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00:08It's not just the fish that makes a fishing experience memorable.
00:12Captain James McVeigh and his crew take guests on an immersive journey to the
00:17southern Coral Sea Islands. Big fish, beautiful scenery, rich history, remote
00:24and untouched and brimming with life. It's a fishing adventure like no other
00:29in the world. Before they can leave Bundaberg Port Marina, there's a lot of work to be done.
00:41It's an early start for the Big Cat Reality crew as they prepare for the long stay at sea.
00:47Some charters can last as long as ten days, so careful planning is required to ensure
00:52all logistical targets are met before the guests arrive.
00:57Hey James, Dion's here with the food mate.
01:01Hey James, how are you going?
01:02Yeah, really good. We've got some really exciting things on the menu today. A lot of local produce.
01:07Excellent.
01:08Sweet potatoes, lettuces, been into the butchers this morning and we've got some awesome rib fillets.
01:13So I think the guests will be happy today.
01:15Nice mate.
01:15Picks all the dietary boxes.
01:16So what do you need? You get Johnny with a forklift and ready to start taking food?
01:20Definitely, we'll bring it all down.
01:21Righto. I'll put this inside. Cheers.
01:23The organisation of food for a trip this size is imperative for the success of the expedition.
01:29As well as putting together the food and the meal plans, Dion also sources it locally
01:33from farms and producers in the nearby region.
01:38Bundaberg's been probably one of the best ports we've ever run out of for the fact that
01:42the local support that we're given here is excellent. I've worked out in many ports
01:48before where you literally are on your own, where the regional sort of culture around
01:55Port of Bundaberg is amazing.
01:58The Wide Veid Burnet is known as Queensland's food bowl, with the area producing a diverse variety
02:05of products due to the arable land and subtropical climate. Avocados, macadamias, tomatoes and citrus
02:12make up some of the region's $1 billion exports. The iconic Bundaberg rum arose from the sugarcane
02:20industry, which began in the late 1800s, and the area is home to other world class businesses
02:26like Bundaberg brewed drinks, Bundaberg sugar and Kelky Moon gin.
02:32I've been to sea most of my life now. I actually started when I was about 16 on vehicle barges,
02:39more like more of a coincidence than anything. I worked for my uncle on landing craft, vehicle barges,
02:47and then from there I basically haven't left the water. I went to Harbours of the Marine, MSQ,
02:53worked on charter boats, diving, commercial diving, hydrographic surveying, all sorts of things
02:58up and down the Queensland coast predominantly. And then of course in 2000 we bought our own
03:03operation, which was Big Cat Reality. And only the latter part of the time we've had Big Cat,
03:10we've now focused on these big offshore fishing adventures. And to be honest, the most amazing
03:16trips we've put together, and the places to go now are just unbelievable.
03:21Big Cat Reality travels to some of the most photogenic and pristine locations, rarely visited
03:27by other vessels. From swaying reefs out to wreck reefs, guests are guaranteed to fish in the
03:34most untouched, abundant seas in Australia.
03:46Different trips target different species, but one thing's for certain, they always end
03:52in one hell of a good time.
03:54What is it?
03:57Hm, I've got it.
04:03Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi!
04:04Oh, good taste, boy.
04:06Oh, good taste.
04:07I got the dog, mate, got the dog.
04:09Oh, good one!
04:13Oh yeah!
04:14Its a-
04:15Oh!
04:22Beautiful.
04:50Back at Big Cat,
04:51while Jeff, the chef, starts meal preparations for the first night at sea,
04:56the crew work with extreme care to load two customer-owned boats onto the Big Cat.
05:01They'll sit alongside seven other tenders to be taken out on the expedition.
05:06So we brought the boat up from Sydney, towed it 1,200-odd kilometres to Bundy.
05:12James was awesome, he built a whole new cradle for us and yeah, we put the boat on and away
05:16we went.
05:17Pull him further in if you can.
05:19Big Cat Reality has really found a great niche market for a lot of factors,
05:25but one of the large ones is her carrying capacity,
05:28a large upper deck where we can stow up to eight tenders.
