John and Diane's LAST Round the World Adventure

[erewhon]

Thanks for your updates.

[Johnny B]

Sunday, February 8, 2015 - Day 34

At Sea (at last) en route to Sydney, Australia

 

We just loved Auckland (which the Kiwis pronounce more like Oakland), and The Bay of Islands was beautiful with such lovely little towns, but it’s wonderful to have two sea days between New Zealand and Australia. I loved that someone wrote that New Zealanders call Australia “West Island.” Thanks for that tidbit.

 

After 33 days at sea, we finally had some serious seas last night. As I mentioned yesterday, the dancing show had to be cancelled, so we just came back to our cabin and read, but there was one woman who was venting at Gene, saying, “This is the third time! It was on our stateroom TV’s, you’re showing it tomorrow, and now you’re showing it tonight. Can’t you find something else?” Gene, with his patient manner, replied that it really wasn’t possible at such short notice, but geez, lady, there really is a lot more to worry about than a repeat movie!

 

At dinner last evening, we enjoyed the company of our friends Yuri and Valerie from Black Tie. We’ve known them (and Con and Sue) for several years, and we do enjoy getting together and being silly. If you’ve ever seen Black Tie’s show, you’d recognize Yuri as the silly skinny guy with the Albert Einstein hair. We not only enjoy getting together to catch up, but Yuri also joins our Trivia team when he’s on board. Like many comedians, he’s a pretty darned smart guy, and if we have any Aussie questions, he’s our man. Actually we did win today, and Yuri was pretty excited about it. Valerie is the group’s pianist, and she is really concert-level in her playing. She’s been frustrated trying to practice, because the grand piano in the Queen’s Lounge is frequently being used by other performers. I think she’s now using the piano in the Piano Bar, where Debby Bacon plays, and she says she thinks it has a better sound anyway. We’re just looking forward to hearing - and to seeing the group perform - tomorrow evening.

 

The rough seas have calmed down today, but we still get intermittent rolling, when we have to stop walking and adjust for the motion. It does make it lovely for napping, but since today was Book Club, and since I was on page 3 of the 113-page assignment, I simply went to the midships Lido, where it was sheltered and fairly warm - even with cloudy skies - and did my “homework” assignment. Actually, as I finished page 113, I looked at my watch and it was 3:59 - and Book Club is at 4:00. The Bone People is a fascinating look at Maori culture and the conflicts between Maoris and Europeans, but at 552 pages, it does take an investment of time. Even so, I think what I’m learning makes it worth it.

 

So . . . one more sea day and then Sydney.

[ScottishMaid]

I've just started The Light between Oceans. I also got The Bone People from my local library. Thanks for posting the titles. Do the Book Club people like both? I know what you mean about homework - it's hard to keep up with assigned reading along with the ports and all the activities onboard.

Enjoying this thread and your Facebook photos. Remembering the sailaway parties with the free booze. You two are looking so relaxed.

Jill (and Joe)

[Johnny B]

Monday, February 9, 2015 - Day 35

At Sea en route to Sydney, Australia

 

Another beautiful day at sea. Well, there’s some rain from time to time, and the high temperature is only 71 (22 C), but it’s still a lovely day. Unlike at home, where you have to put up with any weather that comes your way, here our moving home goes through rain, then moves into sunshine, and then clouds - it’s really a nice change. If you don’t like the weather, give it an hour and it will be something else.

 

Yesterday we received some very sad news. Our friend Joan Madrid, whom some of you will remember as being the bridge instructor on board with Bill Fox, passed away. Bill and Joan were table mates of ours in 2008 and 2010, and we’ve always loved them dearly. She had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma four years ago in Brisbane, Australia, while on the Asia-Pacific cruise, and after an extended stay in a hospital there, was sent home with a very poor prognosis. Well . . . four years later, she finally succumbed. To our joy, we were able to spend two weeks with Bill and Joan during the Christmas cruise, but immediately thereafter she began a downward spiral. We are praying for Bill, because he did so love his “Honey Bunny.”

 

To happier things, our Black Tie friends will be performing this evening, and we’re expecting standing room only. They are such favorites on the cruise, and as people tell them, “We don’t care if you do the same act over and over, we just want to see you.” Of course they don’t do the same act over and over, but whatever they do makes people fall over laughing when they’re not appreciating Val and Sue playing the piano and the cello. You wouldn’t think that classical music would go well with comedy, but with this group it does.

