First whales return to Hunter waters as Humpback migrations begins again
To sail down the coast, just far enough off the shoreline to see the breakers curl away from you and throw a mist in their wake, as the houses recede into a pattern of specks, is to feel somehow out of time.
A Ulyssean sea gradually clears as the muddy brown of the Hunter River after the flood drains into the unfathomable volume of the ocean. It is an awesome scene. Even on a blustery and clear-cold day on the water, as the Coast XP tour boat throws the occasional mist as it rode along on the swell, there is a sense of escaping to a natural panorama.
Then, it happens. A massive whale crests the surface and blows a spout of breath and water into the air before sliding back into the deep, trailing a broad and prehistoric tail encrusted with barnacles.
The humpbacks are travelling north again.
Some 45,000 whales are expected to make the long swim north, passing the Hunter in what is colloquially termed the Humpback Highway, on their annual migration to warmer waters to calf and breed.
Commercial whaling, which began in Australia shortly after European colonisation and continued until 1978, had devastated whale numbers after southern right and blue whales became scarce and hunters began targeting humpbacks on the east coast killing thousands.
A permanent ban on whaling was introduced at the end of the 1970s and, scientists posit, favourable environmental conditions resulted in an abundance of food, whale numbers have been growing over the past few decades.
The whales swim almost 10,000 kilometres in the annual migration, the sight of which injects around $53 million into the Hunter's tourism economy annually.
To sail down the coast, just far enough off the shoreline to see the breakers curl away from you and throw a mist in their wake, as the houses recede into a pattern of specks, is to feel somehow out of time.
A Ulyssean sea gradually clears as the muddy brown of the Hunter River after the flood drains into the unfathomable volume of the ocean. It is an awesome scene. Even on a blustery and clear-cold day on the water, as the Coast XP tour boat throws the occasional mist as it rode along on the swell, there is a sense of escaping to a natural panorama.
Then, it happens. A massive whale crests the surface and blows a spout of breath and water into the air before sliding back into the deep, trailing a broad and prehistoric tail encrusted with barnacles.
The humpbacks are travelling north again.
Some 45,000 whales are expected to make the long swim north, passing the Hunter in what is colloquially termed the Humpback Highway, on their annual migration to warmer waters to calf and breed.
Commercial whaling, which began in Australia shortly after European colonisation and continued until 1978, had devastated whale numbers after southern right and blue whales became scarce and hunters began targeting humpbacks on the east coast killing thousands.
A permanent ban on whaling was introduced at the end of the 1970s and, scientists posit, favourable environmental conditions resulted in an abundance of food, whale numbers have been growing over the past few decades.
The whales swim almost 10,000 kilometres in the annual migration, the sight of which injects around $53 million into the Hunter's tourism economy annually.
To sail down the coast, just far enough off the shoreline to see the breakers curl away from you and throw a mist in their wake, as the houses recede into a pattern of specks, is to feel somehow out of time.
A Ulyssean sea gradually clears as the muddy brown of the Hunter River after the flood drains into the unfathomable volume of the ocean. It is an awesome scene. Even on a blustery and clear-cold day on the water, as the Coast XP tour boat throws the occasional mist as it rode along on the swell, there is a sense of escaping to a natural panorama.
Then, it happens. A massive whale crests the surface and blows a spout of breath and water into the air before sliding back into the deep, trailing a broad and prehistoric tail encrusted with barnacles.
The humpbacks are travelling north again.
Some 45,000 whales are expected to make the long swim north, passing the Hunter in what is colloquially termed the Humpback Highway, on their annual migration to warmer waters to calf and breed.
Commercial whaling, which began in Australia shortly after European colonisation and continued until 1978, had devastated whale numbers after southern right and blue whales became scarce and hunters began targeting humpbacks on the east coast killing thousands.
A permanent ban on whaling was introduced at the end of the 1970s and, scientists posit, favourable environmental conditions resulted in an abundance of food, whale numbers have been growing over the past few decades.
