Labuan to Kudat

Our stay in Labuan was spent sourcing some spares, stocking up with cheap grog and food supplies which will be scarce from here on. In addition to stocking up we had to wait for our new furling UPS which surprisingly arrived on time and well within our expectations, Doyle Sailmakers in NZ did a great job in building the sail in such a short timeframe much quicker than any other could confirm, we just hope it performs as well?

A local boat perhaps not the winner it proclaims to be

We checked out the island on the rented motorbike but found little of interest except for the WW2 memorials such as Surrender Point where the Japanese signed a peace agreement and the War Memorial Garden Cemetery which contains about 3900 graves mainly Aussies and Poms killed or tortured during their imprisonment and the forced marches across the rugged terrain of Borneo, only a handful of soldiers survived the horrific ordeal.

Memorial Garden for all the WW2 diggers

To fill in our time, along with a few other boats all waiting for tax free parts to arrive we entertained ourselves with frequent sessions on each other’s boats sampling our duty free beverages. We even had a day playing tenpin bowls which was a real hoot, 9 of us played 3 games and rotated around on 3 lanes, throwing and bouncing the balls in a desperate bid to score the elusive strike. Overall bowls champion was ME!!!.

Jen shooting pretty straight

John off “Miss Conduct” was nearly knocked unconscious when he forgot to let go of his ball and slid down the aisle then falling backwards he hit his head on a concrete column. Blood splashed all over the place but he was back tossing the balls again after a quick repair job to his head by the 2 nurses Jen and Kate. The only other injuries came the next day for all of us when the muscles began to tighten up.

Something different and great fun

Every evening while anchored off the stilt village we were entertained (not )by  4 surrounding mosques, all out of sync wailing the ‘call to prayer’ sometimes for 10 minutes but many times much longer, along with the rubbish which is tossed out their windows is the only downside to this lovely place.

Stilt village in front of the anchorage

It was good to be on the move again and with a 7kt easterly wind we hoisted our new sail for the first time. It was difficult even in this light wind as it had been folded up and had to be hoisted prior to being furled so in the process it decided to take off down wind out of control. Once the halyard was tightened and the sheet hauled in we had it under control and were sailing at 4.5kt which is about 1.5 times better than with just a headsail. It’s about the same as the old MPS but with this sail we could pull a rope and the sail would rotate on the luff rope and furl itself. The sail can be left attached and when the conditions are right it can be unfurled and used then quickly furled again when conditions change.

Dead down wind without mainsail, not the best angle for sailing but the only way to get a full view photo of the new UPS, our sailing companion was always too far away, maybe next time. 

We sailed most of the way using our UPS to Tiga Island our next stop and anchored on the northern side to avoid any squalls which usually come from the SW. The island looked nice and we wanted to stay a few days and explore, the water is much cleaner from Labuan north and a swim has been on the agenda for a long while. Thunder and lightning woke us at 0245 with rain but thankfully not strong winds as it came from the east and then again from the NW. At dawn it was still the same so our intended stay was curtailed when we up anchored and headed off to Gaya Island west of Kota Kinabalu the capital city of Sabah. It was only 25nm but it rained virtually all the way, we managed to sail a good part of it and arrived in a very sheltered bay anchoring in 18.5m, very deep but better than being close to the reef which fringed the shoreline.

A hitchiker who stayed with us for a good while

Adjacent to the anchorage is a very expensive resort which is built over the water on stilts, from here we caught a ferry to the main jetty in KK. I had to pick up some dive tank compressor oil which had been prearranged with a local dive company and the other John needed some cir-clips for his throttle cable. The oil was collected and the clips located in a local hardware shop luckily avoiding a lengthy taxi ride which we were expecting, to the outlying industrial area. KK was nothing special, just another city with heaps of shops. The main attraction here is Mount Kinabalu which is the highest mountain in SE Asia and can be easily ascended by foot to the peak but it has a 3 month waiting list and takes 2 days to scale it. Needless to say it’s on our to-do list one day??

