Get Away With Dre: Boating Experiences in Australia
On 28 July 1909, the steamer Waratah left Australia and disappeared off the coast of South Africa with 211 passengers and crew. It was the most famous ship to go down until the Titanic 3 years later. The fate of the Waratah remains unknown. Was it intentionally sunk, or did the ocean claim another victim?
This can happen if you’re dealing with the ocean – it’s natural, powerful, unforgiving and it’s beautiful.
So let’s set sail and go through a few boating or watercraft activities and experiences in Australia (that’s hopefully a bit safer because you have experienced people at the helm).
Kakadu Crocs & Wetlands, Northern Territory
From Kakadutourism.com
Listen to the skipper when they tell you to “keep all limbs inside the boat.” Yellow Water Billabong isn’t the place to dangle a limb outside of the boat.
Yellow Water is part of the South Alligator River System and a UNESCO World Heritage listed National Park.
You can explore the Yellow Water on a Sunrise, day or sunset cruise, all ranging before an hour-and-a-half to two hours in length. You get to see an array of wildlife: saltwater crocs, buffalos, egrets, whistling ducks, jacanas (Jesus birds), spoonbills, jabirus, kite & sea eagles.
There’s a night star gazing cruise you can do as well in a completely open roof vessel.
The boat used is specifically made for a wetland enviornment. It’s flat-bottomed which guide the boat smoothly over shallow waters of the billabong and navigate narrow channels and flooded areas.
From Kakadutourism.com
Top End Turtle Quest, Northern Territory
From Seadarwin.com
Top End is an important nesting ground for vulnerable and endemic sea turtles.
An eco-certified company, SeaDarwin, is First Nations-owned and operates boat cruises to all these places of interest. Turtle Tracks is a tour that takes you to a deserted island where you can watch the Flatback turtles lay their eggs and possibly, if you time it right, watch the hatchlings make their break to the ocean.
SeaDarwin has the permission from the Kenbi Traditional Owners to step onto the unspoiled Bare Sand Island. Just two hours from Darwin, it was used for bombing target practice more than 3 decades ago.
The Turtle Tracks cruise is a late-afternoon/evening cruise and if the hatchlings choose to come out at night you get to experience the island and boat ride back starlit.
Your Turtle Track ticket also goes to Austurtle which supports vital sea turtle research and conservation efforts.
The boat is the MV Flatback, purpose built and named after the turtle. It was commissioned in 2016, designed and built for Darwin’s coastal conditions to be fast and comfortable as it travels across the Timor Sea and its tropical waters.
The Noosa Everglades, Queensland
From Evergladesecosafaris.com.au
There’s only two Everglades on Earth – one in US Florida, and the other in Queensland’s Noosa.
An Everglade is a natural region of flooded grassland. The Noosa’s Everglades is an UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that stretches between two reserves, the Great Sandy National Park and the Noosa Reserve.
You can join a few cruises and takes you on a tour through the Everglades. You get an experienced guide on board a purpose-built eco-cruise boat designed to navigate with minimal impact to the environment.
But I think the best way to explore the Noosa Everglades is via canoe or kayak which you can hire. You can also do a canoe guided tour through Everglades Ecosafaris from Lake Cootharaba if you don’t want to miss out on the T about the Everglades. The tour takes you to Harry’s Hut where you can jump in the water. You could say it’s a truly immersive experience.
Surprisingly, the Noose Everglades are easy to get to from Noosa Heads. It’s a 40 minute drive from the main drag of Noosa Heads and majorty of the tours depart from the head of town or from Boreen or Elanda Point.