The whales swim almost 10,000 kilometres in the annual migration, the sight of which injects around $53 million into the Hunter's tourism economy annually.
To sail down the coast, just far enough off the shoreline to see the breakers curl away from you and throw a mist in their wake, as the houses recede into a pattern of specks, is to feel somehow out of time.
A Ulyssean sea gradually clears as the muddy brown of the Hunter River after the flood drains into the unfathomable volume of the ocean. It is an awesome scene. Even on a blustery and clear-cold day on the water, as the Coast XP tour boat throws the occasional mist as it rode along on the swell, there is a sense of escaping to a natural panorama.
Then, it happens. A massive whale crests the surface and blows a spout of breath and water into the air before sliding back into the deep, trailing a broad and prehistoric tail encrusted with barnacles.
The humpbacks are travelling north again.
Some 45,000 whales are expected to make the long swim north, passing the Hunter in what is colloquially termed the Humpback Highway, on their annual migration to warmer waters to calf and breed.
Commercial whaling, which began in Australia shortly after European colonisation and continued until 1978, had devastated whale numbers after southern right and blue whales became scarce and hunters began targeting humpbacks on the east coast killing thousands.
A permanent ban on whaling was introduced at the end of the 1970s and, scientists posit, favourable environmental conditions resulted in an abundance of food, whale numbers have been growing over the past few decades.
The whales swim almost 10,000 kilometres in the annual migration, the sight of which injects around $53 million into the Hunter's tourism economy annually.
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The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
First whales return to Hunter waters as Humpback migrations begins again
To sail down the coast, just far enough off the shoreline to see the breakers curl away from you and throw a mist in their wake, as the houses recede into a pattern of specks, is to feel somehow out of time. A Ulyssean sea gradually clears as the muddy brown of the Hunter River after the flood drains into the unfathomable volume of the ocean. It is an awesome scene. Even on a blustery and clear-cold day on the water, as the Coast XP tour boat throws the occasional mist as it rode along on the swell, there is a sense of escaping to a natural panorama. Then, it happens. A massive whale crests the surface and blows a spout of breath and water into the air before sliding back into the deep, trailing a broad and prehistoric tail encrusted with barnacles. The humpbacks are travelling north again. Some 45,000 whales are expected to make the long swim north, passing the Hunter in what is colloquially termed the Humpback Highway, on their annual migration to warmer waters to calf and breed. Commercial whaling, which began in Australia shortly after European colonisation and continued until 1978, had devastated whale numbers after southern right and blue whales became scarce and hunters began targeting humpbacks on the east coast killing thousands. A permanent ban on whaling was introduced at the end of the 1970s and, scientists posit, favourable environmental conditions resulted in an abundance of food, whale numbers have been growing over the past few decades. The whales swim almost 10,000 kilometres in the annual migration, the sight of which injects around $53 million into the Hunter's tourism economy annually. To sail down the coast, just far enough off the shoreline to see the breakers curl away from you and throw a mist in their wake, as the houses recede into a pattern of specks, is to feel somehow out of time. A Ulyssean sea gradually clears as the muddy brown of the Hunter River after the flood drains into the unfathomable volume of the ocean. It is an awesome scene. Even on a blustery and clear-cold day on the water, as the Coast XP tour boat throws the occasional mist as it rode along on the swell, there is a sense of escaping to a natural panorama. Then, it happens. A massive whale crests the surface and blows a spout of breath and water