Raja Ampat, a dream come true
by Gina de Vere, Island Cruising & Down Under Rally 5 Jul 2024 01:10 UTC
Raja Ampat archipelago © Island Cruising NZ
Our goal to explore the wonders of Raja Ampat, on the extreme North West tip of West Papua, (once part of Papua New Guinea), has been achieved, and soon we make the voyage back to Langkawi to put our beloved Stardancer on the market.
West Papua has a chequered history being ruled by the Sultan of Tidore for many years before the Dutch forcefully took over, followed briefly by occupation by the Japanese in World War II before coming under Indonesian rule as its 26th province in 1963. Sailing to Raja Ampat had long been a dream. We heard such rapturous appreciation of the islands, their pristine nature and great diversity of sea life from other yachties that we simply had to go and see for ourselves before we stopped our sailing life of the past twenty years.
The Raja Ampat archipelago is made up of 610 islands, most of them uninhabited. The one hundred AUD per head charge to enter the marine park is to keep the waters of this paradise pristine, and maintain its top world class diving attraction status. More varieties of fish and corals are found here than almost anywhere else in the world. There are specatular sheer drop-offs due to the steep cliffs of the majority of the islands which makes anchoring difficult at times. We have managed so far to anchor in 20 to 23m using extra chain.
Currents can be fierce and unpredictable so correct timing when sailing through or across the swirling eddies of the Dampier Strait is essential. Islands here were formed over two million years ago, and are mainly composed of sedimentary rock, limestone and volcanic rock. Many of the small islands resemble apple cores because of the way wind and water have sculpted out the softer limestone, lending a quaint fairytale look to the seascapes.
We are not divers any more, though Christian dives under Stardancer frequently to clean her hull, but we love to snorkel over coral reefs. We have seen manta rays 3m wide feeding close by, dugongs, an amazing variety of fish and corals we had never seen before. I love it when snorkelling to be caught up in a blizzard of fish when huge shoals of fish swim around and past you. Our favourite sites for this are along the cliff edge at Frewin Island and over the shallows where the ledge falls away to deep waters on Gam Island. In fact we love Gam and have returned to it several times because it is quiet, the sea is flat with no jellyfish, quite apart from the stunning views. Now in January the weather has deteriorated and is mostly overcast with a few quick showers and high humidity. It is swinging from SW to NE/NW. which has arrived earlier than expected. Thunder rolls around, often with no rain.
Yesterday we had a visit from a Papuan woman with wearing a brilliant colourful dress, with a smile to match. Ronika offered us a string of orange coloured fish of fair size. We bartered a bit and took two of them. They were delicious. Another boat with the village headman aboard, came out when we first arrived asking for money, 20,000rp (2 AUD) in order for us to be anchored here. It seems the entrance fee to Raja Ampat islands does not trickle down to the poorer villages. We gave him some small change and two packets of very old cigarettes we had kept for just such a purpose. He went away very happy. We do not smoke.
The nearest town of any size is Sorong (Latitude; 0.8762S,Longitude 131.2558E) which we use for provisioning and laundry, anchoring near the Marina Star restaurant, where there is a large dinghy dock belonging to the restaurant which the Phinisi boats use when provisioning or picking up and setting down passengers. This area is always busy with boats of all sorts moving in the bay. There is a huge Red Cross Navy hospital ship nearby which we have seen move a 100m and return to its anchorage one day, flags flying, with the navy piping dignitaries aboard. Possibly a PR exercise we thought.
If you need professional repairs Wick Alliston at Eon Engineering is the man to see. He has two locations; one fairly close to his house and the town at Tampa Garam where boats can be berthed stern-to, and a yard with a hardstand, Helena Marina, which is accessible over a bar. His admin lady, Ayu, is extremely helpful, in fact they both are. We did not have to clear in as we were already in Indonesia, but Ayu can help you and make the process easy if necessary. Another find is Ian who owns a chandlery named International Mandiri. If he doesn't have it he can order items for you.
Talking to a speaker of English does make shopping for complex parts for the boat less frustrating. In fact we have found many of the Gojek car drivers, shop and waiting staff enjoy practising their English.
If you ask around discreetly you can buy alcohol, albeit a limited selection. Sorong does not inspire one to lofty words in praise of its beauty, quite the reverse. However, I enjoy the business of the port area. One day I counted 50 Phinisi boats anchored out. They made an astonishing sight with their two high masts, a sharp upward curve of the bow and long bowsprits. Almost as if they were the British tall ships guarding the bay at Calais against the Spanish Armada.
