up out of the sea like a spectacular stage production, water pouring off it. Many waterfalls were seen running down the rock faces - they must have been incredible to see in the wet season. Then there were birds such as sea eagles, sea turtles and small brown sharks that swam under the ship’s platform hoping to be fed, and of course the inevitable saltwater crocodiles which we mainly saw along the muddy banks of some of the rivers. At night, if you were out on the ferry to look for crocodiles and fish and turned out the lights, across the darkened skies a myriad of stars shone down at us, a breathtaking sight you never see in cities today. David Attenborough described this as one of the most beautiful and unique places on Earth. It certainly was magical.

I will post some of my photos of the different styles of rock art we saw, and of one of the birds that I managed to zoom in on whist it says in its nest high above the water. Right this moment the upload speed is far, far too slow.     

Having said all that, this journey on the much bigger ship is worthwhile for many other reasons, not the least of which is meeting so many interesting people and discovering very different lands and cultures. (The Oceanic Discoverer now visits further afield, but I would be too seasick on that when it sails on the open ocean.)

Note: After this  world trip is over, I will tell the story of my adventures along the Kimberley Coast in full.