 

Tomorrow morning, beginning at 7:30, we have our “face to passport” check in Sydney. We each have a priority number (ours is 9), and when called, we must line up and then meet individually with an Australian immigration officer to make sure that we really are who our passport says we are. We also need to give the officer our “arrival card,” but this year there’s an addition: an ebola questionnaire. We are asked if we’ve travelled to Africa in the last couple of months, and if so, a further examination will take place. It really is a pretty organized procedure and goes quickly. Like Ft. Lauderdale, Sydney insists on a “zero count” before they will clear the ship, which means that every passenger must be off the ship before it will clear, and only then can we get back on (if we wish to). We lost about 70 passengers in Auckland and boarded almost that many. In Sydney, we’re to lose about 100 and gain about 90. Our next big change will be in Singapore, at the end of the second segment. It’s always interesting to meet some new people. Who knows? Maybe there will be another “Rasputin.”

 

At 9:30 tomorrow morning, John and I, with our friend Barbie, will be met by our Aussie friends Greg and Heo, to spend the day. We last saw them on the Sydney stop last year, so we’re excited to see them again. It’s always good to see old friends, no matter how long it’s been between visits, and that applies to many of our cruise “family.”

[Johnny B]

Tuesday, February 10, 2015 - Day 36

Sydney, Australia

 

There are so many memories of this trip that cannot be photographed, and today was full of them. It began with waking up at 6:00, looking outside, and watching us enter Sydney Harbour, past Kirribilli and Taronga Zoo, making a gentle turn to approach Circular Quay, and parking just between the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. It is a spectacular sail in, especially as it came just before sunrise with a pink sky and scattered clouds. This is the first time we’ve been able to “park” in Circular Quay since 2008, having been shuttled first to Darling Harbour and then to White Bay, and it is a wonderful place to be, right in the middle of downtown Sydney.

 

Unlike previous trips, the Australian authorities now require a “zero count,” which means that, in addition to having a “face to passport” check with a local authority, everyone must be off the ship before it gets final clearance. We left about 8:30 and headed to Starbucks across the street (for internet, of course), and we heard that the zero count was achieved at about 10:30. Some people just sat in the terminal waiting so that they could re-board the ship.

 

At 9:30, we met up with Barbie, and then were collected by our dear friends Greg and Heo, Sydneysiders whom we have known since 2010. We get together at least once a year, usually here in Sydney, but they’ve been to our home in California and we’ve gotten together in London and Vienna, also. They were our tour guides for the day, and while last year they took us to Bondi Beach and then for lunch in Centennial Park, this year we drove South, through lots of suburbs and along beautiful beaches, stopping at one to watch hang gliders as they jumped off a cliff and sailed high into the sky.

 

Lunch was at Lagoon, which last year was voted best restaurant in Australia - although I never know who votes on these things. It’s a lovely spot, sitting on the beach, and the menu, though expensive, had an extensive seafood selection. A man at the next table had his meal delivered - it was a whole fish, looking whole but sliced downward into large sections, and even including the head and eyes. Yummmm!

 

After lunch we headed back into Sydney, took about an hour off, and then joined Greg, Heo, and several other shipboard friends at The Argyle, a bar and restaurant in The Rocks. It was a lovely evening, so we stayed in the courtyard while the guys caught up with everyone. Today they’re serving as travel guides for Alan and Sandra.

 

The evening provided the most magical moments. We had reserved “Champagne Under the Stars with Debby Bacon,” and it was one of those events you remember your whole life. We were seated at small, covered tables on Deck 9, just above the aft pool. On our right was the Opera House and on our left was the Sydney Bridge. Debby Bacon and her piano were on a platform between us and the Opera House, and she sang and played for almost three hours. Everyone on board was invited to listen to her around the pool, but our advantage on Deck 9 was that we were served wonderful hot hors d’oeuvres and Veuve Cliquot Champagne for that same three hours. (Now you know why this entry is late!) There were light fluffy clouds which evolved into a bright starry night - as perfect an environment as one can imagine. We absolutely loved it!

 

On that note, it’s now Wednesday morning, and we’re off to send a small “care package” to the kids at home and explore even more of Sydney. This is a lovely city.

[SilvertoGold]

What a phenomenal day and evening.

 

I love hearing about all these special events that HAL puts on for the WC. Truly magical!!

