Back to the river: paddlewheeler on the Murray River

 

"While I was born in Adelaide, both my parents were born in the South Australian country," says travel writer and photographer, Roderick Eime, "Mum was born at Renmark, and with many childhood weekends away, the Murray River formed a large part of our family life."

"We often forget that paddlewheelers opened up the Australian outback to commerce long before the first railway lines and roads were laid. The old steamers are an integral part of our colonial history."

19th-century commerce. Loading cargo on a Murray River paddlesteamer

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Rod revisits his family heritage along Australia's largest river with a reprise on the largest inland paddlewheeler in the southern hemisphere, the majestic PS Murray Princess.

Stories and images from this voyage will be available from December 2021.

Cruising returns to South Australia with small ships

 

After an agonising hiatus, cruising returns to the historic waters of South Australia. With a heritage of leisure cruising dating back more than a century, small ships are leading the way into this rich maritime region. Roderick Eime goes back to sea with Coral Expeditions.

New small ships for 2018

Expert expedition cruise journalist and photographer, Roderick Eime, lists recent and forthcoming small ship experiences for your editorial consideration. [Contact]



Cruise Line: CroisiEurope / CF Mekong
Vessel: Indochine II (launched 2017)
Destination: Mekong. Siem Reap to Saigon
Date travelled/travelling: September 2018



Cruise Line: Silversea
Vessel: Silver Cloud (rebuilt 2017)
Destination: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Date travelled/travelling: September 2018

Cruise Line: Ponant
Vessel: Le Champlain (maiden voyage)
Destination: Bergen, Norway
Date travelled/travelling: October 2018



Cruise Line: Lindblad-National Geographic
Vessel: NG Venture (maiden voyage)
Destination: West Coast USA and Mexico
Date travelled/travelling: December 2018



Cruise Line: Captain Cook Cruises Fiji
Vessel: MV Reef Endeavour
Destination: Fiji - Taveuni, Ovalau
Date travelled/travelling: April 2018

Thank you for reading

Blue Lagoon Cruises: On Fiji Time

Expedition cruising expert, Roderick Eime, reacquaints himself with an old Fiji favorite, recently overhauled and renovated, but still blissfully untroubled by urgency. Blue Lagoon Cruises

[CANCELLED] French Polynesia: Diving with Cousteau

CANCELLED

332-passenger Paul Gauguin 

Legendary environmentalist and
oceanographer, Jean-Michel Cousteau

Update: CANCELLED

If scuba diving in French Polynesia wasn't exciting enough, getting the chance to dive with a Cousteau has to be a gold medal opportunity.

Rod will cruise with Paul Gauguin Cruises, the award-winning luxury small ship cruise line to join the 10-day, June 1 departure accompanied by Jean-Michel Cousteau.

Expressions of interest from editors are invited.

Editorial and images will be available from mid-June 2016.


Rod holds PADI Open Water Advanced certification and has completed more than 200 dives at locations around the world. [more about Rod's diving experience]

Solomon Islands: Raw Appeal

Experienced adventure travel writer, Roderick Eime, has made three trips to the Solomon Islands in as many years, with the last one in October.

Unlike Fiji or New Caledonia - or even Vanuatu - the Solomons is the least developed of our neighbouring Melanesian nations.

Zipolo Habu Resort, Lola Island, near Munda

That may rule it out for mass tourism and lush, palatial resorts (for now), instead visitors can experience authentic culture and practices. While there is an airline network servicing most of the outer islands, small ship cruising is perfect for low impact, small footprint travel.

WWII history, volcanoes, great scuba diving, bountiful fishing, unsurpassed cultural experiences and unusual foods make the Solomon Islands one of the last redoubts for genuine, non-commercialised travel.

Recently discovered Grumman Wildcat of US ace, James Swett [more]

Fiji: On Pacific Time

MV Fiji Princess - renovated in 2014

Since his first cruise to Fiji aboard P&O's SS Himalaya in 1971, Roderick Eime has made numerous return voyages sampling the country's fleet of small ships.

He has just returned from a re-acquaintance with an old favourite, MV Fiji Princess, of Blue Lagoon Cruises. The 55m, 68-passenger boutique vessel underwent a makeover in mid-2014 and now sports renovated cabins and public spaces as well as technical updates.

Entertainment on Nanuya Island (R Eime)

Join Rod on a leisurely cruise through the Yasawas, or recall one of his longer, more comprehensive explorations as far as Rabi, Levuka, Kioa and Taveuni. Experience natural beauty above and below the water and discover why Fiji is a lot more than just luxury resorts.

The romance of sail: Star Clipper in the Aegean Sea

Star Clippers recreates the essence of maritime adventure with their fleet of superb, fully-rigged sailing vessels. Small ship cruise expert, Roderick Eime, gets into the rigging aboard Star Clipper in the Aegean Sea

Superb, 4-masted barquentine, Star Clipper (Roderick Eime)

The waters of the glorious Aegean Sea have been sailed by ships since the dawn of time. Greeks, Romans, Persians and Turks all traded and invaded the these waterways and coasts in their quest for regional domination. The great philosopher, Plato, described the Greeks living round the Aegean "like frogs around a pond". With numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites like Rhodes, Delos and Patmos, there's intellectual as well as hedonistic pleasures to enjoy.

Now a modern aquatic playground plied by ships of all shapes and sizes, the Aegean Sea is visited by thousands of fun- and sun-loving travellers and tourists from all over the world.

This story follows Star Clippers' Southern Cyclades itinerary (see map) as part of the vessel's year-round Eastern Mediterranean program.

ENQUIRE

Original photography by the writer. PR sourced images also available.
1. IMG_1380, 2. IMG_1202, 3. IMG_1210, 4. IMG_1267, 5. IMG_1298,
6. IMG_1322, 7. IMG_1330, 8. IMG_1095, 9. IMG_1428, 10. IMG_1458,
11. IMG_1480, 12. IMG_0976, 13. IMG_1009

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