05:31It's got a great crane system on the stern.
05:35The tender operation is one of the most high-risk operations we do.
05:39It's got to be done safely and efficiently,
05:42but if we have a problem once we're out there and can't recover the tenders,
05:46or have a problem putting them in, whether we hurt someone or damage equipment,
05:49it's got a massive ramifications on the rest of the trip.
05:52Pretty happy with that.
06:05Guests from not only Australia but around the world book with Big Cat Reality for an experience
06:12they know they won't find anywhere else.
06:16They arrive well prepared and eager to head out to hunt for the big fish that will become a tale
06:23to remember.
06:24So the weather's looking not too bad.
06:26Obviously we've got some overcast weather slash a fair bit of rain.
06:29There's a lot of talk on the news about a lot of coastal rain, which is, you know, that's fine.
06:34We have been lucky.
06:35We haven't got a lot for loading and we had to do a bit of welding.
06:38So for the next 10 days we suggest we're going to have probably 15 to 20s.
06:42You know, some days, you know, better, 15s, maybe down to 10s,
06:45but it shouldn't be much more than 20, maybe a little bit up to 25,
06:49but that's a good forecast this far out.
06:51Well, it's still at meals at six, then probably dessert before seven,
06:57another briefing at seven, get away by eight.
06:59And then away from the big island.
07:03Excellent.
07:04Weather's a big factor with our operation.
07:07We try and get up-to-date forecasts before we depart.
07:10But given the fact our trips are basically seven and 10 days,
07:13clearly we're going to sea without a clear forecast for the back part of the trip.
07:18So the size of Big Cat is essential that if the weather does come in while we're out there,
07:24obviously we're big enough and can handle the conditions to get home.
07:27However, if the conditions are that bad before we depart and we can foresee,
07:31you know, a rough trip where we're not going to keep all the guests happy,
07:34we do have to postpone or cancel the trip,
07:37which we have had to do only on a couple of occasions due to cyclones,
07:41which has been pretty lucky for operation.
07:45All right, I'm pushing up.
07:46All right, we are.
07:51Springer airs off.
07:58You are free.
08:00All crew on board?
08:02Everyone's on board?
08:03Yeah.
08:10While the guests sort out their fishing gear and have a few beers on the back deck,
08:15the crew are strapping in for the 422 kilometre journey ahead of them,
08:19arriving in 32 hours to what will seem like a new world full of big fish, beautiful reef,
08:26and a fair bit of history.
08:30Wreck reef awaits.
08:43Yeah, that's the one.
08:44That's the breaking water there and there.
08:46So no, I've been here quite a few times, so I'm pretty happy with it.
08:50Obviously a different plotter system, so I'm taking caution,
08:54but I'm certainly confident with our two marks and we're coming in steady.
08:58You'll see this bommie country here. There's quite a rough bommies as you come in,
09:03but the spot I'm going to, I've got a good solid mark on.
09:07So when we come in, remember there's those two bigger breaking waters on either side.
09:12Should be right in the middle of those as we come in.
09:14Anchoring a vessel the size of the big cat isn't a simple task.
09:19Precision is required to avoid damage to the reef and optimise the safety of the crew and guests.
09:30Righto, so we're anchored now at Bird Island, which is the most protected spot we've got
09:36in this area with this swell. It's not a bad spot, bit overcast.
09:41Still a bit of movement with the main vessel as in rolling a little bit,
09:45which makes it more difficult when we're launching the tenders,
09:48but it's the best protection we've got at the moment.
09:50A unique feature of big cat is its capacity to carry nine tenders.
09:55Although the unloading and loading during uneasy weather conditions comes with risks,
10:02the crew are experienced and ensure safety is a priority.
10:06In the planning stages of this new project, a lot of work went into the upgrades of the mothership
10:11itself. As well as the mothership, all the tenders are quite unique, whilst other operators are doing
10:16some similar mothership products in closer to the coast. With this particular type of fishing,
10:23with the sports fishermen, they've wanted to go further from the mothership than normal.