 

Thanks for your posts; always great!!

[Cruise NH]

Love the posts, excellent reporting!

 

Could you go into a little more detail about sending the 'care' packages. Do you buy a box, tape it up and head to the post office...or go to a FedEx-DHL-UPS kind of place?

 

This is something I think many people would like to know. Thanks.

[Johnny B]

Wednesday, February 11, 2015 - Day 37

Sydney, Australia

 

Another wonderful day here in Oz. Today those troublesome early clouds were non-existent and it was just a lovely, hot summer day. We began by heading to the post office to send our second “care package” (which is just a collection of things that we’ve found for our daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter - not necessarily in that order). Today’s goodies were mostly items from the movie Frozen, which Jessica is just wild about. We just buy a box or padded envelope, fill out a customs form, pay more money than the gifts cost, and send it on its way.

 

After taking care of business, we decided to head to Manly Beach, a 30-minute ferry ride away. We arrived at The Wharf, and immediately began following the crowds on the wide, stone-paved pedestrian street, and boy, were were glad we did. After about a quarter-mile hike, the street opened up onto two miles of golden sands which make up Manly Beach. The sand was pristine, and the city apparently rakes it every morning.

 

We wondered why it was so crowded on a Wednesday after school had gone back into session, but we soon learned that this week is the Australian Open of Surfing, heavily sponsored by Hurley. There were small tents set up opposite the beach promenade serving all kinds of food, from hamburgers to tacos to fresh-squeezed lemonade. We walked and walked and finally arrived at the point where today’s competition was taking place in men’s surfing. Four surfers compete at a time, wearing red, yellow, blue, or white jerseys for identification purposes. They have a fixed time (I think it was 30 minutes) and are scored on each “ride.” It was fascinating to see, since we’d never watched a surfing competition before.

 

In addition to surfing, which of course was the big draw, there was also going to be a skateboarding competition, and a half-pipe had been set up, with stadium seating on each side.

 

After our wonderful time of learning about surfing (and of John watching all those cute little bikini girls), it was finally time for lunch. A young lady in the tent where John bought a tee-shirt suggested Hugo’s, which she said had the best pizza in Sydney. We headed over, sat down, ordered drinks and lunch (chorizo pizza and a beet salad), and just then Greg, Heo, Alan and Sandra showed up - completely serendipitously. Then we were also joined by Joe and Sylvia Oakes, and afterward by Rich and Ginny Lyle - completely out of the blue. Lunch was great fun (and very good), and we talked a lot about how things “just happen.”

 

After lunch, we stopped by the grocery store for some Tim Tams, and took the next ferry back to Circular Quay. We did a very small walk in The Rocks, but then it was time to head back to the ship, where we managed to get some free internet from the Opera House across the Quay.

 

Sydney was a wonderful port, and we would like nothing more than to stay for several more days, but perhaps if we take the first segment next year, we can do just that.

[bcnvcanada]

Loving your reports. Thanks for the mention on TimTams, it remindsme that we have sevral packages left from our journey. Got some

out for tea, just love the double choclate ones.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for all the info ...

[Johnny B]

Thursday, February 12, 2015 - Day 38

At Sea en route to Melbourne, Australia

 

One of the (many) things that HAL does very well on this cruise is to expose its passengers to the culture of the areas through which we sail. From Manta, Ecuador, to Auckland, New Zealand, we had a group of Polynesians who taught hula (both Hawaiian and Tahitian) and the ukulele as well as conducted crafts classes making such items as leis and woven bracelets. I think everyone was quite sorry to see them disembark.

 

Since we have an extended time in and around Australia, we now have some people who are continuing the cultural education of this country. First, we have a young man named Stephen Kent, who is quite talented on the didgeridoo, that long, curved musical instrument which makes a series of low, somewhat mournful sounds that characterize Aboriginal music. He has played in evening shows and yesterday, during a fun-filled and beautiful sailaway, provided the musical accompaniment. As John said, “The music is interesting, but it’s a little hard to dance to.”

