Dandan gets his albatross
Another email from Dandan, on his world cruise...
"Artemis is two days out from Australia, Crossing the Tasmanian Sea.
We are trying to recover from the excesses of Christmas and the clocks being advanced by an hour on a daily basis, Time now GMT plus 13 hrs.
Weather cool 16.5 C degrees, winds northerly force three, skies overcast. Sea calm, with a 6ft swell, the sea bed is 3.2 miles beneath our keel, not the best place to fall in.
Anne was up and about, early this morning but is back in bed and asleep sensible girl.
So Australia, great country,
We arrived in Brisbane on Sunday 18th Dec, spent the day in town Christmas shopping. This modern city has quality shops, friendly and helpful people, and a Good Christmassy feel. Carols, buskers and even a street circus laid on by the council, on what looked like a specially erected stage, the kids loved it.
Walked ourselves to a stand still, had a wrap for lunch and caught the shuttle back to the ship knackered.
Sydney, a gem of a city, you only ever hear Australians moan about her, and that is generally about the transport system, the very things that tourists find so good, boats, water taxis. Trains, mono rail, buses they are all there and unbelievably cheap if you take advantage of the day tickets etc. A clean, sparkling, exhilarating fun place.
We entered the huge harbour through the heads (cliffs) that guard it, just as the sun was rising, its rays picking out first the tops of the tall buildings. Then gradually and increasingly quickly, chasing away the shadows and revealing, the bridge, opera house and the beautiful panorama that is this most gorgeous of cities set down around these sparkling waterways, I am a fan.
Like Hong Kong, Sydney deserves to be seen first up from a ship, and sunrise was a magic and memorable time to do it, I count myself lucky that this is the second time I have arrived like this and is surely a memory I will forever carry with me.
We moored in darling harbour itself and set out to mooch as Anne would have it, around the shops. I have discovered en-route, that I should have purchased a bigger zoom lens for my camera, unfortunately although readily available in the U.K. I have had no luck elsewhere, so valuable time has been wasted visiting camera shops to no avail. I suppose as one who made his living from a selling company I should not complain, if salesmen tell you less than the truth, but it was only on reaching Melbourne, that I was informed; these lenses would not be released into Australia until March. Never mind Hawaii still to come and that must be hopeful.
In the evening Anne and I, took a party of friends to a restaurant on the harbour side, we remembered from our last visit. We consumed ribs and steaks of a size and quality, fit to grace Fred Flintstones table, backed up with starters, beers and calorie rich sweets, my kids would kill for. All this and the bill including the hefty tip, we happily added came out at £25.00 each.
The following day was spent touring and clicking away with the camera and then sadly off on our way again.
The temperature in Sydney was 37 degrees and we had for the first time been troubled a bit by flies. Anne in particular walking with her sticks found it irksome, not to be able to swot them away as she didn’t have a free hand, my helpful suggestion to buy her a hat complete with corks, received a less than charitable reply. But we hadn’t seen anything yet.
When we awoke the next morning the ship was gliding into a beautiful, large horse shoe bay, cliffs and sandy beaches marked its edges, this was Eden. We had to land by tender here as there was no dock of any substance. But as only the second cruise ship to have visited there, we were made most welcome, with many of the locals turning out to set up stalls and chat with us.
Here the flies came into there own, squadrons of them attacking from all sides, again Anne seems to find my assurance that they didn’t contain many calories after she had swallowed one less the reassuring. But we persevered, visited the stalls and then boarded the bus for town
.Boy and what a town, after Sydney this was a return to the old Australia, only the cars parked solidly down the single main street, told you roughly what year it was. We all walked down the street, purchased a souvenir, turned round and walked back, a hillbilly singer sung the latest hits, save the last dance for me and hang out the washing on the Siegfried line (this is true I am not making this up), were two examples. And then he went and spoilt it all by announcing that he still had some of his cds left it we wanted to buy them. See you couldn’t make this up.
Mind you fish and chips at the harbour were superb and a change from the cordon blue cooking on the ship.
We sailed that evening for Phillip Island, and then the captain came on the P A system to announce that a big storm was building in front of us with force nine winds and 16ft seas. Consequently he was making a direct run for Melbourne, which we would reach next day missing out Philip Island. A rough night was had by many but I slept blithely through it.
Melbourne another big, bright modern city, great transport with the best tram system in the world they claim and I wouldn’t argue, superb.
