Day 58 - Saturday 7th March - Sydney (day two)

Day 58 - Saturday 7th March - Sydney (day two)

As the ship had been docked in Sydney overnight, there was no sail in to watch, just another lovely early morning phone call to a friend while I watched the sun rise behind the opera house. We were ashore by 7.45am, ready to catch a train to nearby Chatswood, where we met my cousin Simon, his wife Sharon, and their super children. We had breakfast together, a good catch up, and a wander around the area, before they headed off for a karate tournament and we got the train back to the city! The track went over the harbour bridge, so we had lovely views. We continued a few stations further down the line to Central Station, and then spent the rest of the day leisurely making our way back to the ship, stopping as and when we felt hungry! I got some lovely scrambled eggs and fresh juice at a cute little cafe shortly after leaving the train, then we wandered round looking at lots of impressive old buildings. We walked through Chinatown, and then stumbled upon the Chinese Garden of Friendship in Darling Harbour. This was incredible - a beautiful oasis in the middle of the city. It had lakes with fish and ducks, intricate pagodas, trees and plants of all varieties, waterfalls, rocks in a variety of unusual formations, sculptures, and pavilions containing a range of paintings and artwork. We even saw some lizards lounging in the sunshine! It was a magical find!

We walked back to the main part of the city, past more cathedrals and beautiful buildings, to Hyde Park, where we saw the large Anzac memorial. I had hoped to find some signs of the start of the famous magnificent Mardi Gras parade which would be taking place that evening, but I guess it was far too early, as apart from parade banners and a few people in rainbow coloured wigs and tutus, there was nothing to be seen. So we set off through the park, looking at the cockatoos, fountains, statues, and buildings old and new on the nearby roads, including the Sydney Tower looming 268 metres in the air. We then made our way into the Royal Botanic Gardens, where we found another wedding, and lots of beautiful winding flowery paths to take us back to the Opera House. We stopped into the Sydney Cove Oyster Bar (as JL hadn't had any for at least 12 hours!) and I had a yummy mango and strawberry dessert. Then after a bit of souvenir shopping, it was back onboard.

Lots of new passengers were embarking in Sydney, and so they asked everyone to do another safety drill at 5.00 (which was good as it appeared JL had completely forgotten where to go and how to put on his life jacket!). We went to our muster station and checked that the light and whistle on our life jackets still worked (which, as a recent onboard comedian kindly pointed out, would be of next to no use in the middle of the Pacific for attracting help, but would be of great interest to the sharks below!!!) We then went on deck to join the celebration sail away party, which involved lots of flag waving (to which the groups of climbers on the Harbour Bridge waved back enthusiastically!), singing, and a performance by my line dancing and party dance groups. We then sailed away as the sun set and we waved goodbye to beautiful Sydney :-(

We went along to dinner but then decided to give the evening show a miss - partly because the sea was starting to get very rocky again already, and partly because we were absolutely EXHAUSTED after our two busy days ashore! Luckily we have 3 days at sea now to recover!

Day 57 - Friday 6th March - Sydney (day one)

Day 57 - Friday 6th March - Sydney (day one)

We were very excited to be arriving in Sydney at last, as we had had such an amazing time on our last visit here 4 years ago, so got up early to watch the sail in (and have another chat with another lovely friend!) The weather was beautiful, and we saw the sun rise as we entered the bay. The ship was anchoring today as there was another cruise ship in the main berth, so we watched as she found her position and let the anchors down. And what a beautiful position it was - amazing views of the Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the city skyline, as well as the multitude of sailing ships all around, ferries dotting back and forth, and sea planes flying over the bay. Wow!

