So you're going on a cruise?
Yes, an expedition cruise
Like Captain Cook or Shackleton?
In a way. In fact we did follow the venerable captain from the Bay of Plenty on New Zealand's North Island south to Astronomers Point. There we walked through a forest of ancient trees to an area of moss covered stumps where Cook cleared a space, tracked the stars and figured out longitude – at the time a phenomenal feat.
But back to expedition cruises – there is also size. Expedition ships hold about 100 people and have minimal impact. At Napier there were three ships in the harbor. Two looked like latter day leviathans crowding the harbor and dwarfing the pretty town famous for its pastel art deco architecture. Hundreds of passengers crowded into the streets f rom dozens of buses bringing with them pollution and the air of a carnival. There they were again at Wellington. Five decks of cabins stacked like high-rise condominiums casting dark shadows on the jetty. Then we lost them.
There was no sign of them as we cruised – like Cook and whalers - Queen Charlotte Sound. And as Bogart said in Casablanca, "Where we were going no one could follow." From then on there were few jetty landings, even the final disembarkation was to a tender on a rainy morning in the middle of Milford Sound.
Instead deserted coves, inlets and islands reachable in black rubber zodiacs, defined our lives. Accompanied by ornithologists and botanists we walked through tree fern canopies as New Zealand's unique natural world of breathtaking beauty unfolded. There was Motuara – a predator free sanctuary – where diminutive blue penguins could be seen asleep in nesting=2 0boxes and curious South Island Robins posed for photographs.
Off New Zealand's southern tip we anchored between Stewart and Ulva islands. The day began on trails around Ulva – another sanctuary where fantails, wekas, saddlebacks and red crowned oystercatchers greeted us. Walking through the lush rainforest, accompanied by melodic bellbirds, every twist in the path brought primeval picturesque vistas. Lichens, mosses, orchids, ferns with coiled fiddleheads and trunks and branches of trees thick with epiphytes.
Another element of expedition cruising is the chance of the unscheduled. On an expedition off the coast of New Guinea we found that a Kula Boat had been blown off course and the occupants of the traditional carved canoe were stranded. We could not take the boat, but we did go off course, take the weary travelers home and were there to witness their joy when they were reunited with their families. On this journey we continued south past Stewart Island to The Snares in the Sub Antarctic. I have written in details about this extraordinary Snares visit in a previous posting. For many it was the highlight of the trip, and for everyone it will remain a special memory.
A huge storm in the roaring forties meant we could not follow the itinerary. However due to size and the relationship developed with the local pilot and his wife we were able to anchor in Bradshaw Sound. Uninhabited, this fjord is a UNESCO world heritage sight and we were in another world. Heavy rain caused water to run down the vertical rocky cliffs in hundreds of white foaming silvery waterfalls, glistening rivulets and sheets of roaring water. Out we went in our zodiacs in the pouring rain, to nose right up to the spray and inch under mossy branches to take in and photograph the incredible beauty.
The desire to discover the remote and experience the unique brings travelers together on small expedition ships. Lectures on history, flora, fauna and geography, with cocktail hour recaps and photographs add depth. There is no formal late night dancing or cabaret. Instead there are albatross to be photographed as they dip and soar in the twilight behind the stern and early morning alerts of whale or dolphin sightings. Tomorrow zodiacs will be ready and bobbing off the stern around 8:30 ready to take the curious to explore another inlet, spot more birds or photograph penguins.
Yes it is an expedition.
No, it's not really a cruise.
And yes, it is a tiny bit like Captain Cook or Shakleton as there is always the element of the unknown.
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