The market was a sight to see huge and crammed full of stalls laden with all manner of goodies from seafood’s to Christmas cakes, this was Christmas eve and yet still there wasn’t the rush and panic off the U.K. at this time of the year.
We left the market and off to the famous MCG. Melbourne Cricket Ground newly refurbished and proudly shown to us by an elder statesman of the club, total cost 6 dollars Australian or £2.50 for the pair of us. Couldn’t some of our English institutions learn from these people?. .Lords charges £15 each minimum.
And if you want to know why a small nation, like Australia, excels at sport, to the embarrassment of many others, then come here to Melbourne and see the facilities grouped around this fabulous ground, it is mind blowing.
All the tickets for the test starting on Boxing Day were sold out. Not surprisingly, as the tickets are priced at £13.75, with those for children and concessions even cheaper.
An added bonus was that Brett Lee the Aussie fast bowler and all the South Africans were practising in the nets in public view and not behind closed doors as is the custom elsewhere.
We left Melbourne that evening and spent Christmas day at sea, Father Christmas found us and delivered our presents, the officers sang carols, the food was superb and a great time was had by one and all.
Boxing Day found us in Hobart, Tasmania. Here we found a taxi driver who had been in Aussie for 38 years, but still spoke English like the scouse he was, wore his Liverpool F.C watch and had a picture of Anfield on his mobile. We of course negotiated a deal and off we went.
An interesting day visiting an old British prison preserved in its awful entirety, then off to a wildlife park, and finally a harbour tour.
So goodbye Australia. Hopefully we will see more of you next time, and on to New Zealand, a new land for us and a new year for us all.
But first a cruise through the fiords of the Milford Sound a world heritage site virtually only viewable by boat.
Just had a phone call, grabbed the camera and ran to the stern of the ship, at last a wandering albatross, huge, white, gliding effortlessly, never flapping its wings, soaring over and all round the ship. Majestic, really in control of its element, these birds fly right round the world without landing. Breed very rarely, only real enemy man and he is killing them in there hundreds by baiting miles (many miles) of hooks and towing them behind there boats.. And I have a photo, not a good one but a photo none the less. Wonderful!
But that is for another day, for now a happy and prosperous new year to you all."
What a way to spend Christmas!!
Thanks Dandan
"Artemis is two days out from Australia, Crossing the Tasmanian Sea.
We are trying to recover from the excesses of Christmas and the clocks being advanced by an hour on a daily basis, Time now GMT plus 13 hrs.
Weather cool 16.5 C degrees, winds northerly force three, skies overcast. Sea calm, with a 6ft swell, the sea bed is 3.2 miles beneath our keel, not the best place to fall in.
Anne was up and about, early this morning but is back in bed and asleep sensible girl.
So Australia, great country,
We arrived in Brisbane on Sunday 18th Dec, spent the day in town Christmas shopping. This modern city has quality shops, friendly and helpful people, and a Good Christmassy feel. Carols, buskers and even a street circus laid on by the council, on what looked like a specially erected stage, the kids loved it.
Walked ourselves to a stand still, had a wrap for lunch and caught the shuttle back to the ship knackered.
Sydney, a gem of a city, you only ever hear Australians moan about her, and that is generally about the transport system, the very things that tourists find so good, boats, water taxis. Trains, mono rail, buses they are all there and unbelievably cheap if you take advantage of the day tickets etc. A clean, sparkling, exhilarating fun place.
We entered the huge harbour through the heads (cliffs) that guard it, just as the sun was rising, its rays picking out first the tops of the tall buildings. Then gradually and increasingly quickly, chasing away the shadows and revealing, the bridge, opera house and the beautiful panorama that is this most gorgeous of cities set down around these sparkling waterways, I am a fan.
Like Hong Kong, Sydney deserves to be seen first up from a ship, and sunrise was a magic and memorable time to do it, I count myself lucky that this is the second time I have arrived like this and is surely a memory I will forever carry with me.
We moored in darling harbour itself and set out to mooch as Anne would have it, around the shops. I have discovered en-route, that I should have purchased a bigger zoom lens for my camera, unfortunately although readily available in the U.K. I have had no luck elsewhere, so valuable time has been wasted visiting camera shops to no avail. I suppose as one who made his living from a selling company I should not complain, if salesmen tell you less than the truth, but it was only on reaching Melbourne, that I was informed; these lenses would not be released into Australia until March. Never mind Hawaii still to come and that must be hopeful.
