Cruise - It's Over! - 1 Oct 2010

It's always hard to end a fantastic holiday and get back to the reality of every day life. As we drove away from the Dawn Princess this morning, Gary & I commented that it only seemed like yesterday that we had travelled this journey in the reverse and were embarking on this epic adventure – the time went so fast. But as with most aspects of life...all good things must come to an end...and so, for us, the journey was over.

I happened to be up at 4.20am and saw us steam through the “heads” into Sydney Harbour. I can imagine we must have presented somewhat of a ghost-like figure in the pre-dawn light to the many people located at South Head who were observing our passage. Hot on our heals was the Sun Princess who also arrived in Sydney today, making our arrival news-worthy...in Sydney anyway. So by 5.30am we were sidling into our berth at Circular Quay as the sun rose behind the Sydney Opera House – it really doesn't get any better than this. 

 

So having packed our suitcases for collection last night, it was just a matter of a quick shower, breakfast and then arriving at the designated time (7am) to wait for our call to disembark. I thought it was all very well organised – we had been allotted a colour and number which told us when to disembark and where our luggage would be located. Customs had been predominately taken care of during the voyage after we left Bali, so we moved through the various stages pretty quickly and had collected our substantial baggage, grabbed a cab to Star City, rented a car, and were on our way to Newcastle all by 9am. Pretty good going I reckon.

There was a lot of traffic on the freeway heading north due to the long weekend yet we had a really good run and were home by 11.20am with a stop along the way. Tahnee had done a great job of house-sitting and Oska was here to greet us enthusiastically, though I'm beginning to suspect he may prefer Tahnee – I heard rumours that she spoilt him rotten! After offloading the luggage, we returned the rental car and then it was back home to face the daunting task of...unpacking. I'm sure you can imagine the mayhem (and the subsequent five loads of washing) that followed.

We have also caught up with my Mum, Alison, Danny and the grandkids this afternoon – little Olivia is really cute though she is giving poor Alison lots of sleepless nights. It's OK, Grandma's here to whip her into shape! The boys were happy with their little souvenirs and seemed particularly happy to see Grumps (and Grandma...but mainly Grumps) who I think they had missed very much.

James & Carly also called in for dinner – it doesn't take long, does it? - and we all watched the famous video of the Warners Bay Div J Grand Final triumph. I also discovered I had been awarded a trophy at the presentation night – my first ever soccer trophy...yay me (though I may be the first 49 year old in history to be awarded “Most Improved”).

So, here we are, back to reality – work next Tuesday for me – and nothing exciting likely to happen in the near future. Thanks for taking this journey with us through my blog – it is my travel diary of sorts and I'm sure will serve as a ready reminder of our adventures – and I have greatly appreciated your interest and encouragement. Until next time...

PS - I'll be putting some photos on the older blogs where I had trouble while I was away...check them out!

Cruise - Day 28 - 30 Sep

It's finally drawing to a close – our epic voyage circumnavigating Australia. Today was our last sea day and we will awake in Sydney Harbour tomorrow morning, preparing to disembark the vessel for the last time. I'm ready to go around again but alas it's back to reality for me...

We were kept busy on our last day with a number of activities. The Executive Chef and Maitre D' gave a cooking show where they cooked a 4 course meal – Caesar Salad, Pesto Linguine, Pot Pourri Seafood Hot Pot and Tirimisu. Gaz reckons he has picked up some tips to use when we return home...we'll see.

Then it was on to Bingo...where...the jackpot...did not go off. After an early lunch in the buffet I attended a back stage tour in the Princess Theatre where we got to meet the dancers & singers from the productions, chat to them, see the costumes and backstage areas. It was very informative and interesting – some of the costume changes they do are phenomenal...and all in 30 seconds.

You guessed it, back to Bingo this afternoon where the jackpot (now an amazing $8,900!) had to (and did) go off. Guess what? We didn't win. Gary was disgusted – he can not understand why we didn't win.

I then realised I'd better pack. Gary had packed in the morning but, as you know, I'm pretty good at leaving it 'til the last minute. With some inventive pushing and shoving I finally got everything stowed away in my bags, though they do appear to bulge slightly more than they did 28 days ago...I wonder why? Maybe the sea air expanded them? Hmm.

We spent a lovely final evening with our dining companions – Ian & Mary from Brisbane and Daryl & Narrelle from Rouse Hill in Sydney. They have been great company throughout the cruise and we were very lucky to have been at their table.

It's hard to believe it's nearly all over. I'll let you know how we fare on a departure tomorrow and what sort of welcome we receive at home. Apparently Oska has been totally spoiled by Tahnee who has been house sitting for us. He may not be so happy that we're home. It will be great to catch up with family and friends, especially little Olivia who is now 6 weeks old and apparently smiling...we won't recognise her!

It has been a great cruise - we have had some fantastic times and seen some wonderful sights. When's the next one?

