It is an honour to be the skipper of Oceania on the boat’s first Greenpeace campaign. It was easy to find Oceania in Port Douglas. The 21 metre ketch stands out from the crowd with a striking green hull and the characteristic rainbow on the bow, clearly a proud member of the Greenpeace fleet. This boat is ready for action.
We are sailing an arc around Australia’s glorious north coast enroute to spearhead the Greenpeace campaign against the destructive Woodside empire. We have run downwind through the inner passage of the Great Barrier Reef, accompanied by breaching humpback whales. We rounded Cape York and flew through Torres Strait, home of the Zenadth Kes people, with the wind and current behind us. It has been so good to shake out Oceania’s sails and to feel this fine sailing vessel cut its way through the waters. We’ve had excellent conditions and Oceania is proving to be a capable addition to our Greenpeace fleet.
We will pause in Garramilla Larrakai country/Darwin for provisioning and crew change before our final leg to Exmouth where we will start the campaign. The magnificent Kimberly coast lies ahead, reminding us of all the wild beauty in the world that we have a duty to protect.
Madeleine Habib climbing on the side of the MV Greenpeace. Greenpeace activist Madeleine Habib, exercising climbing skills on board the MV Greenpeace, during forest actions in Europe, July 2000.
I joined my first Greenpeace ship, the Rainbow Warrior 2 in 1995, to sail to Mururoa Atoll in protest of French nuclear testing. 30 years on, my passion still burns strong. I remain committed to the principles of direct action to ensure that we protect and treasure our natural environment.
Oceania is an agile and versatile boat ideally suited to campaigning in the Australia Pacific region. On board Oceania we will connect with local communities in Western Australia to challenge Woodside’s Burrup Hub – Australia’s biggest climate threat.
As a mixed heritage woman and first generation Australian I am proud to lead Oceania on this campaign. This boat is a messenger of a greener future and I hope that we will also carry with us a message of diversity and inclusion.
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