 

The other person we have is named Dhinawan, who is listed as a “cultural ambassador from Tribal Australia.” He is an aborigine, and is anxious to teach about the culture of the indigenous people of Australia. A couple of days ago, he gave a lecture about the “dream walking” of the aborigines, and this morning he was out on the midships Lido deck teaching “An Introduction to Aboriginal Dance,” and while we didn’t participate, it was fun to watch his class and listen to the group chanting. This afternoon, Dhinawan is teaching a series of four half-hour classes on aboriginal art, allowing participants to make their own paintings. Most of these are characterized by very small dots in a pattern, and we’ve always enjoyed seeing them while “Down Under.” I really salute HAL for helping passengers to better understand the areas they’re visiting by participating in these kinds of activities.

 

While yesterday’s temperature was 91 degrees, perfect for the surfing competition at Manly (I discouraged John from buying a tee-shirt with that written on it), today it’s down to about 60 or 65, quite windy, and it’s been raining off and on. Quite the difference! Tomorrow in Melbourne (pronounced Mel-Bun locally), it should be somewhere in the mid-70’s with a 30% chance of rain. Oh well, we’ll manage and enjoy that lovely city anyway. BTW, the Hop-On Hop-Off bus in Melbourne is FREE. Cool, yes? Barbara, our extraordinarily knowledgeable port authority, told us to be sure to get off at Victoria Market, simply to try the handmade donuts at one booth. Should be a great day.

[Stratheden]

Another free transport option is the City Circle tram.

 

All the information is here. http://ptv.vic.gov.au/route/view/1112

 

Enjoy your day. :)

[Johnny B]

Friday, February 13, 2015 - Day 39

Melbourne, Australia

 

Another wonderful day in Oz. Although everyone immediately thinks of Sydney when they think of Australia, even Sydneysiders know that Melbourne is something special. It is generally thought to be the cultural capital of Australia, with a rich variety of theatres, ballet, a thriving downtown area, and it was here that the Australian Opera began - but then moved to that iconic building in Sydney. One claim that Melbourne has that virtually every Australian agrees with is that this is the place with the best coffee in the country.

 

We were off the ship by 8:30 and, after buying our tram passes for the day, headed to the center of town. Our ultimate goal, which we achieved by taking another tram, was to visit the Rod Laver Tennis Arena, home of the Australian Open, which finished about two weeks ago. We’d visited there in 2008, but once is never enough for such a tennis nut as my husband, so we had to go again. It was an interesting visit, since they’ve done a great deal of modernization and improving in the last seven years. We saw some people playing on the practice courts, but the main arena was closed up tighter than a drum, and since we didn’t want to wait an hour and a half for a tour, we just walked the grounds. We also checked the gift shop for a new shirt to replace the one that John has worn and worn and worn (you get the picture) since 2008, but they had pretty much sold out, at least in his size, so he settled for a hat. There was a cute little shirt for our granddaughter Jessica, so of course that had to go in the bag.

 

After our “pilgrimage,” we took the tram back downtown to do some more exploring. One of the great things about Melbourne is that the tram in the city center (a pretty large area) is free, and the Hop On Hop Off bus is only $5.00 a person. Such a deal. As we headed off on the HOHO, we got to see lots of Melbourne, including the beautiful museum built in the 1800’s, the university, the Royal Botanic Gardens, and the Flinders Street Station, described as “the defining landmark of Melbourne.” We also drove through the lovely Italian village which is part of the city and then disembarked at the Queen Victoria Market, where you can buy pretty much anything from tee shirts to fish to produce to wine out of the cask to car seats (of all things!) After we had wandered the market for awhile - and it’s huge - we headed across the street for lunch. I had mediocre Chinese and John had an almost mediocre meat pie. Should have eaten in Little Italy, I guess.

 

One of the things that struck us about the city is the beauty and abundance of beautiful gardens throughout. Besides the Royal Botanic Gardens, there are the Fitzroy, the Carlton, Yarra Park, Flagstaff Gardens and Birrarung Marr Park. You can have a picnic almost anywhere, jog, walk, or just relax under a tree. If parks are “the lungs of a city,” then you can breathe deeply here.

 

Tomorrow is another sea day, prior to two days in Adelaide, and after all our sitting and looking out the window of the bus, we’re exhausted, so we need the rest.

 

P. S. After a beautiful, clear and sunny day, the clouds have just moved in and we’re in the middle of a thunderstorm. Sailaway has been moved into the Crow’s Nest.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Am envious of your visit to the Rod Laver Tennis Center. Last time we were in Melbourne it had not been built yet. On the list to see in the future.

[hmorrow]

I am so enjoying this trip, vicariously, through you!

Thanks for the wonderful posts.