Cruise - Day 27 - 29 Sep

Well Hobart laid it on again for us today with another very cold day with intermittent showers (it allegedly reached 10 degrees...but I'm not sure when...). It is a lovely city though and we spent the morning having a bit more of a look around. We started with a trip on the Red Decker Bus which was a one and a half hour loop around to all the major sites in Hobart. We thought of stopping at one or two of the attractions but I'm afraid the wind, sleet and cold outside the bus acted as somewhat of a deterrent. So after completing the loop we wandered through some of the shops and galleries at Salamanca Place near the waterfront, finishing with a quick lunch at a bakery. We had been told about the famous Tasmanian curried scallop pies and thought we should give them a go. I will admit they are not my favourite, though Gary seemed to enjoy his.

We arrived back on board at about 2pm and I did my striptease as I ascended the stairs from Deck 4 to our cabin on Deck 11. Deck 5 saw the windcheater & beanie go; Deck 7 and the first jacket was gone; Deck 9 and the second jacket was history; Deck 10 I had to check myself as I realised another layer off and I’d be down to my bra and undies – it was so hot on board after the chilly conditions ashore. I then decided I needed a “nana nap” if I was going to last the night. I couldn't believe it but it was 4.15pm when I awoke with a start, disturbed at the thought that I may have missed my afternoon waffle. I raced to the buffet and was relieved to see my waffle waiting for me...yummm!

We set off at around 5pm and farewelled Hobart as we sailed down the Derwent towards Stormy Bay, Bass Strait, the Tasman Sea and ultimately Sydney. Unfortunately as soon as we reached the mouth of the river, the old familiar swell returned with the consequent rockin and a rollin of the ship. Yep, you got it – Gaz was down for the count and took to his bed. It was a pity because within an hour the rolling had pretty much stopped but it was too late for our Gaz. So it was another formal night where I went solo. After dinner I went to another great show put on by the singers and dancers and then there was a special event in the central atrium. It was a re-creation of New Years' Eve, complete with a countdown, balloon drop, streamers etc.

So it was a great end to the day. Back at the cabin now and Gaz feels better but is now asleep. I have just watched a documentary on TV about two guys who kayaked from Australia to New Zealand – if they can do it, I guess we can make it from Tassie to Sydney on the Dawn Princess!

(Peter & Colin, our fantastic Cruise Director & Deputy Cruise Director)

Cruise - Day 26 - 28 Sep

Wow! What a day! We awoke this morning, (thanks for that 7.10am phone call, Carly), to find we had arrived in beautiful Hobart overnight. As we are berthed very close to the city, (right next to Constitution Dock where the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race finishes), it is very easy to hop on and off the ship to explore. After breakfast, we decided to go for a walk through the city to check it all out. So, I applied one layer, two layers, three layers and then added a windcheater for good luck. And let me tell you it was very lucky I did so as it was FREEZING! Within 20 metres of our disembarkation we were assaulted with what can only be described as sleet as we battled the wind and made our way the few hundred metres into the main shopping area. Gaz jumped into Gloria Jeans to get a coffee and I jumped into Target to get a beanie, ($2.15 – bargain of the trip!). We wandered the streets for a couple of hours, marvelling at the weather which truly changes every 10 minutes or so...sun, rain, cloud, wind, sun, still, rain, sleet...you get the idea. The temperature gauge outside the Hobart Mercury, the local paper, read 6 degrees at 11.30am!

We had to be back at the ship to join our 12.45pm tour which we had booked weeks ago – a City Drive, Botanical Gardens & Mt Wellington tour. The drive was interesting as always, allowing us a glimpse of many parts of Hobart, including the older more historic sections as well as some of the more modern suburbs that radiate from its centre. Hobart seems to be a lovely city...more like a large country town really. Anyway, the tour guide and driver were not confident that we would be able to ascend Mt Wellington as there had been some snow there and it was mostly shrouded in cloud & mist which would make a trip to the peak pointless to say the least. With the changing weather, they changed their minds numerous times before they decided on a democratic process to ultimately decide our fate. I'd like to say the decision to push on for the peak was unanimous but there were two dissenting votes – one guy who insisted on being let off the bus...and...Gaz. Needless to say we commenced our ascent amidst cheers from all the passengers except for Gary, (the other guy actually did get off the bus...no sense of adventure!), who grabbed hold of the seat in front with one hand, the overhead locker with the other, and then alternated either tightly closing his eyes or glaring (and sometimes swearing), at the road ahead.

Within 15 minutes of beginning our journey it had started snowing and we were treated to breathtaking vistas of snow topped trees as we wound our way up the mountain. There was quite a lot of snow – maybe 6 to 10 inches on the ground – enough for us to stop and make some snowballs. It was very blustery, (more blizzard like), at the peak so we weren't able to get out of the bus, but we did have a chance to play in the snow about 100m lower down. It was VERY cold, but a fantastic experience. Gary survived the trip down the mountain though it was a bit hairy at times as their was now a lot of snow on the road...but we had a great driver. Amazingly, the skies cleared as we descended and we were exposed to beautiful views of Hobart and the Derwent valley below.

We then finished off the tour with a lovely visit to the Royal Botanical Gardens which were also cold...but very nice. So we were back on board the ship by 5pm, rested up a bit before dinner and then headed off to taste the delights of the Tasmanian Police Pipe Band who had come on board to entertain us this evening. They were very good and had packed the crowd in to such an extent that Gaz and I were unable to find seats and had to sit on the floor. There was also some highland dancing...all in all a great way to end a very exciting day.