10:27So what we had to do was approach AMSA and put in a safety case, why we could do that
10:32safely
10:33without endangering the guests. And how that works is we had to do a lot of risk assessments,
10:39procedures to allow those vessels not just to go to two nautical miles, but in fact,
10:43they're allowed to go to five nautical miles. Having the freedom to travel five nautical miles
10:51from the mothership provides the guests with the opportunity to venture out farther in their search
10:56for the perfect place to cast out. Heavy. Heavy one. So I want everyone to stay the home zone and
11:04back at 12. So we'll leave here, radio check, radio check at 10 and back at 12 for lunch.
11:10What about a horn with a giant fish at about 11.45? That's an exception to the rule, you've got
11:15a cause.
11:16You haven't seen these skinny little arms, they'll take more than 50 minutes.
11:20Well, we'll view it case by case. So, all good?
11:35Yeah.
11:35Basically, follow through here. There's a couple of shallow bombings, but straight to the beach.
11:39Keep your motor trimmed up when you're in shallow water and then just put on the beach.
11:42Same time when you come back, use Big Cat as a bearing. And if you want to then work around
11:46the
11:46outside, you go out here and round each edge. 10 to 4, 10 to 4. Big Cat, radio check.
11:55Cloud and clear, mate on 4. Over.
11:57Thanks, Richard. We'll talk to you again at 10. See you back at 12. Thank you.
12:01Wrecked Reef is made up of low-lying coral reefs and sand caves and is located at the southern end
12:07of
12:07the Coral Sea Island group. It stretches approximately 25 kilometres and covers an area of about 75 square
12:16kilometres, which includes Bird Islet, Porpoise Cay and West Islet. Big Cat's first stop is Bird Islet.
12:25Brimming with life, the islet is about 500 metres by 250 metres and is haven for the brown booby species
12:33and colonies of Kona Beta Pilatus, the rare strawberry hermit crab.
13:00So, having only just arrived at Bird Island, the guests upon the fishing vessel Big Cat Reality
13:06are definitely making the most of their time at this small sand atoll surrounded by breathtaking reef.
13:15One of the reasons you come to Wreck Reef is because it's so varied. There's so much stuff you can
13:19do here,
13:20but I suppose for having my brother and my best mate along who had not experienced a lot of this
13:27stuff
13:27before, for me it was more about showing them what it was about.
13:37Another amazing part of operation that I enjoy to see is when good mates go out together,
13:44or particularly father sons or family members, to get that quality time away from all the normal
13:49hustle and bustles of life. But to say a father son or a family of good mates out there together
13:56is very special and one of the great highlights I like to see happen.
14:02We'd been casting for GTs in the wave wash for, I don't know, an hour or two. We were starting
14:08to get pretty tired. Things were a bit slow and so I cast my popper in the opposite direction of
14:15where
14:15Adam had told me to cast and hooked this giant fish that started screaming off and the boys were like,
14:24oh no, it's a shark, it's a shark. And I was like, no, I don't think it is.
14:3020 minutes later, you know, I'm absolutely stuffed and we look over the edge and there's this 35 keg GT
14:39and I was right, it wasn't a shark.
14:44We can't guarantee that they catch a fish, but the guys that go out playing these trips for a long
14:49time
14:49and obviously dream about catching that fish of a lifetime, they tend to put a lot of energy
14:54and work into the planning stages and their equipment. So normally they're well prepared to
15:00catch that fish, but to see them actually catch it after it might not be the first day,
15:04might be the second day. When they catch that fish themselves, the fact that it's self-guided
15:09is amazing and you can tell that they really get a real kick out of actually the whole self-achievement
15:15that they caught that themselves.
15:28After what has been a successful start to the trip, the guests and crew are ready to settle in for
15:35a
15:35good night's sleep as tomorrow brings a big day ahead and who knows what is to come.
16:05As day four of the expedition begins, Big Cat Reality prepares to depart for a nearby coral cave.
16:12Calling all tenders, calling all tenders, this is your mother.
16:19We're ready to depart Bird Island heading west to Porpoise Cay.