We had a while to wait on board while all those going on organised excursions were sent ashore on the tender boats, and then it was our turn, and we got a pleasant surprise - the company had hired some extra ships to help get everyone ashore as quickly as possibly, and we travelled on a large shiny new catamaran, rather than the cramped orange lifeboats that we normally use! The catamaran dropped us right next to the Opera House, from where we set off on our self guided tour for the day! First stop, Circular Quay ferry terminal, to buy tickets to Watsons Bay, ready for a walk around the South Head area. We had another lovely modern ferry to take us on the 20 minute trip, and we alighted in a gorgeous harbour of small boats, sandy beaches, and seafood restaurants galore! I had found a walking tour online, so we set off straight away along the shore. We soon realised there was no way we could get lost, as we met hundreds of people doing a sponsored walk coming in the other direction! The walk took us along the coast, past lots of picturesque houses (including one called Frog Hollow!), to Laings Point, where there were incredible views back to the city and of the South Head peninsula. We scrambled over some slippery rocks and had a lovely walk along a sandy beach (and a delicious strawberry smoothie from the local cafe!), and then a short climb to the entrance of South Head Heritage Trail in the National Park. As well as all the sponsored walkers, we also encountered a wedding party here! I could see why, as the views all around were gorgeous [JL: Emma forgot to mention the nudist beach which she had to edit out of her photos...]. After passing a large cannon on the cliff top [JL: no relation to my previous entry...] and walking close to the fenced off military base, we finally came to the extremity of the park where the pretty red and white Hornby Lighthouse is located. You could see from the size of the waves and rocks below that this area could be rather perilous, and this lighthouse is still in use today. There were lovely views all around, including of North Head just across the way, and the open sea stretching off into the distance. It was then time for the return walk to the town, this time by road rather than beach, allowing us to see many cute houses, one with a beautiful cat on the fence! 

It was still early, so we set off on the second part of our walk here, across the pretty Robertson Park, popping into a souvenir shop where I failed to find a nice magnet but did find an Oscars special of Hello magazine :-) and then up (and up and up and up!) to the area known as The Gap. You could immediately see where it gets its name, as the ground suddenly drops away and a huge area appears where the waves crash against the rocks below. It is unsurprisingly a popular spot for suicides :-( The views were incredible - of the plunging cliffs and waters in various shades of blue, and also back to the city, as well as the birds and butterflies all around. We eventually made our way back down again to the ferry terminal, just in time for lunch! We decided to eat at the quaint 'Doyles on the Beach' seaside restaurant, boasting world famous fish and chips. JL enjoyed a dozen oysters and a dish of scallops, while I had the chips! We then went for a walk along the beach, past the fenced off swimming area, and had an ice cream while waiting for our ferry back to the city.

The ferry ride gave us more gorgeous views of Sydney Harbour and city, and of the Aurora anchored, as well as the group of brave climbers who had just made it to the top of the Harbour Bridge, before dropping us off back at Circular Quay. On the map that we had been given I had circled various places which sounded interesting, and so we set off now on another 'Emma guided walk' (JL is so trusting isn't he?!?!) We saw a number of pretty churches and cathedrals, some cute parks with lovely flowers such as a patch of bird of paradise ones, lots of birds (some with very long curved beaks which look like they belong in a rainforest rather than a city centre!), and buildings old and new. I used some of my remaining dollars to buy 2 punnets of strawberries and an Australian Big Issue. We then started the walk back to the harbour, which took somewhat longer than I had envisaged... Oops! Nevertheless, we made it in time for the checkin for an activity I had booked for the afternoon - a cruise on a tall ship! It even had a pirate flag! JL had opted not to come on this one, so I left him to go and buy a beer, while I joined the crew to sail round the harbour (again!) and watch the sails being raised and ship being steered by the crew who live onboard. There was an optional activity (which I chickened out of in the end) of climbing up to the crows nest - you were put in a safety harness and hooked on before you climbed the flimsy looking rope ladder and then sat at the top of the mast. There was commentary about the city and harbour throughout the trip, and landmarks were shown such as the president's and ambassador's houses. While we were out there, another cruise ship sailed out of the bay, and sounded its horn as a goodbye, which was then echoed by our cruise ship, and then the pirate ship joined in with its own horn! Just before the end of the trip, we sailed under the harbour bridge (the mast only just fit it appeared, although apparently there was about 20 metres clearage!) 

