|
Cruising the
Great Barrier Reef with
the Kangaroo Explorer
| Have you ever waited on a three hour line (or "cue" as the Ausies might say)
for a three minute ride at a theme park? Or traveled to an overcrowded, overpriced tourist
trap where you were suffocated by hordes of people, and bombarded with artificial
decorations and "points of interest" prefabricated by resort consortiums with an
ill-advised parchment for plastic palm trees, painted plaster rocks, and chlorinated
waterfalls with poorly camouflaged PVC pipes? You are not alone. World travelers are
forever in search of special "lasting" experiences and memories, and their
expectations all too often go unsatisfied. |
| This cruise offers unsurpassed
snorkeling, fishing, exploring, and adventure in a pristine wilderness and a glimpse of early Australian history. You can take Kangaroo
Explorer’s 7-day cruise north or south bound; or a 4-day cruise, which includes air
transfer from Cairns to Thursday Island. Prices start
from around $900 (Australian) per person [area map and currency converter]
for lower deck 4-berth cabins and includes all meals. Departures, depending on itinerary,
are north bound from Cairns
on Saturday or Sunday and south bound from Thursday Island on Saturdays.  Top
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Sailing mostly at night while the passengers are sleeping,
the Kangaroo Explorer is a 25-meter catamaran cruiser designed specifically for cruising
the The Great Barrier Reef and vicinity.
Family operated, this ship makes three marvelous unforgettable journeys. It visits
isolated, off-the-beaten-track areas such as Lizard Island, Cooktown, the Cod Hole [link to page with photos],
Pixie Pinnacle [link to
page with photos], Cape York, and Thursday Island that will forever
etch themselves in your memories. |
 |
For example, take Lizard Island, which
is also an Australian national park. Hours away from civilization by plane and days away
by boat, it is actually an exclusive world class resort. Visitors to the island are |
| limited to 40 people at any one time. Occasional
authorized visits by yachts and small cruse ships and planes are the only visitors the
island gets. Kangaroo Explorer has special permission to stop at this surreal place. The the 1000 hectare island has some barely visible hiking trails
including one that takes you to Cook's Look, the highest peak, which rises to 359 meters,
affording a 360 degree view of the The Northern Great Barrier Reef and surrounding
islands.
The crown jewel of the 24 isolated, sandy beaches (consisting
of a mixture of powdery decomposed granite sand with shell and coral fragments), is
the island's famous Blue Lagoon. The island has fresh water streams, lots of palm trees
and ferns, mangroves, and a variety of tropical flora.
The Clam Gardens site is home to giant, 150 year old clams.
There are coral formations off the main beach. A marine research station
was established in the area in 1975. |
Joey Anis releasing star fish on a secluded beach on Lizard Island.
( Photo by Patricia Perratore-Anis)
David Anis discovers some exposed coral.
( Photo by Patricia Perratore-Anis)
Giant Clam at Pixie Pinnacle.
(Underwater Photo by Nick Anis) |
| There are 40 species of birds and 11 species
of lizards, including the large Gould's
goanna, the lizard after which island was named. Lizard Island has five
recorded species of snakes which are rarely seen. A small colony of bats are the only
known mammals on the island, besides humans. Top of Page | Return to Travel-Watch Home Page | |
| Another stop on the voyage, the Cod Hole [link to page with photos],
has the biggest fish you may ever see. I didn't realize the potato cod [link page with photo]
or Bregmacerotidae, which are
only found in the topical and subtropical regions of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific
Oceans grew to be that large. When we stopped there, everyone jumped in for a dip and
"swam with the fishes." Almost instantly,
we were surrounded by large fish including some as big as whales. [back to top of page] [home]
Pixie Pinnacle [link to page with photos]
is a beautiful outcropping of coral that could easily be missed by boaters not familiar
with the area. Our ship’s captain, a master seaman licensed to operate giant ocean
liners, had no problem finding this magical place. The snorkeling was excellent. It was
here that I learned about parrotfish [link to page with photo] and
how they pair for life, and how most reef fish have their own special individual hangouts.
I also discovered giant
clams as big as easy chairs, that are hundreds of years old, grow to over five feet in
length, and weigh more than 500 pounds, actually exist.
Top
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 Potato Cod caught by Joey Anis's trolling line who went to bed moments before it
was hooked. Note: This fish was released.
(Photo by Nick Anis)
Nick Anis snorkeling at edge of Pixie Pinnacle about 20 feet below the
surface.
(Underwater Photo by taken by SCUBA Diver/ Instructor, and First Mate, Kevin Smith.)
Giant Clam at Pixie Pinnacle.