Helaine

[Johnny B]

Saturday, February 14, 2015 - Day 40

At Sea en route to Adelaide, Australia

Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

Another lovely sea day - love them. On the WC, it’s traditional for HAL to schedule Valentine’s Day, Christmas Day, and Easter as sea days so they can be celebrated appropriately, almost always as formal evenings. Around the ship, they’ve been advertising flowers, Champagne, and other gifts for about a week. The beautiful floral arrangements with which Eddy and Calista decorate the ship all have some variation on a heart theme. Then, instead of a show tonight, we will have the Valentine’s Day Ball. There will be all kinds of red and/or heart decorations in the dining room and the Queen’s Lounge - I still have tiny little red metallic hearts on the soles of my red heels from last year! One of the things I like the best is that Debby Bacon plays in the dining room on formal nights, replacing the every evening trio that used to play several world cruises ago. She truly is a wonderful Valentine’s present.

 

Since all of the entertainers we know disembarked in Sydney or Melbourne, we have new ones, and today’s show at 3:00 PM (not to interfere with the Valentine’s Ball) will be The Aussie Boys, an energetic group that sings songs from (not too surprisingly) Australia. We’ve heard them several times before, and we look forward to seeing and hearing them again. There really are a lot more Australian songs than “Waltzing Matilda.”

 

Yesterday I commented that our beautiful sunny weather had been replaced by big black clouds, but at that point had no idea how extreme the weather was about to be.

As we looked out the window to see what the weather was doing, we saw several lighting strikes in the distance, accompanied by thunder several seconds later. After it got dark and we closed the curtains, we could still hear deep rolls of thunder. When we went up to the Crow’s Nest, the rain was bucketing down on the windows and on the Deck 8 roof. It was pretty darned exciting, but the interesting part was the seas were pretty calm throughout.

 

Tomorrow is the first of our two days in Adelaide, a city which we’ve visited before and really enjoyed. Their zoo is excellent, and it was the first time we’d seen pandas in person. They really are cute. We’re looking forward to a lot of walking and maybe even a little shopping, even though the weather forecast for tomorrow calls for temperatures in excess of 100 degrees!

[SilvertoGold]

Saw Jeff's photos of the Valentines Day activities.

 

You both looked super! Nice dress and I like your hair back and up!

 

Loving this thread and looking forward to every post.

[Johnny B]

Sunday, February 15, 2015 - Day 41

Adelaide, Australia

 

Last night was the Valentine’s Ball, and while dinner at Jeff’s table was fun and the ball was really nice, the best time was at the after-party in the Crow’s Nest beginning at 10:30, with Marcel, the DJ, playing some great dance music. It was jammed up there, and we only stayed until midnight, but I know some folks closed the place down - whenever that might have been.

 

We’ve had a busy, busy day here in Adelaide, the capital of the state of Southern Australia. We met Jeff, Cathy and Ann at 8:30 at the gangway, and it was go, go, go from then until 5:00 this afternoon. The port is about 45 minutes from city center, and unlike other ports on a Grand Voyage, there was no shuttle. Just across the street is a rail station, which is the fastest and most direct way into the city. For just under $10 each, we purchased all-day transit tickets, which took us by train into and out of the city and then by bus anywhere we wanted to go.

 

Once we arrived in the city, we bargained a bit with a couple of cab drivers. Since there were five of us, and cabs can only take four, we needed two of them to take us to our ultimate destination: Cleland Wildlife Park, in the outskirts of the city. It was about a half-hour hair-raising taxi ride, but we got there, bought our tickets, and began our self-guided tour.

 

Cleland is a lot like Lion Country Safari or San Diego Wild Animal Park in that animals live as close to their natural habitat as possible. Jeff, Ann and Cathy headed right, toward to koalas, and John and I headed left toward the grey kangaroos. As we walked, we discovered two sizes of little bitty kangaroo-like critters walking toward us and around our feet on the path. Later, I found out that the larger ones were Potoroos, the smallest kangaroo, and the smaller ones were bandicoots, which I had heard of but never seen. The adventure had begun!

 

Areas of the park were separated by fences and gates, and the first gate took us into what looked like kangaroo heaven. There were dozens and dozens - males, females, babies, mothers with babies in pouches, and whatever size kangaroo you wanted to see. In addition, they had no fear of humans, so we could walk right up to them and even pet them if we wished to. Another fence separated them from the wallabies, and there were bunches and bunches of them, too.

