Even after all these months of being on the water, you may start to think that the days begin to blend or become a little routine... well somedays they do seem to feel like they are slightly on repeat but somedays are just so unique they once again for the 208th time (or somewhere around there, I have lost track) they feel like a completely new experience. Enter Sunday 23rd October 2011...
We awoke on our sand cay... yes afloat on a sea of sand (or so it felt) with only a small area of sand protecting us from a very (potentially) wet nights sleep. As it is getting close to a new moon we calculated that in fact we are probably just okay to stay on this incredible and isolated sand cay off the coast from a group of islands. Behind the sand cay towards the east on the main land lay an active volcano which we had been watching smoking away over the past couple of days as we paddled towards it. Anyway we awoke to the sun rising up directly behind a smoking volcano on our sand cay... BEAUTIFUL!
We paddled for about an hour and a half and decided to pul up on a distinctly Australian looking beach. For the first time on this trip we found a beach that was surrounded by gum trees with that incredible bush smell of fresh eucalyptus after a rain storm... We couldn't resist so pulled up for a coffee and enjoyed a brief feeling of home, back in the bush.
After coffee we set off again to paddle past our smoking volcano this time to see it from behind. The entire back section of this volcano is actually seeping out yellow gas and smoke and to cruise around the base of this looking directly up 1400m of smoking volcano was a powerful image to behold.
We set off again, this time our destination was a cliff section approx 8km away which we had decided may offer a remote camp for the night. Not long after leaving the beach we paddled across a turtle tied up to a piece of rope attached to a coral bommie. We immediately cut him loose and watched the little guy make his way to (hopefully) a long life of freedom. We continued again and about half way across this bay on route to the cliffs approx 10m away on my left a colossal breath followed by volumous mound on the surface revealed a fin whale! I nearly jumped out of my skin with excitement as this mammal approx 20 -25 m long continued around next to me and then directly in front of us (literally just off our bows) just cruising along on the surface. It was the last thing I expected to see in a bay crossing on the northern side of the Alor Islands (although there is a traditional whale hunting village over on the south side!) This whale was one of the highlights of this trip as we watched it swim around popping up and disappearing for the next hour or so. I felt like this was just an incredibly special treat and one that will never be forgotten.
After all this excitement we made it to a gorgeous white sandy beach on the edge of a beautiful reef and set up camp. To top off this spectacular day we got a rain storm pass briefly over us just before dusk so were also afforded the pleasure of a fresh water shower before climbing into the tent for yet another night. Aaaaahhhhhh life...
Just another day in the life of Archipaddlo...
Photo: Dawn on the sand cay, smouldering volcano in the background.
Thanks for sharing the magic of the day with us - almost unbelievable to imagine.
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