MiNDFOOD April 2023 Cruise Issue - Ponant, Heritage

Every piece of advice is crystal clear. When in the tropics, beware of crocodiles. Yet, there are those who think even the most fundamental wisdom does not apply to them. People like me. So when I saw a juvenile saltwater crocodile sprawled out on the ground during our visit to Kopar Village in the Eastern Sepik, I had to have a photo.

So, as I cradle the big, slimy reptile with the help of the local chap who slew the beast, my grip is momentarily lost and the jaw with its needle-sharp teeth slams down on my thumb. “Ouch!” is not what I said as the blood spurted from the painful puncture. Lyn, the ship’s doctor was not impressed, evidenced by her tightly pursed lips and furrowed brow as the bandage was applied.

Carelessly cradled carnivores aside, the Sepik River of Papua New Guinea is the epitome of adventure and is recognised for its vivid living culture, preserved almost as if time itself has stood still. Although the straight-line distance from source to mouth of this iconic waterway is barely 500 kilometres, its wide channel twists and turns in a serpentine course that, if stretched out, would cover more than double this. And all along its length, little villages and hamlets dot the banks, populated by Melanesian people with their own mysterious and ancient culture. Here at Kopar, we are treated to vibrant and energetic dances and songs that tell the story of these hardy folk who have lived a subsistence life here for many hundreds of years, their rich art and culture forged in blissful isolation.

SEPIK CULTURE & ART

Daughter of the late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare and native of PNG’s East Sepik province, Betha Somare, is with us aboard Heritage Adventurer, providing us with vital interpretation of this otherwise bewildering spectacle. I’ve always loved Sepik art, particularly the carvings and I was able to add another beautiful piece to my small collection. I asked Betha why Sepik art was so sought after.

“Sepik artists are known because they are so prolific with carvings,” she told me, “And the art differs from the mouth of the Sepik to the Lower Sepik, to the Middle Sepik and to Upper Sepik. So you are not going to be bored shopping on the Sepik River.”

THE SECRETS OF MELANESIA

WORDS BY RODERICK EIME

Also a frequent traveller with Heritage Expeditions is the internationally acclaimed scientist, explorer and conservationist, Professor Tim Flannery, who holds Melanesia close to his heart as one of his favourite destinations. “The thing that drew me to Melanesia was the pure adventure of it – I didn’t know there were so many species to be discovered,” he told me.

“It’s just an incredible wonderland of indigenous cultures and marvellous biodiversity.” In fact, during one voyage with Heritage Expeditions to Kofiau, a seldom-visited island composed of ancient continental crust in the Raja Ampat group of Southwest Papua, Professor Flannery realised there were no mammal records for the location and instigated a citizen science exercise with the 100 passengers.

“As a result [of that survey] we’ve written a scientific paper which is now in the process of being published.” There aren’t too many expedition cruise companies who can list such activities on their sales brochures.

MEETING ISOLATED TRIBES

On another occasion in the Solomon Islands, Professor Flannery led a team of guests to meet with the rarely contacted Kwaio people of central Malaita. “That was certainly one of the big standouts for me,” recalled Professor Flannery. “We were the first group ever into the Kwaio area and after we had a peace and reconciliation ceremony, we met the people who had come down from the mountains. They live up beyond 1,000 metres and have had very little to do with the outside

world, so having them put on a performance and hold a market was an amazing experience.”

Heritage Expeditions are known the world over for their dedication to birders and every departure always carries a committed contingent of ‘twitchers’ eager to add new species to their respective ‘life lists’.

Visits to isolated communities is a hallmark of expedition cruising, but Heritage Expeditions seem able to go beyond that offered by many operators. For example, we landed on the island of Bougainville, a large autonomous region about twice the size of South Australia’s Kangaroo Island, where the controversial Panguna copper mine was located. Ethnically connected to the Solomon Islands, but politically aligned with PNG, Bougainville has seen more than its fair share of strife. When local landowners became disgruntled with the mine’s operators, they mounted an armed campaign to shut it down which they achieved after a 10-year struggle. Abandoned since 1990, wandering through some of the crumbling heavy machinery is like a post-apocalyptic experience and witnessing the environmental damage, it’s easy to see why the locals ousted the mining company.

All through Melanesia, we are treated to amazing cultural exhibitions and demonstrations and Bougainville

is no exception. After our mine tour, we are led to a shady beach where locals are bedecked in colourful traditional attire. Greeted warmly in Melanesian custom, the festivities are launched with such gusto that it wasn’t long before we were all swept up into the joyous atmosphere singing and clapping with the throng.

A few days later, as we approached the tranquil island of Makira on the outer perimeter of the Solomon Islands, we were ‘ambushed’ by a horde of near-naked villagers wielding spears and clubs who yelped and bellowed as we feigned terror and surprise in response. It’s all part of the show, folks, and no expeditioners were harmed in the making thereof. But such authentic and spontaneous exhibitions are part and parcel of this fantastic voyage.