Back on dry land, JL and I had a few hours to kill as there was no access to the Aurora between 5.30pm and 8pm as during that time it was moving from its anchored position to a much more convenient shoreside position in Circular Quay, once another ship had left. We therefore headed firstly to my favourite Starbucks, where I enjoyed a cup of tea, a chocolate muffin, and an hour's free wifi! We then went to find a restaurant as JL was itching for more oysters! We found a lovely place overlooking the quay, which meant we got to watch the Aurora sail in! This was a very bizarre experience! We watched with great interest as the crew threw down ropes to secure the ship (I sometimes find it hard to believe that such a big vessel is simply held there by a load of old ropes!) and got out the gangways. Eventually we were let back on board, and I just had time for a quick change before heading to the theatre to see the local cultural group, Descendence, who performed a very cool mixture of didgeridoo music, drumming, chanting, and representative dances of different animals and traditional activities. Back in the room I went out on our balcony for a look at the Opera House, all lit up with the full moon behind it, and suddenly a firework display started from the top of the building which I stayed watching (in my pyjamas!) A magical end to a magical day!  [see the photos on Facebook ]

Day 56 - Thursday 4th March - At sea

Day 56 - Thursday 4th March - At sea

(Have just realised my day numbers went wrong on 21st Feb, and we are actually up to day 56 not 55!)

After two busy days ashore, it was quite a relief to have a day at sea, and a lie in - well, until 7.30 anyway! We then got up to look at the very choppy waters and drizzly sky (and the beautiful rainbow which had appeared!) and decided to go to the gym rather than the open decks for our exercise! JL continued on the treadmill while I went to stretch class, and then we had breakfast. I then went to a long overdue line dancing class, while JL went to see Diane Simpson talk about Mindfulness. I then went to knit and natter to get my final penguin instructions, while JL went for a morning game of table tennis (the open roof had been closed and the pool emptied luckily, or there is no way the area would have been suitable!).  On his return to the cabin, he made me very jealous as he had just spotted a group of about 12 penguins, feeding and playing close to the ship.

We had lunch together and then JL went to see Colin Hobbs talking about the growing size of aeroplanes (shudder!). I planned to go and see the afternoon Headliners show, but it had to be cancelled due to the rough state of the seas. Instead I planned on reading some of my book and doing a bit of knitting, and then suddenly JL spotted land in the distance - we were sailing a lot closer to the Australian coat than I had realised. I hopefully took a look at my phone, and sure enough we were close enough for a 3G signal, so instead I spent the rest of the afternoon playing around online and researching Sydney transport and activity options, and finding out more about Mardi Gras which is taking place on Saturday, trying to finalise exactly what we are going to do over the next two days. Meanwhile JL went to the cinema to see a film called Brick Mansions, which the audience collectively agreed was awful! I did a quick abs workout before getting ready for dinner.

After eating we went to the last classical piano/ flute concert by the Dana Morgan duo, beautiful as always. We decided to give the second show a miss, and instead came back to the room to get everything ready and have an early night ready for two busy days in Sydney!

Day 54 - Wednesday 4th March - Burnie, Tasmania

Day 54 - Wednesday 4th March - Burnie, Tasmania

Another early start in order to watch the sail in (and talk to another special friend)! I stayed in the Crows Nest as I watched our approach, as it was incredibly windy and cold outside! I watched the hills of Tasmania appear in the rising sun, and then the port and town of Burnie come into view. We had breakfast and then went to meet for our tour - Cradle Mountain.

This was a full day tour, and started with a drive along the coast, following the transportation railroad and small rocky beaches on one side, and the range of factories and warehouses on the other side. Our guide was very informative, and gave us lots of maps and fact sheets about Tasmania. He showed us the small fence along the coastline which is called the penguin fence, as it was built to stop the local penguins getting killed on the roads :-)  We passed many signs for the nearby town which is actually named 'Penguin', which apparently has the world's largest penguin statue on the beach, and penguin shaped rubbish bins! Sadly our tour did not go there :-(  Our first stop was the town of Sheffield, which was full of quaint colonial houses, and enormous painted murals all around the town (over 80 in total!), showing Tasmanian wildlife, culture, and historical events. We had a chance to wander round the town and grab a bite to eat, as well as do a bit of shopping. There was a wonderful shop called The World of Marbles, where you could watch the artists at work creating beautiful glass ornaments, jewellery, and toy marbles with amazing colours and patterns. We then took a scenic drive past the spectacular Mount Roland, and over the deep Lake Cethana, to the restaurant where we would be having lunch, with beautiful views over the forests of eucalyptus trees all around. Lunch was yummy, especially the chocolate cakes with strawberries, raspberries and blueberries! And I tried (and LIKED!) the Malaysian Curried Pumpkin Soup!!!! 

After lunch we boarded smaller buses, and had a local guide to take us into the Cradle Mountain National Park, a World Heritage area. We drove through the cool rain forest, looking at the wide variety of trees and shrubs which grow here. The roads were very narrow and windy, and the drivers had to keep in close radio communication so they didn't crash! Eventually we came to the main attraction of the tour - Dove Lake, with views of Cradle Mountain in the background. That is, we WOULD have had views of Cradle Mountain in the background, if it hadn't been for the low cloud and drizzly rain which had recently started! The lake was beautiful, and it would have been nice to have spent longer here to walk part of the 6km path which encircles it, or the trail to the beautiful nearby Crater Lake (formed during the previous ice age) - we'll just have to come back! After some time for photos, we headed further into the forest to visit the Waldheim Chalet. This is the former home of Gustav Weindorfer, the Austrian man who worked tirelessly during his life to help ensure the creation of the national park at Cradle Mountain, and then built this chalet to welcome guests and tourists into the area. We walked around the pretty wooden chalet, saw Gustav's grave, and admired the scenery. The most exciting part however was the mother and child wallabies who were relaxing in the gardens, not at all phased by all the tourists excitedly taking their photos!

Our guide took us from here back to the Ranger Station where we had a look at the displays about the area, including the 3D model which shows what Cradle Mountain should have looked like! We then went for a short walk through the rainforest to view some pretty waterfalls, and we also stumbled upon another couple of wallabies, and also a spiky echidna in the grass nearby! We then walked back to the coach, getting on board just before the heavens opened and the rain came down in buckets! Luckily this was the end of the tour, and we set off back to the ship. We had a brief drive through the streets of Burnie on the way back, including a short stop at a lookout point, and we were pleased to see that we didn't miss much by spending the day away from the town!

Back on board I was reluctant to change out of the warm winter clothes and thick boots I had been wearing for the day, so for the first time didn't dress up for dinner - shock horror! Instead I ate and then watched two shows with my long trousers and two jumpers on! Quite a change from the sunshine in Melbourne the day before! The first show I watched (which JL refused to come to) was the crew talent show. It was great fun! Lots of Elvis and Queen songs, a couple of guitar players, and the highlight by far - one of the male pool attendants singing "It's Raining Men", dressed in a gold sequin dress, heels, and full make up! He was fantastic!! From there we went to see the comedian Micky Zany perform his second show which was very good. And then to bed, as the ship started creaking and rocking around in the storm that the captain warned us we would be sailing through overnight... 

Day 53 - Tuesday 3rd March - Melbourne

Day 53 - Tuesday 3rd March - Melbourne

I set the alarm nice and early for Melbourne for two reasons - one to see the sail in, and two to buy a mega phone/ internet/ text package which is only available in Australia and the USA! With the help of the friendly man at 3 mobile, who had a panic when he realised I was ringing from abroad and shouted "this is a chargeable call! Hang up! I will call you back! Quickly, quickly!" and then proceeded to credit my account with the amount I had been charged for the call (I even made a small profit!), I eventually managed to buy my add on package, so rang my mum to celebrate! :-)

We went up on deck at sunrise time to discover we were nearly there already and that the sky was too cloudy to actually see the sunrise! But we were greeted with four hot air balloons floating through the sky, as if to welcome us! We watched the ship approach the dock, with lovely views of the nearby beaches, small piers, and the city skyline in the distance. 

We had breakfast and then went to meet for our tour - Arcades and Alleyways. After a slight delay, we headed ashore and met our guide for the morning. She walked us through the port to the nearby tram station where we caught a tram to the city centre - far quicker and more exciting than the shuttle bus the ship was providing! She warned us to hold on tight as some tram drivers thought they were Grand Prix drivers, and sure enough it was a quite a speedy ride!  

We got off at Queen Street in the centre, and this is where our walking tour began. Our guide took us inside many buildings which we probably wouldn't have thought of entering if left to our own devices, such as the gorgeous gothic bank and Old Melbourne Stock Exchange, which has a beautiful mosaic floor, towering arches, and stained glass windows inside! We also went into a business building with an amazing domed roof, where they had kept all the original architecture but built a modern building around it. It was then time to walk through the historic arcades, seeing beautiful murals on the ceilings, tiled floors, intricate arches, stained glass windows, and glamorous shops. My favourite window display by far was in the Hopetoun Tea Rooms, where there were patisseries galore! There were also a number of weird statues up above the shops in some of the arcades, such as the creepy Gog and Magog who are apparently based on statues in London. We walked through a number of interesting alleyways also, some with walls dedicated to street art, some full of coffee shops and eateries (everyone was getting increasingly hungry by this point!), and some with modern art pieces installed. One was full of large rubbish bins which are apparently a popular location for bridal photos?!?!?! Back out in the open we walked past many more majestic buildings, such as the imposing Town Hall, the old General Post Office (which is now an H&M store!), the amazing Flinders Street Station, and the beautiful St Paul's Cathedral, which we also looked inside. This took us to Federation Square, a cultural central space in the city. It is full of modern architecture, cafes, and deckchairs which people can sit on in the sunshine and enjoy the FREE WIFI!!!! This was where we finally got to have some refreshments (a drink and a yummy raspberry muffin!) at one of the cafes. All refreshed, we set off again, this time for views of the Yarra River, the business district, and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (the biggest in the world). Then back through some more arcades and alleyways to return us to the tram station. 

At this point we were given the options of either returning to the ship with the group, or taking our tram ticket and making our own way back later. We chose the second option because next we had one of the highlights of our cruise coming up - meeting up with a very old friend :-) We met up in Federation Square and then went for a lovely walk along the Southbank area, admiring the high rise buildings, blue sky, and sun which was beginning to glitter on the water. We stopped at a local food festival area for a drink and a good natter, and for me to open my very exciting 'welcome to Melbourne' present! :-) We then had a wander through the extravagant Crown Casino complex, where the sun doesn't shine and much of Melbourne's money is made! We walked back along the promenade on the other side of the river, looking at the bridge of true love padlocks, the black swans, and the incredible buildings all around. All too soon it was sadly time to say goodbye (until next Christmas in England!). Thank you Lindsay for a lovely hour! [JL: Lindsay is not at all old.  She is a gorgeous 30 something, see the photos on Facebook.  Thank you Lindsay, we had a great time on our walk].  

We spent a little more time in Federation Square, enjoying the luxury of free wifi, before making our way back to the tram. We managed to find the right tram stop, and get on the right tram going in the right direction - woohoo! We were soon back at Port Melbourne, and since I'd already missed afternoon tea, we decided to go for a little wander along the beach just next to the dock, enjoying the views of the palm tree lined road and the skyscrapers in the distance.

We got back on the ship and went through the usual security procedures including the bag X-ray machine. I was then asked a question I have never been asked and probably will never be asked again: "Ma'am, do you have a boomerang in your bag?!" I was puzzled for a moment and then realised that the souvenir magnet I had bought was boomerang shaped! I searched through my bag and found it, and was allowed to proceed. Unlike the poor woman next to me who was most annoyed at having her full size boomerangs confiscated!! "We're just taking precautions - you have no idea the sorts of things we see people do on cruise ships ma'am!" she was told when she professed her innocent intentions! She was told they would be safely stored and she would have them back in Southampton! [JL: the security lady really should have asked me: "Sir, is that a boomerang in your pocket or... Etc... Etc...] 

We had just enough time for a quick shower before dinner. From there we went to another lovely classical concert, and then to see an act called Viva Voce - 4 British guys who sang a range of pop and opera songs. And then an early night ready for another long day ashore tomorrow!