 

White hibiscus flower at Labuan Botanical Gardens - never seen one before

The next day we decided to take the dinghy into KK as the distance from the anchorage was less than we had expected and the water much calmer. We tied up in the Police enclosure and wandered around the streets checking out the prices. The local wet market was good and cheap but the supermarkets were much more expensive than anywhere else in Malaysia.  

One of the storms that seem to wash over us

We decided to move on north as the nightly storms were continuing so we headed off at 0800 in light conditions, this soon changed as squalls developed  to our south and washed over us lumping up the seas and drenching us with rain all the way to our next anchorage in a large bay well protected from the 3m swells. A huge typhoon east of the Philippines was sucking in a strong SW flow and the mountains close by were causing the cloud to build up and dump rain.

The Top of Borneo

The next morning we awoke to unexpected sunshine so we headed off on the 60nm trip to round the Top of Borneo. It was a lovely day but with only light wind from directly behind which made it impossible to sail even with the new sail as we were rolling from gunwale to gunwale most of the way. Once we rounded the top the swell eased and the wind was on the beam so we unfurled the UPS and took off for the last 5 miles and sailed to our overnight anchorage. It was my birthday so a couple of well-earned drinks were downed while listening to a bit of rock and roll. A very pleasant day.

In party mood wearing my birthday coolie hat

The anchorage at Kudat was 6nm away so we arrived mid-morning and found many boats anchored out the front while the new marina was empty except for 2 boats. We anchored while John “Miss Conduct” went in to investigate, he has been here many times before, he tied up and called us to come in which we did. The marina is very poorly built but adequate for us and better protected than out the front, it also negates the need to use the dinghy. No power or water but also no charge so what else can you expect for free.

The wonky marina in Kudat with anti-smuggling patrol boats behind

That afternoon we caught up with friends from 2 other boats “Po Oino Roa” and ”Mescalito” along with “Miss Conduct” and enjoyed some birthday Margaritas before a meal at the Kudat Golf Club which is attached to the Marina, and then a few nightcaps. Another lovely birthday.



Local Kudat fishing boats loading up slabs of ice

Two days later it was Wilma’s birthday and she provided us with some Filipino traditions, firstly a chicken killing birthday ritual which turned out to be 3 because she couldn’t buy just 1 at the local market. She did however get a free egg. The ritual requires the chickens blood be dripped onto her head, then wiped as a + to the forehead, inner elbows, knees and soles of feet. After that the chicken(s) were slaughtered and cooked as a soup and eaten for lunch. Very nice!! Jen offered to help clean up after the 6 of us but was informed that because she hadn’t slept in their boat the previous night she was not permitted to assist. Must remember that and be sure never to sleep anywhere in the Philippines other than on our own boat. Guest sleep-overs will be encouraged.

Wilma preparing her sacrificial chicken

We finally cleared in to Sabah and we have 2 weeks left on our Malaysian visa so we will prepare for our departure to the Philippines, fuel up as the price of diesel is more expensive up there, and wait for the right weather conditions. At present we have several typhoons in the region which are influencing our local weather so when it clears we will head off.

Beers and Cheers

J&J

Miri Repairs

 

Well, it’s taken a while but finally we are back on the move again. The 240 volt alternator was repaired by a local motor rewinding company and despite it not working when initially re-installed  and having to be returned for a quick zap (12volt energizer) it is now playing the game. Still not sure what caused the untimely burnout but that’s boats for you.

Back in Miri doing a beer run to the local Chinese restaurant

 We decided to buy a spare alternator so if this happens again we can swap over, while having the problem repaired, all sounded good until it arrived from England with a crack in the casing because it was inadequately packaged for international transport. We were given the option of a free replacement but with the added expense of “adequate” packaging (a crate) or $230 compensation, the original transport cost which should have included “adequate” packaging as requested. After a thorough inspection of the damage we decided to take the compo and hope it would work when needed, all the insides appear to be in good working condition.

