- Fremantle and Perth, Western Australia
- On the road to Margaret River, Western Australia
- Rottnest Island, Western Australia
- Back to Broome, Western Australia
- Lacepede Island, Western Australia
- Talbot Bay, Western Australia
- Montgomery Reef and Freshwater Cove, Western Australia
- Hunter River and Mitchell Falls, Western Australia
- Ashmore Reef, Australia
- Vansittart Bay, Western Australia
- King George River, Western Australia
- Darwin, Northern Territory
- Agats, West Papua, Indonesia
- Kokas, West Papua, Indonesia
- Misool, Yapap Lagoon, Indonesia
- Yenwaupnor, Gam Island, Indonesia
- Mansinam Island, West Papua, Indonesia
- Cenderawasih Bay, Indonesia
- Cenderwasih Bay, Indonesia Supplemental
- Vanimo, Papua New Guinea
- Garove Island, Papua New Guinea
- Duke of York Island and Rabaul, Papua New Guinea — and the trip takes a turn for the worse
- Ghizo Island, Solomon Islands and my health situation is still uncertain
- Honiara, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands; a 72-hour pause in our trip; and a triumphant return!
- Dravuni Island, Kadavu, Fiji
- Vulaga, Fiji
- Pangai and Nukupule Island, Ha’Apai Group, Tonga
- Vavau, Tonga
- Apia, Upolo, Samoa
- Aitutaki, Cook Islands
- Raiatea, Society Islands, French Polynesia
- Maroe Bay, Huahine Iti, French Polynesia
- Bora Bora, French Polynesia and end of trip
Another incredible day. Our first stop was Montgomery Reef. At 154 sq. mi. in size, it’s the world’s largest inshore reef, surrounding Montgomery (or Yawajaba) Island. It’s almost like another horizontal waterfall. At low tide, the reef is a panorama of vast lagoons, tiny sandstone islets and a central mangrove island. Yet at high tide, you could easily miss seeing this reef system as it is covered. The magic occurs on the outgoing tide, when whitewater rapids and cascading waterfalls are created and the huge reef appears to rise out of an endless ocean. It is a high energy environment, with the tidal flow moving up to 5 mph! It has a 1.8 billion year terrestrial tableland created from the same rocks as the surrounding Kimberley Basin, while on top is a more recent layer of marine sediment, including calcareous coral, shell and algae. While our Zodiac didn’t see it, there was a Humpback mom and calf in the reef and just escaped before the tide went out too far. Apparently, there are periodic standings and usually this results in the death of the whale(s).
In the afternoon, we visited Freshwater Cove (or Wiggingarra Butt Butt), which lies on the mainland adjacent to Montgomery Reef. The area is named appropriately, as fresh water pours from out the ground all year round, making this an ideal area for a traditional camp. And the people of the Arraluli clan have done just that — for over 50,000 years. This was our first contact on the trip with local indigenous people and the four people who live here for 7 months per year. Gideon, the elder, painted ochre on our faces as a way of welcoming us and told us a lot about their history and traditional stories and practices. We hiked (and rock climbed) up into the hills to visit Cyclone Cave, a rock outcropping that is decorated with art that guide, Neil, says dates back to the early days of settlement. We were asked not to share pictures of their art, but if you Google “Cyclone Cave rock art” you will see some examples. Describing the pictographs, Neil told us stories about their beliefs, history, and practices and how they continue to affect their lives (e.g., who can marry who). Before we left, we had to pass through a cloud of smoke to cleanse any spirits that may have attached to us before we left. The clan is interested in sharing their stories with visitors both to help us understand them and share the importance of preservation.
I am a traveler and sometimes clay sculptor, following a long career working in consulting. My work allowed me to travel the world extensively and I was hooked. Today, I travel with my wife/best friend to explore new places, meet new people, and learn new things.
