The reality of having no Wi-Fi on holiday – is it heaven or heinous?

Tiana Templeman’s Wi-Fi-free Kimberley cruise turns into a surprising lesson in relaxation and mindfulness. Photo / Tourism Australia
For 10 days, Tiana Templeman tackles an expedition cruise around the Kimberley in Western Australia with zero Wi-Fi – but does she survive to tell the tale?
I’m about to set sail on an expedition cruise around the Kimberley, and I’m scared. Not about coming face-to-face with crocodiles and sharks or pushing my body to do things like long hikes in high temperatures or clambering up rocky cliffs. It’s something that terrifies me much more than that.
For the next 10 days, my husband and I have made a pact to forgo Wi-Fi and go entirely offline so we can live in the moment and lower our stress levels. So far, it’s not working. We’re already pacing the dock like a couple of junkies desperate for a hit and we’re not even on the ship.
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Psychiatrist and author, Dr Anna Lembke, likens the smartphone to a modern-day hypodermic needle, delivering digital dopamine 24/7. We didn’t realise how much time we spent scrolling the internet and on social media until we couldn’t do it.
You’d never guess it wasn’t our first time going on holiday with no Wi-Fi. Being constantly connected wasn’t a thing when we first started travelling together, and we’d often be offline for months when we were overseas with no problems at all.
However, Joni Mitchell was right when she sang “you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone”. Back then, we didn’t miss the convenience of having the world in our pocket and social media because we had never experienced it. These days, nothing could be further from the truth.
Averting our eyes from the “Wi-Fi available for purchase” signs, we’re determined to fully experience every moment of our trip – both the good and the bad – for the first time in years. But will being disconnected from the outside world be heaven or heinous? So far, it’s the latter for me.
During the first few days of our cruise, we’re distracted and have trouble sitting still for more than a few minutes. Some people are addicted to drugs or gambling, but we’re addicted to our phones – and we use them far less than plenty we know. The need to be constantly stimulated is overwhelming, and we feel nervous and jittery without our constant social media hits.
However, we soon discover the joys of being in the moment and the freedom to go with the flow and let the natural rhythm of our holiday unfold. Some mornings, we lie in bed and admire the Kimberley’s craggy red cliffs through our cabin’s picture window, which frames the scenery like we’re watching a movie. Or we get up early and splash around in the pool like a couple of kids.
Another day, while sailing to another spectacular spot, we borrow novels from the onboard library and rediscover the pleasure of getting lost in a book. We’re chilling out with new friends, admiring the setting sun sparkling on the water, when we spot a pod of whales and gather as many other people as possible to watch them cruise alongside Heritage Adventurer.
Experiencing everything as it happens adds an immediacy and intensity to each moment that magnifies our enjoyment of the wilderness surrounding us. It also allows the camaraderie we share with other passengers to fully develop without the distraction of social media to entertain us.
Halfway through the trip, we realise we no longer need to share what we’re doing with the outside world every minute of the day. Being right here, right now is enough. That said, being without Wi-Fi is not all breaching whales and scintillating conversation.
We miss not being able to call our son using WhatsApp, and I wonder how my brother is going with checking in on our elderly dad while I’m away. There’s also a mild panic when my husband can’t remember whether he paid a bill before we left. He did, as it turns out, but it wouldn’t have mattered if he hadn’t. The world keeps on turning, even when you’re disconnected from it.
By the end of the cruise, we’re content to languish on a deckchair for hours with nothing but the scenery to entertain us. Or seek out other things that are far more interesting than living each day through the activities of other people on Instagram.
There is always someone who is interesting to chat with, especially as our ship allows visits to the bridge, which is filled with people who know far more than we do and are willing to share their knowledge. We are calmer and happy to listen instead of constantly talking, and learn more about Australia in a week than we have in years.
Being relaxed has changed both of us for the better, and it’s hard to remember why minor things once seemed so important. The time I wasted scrolling through social media could have been better spent connecting with others and soaking up the sights, smells and sounds of the world outside.
Over the past 10 days, I’ve discovered the importance of disconnecting to reconnect with yourself and others. I’ll know I’ll remember this long after we return home.