Places Untravelled

Well this didn't go as planned!

Up until Thursday (5 August) at 4:15pm, I’d expected to be sending out an email that started: “What a delight it is to send you this email, particularly since I'm in Darwin. Yes, in the Northern Territory, and on my way to Western Australia.”

This was to be the start of a 4 week trip that has been planned for about 8 months, and had changed multiple times during COVID lockdowns 4 and 5. Dates, flights, towns, activities ... basically everything changed, changed and changed again. It finally looked do-able, and fun.

And then P F f f f f f – it evaporated. I heard those fateful words: “from 8pm tonight Victoria will be back in lockdown.”

So here is an overview of the “Trip Untravelled.” I’ve been in two minds (just the two for now) as to whether to write this or not. Selfishly it provided some therapeutic relief; and perhaps reading this will help you with your future planning.

I’d planned to be in Darwin for 15 days so that I could cross into WA without quarantining there. While based in Darwin, I would fly 30 minutes east (by Cessna 210) to arrive at Bamurru Plains safari lodge on the Mary River, near the edge of Kakadu National Park. It is part of a 303 sq km property that stretches from the Arafura Sea in the north, across floodplains and woodland.

Three nights and four days glamping there would have me back in touch with nature, taking photos and enjoying a very different environment to cool, grey Melbourne.

Then I was to fly back to Darwin for a week, taking this time to look around and venture along the coast, before flying west to Kununurra in WA. I’m realising that this town is a gem tucked way up in the north west of the state. I’d planned an afternoon trip to Lake Argyle, stopping at historic homesteads along the way, and enjoying the evening and sunset on the lake.

The following morning, a bus would take me and other passengers, for a 1.5 hour drive north to the coast, where we would board the MV Reef Prince. This would be our home for the next 11 days as we sailed west and south, along the Kimberley coast to Broome. I’m told that this is one of the most beautiful coastal trips in Australia and the world, and I really do look forward to seeing it.

Along the way we would be using the Reef Prince’s tenders to go up rivers, land on tucked away beaches, visit waterfalls and enjoy the sights. Although we’d be getting late in the whale watching season, there might just be some humpbacks (at least some with a calf) that are staying a little longer. And I imagine the night skies would be spectacular.

Once in Broome, three days would definitely include at least one whale watching tour, and very importantly, a visit to meet the snubfin dolphins in Roebuck Bay. These are amazing looking animals that are toothed whales – similar to orca and unlike baleen whales such as humpback whales. They have large round heads and are related to Irrawaddy dolphins that you might have seen. They actually look very much like Beluga whales, although they’re not related to them.

From there it would be a short hop south to Perth, to catch up with friends, and then back to Melbourne.

I was so looking forward to bringing you the sights, sounds and experiences of this trip. It, like the visit to Africa, is pushed out to 2022.

In the meantime, I’m slowly learning to “hold lightly” to travel plans – not easy, but very important in the current environment.

Here’s to fun and safe travels for all of us – no matter where you want to go, whether it be locally, further afield within Australia, or elsewhere in the world.