Cruise - Day 25 - 27 Sep

I awoke this morning to the dulcet tones of the captain making an announcement over the PA at 7.50am. He had been trying to dock at Burnie for some time in 45 knot winds and had decided to “call off the jam” (yes, I admit I watched that Roller Derby film yesterday), “give it a miss”, “leave while the going was good”...or as he actually put it - “abort the berthing”. So poor Burnie did not get the pleasure of our company today and we sailed on for Hobart instead. This does mean that we will arrive earlier than planned in Hobart and will have two full days there before we sail for Sydney.

Although the seas were pretty choppy, there wasn't too much movement on board and Gary managed to stay upright with just occasional “lie downs” during the day. We did attend bingo (twice) – didn't win (again) – jackpot is now well over $6000 and has to be won (hopefully by us) on our last sea day on Thursday. They also whacked together a couple of last minute extra entertainments for the passengers as they obviously had thought most people would be ashore.

Another Sherlock Holmes Mystery Radio Play was very popular and kept us chuckling for an hour or so this afternoon.

We also attended a show by Toni Stevens, comedienne & singer who apparently hails from Morisset, close to where we live, (though I had never heard of her). She was quite entertaining and certainly had the crowd clapping and singing along. All in all a good way to while away an hour.

Not much more to report except that Hobart's forecast for tomorrow is a top (yes, top!) of 12 degrees. Not happy, Jan. I think snow is even possible above 400 feet...brrrrr. The captain did also warn that there are 8-9 metre swells a bit south of us (I think we have 4m at the moment) but hopefully we will miss them. Oh well, you can't change the weather...I'll let you know how we fare in chilly Hobart tomorrow.

PS. Did I mention that I am still eating...and eating...and eating?

Cruise - Day 24 - 26 Sep

Once again we have brought the warm weather with us and Melbourne enjoyed their nicest day since the onset of spring. It was certainly a coolish and cloudy start to the day, yet by midday the clouds had dissipated and the sun shone down on us yet again. Melbournians were out in force, soaking up the sunshine and enlivening the city streets. We came across some particularly interesting locals who had taken up residence outside a Ticketek office, waiting for their opportunity to buy tickets to next week's AFL Grand Final Replay. As they are not club members, the first opportunity to buy tickets for them will be Tuesday midday, yet they have already taken up residence, securing the right to purchase those precious tickets. One fellow we chatted to told us he had been to the last 53 grand finals, including the replay in 1977. (Yes, he even beats you, Frank!) Many locals wandering the streets are still decked out in Magpies or Saints paraphernalia – I'm not sure if they even made it home last night!

 

Our major mission today was to try to see the Titanic Exhibition at the Melbourne Museum. I tried to buy tickets online last night for this incredibly popular event, but was unable to procure them. Lining up and taking pot-luck was our only shot. Luckily, we were able to get tickets and only had to wait 2 hours to get in. The tickets are timed, so we were able to enter at 12.45pm (I bought them at 11am), but do whatever we liked in between. I really enjoyed this time browsing other exhibits in the museum, which, of course, includes the indomitable Phar Lap exhibition of the famous horse's skeleton and his stuffed hide (which sounds gross, I admit, but was actually quite impressive.)

The actual Titanic Exhibition was certainly worth the wait. There was an array of replica scenes such as a first class & third class cabin, the spectacular central staircase and the Verandah cafe. As well as these re-constructions, many authentic relics, excavated from the seabed, were on display. Some of the relics were in surprisingly good condition and included crockery, clothing, documents, money, personal effects as well as pieces of the actual ship. One of the highlights was the boarding card each person is given when entering which outlines the details of an actual passenger on board that infamous voyage. You are then able at the end of the exhibition to check to see the fate of your assumed persona. Gary was a first class 30 year old passenger travelling with his wife, 2 children and 4 servants (yep...doing it tough!) I had been widowed (twice...lucky me) and was travelling with my 10 yr old son and 2 friends in second class to start a new life in America. Can you guess our fate? Well, I can tell you that my whole party survived while all of Gary's lot were lost except for his infant son and the nanny. There were lots of stories posted throughout the galleries outlining circumstances of individuals and their fate – all in all it was immensely interesting and was a couple of hours well spent.

After our epic adventures we boarded a tram back to Port Melbourne and the “mother ship” as she has become known each time we return. I was well and truly tired out but managed to pop up to the buffet for an afternoon tea waffle before grabbing an hour's quick kip before dinner.



(View from our balcony)

During dinner the ship left Port Phillip Bay and moved into the open waters where there is a 3 metre swell setting us on quite a bit of a roll. So it was that Gary high-tailed it back to the cabin while I went to the late show – a really fantastic tribute to the 60's by the Dawn Princess dancers and singers. These shows have all been extremely well done and very entertaining. The dancer's skills, particularly tonight on a severely rolling ship, are considerable to say the least.

