Notes from the f ield
“I HAVE A FAIRLY decent set of sea legs,” record-breaking solo around-the-world sailor Jessica Watson said in a massive understatement when she returned from assignment to the Recherche Archipelago, located in the wild Southern Ocean (page 64). “But even so, I was still impressed by the powerful southern swell that runs through the archipelago!”
One of the great adventurers of her generation, Jessica was inspired by the sense of pioneering spirit instilled by the archipelago and watched enthralled as the formidable waves crashed into and swept up the smooth granite surfaces of its islands. We sent her with long-time AG photographer David Dare Parker to this remote part of the world, off Western Australia’s southern coast, to explore how it’s changed in the quarter of a century since we last did a major feature there (AG 27). It was heartening to find that this rugged chain of isles remains largely pristine and is still one of the world’s barely explored places.
“After a few days in the seaside WA town of Esperance, I became aware of just how lucky I was to have the opportunity to explore the archipelago,” Jessica says. “For most visitors, the combination of limited commercial operations and volatile weather means it remains a mystery just beyond view out to sea. The colourful history and salt-of-the-earth locals – an expression that feels particularly apt for these seafaring country folk – added to this ruggedly beautiful destination.”
Sadly, as you’ll also see in this issue (page 84), East Arnhem Land, at the opposite end of the country, doesn’t enjoy the same lack of human impact that keeps the Recherche Archipelago so pristine. Northern Territory-based journalist Matt Garrick knew he was going to write an alarming environmental story on his first assignment for us, when he set out to report on the rubbish that’s washed onto some of Australia’s most remote northerly beaches. But he was still shocked at what he saw.
Matt joined a group of interested locals and visitors from the east coast for a tour of the problem by concerned Indigenous rangers. “We met up at a dusty airstrip of Garrthalala community, about 110km from the mining town of Nhulunbuy, before following the rangers to our destination,” he explains. “We were weaving through thick bushland, across soft sand and dodging pandanus trees, trying to keep pace with the rangers, who knew every turn in the scrub. When we first saw the coastline, everyone was gobsmacked. Blue sky sitting atop blue sea, skirted by a crown of pale sand stretching into the distance – it should have been a stunning vista. But we began to look at the shore and found a tragedy: piles of plastic debris as far as the horizon stretched.” Matt was shocked and disgusted. “Even out here in isolation – where visitors can rarely go – the planet’s rubbish crisis is unavoidable.”
After the distressing NT shots turned up in our office, we were pleased to see there wasn’t a piece of rubbish in sight anywhere in the stunning images Paul Kerrison took for us while documenting Thor Jensen’s
circumnavigation of PNG. His shots belie what was a logistically challenging assignment for Paul, for part of which he was accompanied by two armed, bulletproof-vested guards.
“Access was never going to be easy – much of New Guinea is remote and transport infrastructure is limited,” Paul says. “But it was worth it to experience remote wild places in a way that very few get to travel.”