MAJOR news on The Gold Coast

[bazzaw]

Considering that Australia is a great Continent , we have surprisingly few good anchorages. Even as a small yacht sailor, there are few safe places of anchor - many requiring navigation of dangerous entrance bars. Try to plan the navigation of a small yacht from Perth to Melboune and you will see what I mean :)

 

Governor Phillips was sent out to populate Botany bay - it didn't take him long to realise that the British Admiralty were a bunch of porkheads :p So he explored north. He was just lucky in that he found the greatest harbour in the World :) If he had sailed north of Brisbane he wouldn't have found anything much!!! :( He just happened to start off from a good place!! He emailed back home to say that he could anchor "a thousand ships of the line" inside Port Jackson. Captain Cook had actually "discovered" it before - but he never went inside it and didn't realise what was there:rolleyes:

 

Barry

[bazzaw]

In regards to building cruise terminals - what is the long term future of the ship cruising industry? They currently run on oil - which is a finite resource. Maybe we will go back to sail eventually??

 

Barry

[The_Big_M]

Heh, that's a whole other argument.

 

There'll always be oil - but it will be progressively more costly to extract. That's why alternatives are sought e.g. plentiful gas, so that people who can switch to them will and most bulk energy production will come from these, whereas those that need certain products like oil will be able to still buy them.

[newfarmers]

The locals are obsessed with saving the Spit, because it is unique and fragile. The ocean beach, from Main Beach to the Spit, is one of the most beautiful on the Gold Coast, certainly less crowded. To walk along that beach close to dawn or dusk is food for the soul.

 

We tend to take our beaches for granted, because they are free to all. Yet they are what sets us apart from many of our overseas visitors, who live in high density cities.

 

I could list many reasons why locals are passionate about the Spit, but I'll start with just one - fishing.

 

Living in SE Queensland were blessed with some beautiful shore fishing opportunities from Jacobs Well to Tweed heads, but one of my favorite spots to sped a day is The Spit, on the Gold Coast. Besides been incredibly scenic, it offers some fantastic bread & butter fishing including Whiting, Bream & Flathead with the occasional Squire (small snapper) thrown in for the mix...

 

...Oh, then there's the main beach, but enough said. Gota love the Goldie for a day trip at the casino, but if you take a rod Id suggest you need longer. Tight lines to you all.

http://www.shorefishingaustralia.com.au/Articles.do?action=Show&articleType=Articles&articleName=Fishing+the+Gold+Coast

 

 

couldn't have said it better myself Marion

 

CroNich, sorry if I sounded like I was having a go. I didn't mean to to sound that way. Was just interested if you lived on the Coast or in SE Qld. I'm with you in lifting tourism. All I believe is that it shouldn't be to the detriment of the environment or sacrificing facilities for locals eg building a cruise terminal when the Coasts roads are clogged and public transport is rubbish :)

 

pete

[johndon]

Without getting hysterical, what is wrong with nuclear powered cruise ships? The Americans and some other countries have been using nuclear power for many years now and I am not aware of any adverse reactions or effects. I was watching a program on TV recently about one of the American nuclear powered aircraft carriers and once fuelled they do not need to be refuelled again for 25 years.

I know this will initiate much anti comment but please people, try and present rational arguments and not just hysteria and emotional comment.

 

John

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

Only this week has it been reported that the rock wall at the Spit is in 'extreme danger' on falling. They have cordoned off the rocks area at the spit for safety reasons. Fishing on the rocks in no longer permitted.

My pennyworth is this that the Gold Coasts exists on Tourism and it's not been looking good for some time now. We need a cruise terminal more than we need the Commonwealth Games in my view.

If you look at statistics around the world of those cities who have cruise terminals they are prospering because the ships bring money/jobs to the area.

How is the Gold Coast supposed to progress when Tourism is a large portion of it's income? Cruising is the only industry in Australia that is expanding at a great rate of knots....excuse the pun.;)

 

Jilly:)

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Without getting hysterical, what is wrong with nuclear powered cruise ships? The Americans and some other countries have been using nuclear power for many years now and I am not aware of any adverse reactions or effects. I was watching a program on TV recently about one of the American nuclear powered aircraft carriers and once fuelled they do not need to be refuelled again for 25 years.