(Underwater Photo by Nick Anis) |
| The fishing, diving, and snorkeling is
arguably the best in the world. Even though I live in Southern California, now that
I’m in my 40’s I seldom do much swimming. But during this trip my wife had to
practically drag me out of the water. I didn’t
mean to, but I kept laughing as she said to me that I was becoming "obsessed"
with snorkeling. True, I was practically hypnotized by the endless cornucopia of coral and
sea life, but what the heck, this is the trip of a lifetime, why not savor every minute of
it. It’s an exhilarating experience that builds with each passing moment as you
experience geological wonders and marine life in unspoiled splendor.
I’m talking about creatures such as endangered giant
green sea turtles [link to photo] and
lizards, whales,
dolphins, porpoises, sharks,
and thousands of varieties of colorful and exotic reef fish in their natural environment
as they have been for thousands of years. The area is dotted with continental islands
formed by geological struggles that have been occurring between the earth’s plates
over a thousand millennium. Sand clays (islands) abound that have been formed by billions
and billions of particles of coral transformed over the ages into sand and populated by
migrating birds and by flora carried by trade winds and ocean currents.
Top
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There are literally thousands of islands along the Great Barrier Reef. The Kangaroo Explorer
takes you to historical landings like Cooktown and Cape York, and some
of the most unsullied and isolated islands in the world. From one of these beautiful
islands you can watch a coconut shell dislodged from the mainland or another island wash
ashore (to eventually take root) – it’s an ecosystem that’s been occurring
for millions of years. All your senses will be stimulated as you hear, see, smell, and
feel "only" what God and nature has created. This is one of the few places in
the world where you can go for days without seeing a pay phone, newspaper, television,
car, and oh yea, people. It’s amazing that day after day all your photos come out
like picture postcards!
Passengers on the ship can simply relax and savor the
scenery, or seek adventure. Activities such as fishing, diving, snorkeling, visits to
beautiful reefs, islands, and coastal villages were all wonderful. Everyone had a
fantastic time. The entire itinerary is very carefully planned and perfectly executed by a
crew that clearly knows what they are doing: the first mate, Kevin;
the cruise director, Claire, and the ship’s aquatic diver, lifeguard, fishing
instructor, and superman, Ethan.
Top
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 Cruise Director, Claire, and
Chef, Charlie beside the magnificent Seafood Feast, on the last night of the cruise,
aboard the Kangaroo Explorer.
(Photo by Nick Anis) |
Delicious food served onboard ranges from the greatest
seafood feast you are likely to ever have in your lifetime, to tempting lamb, veal, beef,
and chicken. All meals, coffee, tea, and milk, and
snacks are included, but there is an modest additional charge for liquor, beer, wine, and
soft drinks.
There are dishes for everyone’s tastes including
children and vegetarians. We were particularly impressed with the delicious traditional
Australian specialty dishes such as Chicken Puff Kiev, Balmain Bugs (Green Lobster) with
Mango Sauce, Crown Roast of
Lamb with Tipsy Sweet Potato Stuffing, and the popular desert Pavlova. The freshly prepared
food served at the delightful island picnics and barbecues was also superb. For avid
fisherman and seafood lovers, the onboard chef can cook up your catch while you freshen up
in your private cabin for dinner.
The ship is large enough for everyone to be conformable but
small enough for everyone to get to know one another. |
There are 16 twin or double air-conditioned
passenger cabins, and four decks. The Smith family and their crew take great care and
pride in running the ship and seeing to their passenger’s every need. Passengers are
treated like family. Lifetime friendships between people who were previously strangers are
often established. We have kept in touch with the group who traveled with us, who were
mostly Australian. We took the 7-day Northbound trip from Cairns to
Cape York. Besides
wonderful experiences with nature’s marvels, good food, and pleasant company, we also
got to learn all about Australia’s culture and history from our new friends on board.
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One of the attractions of the Kangaroo Explorer is their
affiliation with exceptional and unique resorts such as the Daintree Eco Lodge near Cairns, and the Pajinka Wilderness Lodge at
Cape York [photo of bay and coastline]. Before flying back in a commuter
plane from Bamaga Airport we
stayed for five wondrous days at this four star resort lodge which is operated by the
Injinoo Aboriginal
people. [back to top of
page] [home]
This is one of the most remote parts of the world that few
people ever get to see. For the most part, the coastal resort enjoys good weather and
conditions, but only a short distance inland during the peak dry season there are dust
storms and wildfires, and during the peak wet-season there can be flooding. When you come
from Southern California which "occasionally" experiences earthquakes,
wildfires, floods, and mud slides, those things aren’t that intimidating, especially
since they can be seasonally avoided.