I was very much looking forward to a visit by a friend, but her few days with us were wet and dank, not the kind of weather to be swimming. No sun to go snorkelling, and none of us felt well. Then, sod's law, she left and the sun came out. The weather has been very fickle, in fact the best month was November. By the time we leave to head south in May to the Banda islands we will have been here 5 months, just mooching around the different islands, finding our favourite anchorages, enjoying the clear water, swimming and snorkelling. Idyllic. Our favourite islands are the islands of Wayag which are approximately 105nm from Sorong Harbour. Entry costs an extra 20AUD and Ayu can arrange this for you. These islands have many small islets close to each other and the steep cones give an other - worldly appearance to this area. The sea is flat and there are numerous anchorages in this beautiful place. Few boats come this far but if you like tranquillity this simply cannot be bettered. One can totally rest and not worry about the boat, which when you are constantly travelling can become an underlying stress to your days.
The other day we cleaned the dinghy bottom on the beach, but the algae is very tenacious. There's still green on the hyperlon, but it is a lot less now. Whilst here Christian has been able to use the Hooker to clean the hull, as growth returns all too soon. Last night we went on an hour's dinghy tour among the islands. It would be all too easy to get lost in this seascape of many 'cones' of islands. It is like being in an alien world. We found pink, and white, orchids growing on the lower slopes of some of the islands.
All islands are covered in low growing greenery of various types, some of which look truly prehistoric.
We headed back towards Stardancer and the setting sun, tucking away these fabulous memories. After a few weeks we thought we should check for any emails etc. This meant taking the dinghy to the ranger station where there's internet, timing the tides correctly in order to pass over the shallows. Once there we were able to swim with sharks that were regularly fed and so, I reasoned, relatively safe.
Another anchorage we enjoyed was a stern-to tie up to mangrove trees on Yanggelo island, where we took the dinghy around the entrance close to the rocks to see pretty corals of many different types and colours; feathery red, blues, pinks, purples, yellow and green; many brain shaped and some like cups within cups.
We anchored only briefly at Air Borek because of very strong currents, but long enough to swim with the many manta rays on the point.We anchored often on Frewin island because it is handy to get to Sorong from there. Our preferred anchorage is in a pretty setting in a passage parallel to steep cliffs where the currents were strong but sheltered from the open sea. We found some of the most exotic corals at low tide against the overhangs of these cliffs. Several dive boats stop nearby to drift dive along the overhangs.
One day I was asked by another yacht if I'd be interested in sharing a dugout canoe trip from the Frewin anchorage to climb up a hill to see the famed red feathered bird of paradise. It was a 7am start and a short, pretty ride away, to a platform at the base of what looked to me like a sheer mountain. About twenty minutes of hands and knees climbing, through muddy leaves and roots, including stops, we got to the top. There were many times I wondered if I would actually get to see my next birthday, my heart was hammering so hard. When we arrived at the clearing there were people quietly seated on logs, clean, not muddy and sweaty, who had arrived by an easier route!
Our guide was excellent, calling the birds to come with a hooting noise. Two males arrived, spread their wings and did their mating dances for us. It was magical to be in the rainforest and see this spectacle. Well worth the effort of getting there.
Soon it will be time to head back to Sorong but I will be sad to leave this pristine paradise. We shall leave Stardancer for a month in Tampa Garam while we fly to Bali. Christian has made some very handsome rat deterrants from green buckets to put on the mooring lines. I cross everything I've got that they work because last time we returned to Stardancer in East Java we had hosted a rat for at least 6 weeks before having to fumigate the boat. Such is the boating life...
May 1st and time to prepare Stardancer for our next adventure, sailing down through the Seram sea to the Banda Islands, but our plans have been delayed because Christian contracted Dengue fever and ended up on a drip for two days in the Pertamina Hosptal in Sorong where the service was excellent and cost very reasonable. He had a private VIP room with garden views. This room had an enormous sofa, big enough to seat several people. Indeed, families can sleep in the room, to keep the patient company. Staff thought it most strange that Christian was on his own. I have been stopped many times whilst provisioning in West Papua and asked if I was on my own. The expectation is that family or a friend should accompany older people and many times we were praised in wonder for being such ''strong people".
We found the locals to be very friendly and helpful. I have a particular memory of three Papuan men (about 5 feet tall) stopping to politely shake hands with Christian, and engage him in conversation. Christian is average height but these three had to crane their necks look up to him. It mad a quaint picture. Local housing around the town is ramshackle and very poor, but the people were some of the happiest we encountered. We found two good restaurants; the Terrazza for good pizzas and hamburgers, and Marina Star for local foods and good coffee.
Only a few days behind schedule, with Stardancer full of water, fuel and food we said farewell to Sorong where overall we have spent five months exploring and enjoying the many beautiful islands of Raja Ampat, taking our time to appreciate a part of the world which is far away from hustle and stress. We have enjoyed clean air, clear water and the abundance Nature has to offer. It is with a sinking heart we leave these pristine islands which over time must change as they become an increasingly popular world-wide destination for diving. As you voyage through Indonesia, do include Raja Ampat in your itinerary. Make time to explore these beautiful, unspoilt islands, before they become the victims of 'progress'.