I know this will initiate much anti comment but please people, try and present rational arguments and not just hysteria and emotional comment.John

 

 

They may be safe......but how safe are the people who operate and run them ?....

eg . The Captain of the Costa Concordia :mad:

 

 

[johndon]

I would say Capt Schettino would be one of a kind and very irresponsible. All other ships' captains in the vast majority are very responsible and capable people who do not get sidelined by or distracted by a pretty face.

 

John

[The_Big_M]

Aside from the safety, I don't believe the economics would stack up.

 

As mentioned, oil will always be available. The upfront cost of a nuclear reactor is substantial - and then you have the ongoing costs of spent fuel processing plus operating costs. You also need special technicians and support staff.

 

While this may be justified in defence budgets for certain ships which have a different purpose, cruise lines look for the most economical justifiable purchase, with certain constraints.

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

I would say Capt Schettino would be one of a kind and very irresponsible. All other ships' captains in the vast majority are very responsible and capable people who do not get sidelined by or distracted by a pretty face.

 

John

 

I wouldn't be as bold to say 'All other ships' Captains..... Only a few years ago a I remember a Captain on Celebrity Mercury was dismissed for being on duty drunk.

You have to wonder how many times he'd been on duty drunk before he had been caught/dobbed in, whichever.

 

Jill:)

[bazzaw]

Without getting hysterical, what is wrong with nuclear powered cruise ships? The Americans and some other countries have been using nuclear power for many years now and I am not aware of any adverse reactions or effects. I was watching a program on TV recently about one of the American nuclear powered aircraft carriers and once fuelled they do not need to be refuelled again for 25 years.

I know this will initiate much anti comment but please people, try and present rational arguments and not just hysteria and emotional comment.

 

John

 

I don't think that you can use the word "nuclear" - in the same sentence as these words - "rational ", "hysteria" and "emotional" . Well not at least until the oil runs out!! :)

 

Barry

[bazzaw]

I would say Capt Schettino would be one of a kind and very irresponsible. All other ships' captains in the vast majority are very responsible and capable people who do not get sidelined by or distracted by a pretty face.

 

John

 

When it comes to nuclear - it only needs "one"!!:rolleyes:

 

Barry

[thied]

nuclear is very good, but untill they get rid of the waste safely and take out the human faults eg drunk at the wheel , a pretty face, or just slack people you get what I mean , any no way for nuclear powered cruise ships.

 

how would any of you feel if they employed some one from third world country that is so called under paid and so called hard done ( so many have said on here) by the cruise lines was in charge of a nuclear reactor on a cruise ship. I for one would step foot on cruise ship if that was the case.

 

one more point just thing of the cost of bring a nuclear powered cruise into an Australian port.

 

The nuclear powered war ships and sub's that come to Australia mainly USA, costs well over a million dollors just for a two week stay at any wharf in Australia.

[CroNich]

I also think the reason I would like to see a terminal here is because in Sydney, you only have so much room for cruise ships, and with there an unlikely chance on them finding another place east of the bridge to berth ships, why not make Gold Coast secondary home port. In America you don't have all of the cruise ships leaving from ONE PLACe, you have it from all over the country, and i think whats so likeable about the gold coast, is that is a nice place to base your trip around, with the theme parks, the beaches and the shopping, it can really add to a holiday

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

I also think the reason I would like to see a terminal here is because in Sydney, you only have so much room for cruise ships, and with there an unlikely chance on them finding another place east of the bridge to berth ships, why not make Gold Coast secondary home port. In America you don't have all of the cruise ships leaving from ONE PLACe, you have it from all over the country, and i think whats so likeable about the gold coast, is that is a nice place to base your trip around, with the theme parks, the beaches and the shopping, it can really add to a holiday

 

 

Exactly. Look at Florida alone, you have Ft Lauderdale, Miami, Port Canaveral and I think another one I can't remember the name of..... too late for my tiny brain....:rolleyes:.

