Rocked to sleep in the arms of the moving Timor Sea, we steamed on south towards our final destination for our Kimberley voyage—the port of Darwin. In the wee hours of the morning few were aware our expedition had reached its most northerly point, as we made a technical stop in Com in Timor, lowered a Zodiac at 3:00 a.m., which went ashore with crew to clear local customs and pick up some interesting local crafts to support the local people, which we offered for sale in our boutique during the afternoon. Most of us awoke to a rolling sea, a reminder that we had left the restful, rocky coast of the Kimberley behind, and we wandered in a rather zigzag fashion to breakfast in the lovely sea breezes that freshen the air at the outdoor café. Nice also to be able to focus the horizon while dining on a rock-and-rolling sea! After satisfying our morning nutritional needs we gathered in the lounge for what would be the beginning of a wonderfully entertaining complement of presentations from a passionate and learned line up of naturalists—a great way to enjoy the passage! Brent filled the lounge and gave us a great introduction to birding to kickstart the day and was followed by Adam with his eye-opening talk about crocodile research, revealing many secrets of how technology allows us to observe and discover much about these ancient predators from a safe vantage point.
After a hearty lunch, Erin chimed in with her own personal take on crocodile and people interactions with her presentation, much enjoyed by all of us. A final chance to submit images for our evening voyage slide show was soon followed by Martin’s untangling of the intriguing eco-system of mangroves, with enlightening highlights of mad crabs and barramundi. Galley tours were extremely popular, even in these seas, and an extra one was included today due to popularity—everyone wanted to see where all the great cuisine was being created! Chris took out the final place today with his own personal rendition of the marine mammals of the Kimberley Coast and gave us an excellent overview of the surprising variety in these rich waters.
A great day already and a great expedition was coming to a fitting climax, with the very welcoming Captain Brian Larcombe inviting us to the lounge for festive drinks, socializing, and a final chance to say a few words and thank some of the many people who have been instrumental in creating this wonderful adventure for us all! A special last dining experience swept us into a deep rest and our good ship National Geographic Orion carried us and our cherished shared memories safely onward to Australia and our future journeys.