into the air before sliding back into the deep, trailing a broad and prehistoric tail encrusted with barnacles. The humpbacks are travelling north again. Some 45,000 whales are expected to make the long swim north, passing the Hunter in what is colloquially termed the Humpback Highway, on their annual migration to warmer waters to calf and breed. Commercial whaling, which began in Australia shortly after European colonisation and continued until 1978, had devastated whale numbers after southern right and blue whales became scarce and hunters began targeting humpbacks on the east coast killing thousands. A permanent ban on whaling was introduced at the end of the 1970s and, scientists posit, favourable environmental conditions resulted in an abundance of food, whale numbers have been growing over the past few decades. The whales swim almost 10,000 kilometres in the annual migration, the sight of which injects around $53 million into the Hunter's tourism economy annually. To sail down the coast, just far enough off the shoreline to see the breakers curl away from you and throw a mist in their wake, as the houses recede into a pattern of specks, is to feel somehow out of time. A Ulyssean sea gradually clears as the muddy brown of the Hunter River after the flood drains into the unfathomable volume of the ocean. It is an awesome scene. Even on a blustery and clear-cold day on the water, as the Coast XP tour boat throws the occasional mist as it rode along on the swell, there is a sense of escaping to a natural panorama. Then, it happens. A massive whale crests the surface and blows a spout of breath and water into the air before sliding back into the deep, trailing a broad and prehistoric tail encrusted with barnacles. The humpbacks are travelling north again. Some 45,000 whales are expected to make the long swim north, passing the Hunter in what is colloquially termed the Humpback Highway, on their annual migration to warmer waters to calf and breed. Commercial whaling, which began in Australia shortly after European colonisation and continued until 1978, had devastated whale numbers after southern right and blue whales became scarce and hunters began targeting humpbacks on the east coast killing thousands. A permanent ban on whaling was introduced at the end of the 1970s and, scientists posit, favourable environmental conditions resulted in an abundance of food, whale numbers have been growing over the past few decades. The whales swim almost 10,000 kilometres in the annual migration, the sight of which injects around $53 million into the Hunter's tourism economy annually. To sail down the coast, just far enough off the shoreline to see the breakers curl away from you and throw a mist in their wake, as the houses recede into a pattern of specks, is to feel somehow out of time. A Ulyssean sea gradually clears as the muddy brown of the Hunter River after the flood drains into the unfathomable volume of the ocean. It is an awesome scene. Even on a blustery and clear-cold day on the water, as the Coast XP tour boat throws the occasional mist as it rode along on the swell, there is a sense of escaping to a natural panorama. Then, it happens. A massive whale crests the surface and blows a spout of breath and water into the air before sliding back into the deep, trailing a broad and prehistoric tail encrusted with barnacles. The humpbacks are travelling north again. Some 45,000 whales are expected to make the long swim north, passing the Hunter in what is colloquially termed the Humpback Highway, on their annual migration to warmer waters to calf and breed. Commercial whaling, which began in Australia shortly after European colonisation and continued until 1978, had devastated whale numbers after southern right and blue whales became scarce and hunters began targeting humpbacks on the east coast killing thousands. A permanent ban on whaling was introduced at the end of the 1970s and, scientists posit, favourable environmental conditions resulted in an abundance of food, whale numbers have been growing over the past few decades. The whales swim almost 10,000 kilometres in the annual migration, the sight of which injects around $53 million into the Hunter's tourism economy annually.