So the bad news for our day in Burnie tomorrow is that the expected maximum (yes, that's maximum!) temperature is 13 degrees. Thirteen! Are they kidding? I may have to layer every piece of clothing I own to survive...

Cruise - Day 23 - 25 Sep

Another day at sea as we cruise our way from South Australia to Victoria. We seem to have been pretty much hugging the coast as we have seen land from time to time and also noted that our mobile phone reception has been dropping in and out all day.

Unfortunately the waves have whipped up somewhat and the swell has set us rockin' and rollin' again. While this has not worried me in the least, Gaz took to his bed again this morning after an abortive attempt to go to breakfast – he didn't even make it into the restaurant before he was officially goooone and heading back to the cabin. Things had settled enough by afternoon tea time for him to claim his waffle and cream at the buffet and he also went to dinner, so all is good now.

While Gaz was resting up I was dispatched to bingo to, and I quote, “Win the jackpot”. As I reported upon my return there was good news and bad news. The bad news was that I didn't win and the good news was that the jackpot didn't go off, so it will carry over to our next (and last) sea day on Thursday and should be about $6000! I promise I did my best folks – I had my little pink dabber flying over those game cards – but alas, no luck. As the jackpot has risen, many more punters are now playing with 3 different people (obvious novices), calling “bingo” prematurely. As a punishment for this, these miscreants are made to don a bright yellow wig and do the “chicken dance”. As you can see folks, Bingo is a very mature and cultural pastime! The crowd depicted below is about 4 times the size it was 2 weeks ago.

Immediately after bingo, the Dawn Princess Choir, made up solely of passengers, performed a medley of Broadway songs to a packed audience. They have been practising tirelessly since we departed Sydney and certainly did very well, enjoying a standing ovation for their efforts. They definitely got the toes tapping and I particularly admired the in synch swaying until I realised they were really just trying to keep their feet on the rolling ship. At one point I feared they might all fall over like dominoes, yet they managed to maintain their footing as well as their composure.

This afternoon was taken up with the excitement of the AFL Grand Final which was beamed live directly to the TV in our cabin. By half time I was feeling somewhat despondent as St Kilda fell behind, so I adjourned to the gym to watch the rest of the game from the comfort of my favourite treadmill. By three quarter time (some 45 minutes later...gee it takes a long time to play aussie rules!), I took pity on the other gym patrons who were starting to look startled at my exclamations as St Kilda staged their comeback, so I returned to the cabin to watch the final stanza with Gaz who had returned from afternoon tea. What excitement! What suspense! What tension! And in the end...no winner! What an anti-climax!

So after an early dinner, we settled ourselves back in the cabin to watch another epic encounter – this time the NRL clash between the Dragons and the magnificent Tigers. (You may notice that even though these games are broadcast in public areas of the ship on large screens, I choose to spare other passengers the unique opportunity of watching and listening to Gary watch any sporting encounter...it's safer that way.) So, back to the game. What excitement! What suspense! What tension! And in the end...the wrong winner!

Ah well, bring on season 2011.

I should mention that there has been an outbreak of gastroenteritis on board and the captain has ordered all sorts of additional hygiene measures to ensure it doesn't spread. All food at the buffet is now served to us by waiters – we are not allowed to touch pretty much anything. If it goes much further I envisage the crew will be spoon feeding us shortly. But seriously, I'm sure it is worthwhile and most prudent in the circumstances. For your information, the anti-bacterial gel only kills bacteria (as its name suggests), while soap and water not only eliminates bacteria but any viral nasties as well. It is suggested that we wash our hands with soap and water for 20 seconds as often as possible after venturing in public areas of the ship. Additionally, and this is the important piece of information, 20 seconds is best timed by singing “Happy Birthday”...twice. Gaz has been quite inventive with the lyrics and must have the cleanest hands this side of...well...the Southern Ocean.

So we are in Melbourne tomorrow – I imagine it could be a somewhat sombre atmosphere after today's AFL debacle. Then it's on to Tassie. More later...

Cruise - Day 22 - 24 Sep

When you think of Adelaide you may recall the fitting title of “City of Churches”, while others may be reminded of Adelaide Oval, scene of many a cricketing triumph. There are many who admire the fine stone architecture that defines this the driest capital city in Australia, but, I'm sorry, there is only one truly immortalising landmark of any note in this fine southern metropolis...Haigh's Chocolate!

Yes, Gary & I made the pilgrimage to the home of my favourite rocky road chocolate as part of a city tour we undertook today. We also spent some time in Glenelg, a lovely seaside suburb and had a very interesting tour through many of Adelaide's suburbs.

Once again, the ship was welcomed warmly by a great bush band who warbled their way into our hearts with a fine rendition of such classics as The Overlander, Home Among the Gum Trees, Click Go the Shears, and, of course that perennial (and ultimately incredibly appropriate) favourite, Bound for South Australia. 

