Rough or calm seas in Australia in March.

[Changamoot]

Any Seabourners cruised around Cairns & the Gt Barrier Reef in March? If so , what was your experience of the seas like - was it rough?

 

I am looking at a cruise from Sydney to Bali in 6 weeks on Odyssey. My only reservation is that my husband doesn't have great sea legs! Although we have cruised before and he has been fine, I am concerned in case this cruise involves choppier waters!

 

A couple of days of rough conditions could put him off cruising for life, and that would be a tragedy!

 

:eek:

[alexandra cruiser]

Have heard this is rough stretch too??:confused:

[Tony & Trevor]

We had fairly calm seas with sunny hot weather and snorkelled over the reef.

 

 

 

Kind regards

 

 

Tony

[cruising kirby]

March is the end of our summer in Australia. In the southern states it is generally hot and dry (25 degrees C to 40 degrees C). Northern Australia is very different, hot and humid, potentially with heavy rain at times. Technically it is still the season of cyclones in northern Australia, but they are fairly rare in late March. So what that means for cruising is that you could get fabulous weather, if you like the heat, and calm seas. Alternatively if you are unlucky you could pass through one of the summer storms and that could bring winds and some waves. Weather is so unpredictable, but one thing you can almost always count on in an Australian summer is that it will be hot.

[alexandra cruiser]

March is the end of our summer in Australia. In the southern states it is generally hot and dry (25 degrees C to 40 degrees C). Northern Australia is very different, hot and humid, potentially with heavy rain at times. Technically it is still the season of cyclones in northern Australia, but they are fairly rare in late March. So what that means for cruising is that you could get fabulous weather, if you like the heat, and calm seas. Alternatively if you are unlucky you could pass through one of the summer storms and that could bring winds and some waves. Weather is so unpredictable, but one thing you can almost always count on in an Australian summer is that it will be hot.

and the hot weather is something I m used to,live in FL.

So the Tasman sea is not known for routinely rough seas,then?:confused:

[cruising kirby]

and the hot weather is something I m used to,live in FL.

So the Tasman sea is not known for routinely rough seas,then?:confused:

 

I have cruised across the Tasman Sea from Australia to New Zealand four times and on two occasions the water was like glass (March - April cruises). However that is unusual as the area is known for quite rough sea, and certainly on two occasions I experienced waves crashing over the bow of the ship and lots of rocking!

 

Your cruise from Sydney to Bali will follow the coastline of eastern Australia, and I don't imagine will venture out too far into the Tasman Sea. So I guess you won't be exposed to the worst the area can have, but it is possible, particularly as you get further north, that you will experience some stormy weather that whips up a few waves.

 

Having said that, I did a circumnavigation of Australia on the Queen Mary two years ago, it was in February, and the weather was calm and seas were flat almost the entire three weeks. So you could get lucky and experience the same on your cruise!

[frantic36]

and the hot weather is something I m used to,live in FL.

So the Tasman sea is not known for routinely rough seas,then?:confused:

 

The Tasman does have a reputation for rough seas but it is in the lap of the weather gods what happens.

 

Last year it happened that over a period of four Odyssey crossings from early January to end of February either myself or other friends were on board.

 

The first couple - first day and a half it was quite rough up to 40knots, hailstones and big swells but then it settled and they had a wonderful cruise. Milford Sound was very misty when they went in and most of the time but just as they were going out the sun broke through and they had sunshine most of the cruise.

 

next couple (end Jan) - wonderful weather and their Tasman crossing back to Sydney was not rocky at all.

 

myself - we did both ways as we were on 36 days (early Feb & end Feb) they both were reasonably calm the the first crossing was rougher on the second night out and some passengers were effected.

 

Now before the link is made about direction the i.e. should be better Sydney to New Zealand please note that both those two times was when a storm developed near the New Zealand south islands and the ship crossing was affected by those storms.

 

All I can suggest is be prepared for the worst but hope for the best :).

 

Julie

[Poppy1966]

The initial post is about a cruise from Sydney to Bali which 'Cruising Kirby' gave an excellent reply. The itinerary in the original post DOES NOT mention crossing the Tasmin Sea from NZ to Australia. It's about cruising from Sydney via the east coast and north to Bali.

[Corony]

We are cruising Singapore to Sydney in November and December and wondered about the seas at that time of year. We have done two transatlantic crossings in November and hit some storms with up to 60 knots and survived so hopefully with these waters not being so open it won't approach that level. However as many have stated before that's just a chance you take when you cruise.

[Changamoot]

The initial post is about a cruise from Sydney to Bali which 'Cruising Kirby' gave an excellent reply. The itinerary in the original post DOES NOT mention crossing the Tasmin Sea from NZ to Australia. It's about cruising from Sydney via the east coast and north to Bali.

 

Thank you Poppy1966 - yes, as the original poster of this thread, my enquiry is about cruising from Sydney northwards to Bali, cruising around Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef early to mid March. It's interesting to read about Tasman Sea crossings to NZ (and useful to know for future cruising) but feedback, like Cruising Kirby's specifically around the locations we will visit is most helpful at this time.

 

Thank you everyone for your input so far!! So far, the impression I am getting is we could be very lucky and get great weather, or unlucky and I t could be very stormy and rough! Sounds very much like the British summers we are used to (with the addition of heat, of course!!)

[alexandra cruiser]

after looking at map,realize not really same area.But info WAS helpful and just never know,it seems.

Thanks all.;)

[doglover214]

We are considering the New Zealand/Australia cruise next January. We have noticed the very high temperatures in Australia in recent days. Is this normal at this time of year?

 

What can we expect the sea conditions to be at this time?

[Laylam]

We are considering the New Zealand/Australia cruise next January. We have noticed the very high temperatures in Australia in recent days. Is this normal at this time of year?

 

What can we expect the sea conditions to be at this time?

In Melbourne we have just experienced four days straight with temperatures between 41 - 45C.

 

Personally, I think our summer is the wrong time to cruise our tropical north/ Great Barrier Reef. It is cyclone season.