Sent in a cardboard box with a bit of paper packing. This weighs 30kg!!!

After a poor attempt at fixing the anchor winch motor by a local company we decided to replace it with a new one from an Australian Yacht Winch Company in Sydney, where we had bought the 2 previous winches, at least this one lasted 10 years. The deal was we would return our old one for a $400 trade-in same as previously. What an ordeal this turned out to be, firstly it took 3 weeks to despatch a stock item, then, when disassembled to be greased and installed we discovered that the base plate was defective. The owner was advised immediately and we assumed a replacement would be sent, not to be as he stated to us that he was aware of the defect and believed it to be perfectly OK!! Obviously their export model or else they’re operating a sheltered workshop for the blind.

 

Who in their right mind would say this is NOT a defect.

 After a few choice words and a couple of ”idle” threats he eventually agreed to supply a replacement base plate on the proviso that we return the defective one, but refused to freight it here so thankfully Bernie came to the rescue and saved the day by picking it up and after a thorough inspection despatched it to us. It arrived 4 days later, Australia Post can you believe it, amazing!! Our old winch will be returning with the defective base plate by surface mail and will take up to 3 months to reach Sydney, fingers crossed?? We’ll deal with the outcome later.





The old spacer left shows the result of water penetrating down past the seals in the bore of the base plate, it's bad enough when the bore is not compromised. The manufacturer states that the winch should be dissasembled every 12 months. Yeh right!! Perhaps the spacer should be made of stainless steel or bronze not aluminium, prevention is always better than cure.

The anchor winch was finally installed and WOW what a difference, the motor has been wrapped with Denso tape which is a fibrous tape impregnated with grease, can handle high temperatures and keeps out moisture over a long period without deteriorating.  Let’s hope this will do the trick.

Reliving childhood

If we had the choice of places to break down, Miri was by far the best place, the marina is safe, relatively cheap and the other yachties great, we had fun in the sun while we toiled away. While waiting for the things to arrive and then re-arrive we discarded the motor bike and hired 2 push bikes for RM10 each/ week. Great exercise and a fun way to get around town, thankfully Miri is mostly flat as a tack. Jen learned to ride surprisingly only ever done it once before and after a couple of weeks rode into town to do the shopping.  She also started belly dancing classes with a growing group of woman which became a passion and a real hoot one Friday night when all the girls put on a performance with their teacher.

 

A bird's eye at Belly Dancing class

 Friday night is Miri Marina session night similar to what we used to have back in OZ, which sadly has been lacking over here till now. The women show off their culinary skills while the men drink and get waited on, just great!! Who could ask for more after a long week of haggling with locals, dealing with overseas suppliers, customs officials, freight companies, forwarding agents, and the list goes on it seems forever.  

A typical Friday night on the top deck at Miri Marina

The beer supplies dwindled down and the on again off again drama continued with another trip to the restaurant for accumulated buckets/slabs to supplement supplies. The authorities were cracking down big time even after Ramadan had finished. The outing was well worth the effort as the Chinese food was excellent and worth the trip on its own. Thankfully our rum stocks are plentiful and a good session on margaritas helps while away the time.

The girls live performance

Throughout the repairs we were researching options for a new asymmetrical spinnaker to replace the old one, the new one we wanted included a continuous line furler so rather than being smothered with a sliding sock the new sail would furl and be much more manageable and usable. We also wanted it to get a bit more windward ability in light winds so we decided on a Doyle UPS (utility power sail) with a Profurl furler. A flatter cut, heavier cloth asymmetrical sail and not as big. The Doyle loft in NZ was 25% cheaper than our old sailmaker in OZ who is now affiliated with Doyles and comparable with local Asian lofts but with a much better reputation, they also agreed to meet our time frame and deliver it to Labuan to save import hassles.