 

There were also many volunteer ambassadors, both at the port and in the city, all bending over backwards to assist visiting passengers from the Dawn Princess who had flocked to explore Adelaide and its surrounds. After our tour we decided to spend the afternoon back on board and watched “Valentines' Day” which was the movie matinee for today. I then had to decide whether to eat my rocky road or go to the gym. In true compromising fashion, I ate the chocolate and then spent a solid hour on the treadmill trying to make up for it. (People actually laugh at my gym top that says “I earn my chocolate one step at a time” as if it's not totally true!) While I was on the treadmill I watched the first hour of “Two Week's Notice” (you know I like Hugh Grant...) and then raced back to the cabin to watch the rest of it – I'm sure Gary wasn't THAT interested in the news anyway.

To top off a near perfect day, we ordered pizza and ate in the cabin while we watched the NRL, though unfortunately the result went the wrong way. Oh well, you can't have everything.

So tomorrow we are at sea, hugging the coastline as we sail on to Melbourne. We will be losing another 30 min tonight so we will once again be on eastern standard time. (Can I just say it has been a lot harder giving this 2 hours back than it ever was getting it in the first place!) I will be missing the Warners Bay Soccer Club Women's Presentation Night tomorrow – have a great night girls – congratulations to Best & Fairest, Kylie & Players' Player, Carly...OK, and coach extraordinaire James! And finally...go the Tigers!!!!!

Cruise - Day 21 - 23 Sep

The captain cannot believe it! The passengers are amazed! The crew is beside themselves with wonderment! Yes, folks, all your prayers for Gary have been answered and the sea is like a millpond...yes, this is not an exaggeration...a millpond!

Seriously, we have been so lucky. These southern seas are notorious for laying on a bit of rough stuff and I would not hesitate to say I have have seen more movement in my bath at home. It is pretty cold outside, but that's easy to cope with, just don't go outside!

We slept in this morning until 9.15am! This is a genuine record for me (by miles) as I NEVER sleep in. Regardless it was 11am by the time we finished breakfast and that threw my whole day out of kilter. Something had to give and I'm ashamed to say it was the gym. I certainly wasn't giving up eating, drinking, reading or bingo...and the movie matinee was Robin Hood (with Russell Crowe) which I've been meaning to see...so the hard decision just had to be made. I'd have to say I really enjoyed the movie – it was a lot better than I expected. The highlight was when just as the French were attacking (in the movie) the sound went off as the captain (of the Dawn Princess) was making his afternoon announcement. Amazingly, his comments sort of tied in well with the plot and it got a great laugh from the large audience in the theatre.

So that was the day time activities and then it was off to dinner, a great recital by the band of some Dixieland jazz (it was so crowded I had to sit on the stairs!), and then finally a great show put on by the crew. It was a Musical Murder Mystery and was a radio play interspersed with songs that the audience had to guess – prizes given out for the highest scores, Typically Gaz & I got 19/26, one off receiving a prize...c'est la vie. The jackpot in bingo has risen to over $5000 and, as usual, Gary is fully expecting to win it.

I'll leave you with a couple of photos – the first is part of the corridor outside our cabin – I was told it is 250m long...this is why I felt justified in forgoing the gym today...we walk enough anyway. 

 

And here are Ian & Gary at dinner last night with our two waiters, Aaron & Chai, both from Thailand. They are both lovely and Aaron certainly knows how to keep my wine glass filled!

OK – it's almost midnight and we have a wake up call in for 6am for our tour of Adelaide tomorrow – I think I need to get some zzzzzz's. Go the Titans!

Cruise - Day 20 - 22 Sep

Well folks, there's no bite in the Bight! We have had a wonderfully calm day sailing eastwards in the Southern Ocean with only a slight rolling movement that has not concerned Gary in the least.

A pretty quiet day – back in the gym – and more eating. Did I mention that I have become addicted to the Belgian waffles that they serve at both breakfast and afternoon tea? They are supremely yummy!

Also watched a movie or two, had a sleep and generally had a very relaxing day. It was good to relax after ports for the last 3 days in a row.

Tonight was another formal night so Gaz & I donned our glam gear and headed off for dinner followed by another “Broadway” type show which was, as usual extremely entertaining.

We lose another 30 minutes tonight which puts us on Adelaide time...looks like another sleep in! No more news...

Cruise - Day 19 - 21 Sep

We had a fantastic day in Albany today – great weather (again – we have been so blessed!), great sites and then a very special farewell as we departed...but more of that later.

We awoke this morning to the sight of land as we cruised into King George Sound, a truly beautiful natural harbour. The first passengers had disembarked by 9am and we were on our tour bus by 9.30am, setting off to enjoy the sites of Albany & its surrounds. Our bus was extremely iffy to say the least with the poor driver battling the gears every time we climbed a hill or even slight incline. We came to a complete standstill on more than one occasion mid way up a hill. The roaring of the engine was only dwarfed by the alarming hacking cough of the passenger who sat immediately in front of us. An inauspicious start to say the least!

We enjoyed our little tour of Albany which is a charming town/city of approx. 32,000 and is known, among other things as the last Australian land the ANZACs trod before they departed for Gallipoli in late 1914. There are many memorials that attest to this fact and the ANZAC Day dawn service is apparently legendary. There is also a famously dog-shaped rock, some lovely old buildings & churches, beautiful scenery, lots of wild flowers and some very friendly and welcoming inhabitants.