In the evening Anne and I, took a party of friends to a restaurant on the harbour side, we remembered from our last visit. We consumed ribs and steaks of a size and quality, fit to grace Fred Flintstones table, backed up with starters, beers and calorie rich sweets, my kids would kill for. All this and the bill including the hefty tip, we happily added came out at £25.00 each.
The following day was spent touring and clicking away with the camera and then sadly off on our way again.
The temperature in Sydney was 37 degrees and we had for the first time been troubled a bit by flies. Anne in particular walking with her sticks found it irksome, not to be able to swot them away as she didn’t have a free hand, my helpful suggestion to buy her a hat complete with corks, received a less than charitable reply. But we hadn’t seen anything yet.
When we awoke the next morning the ship was gliding into a beautiful, large horse shoe bay, cliffs and sandy beaches marked its edges, this was Eden. We had to land by tender here as there was no dock of any substance. But as only the second cruise ship to have visited there, we were made most welcome, with many of the locals turning out to set up stalls and chat with us.
Here the flies came into there own, squadrons of them attacking from all sides, again Anne seems to find my assurance that they didn’t contain many calories after she had swallowed one less the reassuring. But we persevered, visited the stalls and then boarded the bus for town
.Boy and what a town, after Sydney this was a return to the old Australia, only the cars parked solidly down the single main street, told you roughly what year it was. We all walked down the street, purchased a souvenir, turned round and walked back, a hillbilly singer sung the latest hits, save the last dance for me and hang out the washing on the Siegfried line (this is true I am not making this up), were two examples. And then he went and spoilt it all by announcing that he still had some of his cds left it we wanted to buy them. See you couldn’t make this up.
Mind you fish and chips at the harbour were superb and a change from the cordon blue cooking on the ship.
We sailed that evening for Phillip Island, and then the captain came on the P A system to announce that a big storm was building in front of us with force nine winds and 16ft seas. Consequently he was making a direct run for Melbourne, which we would reach next day missing out Philip Island. A rough night was had by many but I slept blithely through it.
Melbourne another big, bright modern city, great transport with the best tram system in the world they claim and I wouldn’t argue, superb.
The market was a sight to see huge and crammed full of stalls laden with all manner of goodies from seafood’s to Christmas cakes, this was Christmas eve and yet still there wasn’t the rush and panic off the U.K. at this time of the year.
We left the market and off to the famous MCG. Melbourne Cricket Ground newly refurbished and proudly shown to us by an elder statesman of the club, total cost 6 dollars Australian or £2.50 for the pair of us. Couldn’t some of our English institutions learn from these people?. .Lords charges £15 each minimum.
And if you want to know why a small nation, like Australia, excels at sport, to the embarrassment of many others, then come here to Melbourne and see the facilities grouped around this fabulous ground, it is mind blowing.
All the tickets for the test starting on Boxing Day were sold out. Not surprisingly, as the tickets are priced at £13.75, with those for children and concessions even cheaper.
An added bonus was that Brett Lee the Aussie fast bowler and all the South Africans were practising in the nets in public view and not behind closed doors as is the custom elsewhere.
We left Melbourne that evening and spent Christmas day at sea, Father Christmas found us and delivered our presents, the officers sang carols, the food was superb and a great time was had by one and all.
Boxing Day found us in Hobart, Tasmania. Here we found a taxi driver who had been in Aussie for 38 years, but still spoke English like the scouse he was, wore his Liverpool F.C watch and had a picture of Anfield on his mobile. We of course negotiated a deal and off we went.
An interesting day visiting an old British prison preserved in its awful entirety, then off to a wildlife park, and finally a harbour tour.
So goodbye Australia. Hopefully we will see more of you next time, and on to New Zealand, a new land for us and a new year for us all.
But first a cruise through the fiords of the Milford Sound a world heritage site virtually only viewable by boat.
Just had a phone call, grabbed the camera and ran to the stern of the ship, at last a wandering albatross, huge, white, gliding effortlessly, never flapping its wings, soaring over and all round the ship. Majestic, really in control of its element, these birds fly right round the world without landing. Breed very rarely, only real enemy man and he is killing them in there hundreds by baiting miles (many miles) of hooks and towing them behind there boats.. And I have a photo, not a good one but a photo none the less. Wonderful!
But that is for another day, for now a happy and prosperous new year to you all."
What a way to spend Christmas!!
Thanks Dandan
posted by Sheila at
09:07
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