Australia

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Between New Zealand and Australia we were able to watch the SuperBowl, live—ahhh the wonders of modern communications. At an enormous cost, the ship picked up the satellite feed from the NFL Network so we saw the game but none of the ads. There were three betting pools on board—none of which we won. But it was fun to see such an exciting game especially from halfway around the world.

After a bumpy but otherwise uneventful crossing of the Tasman Sea we arrived in Burnie, Tasmania for a very short stay. Tasmania seems like almost an extension of New Zealand in that it is more countrified and provincial than the rest of Australia. The island, which is noted for its unspoiled wilderness, is crisscrossed with nature walking trails and national parks. As a matter of fact the Southwest National Park is so special that it has been designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Tasmania was a favorite dumping grounds for British convicts and for the local Aborigines, the name Tasman Devil took on a new meaning in their eventual conflicts with the white settlers. The entire Aboriginal population was wiped out within a few years by disease and brutal treatment at the hands of the new settlers.

In our five hour exploration of the town, we utilized the free internet facilities at the library and checked out the local Chinese cuisine. Everyone we met seemed so friendly and helpful and the town was so well laid out, that it was easy to cover most of it in very little time. Then it was back to the ship and off to mainland Australia.

We really made use of our thirteen hours in the beautiful city of Melbourne. Our Aussie friends, Jan and Bob, picked us up at the port and took us on a day long exploration of the city. We bought a City Saver Met Card which allowed us to use all of the local transit in the downtown area. We used the trams, trolleys and buses all day in town where we dodged rain showers and high winds to see the sites. Our first stop was an ascent of the tallest building in Australia and the highest viewing platform in the southern hemisphere. The Eureka Tower has a skydeck on the 88th floor which provides a 360 degree view over the entire city. As an extra added attraction, “The Edge” is a glass cube which projects 9 feet out of the skyscraper. It is a weird feeling to be able to look straight down 900 feet to the street below. They warn people with fear of heights or who are claustrophobic or pregnant not to enter the cube. We decided to chance it and after donning cloth booties—so as not so scratch the glass floor-- and surrendering all of our purses and bags, we spent three minutes suspended over Melbourne.

We had an incredible lunch at the Docklands—the newest and chicest area of town complete with ritzy apartments and glitzy yachts. Docked there was the Steve Irwin, the Sea Shephard ship which has recently been in dramatic confrontations with the Japanese whaling fleet in the South Pacific Ocean. They were in Melbourne to refuel, repair and resupply in order to continue the battle. It is causing quite a diplomatic row between Japan and Australia with neither side backing down one meter.

We met Jan and Bob in 1997 aboard the Oriana on a world cruise. As our personal retirement present we sailed her from Southampton, England to Honolulu, Hawaii and over the course of the month long cruise, we got to know the Thompsons and our Sydney friends, John and Dawn. We have what we call our “ boomerang friendship” in that we see them almost every year when they come through the US and we hook up yearly when we sail through Australia. They, in turn, have introduced us to other Aussie acquaintances and thus the circle of friendship has grown over the years. That is one of the nicest perks of cruising. We had cocktails with Harry and Kay, ardent cruise buffs, whose walls are covered with pictures of cruise and cargo ships, in their condo overlooking the port. We then had a lovely home cooked dinner with John and Cheryl before bidding them all farewell until next year and heading back to the Voyager.

Our sail into Sydney wasn’t as spectacular as usual due to fog and rain. But once we got inside the harbor, Captain Dag spun the ship around 360 degrees in front of the iconic opera house and the Sydney bridge. We heard that the Voyager is the only ship of its size to have completed this maneuver within the tight confines of the harbor. This is the high cruising season for Australia and thus it was necessary for us to dock in the cargo area of the harbor. We prefer being at Circular Quay with its view of the opera house, but the Amsterdam got there first. We had another round of private car tours to attend to for our Cruise Specialists members. From the feedback we get from our guests, this program is a resounding success. Having a nice car at one’s disposal driven by knowledgeable and personable guides is a great way to explore a foreign port.

We took the ferry across Sydney Harbor to Mosman to spend the evening with the McLenaghans for an Aussie style family barbie. John and Dawn lived in Washington DC for many years where they raised their family. One by one their American raised children are returning to make their homes in Australia. Daughter Catherine and husband Alex Weinress, who is a rising film producer joined us for dinner. Their home overlooks the “Heads” which is the entrance to the harbor. While out on their deck admiring the view we were visited by a flock of colorful lorikeets and raucous cockatoos. After dinner we took the ferry back to Sydney and what a gorgeous sight to see the city and bridge all lit up.