 

After seeing our fill of these critters, we wandered through the red kangaroo area. If you ever have a trivia question about the largest breed of ‘roo, it’s the red one. There were probably a dozen within the small area in which we walked, and one was just lying down, more than happy to have us pet him. A photo of this is on Facebook.

 

As we continued to walk, we ran into our buddies, and they pointed out a couple of koalas napping in the trees. Because the temperature was just under 100 degrees, the koalas just slept most of the time and couldn’t be held, as they can on normal days. They were just as cute as you’d imagine, balancing precariously between branches of a large eucalyptus (a gum tree here), sound asleep.

 

We spent several hours at the park and saw all kinds of other critters: parrots, wombats, lorikeets, black and white pelicans (unlike our brown California pelicans), three Tasmanian Devils, monitor lizards, dingos, Echidna, emu and finally a kookaburra, identified by his loud cackling sound.

 

Finally, between the miles we walked and the incredibly hot temperatures, we had had it, so we were ready to take the bus back into the city. As we headed to the nearby bus stop, we saw a group of 17 and 18-year-olds who almost immediately got up from the bench so that we could sit down. They are certainly taught respect for their elders. We chatted with them and found that they were from Viet Nam, Malaysia and Indonesia and are living in Adelaide while studying at the University. What a great group of kids.

 

The bus was included with our all-day transport ticket, so we just sat in the cool, air-conditioned air for about 40 minutes until we were dropped off downtown. After some lunch and a bit of shopping (for one of the crew member’s new baby), we hopped on the train and here we are, back at the ship. Strangely enough, the weather is now cool and very windy. Debby Bacon is supposed to play under the stars tonight, but I don’t know if the wind will spoil that plan.

 

Now it’s time for a very low-key evening - and then back into Adelaide on the train tomorrow morning. What a great time we’re having.

[Johnny B]

Monday, February 16, 2015 - Day 41

Adelaide, Australia - Day 2

 

We continued to have a great time in Adelaide. It’s a beautiful city which has preserved many of its historical buildings dating from the mid 1800’s. The other things which it’s noted for are its parks, and boy, are they beautiful!

 

We began with the train again this morning, and when we arrived in the city we just walked, walked, and walked some more. Our first stop was at the Post Office, to send just a small “care package.” These three (Auckland, Sydney and here) are very unusual, in that we usually just send one at the end of each segment. I’ve told John that the next one can’t be any sooner than Singapore (they have very fast and efficient mail), but who knows what a dedicated grandpa will do.

 

After the Post Office, we walked down a street and discovered the Immigration Museum, which covered the history of Australian immigration - the good and the bad.

Like the United States, Australia is a nation of immigrants, but also like the US, some of the treatment of immigrants and people who wanted to immigrate was very unfortunate.

 

Then we headed to the Botanic Gardens, which contain several city blocks of absolutely gorgeous flora. There is a rose garden with well over a thousand species, little pathways that wend their way into shady glades, and virtually every native plant that Australia has. One highlight for me was the Rain Forest, a partially sealed glasshouse about the size of a football field (really!), which contained paths which meandered through all kinds of beautiful tropical plants. It not only displays, it educates, and we learned that 1-2 acres of rainforest disappear every hour, usually for farming or grazing land, but also for development. Because of the reduction in rain forest, many species that inhabit that particular environment are becoming endangered or extinct. It’s a sad plight and something that we should address as a world society.

 

A cappuccino gave us a break in the middle of our 4-5 miles of walking, and then we headed to what John thought was a very interesting part of the Botanic Garden: the South Australia wine center. It was a beautiful building where wine growers and vintners meet and decide marketing plans. There is a small cafe whose walls are lined by bottles and bottles of wine. You pay $2.50, put a glass underneath one of about 50 spouts, and Presto! you have a glass of wine to try. It was a little early for us, but there were several people who must believe that it’s 5:00 somewhere. As we exited the building, we realized that the ground floor was built over a large open basement, and the wine racks down there held a phenomenal number of bottles. John only took a photo, although he wanted to go downstairs and see how many bottles would fit in his pockets.

 

It was finally time to head back to the train so that we could be at the ship in time for our 4:30 all aboard. Everyone was on time except one group: the ship’s shore excursion to the Barossa Valley wine area! I hope the bus driver stayed away from the wine tasting.

