Australian Strategic Fleet and Review of the Coastal Trading Act

[MMDown Under]

The things you discover when you read all the correspondence from cruise lines. 

 

Coral Expeditions Managing Director has recently been in Canberra discussing plans for Australian Strategic Fleet and the Review of the Coastal Trading Act, 

 

The WA Govt is going to implement Marine Booking and Capacity Systems for the Kimberley. 

Discover News Coral Expeditions 

 

This is good news long overdue. 

[MicCanberra]

Perhaps, how so?

[Yaya_in_Oz]

3 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

 

 

The WA Govt is going to implement Marine Booking and Capacity Systems for the Kimberley. 

Discover News Coral Expeditions 

 

This is good news long overdue. 

I'm not sure what this means. Limiting cruise ships?

[MicCanberra]

7 minutes ago, Yaya_in_Oz said:

I'm not sure what this means. Limiting cruise ships?

Exactly, maybe the types of vessels and or fuel being used for power.

[MMDown Under]

15 minutes ago, Yaya_in_Oz said:

I'm not sure what this means. Limiting cruise ships?

I read it as limiting the number of cruise ships touring the Kimberleys at the one time.  There has been a large increase in the number of overseas cruise ships in the Kimberleys.  Coral Expeditions is a small shipping coy based in Cairns.  I was lucky to be able to cruise with them, as a solo, from Cairns to Darwin, when the ship was redeployed when cruising was banned in WA during Covid. 

[MMDown Under]

28 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Perhaps, how so?

Australia has been long overdue of having its own Strategic Fleet.  Australia is an island.  When I think of countries like Norway which has ferries continuously cruising along its coastline, I'm amazed that Aust has left itself so vulnerable

 

Optus is a recent example of leaving vital infrastructure to private enterprise.  

 

The foreign cruise ships, which come and go to Australian shores, can leave at any time.  Are there any commercial Aust owned shipping in Aust.?

[MicCanberra]

I don't  think the Kimberley will be getting a ferry service.

[cruiser3775]

I'm glad that the numbers of ships in the Kimberley coast will be regulated.  It's a few years since I did the Darwin to Broome part on a smaller catamaran, and, even then, some parts were becoming crowded. One obnoxious upmarket cruise ship had parked itself right in front of a beautiful waterfall for hours, blocking anyone else's view of it, and shattering the peace with take off and landings by the on-board helicopter.    And the Horizontal Falls was a zoo, with jet boats and float planes and ships everywhere, and some serious flouting of OHS rules.    It was not the wilderness experience I was hoping for.

[MMDown Under]

28 minutes ago, cruiser3775 said:

I'm glad that the numbers of ships in the Kimberley coast will be regulated.  It's a few years since I did the Darwin to Broome part on a smaller catamaran, and, even then, some parts were becoming crowded. One obnoxious upmarket cruise ship had parked itself right in front of a beautiful waterfall for hours, blocking anyone else's view of it, and shattering the peace with take off and landings by the on-board helicopter.    And the Horizontal Falls was a zoo, with jet boats and float planes and ships everywhere, and some serious flouting of OHS rules.    It was not the wilderness experience I was hoping for.

I knew there were too many cruise ships in the Kimberley.  I had no idea that the crowding was spoiling the unique wilderness.  Overdue for regulation.  When I cruised from Cairns to Darwin with Coral Expeditions it was magical, as we didn't see another cruise ship.

[MMDown Under]

2 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

I knew there were too many cruise ships in the Kimberley.  I had no idea that the crowding was spoiling the unique wilderness.  Overdue for regulation.  When I cruised from Cairns to Darwin with Coral Expeditions it was magical, as we didn't see another cruise ship.

In Antartica there were a number of small cruise ships cruising at the same time.  However, they kept out of view as much as possible to not spoil the isolated wilderness experience.  I wonder who enforces these rules.  Your son would know if it was enforced or just an honour system, Les.

[cruiser3775]

I don't want to give the impression that my Kimberley cruise was entirely crowded with other cruise ships. In fact, we hardly saw any others for most of the trip, so that part was a good wilderness experience. I'd recommend it to anyone.

But there were some choke points where the peaceful setting was spoiled by too many other vessels and some selfish behavour. That will only get worse, now the Kimberley coast has become deservedly popular.   The Horizontal Falls, in particular, needs a well regulated environmentally sensitive schedule.

[MicCanberra]

When we were there, we didn't se anyone else apart from some small yachts/boats.

[MicCanberra]

SBS are showing a Kimberley cruise- the full journey right now.

Currently  by Horizontal Falls

[arxcards]

Maybe I am just being a tad cynical here, but when a government regulates something, it usually translates into some sort of fee or environmental levy so that they can cash in on an increasing number of visiting ships.

 

Alaska is crowded with large cruise ships - in port. Between ports you need to know where the ships are in order to try to spot them, and the cruise lines prefer it that way. The government only regulates the national parks, and with that comes a levy and park rangers that board to provide an educational narration. A national park like Glacier Bay is spectacular, and I don't know that the rangers really add much to the experience. I am not fussed either way, but the cruise ship passengers are the ones funding a national park that belongs to everyone in the US.