Oh the places I go. I was DD's plus one last night at the Australian Growth Company Awards, which celebrate and recognise the achievements of high-growth companies across Australia.  The 2025 Australian Growth Company Awards was not something I ever expected to attend, but then neither was Miss Nude Australia 1998 or the 2024 Australasian... Continue Reading →

And just like that my holiday is over and real life has recommenced. We stepped off the ship at 8am yesterday morning and were greeted by a diver - a friend of our favourite bartender Bagus - who took us to Bali airport for our 12.20pm Jetstar flight home. DD was very not thrilled to... Continue Reading →

I still can’t quite believe it … we swam with whale sharks yesterday in Saleh Bay. I may have cried … more than once … which was a little messy in a snorkelling mask. Swimming with whale sharks wasn’t listed on our cruise itinerary. But, from the moment I debuted my whale shark-patterned stinger suit... Continue Reading →

The sea was smooth as a mill pond when we cruised toward Komodo Island early on Monday morning. Our ship was accompanied by a dolphin and surrounded by swarms of fish, swirling with their fins in the air. Even at 6.30am the humidity was oppressive. But there were real-life dragons to be seen, so we... Continue Reading →

Our cruise is drawing rapidly to a close, but we've had an amazing few days since I last blogged. On Friday, Le Soleal visited a remote region off the coast of East Timor, the Barat Daya Islands. We spent the afternoon there, snorkelling on off the beach at an uninhabited island called Pulau Kital. The... Continue Reading →

We rose early yesterday morning for the spectacular experience of sailing into Banda Neira harbour. Two dolphins undulated past the ship’s prow as we approached the entrance to the port. Then two long canoes filled with singing locals and drummers appeared and accompanied us to our landing site. After we disembarked, dancers performed during a... Continue Reading →

I love waterfalls and on Wednesday morning we arrived at a unique one called Kiti Kiti Waterfall. Nestled in the lush jungle of West Papua and accessible only by boat, the spectacular natural wonder cascades fresh water directly into the ocean, through a crack in the rocks rather than a river or stream. (That’s mist... Continue Reading →

I started writing today's blog post while gazing at this view from my cabin. Even though it is day … seven … I think … our cruise still feels a bit surreal. We sailed into West Papua's Triton Bay at dawn, with the Captain using dynamic positioning to hold the ship in place as the... Continue Reading →

It was fascinating to see the ocean transform from aquamarine to murky green as we approached the mouth of South Papua’s mighty Digul River. Our ship followed the coast north to our next port of call - the village of Agats in the province of Asmat. The region is one the most remote and mysterious... Continue Reading →

A 1200km strip of road connects Cairns and Cape York - a journey that takes around seven days in a 4WD. The trip has been described as “dry, dusty and often rough as guts”. The jewel at the final destination is the northernmost point in Australia, marked with a sign that was once riddled with... Continue Reading →