Everyone had to get into the action

We finally headed off in loose company with a couple of other yachts and rather than straight to Labuan we decided to day hop along the coast of Brunei, first stop was Kuala Belait a small river community 30nm north of Miri. The next stop was at Jefri’s wall 50nm further NE, one of the Sultan’s brother’s grandiose plans which was never completed, a  great walled enclosure with only a small island inside, but a comfortable overnight stop and good protection from the rain squalls which hit us that night. The next day we arrived at Labuan and anchored close to the decaying marina which is being repaired but looked no different than it did when we were here 5 weeks ago.

 

The belly dance class grew quickly from 3 to many, obviously a great incentive to get away from the men, but just as quickly reduced as many headed off

The following evening we were hit with a 30kt squall with lightning and thunder all around we took turns to anchor watch as we got closer and closer to the marina wall. The next morning we moved over to the other anchorage near the stilt village, the water’s not as clean but a lot more room to swing. The other 2 boats joined us later in the day. That night at 0200 another storm came through and both the other boats dragged anchor, both had ‘Bruce’anchors which don’t penetrate the rubbish which covers the seabed in this harbour, good for mud but not plastic bags. Our trusty CQR bit and held well.

New building under construction on the shores of Kuala Belait, if you look hard you can see the riggers at the top of a scaffold erecting some intricate spire

 We will spend  a another  week here exploring on our rented motor bike, stocking up with cheap beer and waiting for the new sail to arrive then head on up to a few islands and Kota Kinabulu. It’s a slow trip north, but we’re not in a great rush anyway.

Heading out from behind the protection of Jefri's Wall

 Bye for now,

 

Beers and Cheers, with a margarita or 2

J&J

  

 

Miri to Labuan to Miri

It’s not what we planned but such is the life of cruising, that changes are inevitable and despite the frustrations one must simply go with the flow. Easier said than done for an impatient skipper.




The main cave in Niah NP, the hanging rope in the foreground is what they climb to collect the birds nest for soup a Chinese delicacy



After our trip to the Mulu NP we caught up with some friends who had just arrived and we hired a car from Simon our trusty what’s where man in Miri and headed off to the Niah NP 120km south which hosts more limestone caves which were inhabited by humans for thousands of years. These caves are not as popular as Mulu and a guide is not necessary so it’s a leisurely stroll through the dense jungle, approx 12km round trip along a timber board walk, a full days outing. It rained all the way there and our hire car a 70’s model Toyota Crown Diesel was a death trap on wheels, with one saving grace, the AC worked.

Another of the caves at Niah NP

Two days later we hired another car, the best in Simon’s fleet and headed off to Brunei for the day and a chance to renew our 90 day Malaysian visa. Brunei is a Sultanate country run by a benevolent dictator with oodles of oil and trashy western commercialism. The sultans brother Jefri became world famous for his opulent spending when head of the countries finance coffers, with many of his grandiose developments presently decaying under the intense heat and humidity. He has since been banished to Britain with only millions to spend each year instead of the billions he once had.

A round-about in Brunei - tea anyone - tacky ehh??

One of the reasons we headed to Brunei was to purchase some licorice which we have been craving for and had been told was available, we eventually found it but to our surprise was raspberry flavoured?????, even the expats have strange tastes. We also find some Arnott’s Ginger Nut biscuits made the old way, thick and hard. A real favourite, so we spent all our remaining Singapore dollars (same as Brunei dollar) and stocked up.

Boat - like structure attached to the Capital City Mosque

The marina was filling up to the point where Captain Fin was squeezing boats in between others. It was race week!! The 9^th Annual Borneo Regatta, 45 yachts had entered into 4 groups, IOR racing, Class A Cruising, Class B Cruising and Multihull. Many of the cruising boats were part of the Sail Malaysia East Rally which we declined earlier this year as it didn’t match our timeframe. Some of Class A which we were part of were actual racing boats without IOR certificates, so stiff competition.

