Blogs from Oceania

Advertisement

Oceania » Australia » Queensland » Cairns May 30th 2023

On Saturday we arrived at our mooring outside Port Douglas. We weren't able to go ashore until after 10am. We went down for the morning quiz, (which we won again) and snaking through the Ocean Bar was a long queue waiting for tender tickets. I waited until it was near the end and then joined. We were still able to go in Group 4. After the quiz we watched as they launched the tenders and then noticed two large ferries coming from the mainland. Then we went into the bar to wait for our group to be called. It was not until about 11am that we got on board one of the larger boats and then it was a short ride to the wharf.It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed the sunshine and the fresh ... read more
Port Douglas Marina
Lunch at Hemingway's
The Lady Douglas

Oceania » Australia » Northern Territory » Darwin May 28th 2023

On Wednesday, 24th, we anchored in Darwin Harbour, at the Waterfront Wharf. We were able to disembark the ship and walked along the walkway , past Stokes warf to the lovely Waterfront precinct and up into the city. Fletcher wanted to find a bank to get some cash, so we wandered along the Mall and eventually found the ANZ bank. It was already warm with a hotter day to follow. We found a taxi which took us to the Aviation Museum near Darwin Airport. We had missed this last time we were here in 2020. The main attraction here is the B-52 bomber which takes up the whole of the enormous hangar. It looks like the mother hen with all the other planes nestled under its wings. I Ihad not realised how big it is. There ... read more
In Dragon Lady
Ramen soup
Pork Belly and watermelon??

Oceania » Australia » South Australia » Naracoorte May 28th 2023

Naracoorte was formed from the merger of two towns, Kincraig, founded in 1845 by Scottish explorer William Macintosh, and Narracoorte, established as a government settlement in 1847. The name has gone through a number of spellings, and is believed to be derived from the Aboriginal words for place of running water or large waterhole. Naracoorte has historically been a service centre for the sheep, cattle and wheat farming industries in the surrounding area. In recent decades, tourism has become a major industry due to the town's proximity to several wine regions and internationally recognised natural features. The World Heritage listed Naracoorte Caves and the Ramsar listed Bool Lagoon are located near the town. Our first destination to explore was Naracoorte Caves, where we joined a guided tour of the Victoria Cave, which has and continues to ... read more
IMG_5469
IMG_5456
IMG_5470

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia May 26th 2023

Friday 26th May Lat night and this morning have to be the coldest I have felt for years, poor G is freezing. We see no point in staying another two nights only to freeze so we set to to pack up and head home, as we have paid for tonight, we have all day so no rush. Grabbed a coffee on the foreshore but even in the sun the wind was biting so we quickly walked Tippy and headed back to the car to start driving. No watching the world go by this morning it is too windy and cold. Heading down Indian Ocean Drive, a new road for this trip, we came across the turn off for The Pinnacles, so decided to have a look and see. It is hard to get into with the ... read more
DSCN5505
DSCN5507
DSCN5510

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia May 25th 2023

25thMay route Port Denison, Green Head, Juried Bay, Cervantes RAC Cervantes Holiday Park $43 per night Rating by us 5/10 Big grass sites, old facilities but clean, walking to beach a bonus 25th May to 27th May Cervantes Mileage Port Denison/Dongarra 8603, Cervantes 8762 travelled 159 kms Thursday 25th May Heading back towards Perth the weather is fast becoming cooler. We had some rain last night and packed up with tracksuits on against the cold this morning. Once we had packed up we headed to the coffee shop planning on having a last “world go buy” half hour on the foreshore before heading off, but the wind was bitterly cold so we hit the car and drank our coffee on the way. We have planned a short trip today in order to enjoy the last few ... read more
DSCN5460
DSCN5465
DSCN5469

Oceania » Australia » Victoria » Port Fairy May 25th 2023

In the early 19th century whalers and seal hunters used the coast in this region. The crew of the sealing cutter The Fairy captained by James Wishart reportedly gave the bay its current name in 1828. Whatever its origins, the name "Port Fairy" had come into general use by 1835. In 1843 James Atkinson, a Sydney solicitor, purchased land in the town, draining the swamps, subdividing and leasing the land, and building a harbour on the Moyne River. He named the town "Belfast" after his hometown in Ireland, and the names of prominent buildings either bear the name Belfast or Irish names. The town reverted to Port Fairy in 1... read more
IMG_2485
IMG_5342
IMG_5448


Monday 22nd May 2023 We said farewell to Moonta and headed north to Port Broughton as our first stop. Rags remembered this place from our previous trip; a one street town leading to a long jetty which faced a beautiful old hotel flanked with pine trees. And so it was. We walked most of the town, had a coffee at the bakery with a bambury, a pastry shaped like a pasty, filled with currants and citrus etc. Very tasty. Then on to Melrose via Crystal Brook (where the Jeep dropped its big-end) through the pretty town of Laura, (adjective put in for our Laura). Stone Hut, about 20kms further was our next stop, the group we travelled with a few years ago raved about the pies they had there. They hadn't lied, Judy had a Thai ... read more
Beautifully maintained hotel in Port Broughton
Stone Hut Bakery
Pies at Stone Hut

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia May 23rd 2023

For the last four days we have not left the ship. The two scheduled stops at Exmouth and Kuri Bay were inaccessible to us. The first, Exmouth, was unable to be visited because the seas were too rough and the wind, too high for the tenders to be launched and then at Kuri Bay, the only people allowed on shore were those who had purchased shore excursions from the ship which were very expensive and we did not like the fact we were virtually held to ransom to buy one. So how have we been spending our time?T Quizzes!! Each day there are about 4 different trivia quizzes. On the first morning Fletcher and I won the first one with the grand prize of a water bottle and a bottle opener. At the second quiz, Janine ... read more
Exmouth in the distance
Melroy, our waiter, introducing the degustation
Degustation menu

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia May 23rd 2023

Tuesday 23rd May Having decided to head home at the week end we attempted to extend our stay here till then, but they are fully booked, so moving on to Cervantes for our last stop on Thursday, returning home on Sunday. Enjoying the last few days of doing nothing today. Had a short ride around the place it has changed hugely since I last visited but that was over thirty years ago. They now have a new marina created by a huge number of rocks been dropped into the ocean to create a safe harbour. Walked to the coffee shop and sat on the sea front watching the world go by until mister Tippy had had enough and we walked on. We walked so far that Tippy refused to go on and then promptly fell asleep ... read more
DSCN5417
DSCN5420
DSCN5423

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia May 21st 2023

Sunday 21st May After all the exercise yesterday, we are having a quiet day today. I was up in the middle of the night taking cold remedy as I seem to have picked up a summer cold, I am hoping it is my hay fever playing up after all the wind out at the Skywalk yesterday, time will tell. Coffee sitting out on the foreshore was cut short, with a very strong wind blowing across the ocean straight on shore, headed back to the car and watched the world go by whilst we drank our coffee. We headed off in the car for a cruise around the houses been built around the town and see what it is all like. Called at a number of amazing lookout points along the way and got some spectacular shots ... read more
DSCN5342
DSCN5345
DSCN5351




Tot: 0.257s; Tpl: 0.007s; cc: 13; qc: 71; dbt: 0.0475s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1; ; mem: 1.2mb