One of the highlights of our tour was the “Gap” and “Natural Bridge”, two well known landmarks of the rugged coastline found nearby. We had ample opportunity for photos and then headed off to “Whale World”, site of the last active whaling station in Australia. It closed in 1978 and now gives a very good depiction of the whaling industry as it was as well as some great whale conservation and general information. There were a number of exhibits, films, multi-media presentations etc. All in all it was very interesting and I'm glad we made the effort to go.

After being dropped off in town, we grabbed a quick bite to eat, wandered around the shops (OK, yes I did some shopping at a swanky boutique, egged on by Gary...promise), and then walked back to the ship which took about 25 minutes. We were back on board by about 3.30pm.

I spent the afternoon reading and generally resting up. I have only read 3 books since we left which is probably less than I would read at home! Must be too much to do... We have lost the satellite feed of the “Australian” channel so we have been without news from home for a number of days...Gaz is not happy!

Anyway, we set sail at 6pm and were amazed at the sight of camera flashes going off from the nearby hills above the port. On closer inspection we realised that it seemed just about the whole town had taken every vantage point available to wave us on our way – we certainly felt somewhat like celebrities. It had cooled down some and Gaz looked like Scott of the Antarctic as he watched from our balcony. As the sun was setting, and maybe 10 min after we had begun our journey through the sound and out to the ocean, I heard the excited cry from Gaz of “Whales, whales!” (I should mention at this point that he confessed later he was devastated to have failed dismally in not crying out “Thar she blows” or something equally appropriate). Anyway, I rushed out in time to see one, then two, then three whales swimming almost directly below our cabin on the port side. As if this was not enough, we then sighted another one slightly further away who rolled on his side and waved his flipper in farewell to us. Where are the shots, you say? Well, I have some but unfortunately they show mere shadows under the water due to the failing light and indeed the unplayful nature of these particular Southern right whales. It was exciting none the less.

So we are now off to Adelaide...across the Bight no less...but the captain has assured us that it is smooth(ish) sailing all the way. It has started to be a bit rocky already and Gaz is a little sceptical...but time will tell. More tomorrow.

Cruise - Day 18 - 20 Sep

Greetings from beautiful Bunbury, WA! We arrived here early this morning – I doubt the captain even started the engines as Bunbury is only a 90 min drive south of Perth so we probably just floated in on the tide.

The people here are extremely friendly and welcoming. A lovely little band awaited us as we stepped ashore and then throughout the day there were people everywhere, handing out maps, available to answer questions and offering suggestions for activities. The townspeople also seemed very friendly and welcoming...and why wouldn't they – 2000 visitors to the town is nothing to be sneezed at!

Bunbury is quite a good sized & prosperous city and is the closest regional centre to the Margaret River Wine region as well as other popular tourist destinations. Gaz took the opportunity to get his hair cut, and it looks like I may have been sacked as his hairdresser. For only $18 he had a hair cut, beard (and eyebrows?) trim, as well as a head massage. He was most impressed. We spent a total of about 4 hours wandering around the streets of the town and surrounding beaches and Gaz is very keen to return. He's planning some odyssey across the Nullarbor as we speak...help!

I must admit I also enjoyed the town – it had a great feel and also some wonderful scenery. 

 

We were back on board by 2pm and set sail at 3.45pm with 3 toots of the ship's horn. Unfortunately Gary and I have discovered that they serve waffles as well as scones, jam & cream at the buffet at 4pm so I think we may have a new afternoon ritual. Did I mention that I wore my black pants last night and couldn't do the button up? This set me back on my heals so today I made some important changes...I stopped putting butter on my bread roll – that should make all the difference don't you think?

We attended another show tonight – Michael Young, a multi instrumentalist, mainly playing the banjo. He was good some of the time, but I must admit the backing band was better!

Well we are in Albany tomorrow – heading off to Whale World on a tour. Let's hope the weather is as kind to us as it has been for the last few days. Actually, the weather has been brilliant the whole trip. The only time we have seen any rain was a brief shower in Brisbane 2 weeks ago! Albany is apparently very windy – they have a wind farm that provides 75% of their power...let's hope it's taking a break tomorrow...

Cruise - Day 17 - 19 Sep

Well what a fantastic day Fremantle & Perth put on for us today! The weather was perfect! Sunny, no clouds, slight breeze, and an expected top temp of approx. 21 degrees – perfect for sightseeing – not too hot, not too cold.

We disembarked at about 9.30am and boarded our bus which gave us a bit of a guided tour around the city of Fremantle. As I have previously mentioned, I have been here before but it was all new to Gary who really loved it all. After enjoying the sights of Fremantle the bus headed in to Perth, detouring to afford us views of various points of interest, mainly very big houses owned by the many millionaires found in the west. We then hopped off the bus for half an hour's quick tour of King's Park, a veritable feast of native flora. The kangaroo paw is the state's floral emblem and there were many beautiful specimens on show.

