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Going green on a slow boat to the world

AS THE debate heats up about how to combat the environmental damage from a booming aviation market, some travellers are turning to a slower, greener way of seeing the world.

It has never been easier or cheaper to fly overseas, but the greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft are almost three times as damaging to the atmosphere as emissions generated by land and sea transport.

A young Sydneysider, Angela Baker, is one of a small but growing number of travellers eschewing the lure of discount air tickets.

"I felt an urgency about exploring the world before climate change damaged it," said Ms Baker, who was working for a non-government environment organisation before she left Sydney in January bound for Wales. "My mission is to travel as much as I can around the world without flying."

But in her quest to keep travel-related greenhouse gas pollution to a minimum, she also found that catching a slow boat to China - or, in her case, a cargo ship to Singapore - can be just as rewarding when arriving in a foreign land.


"The romance of sailing into a port cannot be beaten. It can be exciting to see a city for the first time from the air, but the first sight of land [from a ship] is fabulous," she said, talking to the Herald from South-East Asia. "You hear people say it is not about the destination, it is about the journey, and that is exactly right."

But a commitment to the environment takes time and money. Ms Baker's 12-day journey from Melbourne to Singapore on the cargo ship MV Baltrum Trader cost $1800, including meals.

From Singapore she went by train, bus and boat through Malaysia to Thailand and then into Laos. She hopes to reach Wales by November.

With a budget of $10,000 for 10 months, Baker has to plan her journey carefully. "It is hard to make ethical decisions all the time because of the time and money involved," she said.

Conscientious objectors to air travel started appearing in Britain 18 months ago. Among them was the founder of the Rough Guide travel books, Mark Ellingham, who pledged to limit his trips by plane, take his summer holiday in Britain and include a section on aviation's environmental damage in his guide books.

British travellers know they can cross the Channel and explore the Continent relatively easily and cheaply by train. But even for Australians there is a niche market in long-distance, low-key seafaring.

A travel adviser at Freighter Travel, Julie Richards, has been taking tourist bookings for berths on cargo ships for 20 years. There are usually only a couple of berths available on any voyage. The vessels are working ships without lifts, discos and the variety of entertainment cruise ships offer.

The most popular trip is a five-week journey to England via the Suez Canal. "People who enjoy the sea life, who don't need entertaining and don't want to be around 2000 other passengers, take these trips," she said.

via smh