Cairns, Saturday - MY Orion berthed at Trinity Wharf in Cairns right on 7 o'clock this morning after a passage from Darwin from where she had cruised the Kimberleys and Timor. Her raked bow and sleek lines give Orion the most elegant appearance; her diminutive size perfect for expedition cruising.

With the pilot in charge, the ship glided down a smooth and silvery Trinity inlet, passing a scene of considerable devastation as the old wharf  is demolished, probably to make way for some monolithic high rise. Then Orion demonstrated her great manoeuvrability by crabbing sideways into the assigned berth at Trinity 2. Piled on the stern deck the six Zodiacs that will ferry us to shore on the many 'wet landings' we'll be needing to make in Papua New Guinea.

As I write this, the revictualling is already taking place, so those great Hunter reds, exquisite Margaret River chardonnays and Serge Dansereau inspired meals will be safely ensconced by the time we board at 3 o'clock this afternoon. Meanwhile we'll go hunting in the Cairns CBD for a few good books. And I need to buy a cheap but waterproof wristwatch as I don't think my present timepiece - a Palm Pilot - is really all that suited for travel by Zodiac and jumping off rocky beaches.

Photos: Ingrid Jackson