A bit more of a spin around Perth and then we had 2 hours free in town for shopping and lunch. Had some yummy Chinese food and also managed to gather together a few essentials (mainly low fat snack foods to stop us buying packets of maltesars which we have been snacking on between meals...though Gary managed to sneak in a packet of chocolate peanuts as well – bad boy!).

We then boarded a river cruise to return back to Freo via the beautiful Swan River. It really is a very lovely trip. This is a photo of a house that recently sold for $57m – yep I didn't forget the decimal point, that's fifty seven million dollars!

Before heading back to the ship, we spent an enjoyable hour or so at the E-Shed markets...yep, more shopping. Then it was back on board and off to a show before dinner. It was an amazing family act called Cameo Rascale who apparently were in the grand final of Australia's Got Talent last year. They were very good – very entertaining, especially the 14 year old boy who is an amazing juggler and acrobat. If you ever get the chance, go and see them.

Well we sail tonight for Bunbury – Gary's big plan is to get a haircut – I'll let you know how it goes!

Cruise - Day 16 - 18 Sep

Our last day at sea before we have 3 days in a row ashore – Fremantle, Bunbury & Albany. And I must say Gary is getting a bit bored. His highlight of the day was taking our washing off to the laundromat.

I attended a very nice service this morning on the main deck to commemorate the sinking of the H.M.A.S. Sydney during WWII and the loss of all lives on board. The wreckage of the Sydney was discovered a couple of years ago and we sailed within 3 nautical miles of that site sometime in the early hours of this morning. As a sign of respect the Dawn Princess organised a service, including casting a wreath overboard, playing of the last post, recitation of the ode etc. 

It was quite moving with all the veterans on-board invited to take a place of honour at the service. A passenger whose 2 uncles were lost aboard the fated Sydney read the ode. I think it was fitting that many of the passengers attended to show their respect.

I also halted a very alarming trend which has emerged over the last 2 days of total sloth and donned the gym gear once again, spending some time on the treadmill and with the weights. This meant that my day was only partial sloth rather than total sloth! Notting Hill was on the TV and you know it's my all time favourite movie so I HAD to watch it again. Gary did not seem particularly impressed that I was able to recite, word perfect, the entire dialogue of the movie...OK, I've seen it more than a few times and worn out multiple videos and DVDs. But seriously, you can't beat Hugh Grant AND Julia Roberts on the same screen!

While we're on the subject of exercise – I went to the gym...remember – I thought I'd let you know how Gaz & I are approaching this important health issue. As you know I have tried to go to the gym most days, combining some cardio with weights while Gaz prefers the ambiance of the Promenade Deck where the serious walkers/joggers and the sometime perambulators fight it out as they continue in a dizzying anti-clockwise direction. This can be extremely pleasant on a lovely day, though my enjoyment level does decrease exponentially with an increase in the wind speed...and we've had a lot of wind over the last few days. This has meant that at times the Promenade Deck is actually closed, thus robbing the Gaz of his exercise opportunity. The gym does not hold similar perils and I have tried to convince Gaz that although the treadmill does rock a bit in these moderate seas/high winds, all you have to do is “hold on tight”. As yet, he remains unconvinced. The other major opportunity for exercise is the stairs. I have made it a policy to always use the stairs and have stuck to that with only maybe one or two exceptions. We are on deck 11, the buffet is on deck 14, the dining room and shops on deck 6, and the theatres etc are on deck 7. This allows for a fair bit of climbing up and down throughout the day and could explain why there are no stair machines in the gym! Gaz, however, has employed a policy of using the stairs to go DOWN and the lifts to go UP...slacko! Invariably I beat him anyway as he has to navigate through passengers on walkers, in wheelchairs, pressing wrong buttons, changing their minds...you get the picture. Regardless of the forms of exercise I undertake I fear that at best I will return home very fat...but moderately fit. I think there is an energy in/energy out equation that is not in sync at the present time. Oh well, dinner anyone?

So after an extremely lazy day we headed off for dinner and then spent a pleasant 40 min or so listening again to Trevor Knight (who leaves us in Fremantle) before we adjourned to the cabin to witness the final throws of Penrith's loss to the Roosters. Oh well, at least St Kilda won the AFL earlier – James should be happy.

Frank & Lee asked me about Jimmy's towel folding prowess and I must admit, although he does try, Jimmy could take a lesson or two from the stewards on the Nile Cruise who managed to concoct the most amazing creations every day. Jimmy sticks with this simple little number.

We have a big day tomorrow – tour of Fremantle & Perth including a couple of free hours in Perth to shop and finishing with a cruise along the Swan River back to Freo. I have seen it before but Gaz hasn't – I think he's looking forward to stepping on dry land again after 3 days at sea.

Thanks to everyone who has been leaving comments & sending emails. Sorry if I don't have time to reply – the satellite internet I'm using costs an absolute fortune (and is often slow) so I write this before I go online and then quickly copy it to the blog, check emails & face book and then get out as fast as possible. Even with these tactics it is likely to cost me in excess of $300 for the trip! Hope everyone is well.

Cruise - Day 15 - 17 Sep

What a difference a day makes! The seas had abated somewhat this morning and Gary dragged himself from his sickbed to capture the sunrise at 5.45am.

