Day 59 – Sail the Arafura Sea

Today was our second sea day before arriving in Darwin, our last port in Australia. Tim and I began our morning with a lecture by Suzanne Rieger on “Darwin – Northern Territory’s Gateway to Natural Wonders and Cultural Riches.” Suzanne gave a great overview of this part of Australia and made me look forward to visiting Darwin. 

Darwin - Gateway to Northern Territory's Natural Wonders and Cultural Riches

We have left Queensland behind and are now in Australia’s Northern Territory. We learned that this area is one of the most lightning-prone areas in Australia, which might explain the lightning that Tim witnessed overnight. I slept through the whole thing.

In the afternoon, I attended my second lecture of the day, Nitza Lowenstein’s talk entitled “Exciting Voyage Through the Tasman, Coral, Arafura and Timor Seas.” We will have sailed through all four seas during our travels from New Zealand, to and around Australia, and on to Indonesia. Nitza explained the diverse ecosystems, geography, and history of these bodies of water.

Sailing the Tasman, Coral, Arafura, and Timor Seas

Map Showing the Location of the Tasman, Coral, Arafura, and Timor Seas

After a quick dinner in the World Café, Tim and I made our way to the Star Theater to hear Dr. Babcock’s speak about “Exploring the World with Captain James Cook.” Many of our lectures over the last month have touched on Cook’s voyages that reached the places we’ve visited. Tonight’s talk tied it all together and offered a more wholistic view of Cook and his epic voyages of exploration. Dr. Babcock described Cook's contributions to navigation, cartography, and science, as well as his encounters with Indigenous peoples. Despite these positive impacts, Cook has also become a symbol of imperialism.

Exploring the World with Captain James Cook

James Cook's Pacific Voyages

Since I had enjoyed Guest Entertainer Daniel Thompson’s show a few nights ago, I decided to attend his “Icons: Country Gentleman” performance tonight. Here, he branched out from songs by Johnny Cash to some of country music’s classic songs. It was another great show.

Daniel Thompson Presents "Icons: Country Gentlemen"