The first day was spent registering, measuring for handicap, clearance out of Sarawak, race instructions and collecting our free T-shirts.The next day was race 1 around the cans out the front which we did OK despite getting caught on the first marker when we were headed off by another yacht which failed to give way, we had to alter course and sail around behind him while trying to lay the mark, he later apologized at the hotel lobby while carrying the winners trophy. All of the boats in our class had crew fly in for the regatta so despite fudging our handicap we had a self imposed handicap of only the 2 of us. It’s supposed to be fun anyway. It was hard work competing and even though we were the fastest boat in a straight line we missed out on a prize.

Jostling at the start line before race 1

After the race we booked into the hotel which is owned by the marina which is owned by a mega-rich Chinaman in Miri. The room was free as part of the regatta and so was the reception in the pavilion. Local entertainment and free beer just what the doctor ordered after a hard day of sailing.

Entertainment at the reception dinner

Race 2 was an overnight sail to Labuan 110nm north through the Brunei oil fields, it started at 1300hrs and after a great start and leading the fleet for a while we blew out our asymmetrical spinnaker, it took a while to retrieve and reset our sails so we fell behind and drifted along in the light breeze. We hoisted our symmetrical spinnaker on the pole the first time since leaving OZ and picked up speed again and managed to get through the oil fields just on dark so were very pleased with that.



Out in front for a while

Our dramas came to a head when we turned on the generator to run down the freezer and charge batteries. What we thought was a smell from the oil well heads was in fact the 240volt alternator burning down below. NOT GOOD!!! We doused the spinnaker so we could investigate the problem and drifted along again in a building wind which peaked at 18kts. We decided to continue on rather than turn back hoping we could sort the problem in Labuan. The night sailing was good only motoring for a couple of hours when the wind died before changing to come offshore at 90 degrees.



oops!! a spinnaker blowout - the colours didn't match anyway

We arrived in Labuan at 0800hrs without any sleep and anchored with the few boats that arrived before us only to find it was the wrong location so had to up anchor and move. It was here that we discovered the anchor winch had developed the same problem we encountered in Tioman Island, so had to manually wind up the anchor. Problem no 3 had surfaced!!!.

Back in the race again - for a while anyway, much better colours

After a couple of hours sleep I contacted the alternator manufactures and was told the only recommended agent was in Miri, why didn’t that surprise me??. We wanted to continue on to Kota Kinabalu (KK) with the regatta but could not be guaranteed a berth at the very expensive marina and we needed 240 volt power to keep our fully stocked freezer cold, our inverter can handle the loads but not for long periods. The anchorage in KK was reported to be ordinary as well. The marina in Labuan was closed to yachts while being rebuilt and the anchorage was exposed to the east.



All was well again for a while

We cleared in and out of Labuan that day and started contacting people around the world to source a new alternator in the event that the current one was irrepairable. The next morning we contacted the Labuan Marina again but they refused us entry so we decided the best option was to return to Miri.



One of the many hazards encountered enroute to Labuan and back again to Miri at night

The winds were lighter than the previous 2 days and more on the nose so we motor-sailed virtually all the back to Miri this time having to traverse the Brunei oilfields in the dark with no moon. We arrived back at the marina at 0230hrs to the berth we left 2 days earlier having travelled 220nm, getting very little sleep and a heap of problems to solve. AGHH!! the joys of cruising???



These are the Australian Kookabura America's Cup boats, not sure why they are at Miri Marina

A week has past since returning to Miri and a new anchor winch is on its way from OZ, we have sourced a new alternator (spare) in England, it should be sent sometime this coming week and the existing alternator has been repaired???? locally, reinstalled and running as it should. The asymmetrical spinnaker was beyond repair as some of the cloth was in poor condition so we sold it to a much smaller boat for a carton of beer. He is very proud to be the current owner of Dreamweaver’s spinnaker for some strange reason.