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
The last 800m to one of Australia's most historic spots is the toughest part of the trek
This story is part of the June 8 edition of Sunday Life. See all 14 stories. The final 30-odd kilometres of unsealed road to Cape York are perhaps its roughest. Starting from Bamaga, one of five Indigenous communities strung out across the Northern Peninsula Area, a single-lane track plagued with potholes and bulldust cuts through tangled rainforests inhabited by one of the last remaining cassowary populations in Queensland. The turn-back point for the less determined is at The Croc Tent, a roadside souvenir store stocking anything and everything related to the region, including crocodile snow domes and 'Snappers', a kind of male g-string that comes in one size only: XXL. Especially popular are garish, fishing-themed polo shirts that have been adopted as an unofficial uniform in this isolated part of the world. Following a tricky creek crossing further along the track, motorists travelling almost exclusively in four-wheel-drives must pass the decaying remains of the Cape York Wilderness Lodge, which closed for renovations in 2002 and never reopened. From there, the end of the road is in sight. Our final stop is a gravel clearing beside the sweeping sands of Frangipani Bay, just 800 metres from continental Australia's northernmost tip. It has taken our Outback Spirit tour group nine days to reach this point after starting our journey in Cairns, more than 1000 kilometres south. But from here, we must continue on foot. To make it this far, we'd travelled up the coast to Cooktown before turning inland across the Great Dividing Range. After departing the dripping wet Daintree rainforests, the remainder of our journey traversed savannah woodlands bordered by sandstone escarpments and crocodile-infested wetlands. While we were able to ride out the bumps and corrugations in the comfort of our rugged coach, thoughts were spared for those who preceded us. Loading The first European overland attempt to reach Cape York, an area inhabited by Indigenous people for tens of thousands of years, was led by Englishman Edmund Kennedy. Kennedy's 13-strong expedition party left Rockingham Bay in 1848, aiming to establish a route to the tip so that a port could be developed for trade with the East Indies. All but three of the group perished and the expedition failed. A further 17 years passed before two brothers, Frank and Alexander Jardine, made it all the way to the tip, opening a corridor for a telegraph line that would connect Laura, west of Cooktown, with Thursday Island, in the Torres Strait. After four years of toil and hardship, it was completed in 1887. In 1928, two New Zealanders followed the telegraph line to reach the cape in an Austin 7 car. It took them 38 days, with quicksand, forest fires and an average of 25 punctures a day slowing them down. At night, the two slept in the open on a bed of gum leaves, wrapped inside a mosquito net.
The Age
a day ago
- The Age
The last 800m to one of Australia's most historic spots is the toughest part of the trek
This story is part of the June 8 edition of Sunday Life. See all 14 stories. The final 30-odd kilometres of unsealed road to Cape York are perhaps its roughest. Starting from Bamaga, one of five Indigenous communities strung out across the Northern Peninsula Area, a single-lane track plagued with potholes and bulldust cuts through tangled rainforests inhabited by one of the last remaining cassowary populations in Queensland. The turn-back point for the less determined is at The Croc Tent, a roadside souvenir store stocking anything and everything related to the region, including crocodile snow domes and 'Snappers', a kind of male g-string that comes in one size only: XXL. Especially popular are garish, fishing-themed polo shirts that have been adopted as an unofficial uniform in this isolated part of the world. Following a tricky creek crossing further along the track, motorists travelling almost exclusively in four-wheel-drives must pass the decaying remains of the Cape York Wilderness Lodge, which closed for renovations in 2002 and never reopened. From there, the end of the road is in sight. Our final stop is a gravel clearing beside the sweeping sands of Frangipani Bay, just 800 metres from continental Australia's northernmost tip. It has taken our Outback Spirit tour group nine days to reach this point after starting our journey in Cairns, more than 1000 kilometres south. But from here, we must continue on foot. To make it this far, we'd travelled up the coast to Cooktown before turning inland across the Great Dividing Range. After departing the dripping wet Daintree rainforests, the remainder of our journey traversed savannah woodlands bordered by sandstone escarpments and crocodile-infested wetlands. While we were able to ride out the bumps and corrugations in the comfort of our rugged coach, thoughts were spared for those who preceded us. Loading The first European overland attempt to reach Cape York, an area inhabited by Indigenous people for tens of thousands of years, was led by Englishman Edmund Kennedy. Kennedy's 13-strong expedition party left Rockingham Bay in 1848, aiming to establish a route to the tip so that a port could be developed for trade with the East Indies. All but three of the group perished and the expedition failed. A further 17 years passed before two brothers, Frank and Alexander Jardine, made it all the way to the tip, opening a corridor for a telegraph line that would connect Laura, west of Cooktown, with Thursday Island, in the Torres Strait. After four years of toil and hardship, it was completed in 1887. In 1928, two New Zealanders followed the telegraph line to reach the cape in an Austin 7 car. It took them 38 days, with quicksand, forest fires and an average of 25 punctures a day slowing them down. At night, the two slept in the open on a bed of gum leaves, wrapped inside a mosquito net.