16:26As you know we've steamed all the way out to Rec Reef, we've gone right up to the eastern end
16:30which is Bird Island, but the boys have had a bit of a look around here yesterday and they're keen
16:37to move
16:37back to Porpoise. A couple of the guys have been out with us before have got a few good marks
16:42there
16:42and they're pretty keen to get around there so but we'll have to stay around that area for the next
16:47two days which is fine. Happy enough to move because I know I've got a good anchorage for the big
16:51boat.
16:53Instead of coming back to the mother ship, they get to follow the mother ship. They just follow us
16:57across just in close proximity to us. Get a chance to troll in areas they probably wouldn't troll without us
17:01here.
17:02I've worked the coast a long time, particularly the Queensland coast, but to push out wide out
17:07in the Coral Sea I always find quite amazing. The fact that we steam over the Cato Trench on our
17:13way
17:13to Rec is quite humbling. The fact that we go over three and a half thousand meters of water and
17:20then
17:20we come to this amazing place that comes out of literally two thousand meters of water up and breaks
17:26the surface. It's basically formed many many years ago from the formation of old volcanoes and as the
17:34ocean rose then the reef structure developed later. But to go over go over such massive depths of water
17:40and then to arrive to this beautiful haven is something I still can't quite grasp. It's unreal.
17:47And the sun's out though so you'll see how easy it is to see compared to when we came in
17:51to Bird Island.
17:56That's where our position was pretty well there. So I'm happy to grab something up here. Yep. Angers away.
18:06That's well over 40. The boys have missed the mark. We've got to get this right because
18:10we're not sitting here all night until we know it's spot on so we've got to recover the chain
18:14till we find the mark and then we'll relay it again. Righto. Steady steady. Up she comes.
18:25Having missed the anchor location the crew need to make a second attempt.
18:30A good anchorage needs a couple of good things particularly good protection or structure that
18:35breaks the surface from prevailing conditions which is southeast in these areas. The way the reef forms
18:41it actually forms towards prevailing weather so we've got some nice protection really from the south
18:47right around to the northeast particularly at wreck. The other major factor is you need decent
18:53holding bottom. So you can have some nice anchorages with fluffy sand or fluffy coral sand.
18:59You won't hold in heavy weather. So these formations are not only providing nice little harbours
19:05but the coral formation is basically on the back of volcanic rock formations which is very strong
19:12and once you anchor your vessel properly there's no risk of dragging. Johnny Johnny we'll just pull
19:20back tell me if it still pulls up then we'll pay the chain as we said. During the night the
19:28tenders will
19:29stay on open water. James and Dan get to work locating and setting up strong anchor points.
19:36He's got a fishing company and you know some of the grounds that we cover with Big Cat we just
19:42don't
19:42get the opportunity to do that in Sydney or anywhere on the coast of Australia so you know being able
19:48to test product out in that country is incredible for us. You can imagine how big the fishing industry is
20:01and all the tackle companies are very keen to test their gear and ensure their gear is fit for market.
20:07Well this place provides an amazing natural playground and testing field for their gear
20:12and basically a lot of the companies like to come out here really put their gear to the ultimate
20:18test to ensure it's ready for market and obviously promote that to their audience.
20:31Back at Big Cat James isn't a hundred percent happy with how the ship is anchored.
20:39Hey guys we anchored down we missed the bommie by about 10 meters apparently. I'll go for a dive.
20:45Check it out.
20:50A good skipper needs solid knowledge and experience to be able to recognize potential dangers before
20:56disaster can strike. I've been very lucky through my career to do many things particularly with
21:05hydrographic surveying, commercial diving, recreational diving. So I get a real understanding
21:12from the mixed field I've been in of not just the navigation on the upside but the formations and
21:19the structure underneath. For me I believe that gives me a real unique opportunity to assess the
21:25areas from from both above and below the water and when you get that full understanding it really
21:31just brings all together and I feel it's been a great benefit for me.
21:38Guests aboard the Big Cat Reality are only halfway through their expedition but it's already become
21:45a trip of a lifetime. Every sunrise brings the excitement of what the day may bring.
21:57crime.
21:58the
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