The infamous winged keel of the 80's

A new problemo arose in Miri and that was “the boat had run out of BEER” well almost anyway. Customs officers had cracked down on the sale of smuggled beer which we think was a result of Ramadan the Muslim month of fasting, so cheap beer was not available. We didn’t have time to restock in Labuan (duty free island)  thinking we could buy smuggled beer in Miri, so it was dire straits. The only way to get cheapish beer was to go down to a restaurant and buy multiple buckets (a bucket is 4 cans) and take them home. We taught them that 6 buckets equals 1 slab so we now buy them in slabs. Not sure if they really understand what they are doing or if it is legal, but we have a beer supply again.



This yacht was sunk in the marina for months and sold on Ebay to an unsuspecting buyer who when arrived to collect it found it sunk, was told he owed unpaid marina fees, he fled the next day never to be seen again.

Thankfully Miri is a great marina with friendly people and close to town with the aid of a motorbike, we know where everything is and hopefully our deliveries won’t delay us too long so we can continue onward up the coast. We still have several more months before the weather is suitable for us to head across to the Philippines.

Bye for now,

No Beers but plenty of Cheers,

J&J

Miri and Mulu

We left Santubong at the bottom of the tide with plenty of water under the keel and once beyond the barred entrance hoisted the main, unfurled the headsail and shut down the engine, we were sailing, a very pleasant beam reach, till we rounded the first headland where the wind backed to the SE and on the nose at 15kts, it wasn’t far to our next anchorage so we managed to lay a course and close haul to Lakei Island at the tip of Baku National Park north of Kuching. The anchorage was small and well protected despite the close proximity of some nasty looking pointy rocks. We explored the island’s derelict resort and several small beaches and searched for the elusive probiscus monkey without success, we heard a lot of noise but in the thick jungle no sightings. We did however spot a crocodile the previous day in Santubong as it crossed the river behind the boat. 

A sentinal guarding the anchorage at Lakei Island - that's an eagle's nest on top



Next morning was a picture post card dawn, so with a good wind forecast we headed off and sailed in a good 15kt SE for several hours before losing the wind as it veered to the SW and died. We were out of sight of land till late in the day when we reached our intended destination which was at the head of a river network which traverses for more than 100nm up into the interior of Sarawak where the hill tribes live. We decided to do the shorter inland route around Beruit Island about 40nm to the next anchorage, so we wound our way along the twisting Paloh River avoiding the shallows and surprisingly small cargo ships. The scenery was interesting but dulled by the heavy smoke which seems to be all along this coast from peat fires which burn day and night, making visual navigation difficult.

A lovely isolated beach adjacent the derelict resort Lakei Island



The next 2 days we motored from daylight to dusk with no wind and beautiful blue skies, then anchored miles offshore on the 10m line, the coast was bland, not a single fish caught although we did manage to snag a fish trap line, thick smoke and a lack of adequate shade made this section very boring. The only interesting part was on day 2 passing Bintulu Port which services the oil rigs offshore and having to dodge one of the high speed service craft.

No wonder the markers aren't where they're supposed to be

We had 35nm to get to Miri and high tide was at 1100hrs so we up anchored at 0500hrs and set off with a nice 10kt Easterly which soon increased to 15+kts and our arrival time was well ahead of schedule, the wind lasted for about 3 hrs then died again unfortunately, but some sailing was better than none. We entered the marina and found our berth where we met the very jovial marina manager Captain Finn who took our lines and helped us tie up.



Another sentinal, this one at the entrance to Miri Marina



Back in a marina again was very pleasant as the west coast of Borneo is subjected to a small NW ground swell, so unless anchored in a river you’re exposed to a constant roll which is very uncomfortable especially when the wind drops out. The previous 2 nights were bearable but a third was definitely not.

Miri Marina with a couple of restored anchors from a local wreck, must have been a big ship

Miri Marina is 4km from town and after our first day of walking in the heat we found a local yachtie who was willing to rent his motorbike to us for the length of our stay while he returned to OZ for his 28 day work stint skippering a 500t tug on the northwest gas project. When in Miri he spends his time diving on a 19^th century ship wreck which he and his wife discovered several years ago about 100nm west, sunk on the Lucona Shoals. A very interesting couple with an enviable lifestyle albeit very hectic at times. They hope to do a documentary on the story associated with HMS Viscount Melbourne which sunk in 1842 when it struck a reef in a violent squall, some of the crew and passengers made it back to Singapore after several years of hardship battling the tropics and avoiding pirates.



