See the Duyfken! Port Macquarie Now,next Newcastle

by Lisa Tisdell, Port Macquarie News on 17 Oct 2006 Four hundred years ago a Dutch ship called the Duyfken and her crew found the northern coast of Australia. Today a replica of the 'Little Dove' is educating Hastings' residents as part of a 12,000km journey.

The ship crossed Port Macquarie's bar on Saturday escorted by Sea Rescue after 20 knot winds and a running swell prevented it from crossing the bar on Friday.

A steady stream of people inspected the ship over the weekend to learn about a bygone era.

The Duyfken made history when it set sail in 1606 to discover 'the great land of Nova Guinea and other unknown east and south lands'.

Skipper Willem Janszoon and his 20-strong crew became the first Europeans in documented history to set foot on Australian soil when landing at Cape York's Pennefather River.

To commemorate the first landing and mapping of part of the Australian coast, the replica ship is visiting 25 ports around the country.

Vic Sullivan, who is in charge of maintenance and volunteer guides, said being aboard the ship was an adventure.

'It gives you an appreciation of what it would have been like as a seaman 400 years ago,' he said. 'Not very much has changed out there in the ocean.'

The six permanent crew and 10 volunteers live in spartan conditions.

But they get a taste of life at sea and have the pleasure of showing off the ship to people in each port.

'It is renowned to be the most genuine replica vessel ever built,' Mr Sullivan said.

'We still sail in the same way they did 400 years ago.'

The Duyfken is docked at Jordan's Wharf, and open to the general public today and tomorrow afternoon. School children ill also visit the ship.

The ship sets sail for Newcastle on Wednesday.