The Pajinka Wilderness Lodge
offers a family atmosphere, comfortable accommodations, unparalleled beauty. The area's
varied topography includes rainforest, outback, Savannah land, mangroves, wetlands,
grasslands and long sandy beaches overlooking the point where the Indian and Pacific Ocean
meet.
Top
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| The resort was originally built by Quantas. It is now
owned and operated by the original land owners, the Injinoo Aboriginal people. The area has a large population of wild pigs which explains the
popularity of pig
hunting. We watched in amazement as a herd crossed in front of us during a trip
through the rainforest.
 Rusty, Injinoo Aboriginal elder and
chief taking his dingy into the mouth of Crocodile Creek during High Tide.
(Photo by Nick Anis) |
A variety of walking, 4-wheel drive, and motorboat tours
are offered by trained naturalist guides. Special
boardwalks are setup so guests can view birds and other wildlife in the mangroves without
having to worry too much about crocks.
There are native guides like Rusty, Injinoo Aboriginal
elder and chief (see photo at left) who can show you the ways of local fishing and
customs. |
And there are quite a lot of exotic birds,
lizards, amphibians, and mammals to see, merely by walking from your cottage to the
swimming pool or dining area.
My sons Joey, 10, and David, 8, were particularly impressed
with the area’s abundant giant green tree frogs with their
cute little suction cup feet, the legless lizards [link to page with photo]
with their absent feet (and legs). They were amazed to see thousands of giant cane toads (Bufo
marinus). Some of these toads are as large as
dinner plates, but I don't think you'll want to eat any. As a final survival tactic when
attacked their parotid glands secrete a poison highly toxic to small animals.
Top
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 Giant
Green Tree Frog at Pajinka just outside one of the guest cottages.
(Photo by Nick Anis)
Legless Lizard caught at Pajinka just outside one of the guest cottages.
(Photo by Nick Anis)
Giant Toad (Cane Toad) at Pajinka on the floor of a Eucalyptus Grove.
(Photo by Nick Anis) |
Top of Page | Return to Travel-Watch Home
Page |
All this exotic wildlife made quite an adventure for
everyone. |
| One morning, two male nurses from Bamaga Hospital on holiday told
us of how they escaped the jaws of Gary, a large aggressive male salt water crocodile. It seems
the croc was protecting his territory when they inadvertently invaded in a flimsy dinghy
while fishing on mangrove tree- lined Crocodile Creek. They had to drag their dinghy a
couple of hundred feet in the shallows while being chased by Gary. Top
of Page | Return to Travel-Watch Home Page | |
 Bamaga Hospital male nurse, with outback truck driver, Walter and his
dinner-catch.
(Photo by Nick Anis) |
These "locals" should pay more attention to the
tide charts and avoid waterways with names like "Crocodile Creek." Actually,
they made out okay. They got away, and some huge soft-shell crabs were scooped up by
chance as they frantically dragged their little boat over the creek bed to the open water
to make their escape. They were kind enough to tell me about their adventure and invite me
and an outback truck driver to sample their catch, which the resort’s chef, Steve,
eagerly cooked for them. |
| The area’s overall climate, even in winter, is about
like Florida or California. Dress onboard is always casual. The uniform of the day for
passengers is typically a bathing suit. The last night of our cruise, however, was
"dress up" night – sort of anyway. The crew supplied everyone with funny
costumes to wear. I donned a Groucho
Marx mustache, nose and glasses. My wife wore a Wilma Flintstone outfit. Our two little
boys wore modest little cartoon character masks. The most distinguished and senior members
of our group provided a shocker for us: Frank, in a grass skirt (with nothing underneath)
and provocative coconut top, lipstick, rouge, and Eric in an alien outfit with huge ears
and bulging eyeballs. |
 Eric the alien, Frank in Drag
(Photo by Nick Anis) |
Top
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| All in all, the evening was a complete success; we all had
a great time and thought, "what a great way to cap off the cruise!" The next
morning was our departure for our final destination, Cape York. Getting
up before sunrise was the call to order. We took the ship’s dinghy, a glass bottom
boat named the Joey Explorer, to the beach a short distance away. Our guide, Ethan, (whose
incredible diving skills made us suspect he had a secret set of gills) took us over
several huge rock formations on the towering cliffs in the darkness. |
 First Mate Kevin Smith, Passenger Joey Anis (Photo by Nick Anis) |
Top
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| To our surprise, when we finally arrived at a pivotal spot
where the Coral Sea and the Indian Ocean meet, Ethan parked his gear and brought out
bottles of Champagne and glasses. The sun was just beginning to rise, and we found we were
at the most perfect spot for photos, the Cape York Peninsula!
The sun was rising, the waves were crashing against the rocks, and the wind was blowing
through our hair while we sipped champagne and stood in awe at the Northwest tip of the
Australian Continent on the other side of the world. Top of Page | Return to Travel-Watch Home Page |
|
 Sunrise at Cape York, the
Northwest Tip of the Australian Continent.
