Coral Expeditions returns to the ocean with outer reef voyage
Take a berth on Australia’s first east-coast voyage since COVID shut down the ships.
There are many ways to a cruiser’s heart — exclusive shore excursions, beverage packages, cabin upgrades, for instance. Up the nostrils with a sterile swab isn’t usually one of them. In the midst of a pandemic, however, passing a COVID-19 test is the only way to step aboard a ship, and literal proof of your devotion to the ocean.
Although a nasal invasion might seem an extreme start to a holiday, this pre-trip screening is bigger than the cautious return of cruising; it’s a glimpse into the future of international travel. As my nose tingles and eyes water, I daydream about the salty sea breeze that will soothe my senses on Coral Expeditions’ first voyage since March.
On October 14, the big day arrives and 46 virus-free Australians are transferred from a Cairns hotel to the wharf in our squeaky-clean bubble. Gleaming in the sunshine, Coral Discoverer awaits. It’s been so long since I laid eyes on a cruise ship it’s like spotting a spaceship from another planet.
More than six months since ports were slammed shut around the country, we are allowed back on board. Excitedly, I place my sandalled foot upon the gangway. That’s one small step for a cruiser, one giant leap for cruising.
But things have changed. Gone is the welcome cocktail; here is your squirt of sanitiser, madam. Point and click, not from a photographer’s camera but a doctor checking your temperature. There’s also no lunch buffet to launch this floating food fest; meals and drinks are delivered by waiters.
Other modifications happen largely behind the scenes: the constant cleaning and disinfecting; new systems for luggage handling, food preparation and laundry; more fresh air and filtered ventilation. The most noticeable difference is housekeeping staff wearing masks, gloves and aprons; everyone else is mask-free.
It’s been a journey to get this far. The process begins upon booking, when declaration forms must be completed to confirm we have no iffy, sniffly symptoms. One week prior to departure, we are asked to self-isolate as much as possible after a GP conducts a more thorough health assessment. Then, 24 to 72 hours before boarding, the serious business of swab testing is performed. Given the all-clear, patients become passengers and can finally switch into holiday mode.
Coral Expeditions’ Australian crew undergo the same strict procedures, providing some reassurance everyone will be healthy. As an Australian-flagged vessel, Coral Discoverer is exempt from the government’s cruising ban, but the company has worked with a medical agency to devise a plan to sail safely in a world in which the coronavirus still exists.
Most of my fellow travellers are from Queensland (or spent the winter at holiday homes here) and they can’t wait to leave land behind for a week. Our smiles rise while the sun sets as the ship departs for the Great Barrier Reef. Many have come to dive at Osprey, the northernmost reef in the Coral Sea, 350km away. Even from the nearest point on the coast, it’s further than the tip of Australia to Papua New Guinea, so it feels as good as overseas in 2020.
The reef sits on a submerged mountain that stands almost vertically from the ocean floor, 2000m high, with plummeting coral walls and visibility of up to 60m in vivid blue water. After a rough ride overnight, conditions remain choppy but we can’t miss this opportunity to explore such a remote location. Strong swimmers brave the morning session until calmer waters encourage more people in the afternoon.
“This is the reef that spawns cyclones,” says expedition leader Jamie Anderson, who has worked with the company for 19 years. “Because it’s so far out in the ocean, in the middle of nowhere, it gets hammered by winds and trashed on top, but it gets better deeper down so it’s best for diving.”
A more vibrant vision is experienced at Ribbon Reefs, a string of long, narrow structures along the edge of the continental shelf, stretching 670km. Again we have this precious place to ourselves, sighting green turtles, reef sharks, thousands of tropical fish and a rainbow of corals. After lunch, at another section two hours’ sail away, snorkellers circumnavigate a bommie bursting with marine life in phenomenally clear water.
Beyond the reach of most day boats, the outer edge of these open-water reefs is rarely seen, as even charter boats stay on the sheltered inner side. Coral Expeditions owns private moorings here, as well as at Osprey, so there is no sharing the sites with other commercial operators. It’s an absolute privilege.
The next day we disembark at Port Douglas to head to the Daintree River for a journey through crocodile territory. Within minutes we encounter Lumpy and Bruce, as they are named by local guides, gliding stealthily in the shallows. Accompanied by the mournful whistle of mangrove robins and the sweet melody of yellow oriole, the river cruise is a relaxing diversion where two UNESCO World Heritage sites meet — Earth’s oldest rainforest on one side, its biggest reef system on the other.
In the evening, we return to the ship to make our way to Undine Cay, a dollop of white sand — or “parrotfish poo”, as dive intructor Sebastian Lovera clarifies — surrounded by crystalline water. The crew set up a bar on the tiny island’s beach for sunset drinks, which we enjoy barefoot by the shore. But the serenity is suddenly disrupted by a hammerhead shark chasing a stingray. It’s a startling reminder never to swim at dusk.
Hiking to magnificent vistas over pristine bays is another heart-pumping option on this seaborne sojourn. At Lizard Island, we greet sunrise with a challenging trek up Cook’s Look, before an easier stroll to Blue Lagoon beach. At Fitzroy Island, a two-hour summit walk leads to an old lighthouse and panoramic turquoise sea views.
“The places we visit over these seven days tell a good story of Australia’s geomorphology history,” says expedition leader Marysia Pawlikowska. “The reefs we see today are remnants of our coastline 20,000 years ago. Approximately 10,000 years ago we went through an interglacial period, with warmer temperatures causing ice to melt. As the sea level rose, many mountains were cut off by the rising water and became these islands.”
Our final saltwater immersion is drift-snorkelling at Sudbury Cay, where I must be the last passenger to finally spot a turtle. He appears 2m in front of me, flippers flapping in slow motion, like the wings of an underwater angel. Unfazed by my stalking as I swim creepily close behind him, he leads me back to the boat before slipping away. Significantly less elegantly, I haul myself onboard and head for the captain’s farewell party.
Thanks to an open bridge policy, everyone has already met Captain Miles Hammond and the officers; we can drop in anytime to watch the navigation from the “cockpit”. Guests agree they will mostly miss the friendly crew, all of whom joined Coral Discoverer from the line’s other vessels, which remain out of operation. The familiar faces of waiters, bartenders, chefs and pursers bring obvious joy to past passengers as well as first-timers.
When the ship docks in Cairns for our reluctant disembarkation, the team lines the wharf to say goodbye (minus hugs) to us, the adventurous souls who seized the chance and made the effort to be shipshape for cruising. Mission, with no transmission, successful.
In the know
The 72-passenger Coral Discoverer’s Outerknown Adventures on the Great Barrier Reef cruise departs Cairns every Wednesday until December 9 this year. The seven-night expedition calls at Cooktown, Lizard Island, Osprey Reef, Ribbon Reef, Port Douglas (Daintree River) and Fitzroy Island. From $4750 a person, twin-share, including meals, house wine, beer, spirits and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, guided excursions, water sports equipment hire, transfers and one night pre-cruise accommodation. Special offers include no single supplement, half-price fares for children and complimentary $500 travel credit.
More to the story
Due to border closures and restrictions on large ships, only two other small vessels are offering intrastate cruises this year. True North is running Kimberley sailings, with some extending to the Rowley Shoals, 300km off the coast of Western Australia. Upcoming destinations include Rottnest Island, Esperance, Dampier and Montebello Islands. In South Australia, Captain Cook Cruises paddlewheeler PS Murray Princess has been rolling down the Murray River since June.
Louise Goldsbury was a guest of Coral Expeditions.
To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register
Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout