TRAVERSE 7
EDITORIAL
TRAVERSE : the horrors of a ship show
It ’ s something I said I would never do , and yet , there I was standing high above the dock below , watching a massing hoard of ‘ travellers ’ queue to gain access to a bus that would take them to the nearby township .
This was a five-day January cruise around Australia ’ s island state of Tasmania . Sometimes the things you do , right ? A commitment to family and another to myself , how can judgement be made without experiencing it firsthand ? Firsthand it was , and I ’ d gladly hand it back .
Thousands of so-called travellers , in what amounts to a floating resort , on a set schedule dictated to be a huge corporation , witnessing only what they are told to see . Travellers ?
It made me think long and hard about the concept of mass tourism . Is it really travel ? What impact does it have on the surroundings ? Do the people of the port towns really benefit from the pleasure of having a floating city in their port ? The people of Venice seem to think not .
It ’ s not hard to find evidence , reports , and statistics of the impact that mass tourism is having on environments and communities , the cruise industry is one of the worst , the evidence is there . It raises many questions , commercial , environmental , and ethical .
Disheartened by the experience I vowed to never again be drawn by the lure of a drinks package and an all you can eat buffet .
No ! I ’ ll stick to a form of transport limited to two wheels , perhaps three , in small groups at worst and solo at best , with the knowledge that I am part of a group of unique travellers that prefer the out of the way places , the hardships of being amongst the elements , and the encounters that are brought about . And as you ’ ll see in the following pages we moto travellers have many unique experiences …
Leigh
TRAVERSE 7