 

Jill:)

[The_Big_M]

In America you don't have all of the cruise ships leaving from ONE PLACe, you have it from all over the country, and i think whats so likeable about the gold coast, is that is a nice place to base your trip around, with the theme parks, the beaches and the shopping, it can really add to a holiday

 

In America, their market is also so much bigger. They also don't cover all ports and have cancelled sailings from smaller ports due to lack of demand, but overall they can cover more cities - half of all cruisers worldwide are from the US!

 

They've tried smaller ports like Newcastle and really struggled with demand. Even larger ports like Brisbane and Melbourne aren't swelling with business.

[bazzaw]

Exactly. Look at Florida alone, you have Ft Lauderdale, Miami, Port Canaveral and I think another one I can't remember the name of..... too late for my tiny brain....:rolleyes:.

 

Jill:)

 

The US has a population of over 300 million people ( the ones they can count at least!) - we have 20 million.

 

Barry

[CroNich]

In America, their market is also so much bigger. They also don't cover all ports and have cancelled sailings from smaller ports due to lack of demand, but overall they can cover more cities - half of all cruisers worldwide are from the US!

 

They've tried smaller ports like Newcastle and really struggled with demand. Even larger ports like Brisbane and Melbourne aren't swelling with business.

 

Im just saying its a start, the cruise industry is booming there is no doubt, so why not try and expand, the thing is, with ships coming and going from places like the gold coast its not like you have 10 from ft lauderdale, 8 from Miami, 6 from port canaveral, 2 in San Diego, 4 in Los Angeles, 8 from Vancouver (these numbers are no where near accurate) you get my point, it would just be refreshing for there to be more options to cruise from

[diy dave]

Im just saying its a start, the cruise industry is booming there is no doubt, so why not try and expand, the thing is, with ships coming and going from places like the gold coast its not like you have 10 from ft lauderdale, 8 from Miami, 6 from port canaveral, 2 in San Diego, 4 in Los Angeles, 8 from Vancouver (these numbers are no where near accurate) you get my point, it would just be refreshing for there to be more options to cruise from

 

I see where your coming from and it would be nice, but probably unlikely

[CroNich]

I see where your coming from and it would be nice, but probably unlikely

 

I know,

I think the main reason I want the cruise industry to keep expanding is because i don't want to have to travel half way across the world to experience new and entertaining cruise ships, along with safe and comfortable world class terminals

[thied]

may be if can do Cambell gets in he may be able to get rid of the 86 billion dollor bill QLD has. and then we may get this terminal:rolleyes:

[The_Big_M]

Im just saying its a start, the cruise industry is booming there is no doubt, so why not try and expand,

 

As said, they have with Newcastle, Fremantle and Auckland being recent new additions, none of which went well. Brisbane and Melbourne also had increases to service - but again, haven't established themselves so well.

 

Given Brisbane is so close to the Gold Coast and demand at Brisbane isn't overwhelming, why go to the trouble and expense of building separate itineraries out of the Gold Coast? They're so close that I doubt too many people would only go to one and not the other if they were interested in a particular cruise.

[bazzaw]

As said, they have with Newcastle, Fremantle and Auckland being recent new additions, none of which went well. Brisbane and Melbourne also had increases to service - but again, haven't established themselves so well.

 

Given Brisbane is so close to the Gold Coast and demand at Brisbane isn't overwhelming, why go to the trouble and expense of building separate itineraries out of the Gold Coast? They're so close that I doubt too many people would only go to one and not the other if they were interested in a particular cruise.

 

Also- with places like Newcastle, Fremantle and Auckland, it was a relatively inexpensive exercise to "suck it and see" - run some itineraries out of these places to determine whether there is any demand - not much cost involved because the wharf facilities are already there.

 

BUT - with the Gold Coast, hundreds of millions of dollars would have to be spent before ships could go there - what if the exercise proved unsuccessful - who would bear the cost of the unused facility??

 

Barry

[Kiwi Kruzer]

As said, they have with Newcastle, Fremantle and Auckland being recent new additions, none of which went well.

 

What a load of nonsense.

Those cruises went very well:).

The company ran the number of cruises from those locations

that their research and previous experience told them were appropriate

to the respective population numbers.

[bazzaw]

David

 

There were some VERY heavy discounts offered for the cruises out of Newcastle - and, as is said" The proof of the pudding is in the eating" . It seems that many of these cruises are now off the menu!! :)

 

Barry