Good one Gaz (and thanks for waking me up!).

Our task at 9am was to line up to fulfil our Australian immigration re-entry requirements – better here than at Fremantle I guess. It was actually fairly well organised with passengers allocated a specific time to attend, and it only took about 25 minutes. If you have ever spent time with Gary in a slow moving line you would know that this time comes in just within his limit of patience, so thankfully there were no fireworks!

After we had been successfully screened, I headed up for the open decks to enjoy what could be the last of the sun bathing weather – I have been alarmed to see some of the weather forecasts of our upcoming destinations...Hobart with a max. of 12 degrees sends a chill up my spine...literally. It was still very windy but I managed to spend enough time up there to get slightly sunburned for the first time. Now at least I feel like I have done my duty in terms of the sun worshipping Aussie. I was slightly aghast, I must admit, to observe the rows of slowly baking older passengers who had passed the pleasantly golden look and moved onto the leather-like look of the seriously tanned. I think I'll stick to my “tan in a bottle”.

And now for my philosophical musing of the day...

I have mentioned before my naivety regarding the cruising fraternity of which, as you would expect, there are many present on this voyage. I suppose I had assumed that people cruised to get to places – ie the destination was the ultimate lure, but it appears this is not the case. The serious “cruisers” (and we have met many who have completed well over 10 cruises, one couple on board have almost 1000 sailing days notched up with 44 cruises to their name) just love the lifestyle on board and don't seem to care where they sail to – it's all about getting there. I have lost count of the number of people we have met who have done this exact cruise before, often more than once. Gary met a lady in her sixties who has sold her house and just hops from ship to ship, cruise to cruise, only going ashore for essential medical treatment etc.

While I am enjoying the cruise immensely, and can certainly see myself cruising again, I don't think Gaz & I will become hard core cruisers for a number of reasons. The first and most obvious reason is that Gary is obviously not a natural sailor and, whilst fine in calm and perhaps even moderate seas, is unfortunately unable to stay upright when anything slightly rough comes upon us. Secondly, we are both in essence introverts and could perhaps even be branded as anti-social at times. This is not a problem on the cruise as such – there are plenty of opportunities to be by yourself in both public and private areas, I just suspect that the hardcore cruisers would regard the chance to meet and converse with a wide variety of people as one of the major draw cards of the cruising life. Personally I am happy to meet people...if they are people I'm happy to meet (told you I'm anti-social!) Gary is even worse! I sometimes have to give him a surreptitious kick under the table to stop him telling some poor unsuspecting table-mate that they are absolute idiots. Actually, he has been very good and only sports some minor bruising on his shins...so far. Another problem with myself and the Gaz is that we are generally extraordinarily lazy and apathetic. We spend a lot of time in the cabin (significantly more than our fellow passengers, I fear), because we couldn't be bothered making a decision to participate in one of the many, many activities that are on offer daily. I have thought long and hard about this and believe what we need is to cruise with friends who would jolly us (or maybe bully us) into greater social participation. Don't get me wrong – we are having a really good time – but I do have a feeling that we would have more “fun” if we were travelling with friends or family.

Great finish to the day! We went and saw one of the fantastic Broadway style shows tonight which was a tribute to the “Piano Men” - Sedaka, Manilow, Elton John, Billy Joel, Liberace etc. It was excellent.

We then high-tailed it up to the open deck to watch the Tigers v Raiders game under the stars on the big screen. It was very cosy on the deck chairs with blankets and the Tigers did not disappoint. Bring on next week!

Cruise - Day 14 - 16 Sep

It had to happen...yep, the calm seas we have been enjoying up until now have given way to “large waves & strong winds” (quoting from the ship's log). 

 

So we have been experiencing a bit of rock and roll since last night. It's not too bad..but, you guessed it...it's bad enough to fell the Gaz who took to his bed this morning after rushing out of the breakfast buffet soon after we arrived there. He is basically OK if he lies down but as soon as he gets upright he gets dizzy & light headed. So folks, we have a revised verdict on the aforementioned wonder drug “avomine” - it's good, up to a point.

So it's been a pretty quiet day. I took the opportunity to finish reading my book (the last of the Harry Potter books which I've been meaning to read for yonks), and we watched a couple of movies on the TV in the cabin. In addition to that, I utilised the inclement weather conditions to dry my hair after I washed it this afternoon – 5 min on the balcony – much more environmentally friendly than using the hair dryer!

It was formal night tonight so I went ahead and dressed up, waved farewell to the sick one, and headed off to the dining room. From our table of 6, one other guy and I were the only ones who turned up...but that was OK – we got great service from our waiters!

I then went to one of the lounges and listened to the band for a while until Trevor Knight did another show at 10pm. Once again he was excellent – lots of banjo, guitar and ukulele with a mixture of folk and country songs a la John Denver.

So here I am. It's after midnight and I'm sitting on the toilet with the bathroom door closed typing this so as not to wake the big boy...the things you do! Hopefully the swell, waves and wind die down a little bit tomorrow – we have to front up for immigration at 9am with passports etc – I may have to get a wheelchair for Gaz!

Go the Tigers!