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Parts Unknown

Point Papisol anchorage on the way to Triton Bay

If you exclude our enforced time back in Sydney last year, we’ve been in Raja Ampat since Sept 2019. That’s quite a lengthy time by any cruiser’s standards, but then Covid has forced many of us to be stuck in one spot for much longer than usual.  Don’t get me wrong, if you’re going to be stuck anywhere, then Raja Ampat is one of the best and most beautiful places to be – but we’re ready to do some exploring of parts unknown.  So, we’re off to Triton Bay, some 396 NM south of here on the west coast of Papua (still part of Indonesia).

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It’s Not All Beer and Skittles

Our friends on “Savannah” riding out one of the many squalls we get here

It’s a quaint throwback phrase from my Pommie origins, but it came to mind after a few recent incidents gave us a timely reminder that life in paradise is not always idyllic. Yes, the diving is superb, the scenery and the anchorages are by and large sensational, but living on a boat in remote areas comes with its own challenges. So, for those of you who think that the cruising life must be constantly blissful, here’s our version of a reality check…

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Dawn Trekkers

Diving’s not the only thing that Raja Ampat is famous for. The lush, green forests here are home to myriads of exotic birds, including huge hornbills whose wings beat the air with an extraordinary ‘whomp… whomp… whomp’ sound as they fly overhead.  Then there’s the guttural, mournful cry of the great-billed herons and a cacophony of other bird calls in just about every anchorage we visit.  But perhaps what this area is best known for are the Birds of Paradise; the iconic symbol of Papua.  Their mating displays are quite spectacular by all accounts, but they live deep in the forests and are hard to find.

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