Day 52 - Monday 2nd March - at sea

Day 52 - Monday 2nd March - at sea

We went for a chilly windy walk around the decks this morning, after a lovely early morning chat with my family :-) I then went to stretch class, breakfast, line dancing, and then my knitting group where I made some progress with my penguin, but the person helping me is leaving the ship in Sydney so I'm getting a bit worried it won't get finished in time...! JL went to see Colin Hobbs talk about supersonic travel.

We had lunch and then I went to party dance class and from there to the theatre where the Headliners theatre group were doing an afternoon performance of one of my favourite of their shows - Blame it on the Boogie! I had a cup of tea and read/ knitted on the balcony for a bit, and then went to the gym and did some weights exercises. JL meanwhile went to see Diane Simpson talk, and then played table tennis which he NEARLY won!

We had dinner and then went to see the resident musicians called Caravan play a tribute to the Eagles which was very good, as was the chocolate and banana mocktail I enjoyed while watching them! From here we went to the theatre to see Julian Smith do his second show on the saxophone. At one point he did a competition to see who could clap loudest and for longest and I WON!!!! I now have a signed Julian Smith CD to take home with me - yay! :-) Then back to the room to get ready for Melbourne tomorrow - can't wait!

Days 50 and 51 - Saturday 28th February and Sunday 1st March - at sea

Days 50 and 51 - Saturday 28th February and Sunday 1st March - at sea

(Right, I'm going to try and catch up with myself so am squeezing our last 2 sea days into one post!)

On Saturday morning there was a cool breeze blowing and the sun was rising quite late, so I decided to be brave and have my first attempt at running for many many weeks. I got up early so I could be out on deck for 7.30ish, and managed 14 laps (which I think is about 4.5km) before collapsing in a heap! Not bad considering how long it has been! I then went back to the room, sat with a cold wet flannel on my face for 5 minutes to try and resume normal skin colour, and then went to stretch class (still looking rather pink!). After a cold shower and breakfast I started feeling more human again! This was good as we were about to attend Australian immigration - to speed up our exit ashore in Melbourne on Tuesday, the immigration officials come aboard the ship before we even get to Australian waters, to collect our various forms and see our passports. It took most of the day to get the whole ship done so I'm very pleased they did it in advance! I then went to line dancing as normal, and then to knit and natter where I searched for the lady who was going to help me make my penguin but she wasn't there :-( I continued on my own for a bit and now have a black square but don't know what to do with it!! Meanwhile JL went to see a lecture by Colin Hobbs about the first flights across the Atlantic. 

We had lunch and then I went to party dance class, followed by a presentation in the theatre by someone called the Sandman. He is a street artist who has started doing cruise shows where he makes pictures with sand on a light panel which is projected on a large screen, all synchronised to music. He also did some oil paintings of places we have visited recently. It was fantastic! It was then time to do the laundry, which was thankfully not too painful today! JL meanwhile went to see Diane Simpson talking about handwriting analysis, and came back telling me he had found out he was very intelligent, forward thinking, and a bit impatient (a BIT?!?!).

I got ready in record time for formal night, where JL had yet another Marco Pierre White special menu (it's just getting boring now!), and I had... Quorn! We then went to the theatre to see the new comedian - a guy called Micky Zany who was very amusing.

On Monday, we did our normal walking, and then stretch class for me, followed by breakfast. I then went line dancing, but skipped knitting as I had so many emails to write! JL ..........??

After lunch I went to the cinema (which was not so crowded now the sun has come back out!) to see the film Twelve Years A Slave - VERY good but very depressing also! Later I went to an exhausting Fab Abs class. JL went to see his two new speakers - Colin Hobbs talking about the first flights from London to Australia, and then Diane Simpson doing dome personality analysis! 

After dinner we saw the next concert by the flute/ piano duo, and then the second concert by the New Zealand singer Russell Harrison, who has a great voice and again did lots we could sing along to. At the end of the show he brought the Sandman guy (Marcus Winter his real name is!) on stage (it turns out they are cousins!) and they did some pieces together where Russell sang and Marcus interpreted the songs in sand pictures - even JL was impressed!

(Woohoo! I'm finally up to date! Ready for another busy week with lots of ports so I may fall behind again but I'll do my best!)