Some local entertainment depicting traditional lifestyle in Sarawak

Miri is another town which services the offshore oil rigs and as a result prices are higher than on the mainland for most things. The Muslim population is not dominant here so pork is available in the local produce “wet” market and the quality is better than OZ as it’s locally butchered and at AU$5 per kilo a real bargain not just a treat, beats chicken chop hands down. We cooked up a pork roast with oodles of crispy crackling and feasted like kings. The freezer will be stocked full of pig when we leave here.



Legacy of offshore oil extraction, no wonder the beaches are empty

The sights of Miri are few and far between so after several days touring on the motorbike we booked a 3 day 2 night trip to the World Heritage listed Mulu National Park which is home to some of the world’s largest and longest limestone caves. It’s only accessible by 30min plane ride or 2 day boat trip as it’s located in the middle of thick rainforest. We stayed at the Royal Mulu Resort as the cheaper accommodation was booked out months in advance, so we treated ourselves to a comfortable stay in a large room with all the trimmings.

Another sentinal at the entrance to Deer Cave

The cave tours required a guide which our package included so along with another Chinese/malay couple from Kuala Lumpur after checking in and a quick lunch the 5 of us set out the first day for a 10km round trek to 2 caves.  The first cave was named Lang Cave after the white man that found it only 40 years ago, the local Penan tribes people had been here long before, extracting guano deposits left from the millions of bats that inhabit the caves during the day and collecting swiflet bird nests from the high ceilings which is a Chinese delicacy, the second, named Deer Cave after the mouse deer that went there to drink the bat urine laced water from the stream that flows through the cave. After the caves we went to an observation deck to witness the stream of bats leaving the cave on dusk but due to increasing rain the bats refused to leave their dry roost so we missed the mass exodus.

Hey is that Grant up there???

The next day the 5 of us headed  upstream in a local river boat to visit a Penan “traditional” village enroute to the next 2 caves, Wind Cave and Clearwater Cave. The satellite dishes attached to the dwellings belied the term traditional but the village did contain a Longhouse which was destroyed by fire last year. A longhouse is a multitude of adjoining apartments under a single roof where a whole village lives in a communal environment. Homestays in village longhouses is a high tourist attraction in Borneo apparently but personally not our cuppa tea. The villagers keep dogs contrary to the Muslim people who despise them and these dogs are mangy, smelly, horrible things so spending 1 or more nights in their company would be more like hell than a holiday.  

Our transport up river to the caves with Lou our guide and fellow passengers

Wind Cave had some fascinating formations created by a constant draft flowing through but it was Clearwater Cave which was the best, with a river running through the centre highlighting the extent of time for the cave to evolve into its present form. This cave is 178km long and links to many other caves in the region.  

Entrance to Clearwater Cave looking out

Our final day was spent traversing the rainforest canopy along a 300mm wide suspension walkway 40m in the air. This canopy walk extends for 400m, is the longest suspension viewing platform system in the world being attached intermittently to the largest trees in the area. The design is similar to the suspension bridge we built 17 years ago at our old Tanawha property, ours being 1m wide however and much more stable. The canopy was interesting but along with the rest of the rainforest we viewed, there was a noticeable lack of wildlife. Like the rest of Asia so too has Borneo depleted its stocks of wildlife species. Lucky we went to the Singapore Zoo earlier this year to see them.

One of the giants within the jungle



One of the critters in the canopy

Back on the boat again and still a few things to see and do here in Miri before we head north so will cover all that in the next blog. 

Bye for now.

Beers and Cheers from the Miri Sailing Club with a Kilkenny of all things