Meeting and communing with the inhabitants of these far-flung communities, where there are no cars and only muddy tracks between the

GET IN ON THE SECRET

Heritage Expeditions offers voyages throughout the Asia-Pacific region on their newly acquired luxury vessel, the 140-passenger Heritage Adventurer (formerly Hapag-Lloyd’s MS Hanseatic)

The 2023 ‘Secrets of Melanesia’ voyage departs Madang PNG on 23 October, arriving Port Vila, Vanuatu on 8th November heritage-expeditions. com

handful of tiny villages constructed from bamboo, timber and thatch gives you a deeper understanding of life beyond the shopping mall. Witnessing island life where often electricity, fresh water and basic medical facilities are a luxury helps us appreciate the privileges we take for granted at home. Expedition leader and operations director, Nathan Russ, makes sure we are able to reciprocate with donations of educational material, first aid and handyman tools. I always make a point of bringing a bag of clean, near-new clothes for distribution to the neediest.

EXPERTS IN THE FIELD

The quality of speakers and guides aboard Heritage Adventurer during our jam-packed 17-day ‘Secrets of Melanesia’ voyage are consistently exceptional. On this voyage we were doubly spoiled with the inclusion of Neil Nightingale and Karen Bass, both of whom have many years of experience working for the BBC on such milestone productions as Blue Planet and numerous specials with Sir David Attenborough.

Expedition cruising with Heritage Expeditions is neatly summed up by Professor Flannery: “When done well, [expedition cruising] strengthens local communities, enhances science and gives a fabulous, unique experience and opportunity to go to places that otherwise you would never get to.”

Just don’t go sticking your hands into the mouths of crocodiles.

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RODERICK EIME; AARON RUSS; DANA BROWN

Clockwise from above Traditional dancers on the lower Sepik; The Heritage Adventurer at sea; A group of local women and girls welcoming visitors to the Duff Islands; The Western crowned pigeon is native to New Guinea: The Bistro provides great views.

“JUST DON’T STICK YOUR HANDS INTO THE MOUTHS OF CROCODILES.”

From Indonesia through Papua New Guinea to Bougainville and Vanuatu, Melanesia holds a wealth of cultural and natural treasures to discover.

im quering the main photo - pretty sure its the le laperouse - and Im also asking him about that thing about obtaining permission for using an image of Aboriginal rock art, whether Ponant already has permission or we need to ask anyone

Kimberley Rock Stars

WORDS BY RODERICK EIME

There wasn’t much life on Earth 1,800 million years ago when the dramatic rock formations that characterise Australia’s Kimberley were formed.

About 1,000 million years later, the most basic of carbon molecules first came together to begin multicellular life as we have come to know it.

Imagine the incalculable forces at work. Picture the immense pressure and temperatures needed to ‘fold’ the solid rock layers like so much Danish pastry into waves that tipped once vertical formations on their sides.

Those of us aboard the tiny Zodiac with a penchant for geology are in awe of the contortions of the ancient sandstone which, if we had been paying attention at expedition guide Brett Kitchener’s lecture aboard PONANT’S Le Lapérouse, we would know as King Leopold, Warton and Pentecost sandstone dating back almost two billion years. It’s a powerful demonstration of both nature’s fury and beauty.

Ancient rock is but one of the many attractions drawing visitors to the Kimberley. Here at Talbot Bay, we are guests of the Dambimangari (Worrorra) people. It is home to the famed Horizontal Falls, described by naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough as one of the world’s great natural wonders. The falls are actually made up of two ‘gaps’ – a

wide (20m) gap and a narrow (10m) gap – each about 300m apart across two natural basin reservoirs, formed by the same incredible forces all that time ago. As we approach in our Zodiacs, the torrent is fed by the region’s enormous tidal flow and presents an opportunity to traverse both gaps in safety while still experiencing the wonder of this unique phenomenon.

CROCS & WALLABIES

Talbot Bay is known by the traditional name of Lalang-garram, chosen from the Worrorra language and meaning “the saltwater as a spiritual place as well as a place of natural abundance”.

During our brief visit to these sacred waters, we are fortunate to see stealthy saltwater crocodiles and

elusive, oh-so-cute rock wallabies, all the while being surveyed by majestic sea eagles, osprey and brahminy kites.

Beneath the waters are a plethora of marine life that has evolved from these microscopic formations. Giant barramundi share the rich submarine environment with more than 50 other species including salmon, cod, perch, snapper, mackerel and tuna. The serene dugong are also spotted by the keen-eyed among us, along with nurse sharks, while turtles frequently pop up for a ‘sticky-beak’.

Let us not forget that the miraculous evolution of multicellular life has also produced a species that have constructed machines that defy gravity and traverse the surface of the Earth at high altitude – as well as designed and launched vessels that

utilise the planet’s abundant oceans to reach into the far recesses of where land and sea coincide.

