CAIRNS’ SALTIES SET SAIL ON $60,000 CRUISE
MORE than 100 lucky seafarers from around the nation departed on Coral Expedition’s latest cruise offering — a 60-day circumnavigation of Australia.
Among the passengers is Mt Sheridan retiree Don Alexander, 76, who is enjoying his first holiday with the Cairns-based cruising company.
“I’m looking forward to this because it’s a circumnavigation; it’s the ants pants,” Mr Alexander said.
“I used to be a ship’s engineer. I left school when I was 15 and did a five year apprenticeship in a dockyard building ships.
“The sea is in my blood.”
The cruise isn’t much of an option for the cash-strapped, with ticket holders forking out $1000 a day for the voyage.
But the journey will tour its passengers around some of Australia’s most picturesque and storied coastline, including: remote reefs, islands and sand cays in the Great Barrier Reef; remote villages and Indigenous settlements in Northern Australia; and, winemakers dinner experiences in Western Australia’s Margaret River region.
It even includes a sojourn and dinner beneath the stars at Uluru.
“The ship is not the destination; the ship gets you to amazing destinations,” Coral Expeditions’ commercial director Jeff Gillies said.
“We take people to places that are on bucket lists.” Although another like trip is not yet guaranteed for following years, Mr Gillies said the cruise company was exploring other epic offerings for the coming years.
“Now that the world’s oceans are open, (our fleet) will venture further afield … we’re looking at a series in 2024 that traverses east to west around the globe.”