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True Course of History THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN, NOVEMBER 17-18, 2018 18 TRAVEL + INDULGENCE theaustralian.com.au/travel ALAMY MORE TO THE STORY ary Wilson can get a little hot under the well-starched collar of To celebrate its 35th year, plus the 250th his captain’s uniform when it anniversary of Cook’s Endeavour voyage, comes to Australia’s maritime his- Coral Expeditions will conduct its first Gtory, especially when he reads the much trot- circumnavigation of Australia in 2020. ted-out “fact” taught to thousands of primary Departing Darwin in November, the new school children that Captain James Cook dis- 120-passenger Coral Adventurer will covered Australia. embark on the epic 60-night voyage, Although Wilson acknowledges Cook was calling at 35 historic places that shaped a tremendous seaman who made remarkable Australia from a maritime perspective, voyages and contributed greatly to the know- plus other spots of aquatic, natural and ledge of the world, he feels the mythology has cultural interest. Breaking up the time taken over. And as the 250th anniversary of spent at sea are overnight stops in Cook’s 1770 voyage on the Endeavour ap- Fremantle, Adelaide, Hobart, Sydney and proaches, he fears the myth-making is gather- Cairns. And as a Christmas treat, guests ing steam, as it did in 1970 for the 200th will take a charter flight from Cairns to anniversary. In his opinion, another seafarer’s Uluru, a destination that could hardly be name should be on people’s lips. The Duyfken replica and authentic rigging, further from the ocean. There’ll also be “We should talk about Willem Janszoon above; Captain Gary Wilson, above left; shore excursions at Busselton, Western and [his ship] Duyfken in the same terms as explorer Willem Janszoon, below Australia, for a winemakers’ dinner at we do Cook,” says Wilson, who has spent the Leeuwin Estate, and a sail on the square- past seven years at the helm of ships operated ALAMY rigger James Craig on Sydney Harbour. by cruise line Coral Expeditions. Willem The cruise also marks the 200th year of who? That would be the first European re- Philip Parker King’s exploration of the corded to set foot on Australian soil, in 1606, Kimberley, a region that is a cornerstone at what is now known as Pennefather River in Coral Expedition’s itineraries. Broken on the western shore of Cape York in far TRUE COURSE Bay, Botany Bay and 1770 are among the north Queensland. significant stops for Cook-ophiles. And Wilson has spent half his career on square yes, a visit to Pennefather River will riggers and has a particular soft spot for Duyf- ensure Willem Janszoon gets his time in ken, which means Little Dove, and the Dutch the spotlight, too. From $38,860 a mariner who charted more than 300km of OF HISTORY person, twin-share. Australia’s coastline, unaware he was map- ping a whole new continent separated from A Cook’s look at a maritime myth Papua New Guinea by Torres Strait. In 2000, While the Dutch replica scrapes by on fund- Wilson sailed on a replica of Janszoon’s ship PENNY HUNTER ing of about $300,000 a year, Endeavour, as first mate from Fremantle to Indonesia’s moored at the Australian National Maritime Banda Islands where Janszoon called as part Museum in Sydney, receives about $1 million. of the Dutch East India Company’s quest to Cook, as well as Dirk Hartog, a Janszoon con- Duyfken a full lap around the larger ship, an Despite Wilson’s desire to set the record dominate the spice trade. A re-enactment of temporary who has also been credited with act considered the ultimate insult for a mari- straight, he’s approaching the 250th anniver- his voyage south to the Pennefather was cen- discovering our great southern land. The ship ner. And when they outmanoeuvred and out- sary of the British explorer’s voyage with tral to the trip. was built at a cost of $3.7 million, made gunned patrol boat HMAS Gladstone, some excitement. To mark Cook’s achieve- Then in 2002, as master (the correct term, with European oak from Latvia launching giant water balloons ments and a number of other historical mile- he says, rather than captain), Wilson took the using traditional methods such as with deadly accuracy. stones, Coral Expeditions is embarking on its replica on a voyage commemorating the bending the hull planks over These days, Duyfken has first circumnavigation of Australia (see More 400th anniversary of the formation of the fire; the sails and rig were fash- been spending the winter in to the Story). Wilson, who came up with the Dutch East India Company, visiting 35 ports ioned from natural hemp and Fremantle, where this year it idea, describes it as a ground-breaking voy- en route to and from The Netherlands. In flax. So authentic were the has had 4000 Year 4 school- age. “I thought it would be a good chance to 2006 he sailed as master again on a passage construction techniques that children clambering aboard as tell a story around all of Australia’s maritime celebrating the 400th anniversary of Jans- when the replica came within part of a growing education history,” he says. “Cook is certainly a big part zoon’s pioneering voyage. In total, he spent cooee of a US aircraft carrier in program. Last month, the ship of that … so there will be a focus on his En- more than three years from 2000 to 2012 on 2007, it failed to register on the relocated north to Perth for deavour voyage. But I want to tell the whole the diminutive Duyfken. radar. summer twilight sails on the Swan history, including pre-history, indigenous, The 24m-long replica scout ship was con- Wilson, who has also enjoyed a River. Duyfken Foundation chief European explorers, beginning with Janszoon ceived in Fremantle by an entrepreneurial stint in command of the replica of Cook’s executive Peter Bowman, who recalls [and] trading, whaling, yachting, World War I community group passionate about maritime Endeavour, regales passengers on Coral Ex- childhood history lessons dominated by the and World War II and even recent history. It history. They established the charitable Duyf- pedition’s cruises with tales of his seafaring revered British explorer, sees both enterprises is going to be a big one.” ken 1606 Replica Foundation with the goal of adventures, such as when he and his crew as opportunities to give Janszoon his due. ■ duyfken.com building a ship to help dispel the myths about taunted Endeavour by sailing the nimble They are also crucial to the ship’s survival. ■ coralexpeditions.com This feature was first published in The Weekend Australian's Travel + Indulgence on November 17 and is reproduced with permission. AUSE01Z10TR - V1.
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