We were lucky with the tide this morning. There is a very small window to visit Cathedral Cave before it floods or before a reef shows up in the water that we cannot cross. This natural sandstone cave has different weathering patterns, exposing the white stone as well as coloured parts. Red iron oxide, green and black from different algae, and yellow can all be admired. We found tracks of the local monjon, a rock wallaby species, as well as the elusive northern quoll. Since the acoustics are so great, we tried it out: naturalist/photo instructor Tani sang a popular Australian folk song, “Waltzing Mathilda.” Upon returning to the ship, there was an announcement: humpback whales! This certainly motivated us to head to the decks with our cameras. How often do you have lunch with whales breaching beside you?
In the afternoon, we visited another beach for a walk and art site. The Wandjina site is highly respected by Aboriginal people, and we appreciated the fact that we could visit and learn more while taking pictures. This art style is between 5000 and 6000 years old, and at this particular site, we also found contact art that is only 300 years old. In Aboriginal terms, this is young. Between timeless spirits and the animals that have lived in this environment, new people in boats came to visit this coast in the 17th century. This was all documented by the local Aboriginal people. We came back to the ship in high spirits.
The kitchen had a special dinner plan for us: they put on an Aussie barbecue in the outdoor café. We enjoyed our dinner under the stars in the balmy air while the ship slowly took us to our next destination. The crew put on a special show for us. What a bunch of talented people. They look after all our needs, entertain us, and have a great time alongside us. A lot of laughter and happy thoughts ended our evening before we retired. Every day seems to be the best day so far.