The next day we went to the Haymarket for some shopping and then to Chinatown. Gung Hai Fat Choi—Happy Chinese New Year. We were lucky enough to be in town for the largest celebration of the Lunar New Year outside of China. The parade stretched for miles and was loud and festive in the Chinese tradition. We saw dragons, stilt-walkers, every Asian costume imaginable as well as bands and floats. Since it is the Year of the Rat, there were huge papier-mâché rodents sprinkled throughout the parade chasing hunks of cheese.

We got back to the ship in time to prepare for Kevin’s birthday celebration. John and Dawn drove in from Mosman for cocktails and dinner on board and it seemed like everyone on the ship wanted to sing “Happy Birthday” before the night was over. We had a lovely dinner in LaVeranda watching the sunset over Sydney. After dinner we introduced them to Mark Russell, the political humorist. We have gotten to know Mark and his wife Aly while cruising together over the last few years. John and Dawn were thrilled to meet Mark as they had seen him many times while living in the nation’s capital. We bid our friends farewell for another year and then attended a sail-away on deck as we cruised out of this vibrant and beautiful city.

We enjoyed two sea days of cruising up the east coast of Australia. It gave us a chance to get caught up with our various projects and meet our new passengers. We had been scheduled to spend a day on Hardy Reef which is located in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Unfortunately the weather had other plans for us. The high seas would have made for a dicey excursion to the reef, so the Captain decided to take us to Hamilton in the Whitsunday Islands. We spent the day at this holiday resort isle hiking around and wading in the shallow sea waters. This was the first hot day of the cruise since we were in the Panama Canal—85 degrees with 100% humidity. We loved it. After we left we still were cruising within the Marine Park which afforded us some protection from the high winds and seas and it was almost like river cruising as we wove between pine covered islands.

We had dinner with the Ashdowns and Mustonens in Latitudes where there was an “Upside Down Dinner’’ in recognition of cruising “Down Under,” as this part of the world is referred to. Everything is opposite the norm. We had dessert first and soup and salad last. Chairs and tables were hung from the ceiling and yes meant no and terrible meant delicious. We have some young friends at home who play this opposite game all the time. The ship is always coming up with innovative dining and entertainment ideas especially on the world cruise where many of us are onboard for four months. This dinner featured the flavors and foods of Australia and it was very bad—I mean good!

We really like Cairns although I have yet to pronounce it properly. No matter how I say it to an Aussie, I am always corrected—kans, kerns, caans, karins. But if truth be known, I think even the Australians differ in their idea of the right way to say it. However it is said, we like the place and always enjoy visiting there. We have toured most of the prime sites which include the Wet Tropics Rainforest, the rainforest village of Kuranda and Tjapukai to gain a better appreciation of Aboriginal culture, history and lifestyle. On one visit to Tjapukai we learned the techniques of boomeranging, spear throwing and didgeridoo playing. The Butterfly Sanctuary is a joy to visit especially when these colorful beauties alight on your shoulder or head. The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway is one of Australia’s top attractions. A ride in one of the suspended gondolas provides a view of Cairns, the coastal range, the ocean and the rainforest canopy. We spent the morning passing out Valentine’s cards and candy to our guests and then went ashore for a walkabout. Cairns boasts a wonderful Esplanade along the sea and has a man-made 43,000sf saltwater lagoon which is a perfect place to take a dip to cool off. The waters directly off Cairns are not hospitable as they have crocodiles, stingers and box jellyfish. Contact with anyone of which could ruin your day. That is one of the reasons the City built the wonderful lagoon facility. We picked up a take-away lunch at a food-court and went to the Esplanade for a picnic.

That night as we were leaving Australia we had a Valentine’s Day/sunset party on the back deck of the ship. The warm, sultry air was moderated by the sea breezes and it was a great way to say good-by to this dynamic, charming, wild and vast country.

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Comments

[Stephanie Davis]

Happy Birthday, Kevin
Happy Birthday, Kevin! Reads as if you two are still having a brilliant time, to no surprise. May it continue to be. Love reading the updates. All is well here in the Marina. Took a catamaran cruise with Glen, Christy, Raul, Mark, Barbara and Andrew yesterday. Had a good time. Chilly, but still fun.

[Roberta]

Glad you finally got some hot weather. When you are sailing do you go past Yeppoon (NE corner of QLD)? From Kevin's we can see the eastern tip of the Great Barrier Reef. How is the snorkeling on the reef? Kevin said that next time I come to visit we'll go out to the reef. Your travellogs are so descriptive - sure would like to visit most of the places you describe (not the cube over Melbourne!!) Love, Roberta