Photo by Peter Bird |
- About the Great
Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is located in the Coral Sea
15-160 km (10-100 mi) off the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. Although the Great
Barrier Reef is often called the longest coral reef in the world, it is actually a series
of coral islands, reefs, and shoals that extend north to southeast for over 2,000 km
(1,250 mi).
The are more than 350 species of coral. Coral
formations are on the outer, eastern edge of the continental shelf, which is believed by
scientist to have one been part of the Queensland coast. These formations consist mainly
of the calcified remains of coral polyp which forged strange and beautiful formations over
millions of years.
The Lagoon, a shallow body of water dotted with
hundreds of islands, some of them coral cays, others summits of a drowned coastal mountain
range lies between the main reef and the mainland.
On June 11, 1770 Capt. James Cook discovered the
Endeavor Reef that now bears the ship's name, after running aground.
- Vividly colored fish, shells, and giant clams, all
clearly visible in the crystalline waters, are a great tourist attraction. [back to top of page] [home]
The Giant Toad
The giant toad, Bufo marinus, in the family
Bufonidae, grows to 23 cm (9 in) in length. Adult males are brown in color; adult females
and young are light yellowish, with brown spots. It is found from south Texas to the
Amazon Basin of South America, and it ranges from sea level to elevations of about 1,500 m
(5,000 ft).
Giant toads were introduced to many tropical islands
to help control insects, but the plan backfired because they also devour beneficial native
fauna. Remarkably prolific, a single female can produce 35,000 eggs in a single year.
[back to top of page] [home]
Legless Lizards
- Legless, or blunt-tailed lizards, Anniella pulchra
and A. geronimensis, are burrowing, blunt-tailed lizards reaching about 25 cm (10 in) in
length. They feed on insects and are ovoviviparous, bearing one to four living young.
Legless lizards possess movable eyelids but lack external ear openings, characteristics
that distinguish them from the limbless worm lizards (amphisbaenians), which lack movable
eyelids, and the limbless glass snakes, Ophisaurus, and some European slowworms, Anguis,
which have external ear openings.
[back to top of page] [home]
Frogmouths
Frogmouths are short-legged, wide-mouthed, nocturnal
birds constituting the family Podargidae. The 12 or 13 species grow to lengths of about 53
cm (21 in) and inhabit savanna, open woodland, or forest, from India and southeastern Asia
into Indonesia and the Philippines. Frogmouths feed primarily on ground-dwelling insects.
All species have soft, silky plumage in shades of brown, gray, and black. When disturbed
by day, the frogmouth assumes a head-raised, vertical position, mimicking a broken branch.
Frogmouths lay 1 to 2 eggs at a time.
[back to top of page] [home]
Tree frog
Tree frog, name for any of 550 species of frog in
family Hylidae; found around the world, but mostly in Western Hemisphere; usually small
and long-legged with sucker-like adhesive disks on feet for climbing; most types hatch in
water; South American marsupial type (Gastrotheca) has pouch on back for young; common
species include barking tree frog (H. gratiosa), European green tree frog (H. arborea),
and Pacific tree frog (H. regilla. They can jump twice their length. Their skin has a
delicate coating.
*Glossary sources: Comptons Living, Columbia
Concise, and Groiler Multimedia Encyclopedias
[back to top of page] [home]
|
| Nick Anis is a
computer and technology writer and the author of 24 books who also writes about travel,
food & wine, entertainment, skiing and family recreation. He writes for Ziff-Davis,
Microtimes, The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Travel Watch, TravelGram, and
Restaurant-Row. He is responsible for the Restaurant Row Ethnic Dining Guide, co-published
by the Long Beach Press Telegram. Nick is a member of the Computer Press Association, The
International Food Wine, and Travel Writers Association (IFW&TWA), and the North
American Ski Journalists Assn. (NASJA). Nick can be
reached at NickAnis@travel-watch.com,
Phone:
909-860-6914, Fax: 909-396-0014. |
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Articles | Home |
- Kangaroo Explorer
Cruises
- P. Box Box 7110
- Cairns QLD Australia 4870
-
- Freecall: 1800 079 141
(Australia Only)
International Phone: +61-7-4032-4000
International Fax: +61-7-4032-4050
Email: kevin@kangaroocruises.com.au
- Photo credits: Patricia A. Perratore-Anis, Nick Anis, Peter
Bird, and Kangaroo Explorer
- Photo Captions: © Copyright 1995-2002 Travel-Watch –
All rights reserved, worldwide
- © Copyright 1995-2001 Travel-Watch – All rights
reserved, worldwide
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