NEW SHIPS & ADVENTURES

This brings me to PONANT’s Explorerclass expedition vessels, a fine example of how ships have evolved for specific purposes and are able to navigate waters that prohibit the passage of regular cruise ships. Slightly smaller than PONANT’s 264-passenger Borealclass vessels introduced in 2010, the Explorer class first saw service in 2018 with the launch of the 184-passenger Le Lapérouse which has been operating in the Kimberley since 2019. This year PONANT will operate three ships in the Kimberley: Le Lapérouse, the Boreal-class Le Soléal and Le Ponant, the company’s luxury flagship sailing yacht, carrying just 32 guests in exclusive style. At the time of writing, Le Lapérouse was confirmed for the Kimberley in 2024, to be joined by another Explorer-class sister ship, Le Jacques-Cartier while Le Soléal heads to the northern Pacific. It’s been nearly 20 years since my first Kimberley expedition and in that time demand for the destination has greatly increased. New ships and operators are arriving all the time and not all are as well prepared as PONANT. As with many expedition destinations, local knowledge and experience are key. PONANT has

secured stalwart Kimberley expedition leader Mick Fogg, to oversee the entire operation. His name will be familiar to many former passengers, who invariably praise his deep scientific and cultural knowledge coupled with an uncanny ability to impart it.

ANCIENT ROCK ART

“Numerous examples of indigenous Wandjina and Gwion Gwion rock art, the oldest known depictions of the human form on the planet, reveal a time capsule from man’s earliest occupation some 40,000 years ago, following arrival of the first migrations out of Africa,” Mick tells us during his comprehensive briefing to a packed auditorium on board.

Ashore, we can almost fathom these beautiful portraits as we admire the ancient frescos at Jar Island and Swift Bay and ponder the people who lived here thousands of years ago.

WHAT MAKES PONANT’S EXPLORER CLASS SO SPECIAL?

Taking architectural cues from the company’s much-lauded Boreal class, PONANT’s clever designers packed those features into a more compact superstructure while retaining benefits enjoyed by the ever-growing list of the cruise line’s repeat passengers.

BOOK NOW

PONANT’s Kimberley season extends from April to October with their signature voyage, ‘Australia’s Iconic Kimberley’, operating between Broome and Darwin and vice versa over 11 days and 10 nights. The 2023 prices vary depending on departure date, but start from $10,280 per person. Its Kimberley itineraries include classic must-see highlights such as the Hunter River, King George Falls, Mitchell Falls, Montgomery Reef and Horizontal Falls, as well as many other rarely visited destinations. For full details and availability, contact PONANT on 1300 737 178 or visit ponant.com

Our voyage is enriched with such fascinating locations as Montgomery Reef, where an ancient terrestrial tableland appears to rise with the tide – Atlantis-like – from the sea, while turtles congregate to feed on the nutrient rich run-off. Then, at Vansittart Bay, we inspect the preserved wreck of a DC-3 that crashlanded after getting lost en route to Darwin in 1942. The Kimberley is world renowned for its spectacular waterfalls and we’re treated to the dramatic flows of the King George Falls in a Zodiac cruise along the river of the same name. Those wanting to see the inaccessible Mitchell Falls can opt for a helicopter flight provided by an external operator.

We are honoured to meet the traditional custodians who have nurtured this inhospitable land when we venture ashore at Freshwater Cove (Widgingarra Butt Butt). It’s here we have the chance to purchase original artworks from the family who welcome us to this secluded cove.

We humans have come a long way as a species, but here in the Kimberley we are reminded that our timeline is but a dot on a very long scale ... and that when our flimsy bodies are returned to cosmic dust, these cliffs and escarpments will still be here.

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Le Jacques-Cartier is the newest in the six-vessel class, bringing the fleet to 13 vessels in total and ensuring that no nook or cranny of our knowable world goes unexplored.

While the older vessels, like the Russian oceanographic ships can be credited with paving the way for modern polar tourism, they did not pave the way with their environmental credentials. The post-pandemic world has a new appreciation for green and responsible travel and the Explorer class is in the box seat to deliver.

Le Jacques-Cartier is totally zero emission for wastewater of any kind and the fleet-wide use of Low Sulfur Marine Gas Oil means that harmful exhaust emissions are reduced by as much as 90 per cent. Other features include anchor-free positioning, thereby sparing potentially sensitive marine ecosystems.

Guests comforts include formal and informal dining in either of two restaurants and a generous ‘Open Bar’ alcohol allowance is included in most fares. Of course, there is plenty of spa pampering (at extra cost), a gym and lots of open-deck space to relax with a cocktail.

One innovation on the Explorer class is the Blue Eye underwater multi-sensory lounge designed to transport guests into a surreal world. This feature is best appreciated in the crystal-clear tropical waters rather than the Kimberley, but nevertheless, the superb digital audiovisual projections, vibrating ‘Body Listening Sofas’ and otherworldly atmosphere can still be appreciated even if the view from the underwater windows cannot.

The Kimberley is about three times the size of England.

Australia’s vast northwest is full of ancient mystery and remote natural wonders. Ponant’s ships & experts can take you there in incomparable style.

PONANT

Clockwise from this page: Le Lapérouse taking passengers on their adventure; Indigenous performance at Vansittart Bay; Enjoy whale watching near at the Lacepede Islands; Take a Zodiac out to explore the Kimberley’s treasures; Admire ancient rock art at Swift Bay.