 

It’s been a lovely two days in Adelaide, with helpful, friendly residents, beautiful buildings, and multiple parks. We hope to return here someday to see the area in more depth, and John would like to head out to those wine-tasting rooms, too.

[Johnny B]

Tuesday, February 17, 2015 - Day 43

At Sea en route to Albany, Australia

 

Whew! It’s a sea day again - actually two of them, and they are a delightful break after trying to see absolutely everything in Adelaide. The weather has hit every extreme possible (except for snow). After hovering around 100 the first day and a pleasant 80 the second, it became cold and windy both evenings with some rain, and today it’s overcast and I’m very comfortable wearing a long-sleeved tee-shirt. In addition, the captain has told us that we are within the Australian Bight, an area south of the continent which, traditionally, has very rough seas. In today’s 12:45 Captain’s message, he told us that we are north of a storm coming up from Antarctica which, in its center, has 100-foot seas. We’re very glad that we’re not there, but we are having quite a rough time of it. John and I love it, but a few people don’t do well in weather like this,

and I do feel sorry for them.

 

We returned to our table in the dining room last evening after two evenings away, and it was nice to spend time catching up with our two waiters. Then John did something that absolutely amazed me. Nearly every evening he chooses one of the two fish options for dinner, but last night he ordered the Porterhouse steak! He did ask our waiter for a small portion, but I guess that’s not an option with that particular cut. The only difference was that the really tender part inside the bone had been removed, but there was enough beef covering his entire plate to feed both of us and the occupants of a small orphanage. John did an admirable job, but he had to give up about halfway through. I had a bite of it and agreed that it was mighty tasty, but that’s a lot of beef. My three scallops were much more to my taste, and I even gave John half of one of them.

 

Our entertainer last evening was a young lady who played the harp and sang, and she had one of those truly pure soprano voices that are a pleasure to listen to. She’s an Aussie and will perform again the evening before Perth. We do have a great selection of performers, although tonight’s card tricks and “mind reading” really don’t appeal. Since it’s Mardi Gras, and the party is in the Crow’s Nest after dinner, I think we’ll go up there to celebrate instead. Sometimes you just have to make choices.

 

Our Australian cultural education continues, and Dhinawan, our “Ambassador from Tribal Australia” was to teach aboriginal dance next to the midships pool this morning, but it was so rough that the water was washing over onto the deck, so it had to be moved elsewhere. Then one of the guest speakers gave a lecture about the many venomous creatures of Australia - it’s enough to keep you away from the whole continent! Seven of the most poisonous snakes in the world exist in Australia, including one, the Death Adder, whose name alone is enough to give me the creeps.

 

One of the fun things on board a cruise this long is the interaction between the crew and the passengers. For example, Debby Bacon, our Piano Bar entertainer extraordinaire, is scheduled this evening to play “Songs about creatures and critters.” She asked one of our friends, Marianne, to come up with such songs, Marianne asked us, and John came up with about ten that weren’t yet on the list. Of course that means that we’ll have to stop by the Piano Bar to listen for awhile this evening.

 

The Book Club meets again tomorrow, and as I’ve only read 50 of the 200 pages assigned, I’d better get my book out and get to it.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Speaking of the book club, has the next book been assigned yet? I'm off on a HAL ship within the next few days and will miss your posts for two weeks so please let us know what the books are. Thanks. I can catch up when I return.

[Folk Singer]

What a phenomenal day and evening.

 

I love hearing about all these special events that HAL puts on for the WC. Truly magical!!

 

Thanks for your posts; always great!!

 

 

It is so nice to read and hear about.:)

[Johnny B]

Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - Day 44

At Sea en route to Albany, Australia

 

I guess there’s such a thing as too much sleep, but I haven’t gotten there yet. Last evening was the Mardi Gras party, and it was just too much fun. They set up a whole buffet in the Crow’s Nest, but as it began just after we finished dinner, we didn’t even go near it until we were about to leave, and even then it was just to look. However, what we did take advantage of was the Mardi Gras beads, which everyone was wearing. The ship is very generous about those kinds of things, so there were beads and coins in the traditional colors of green, purple and gold that everyone was wearing.

 

The band played and Darcy sang until 11:00, and the dance floor was crowded with people in couples, singles, and groups. Anyone could ask anyone to dance, so I danced with John and then Henk, the Hotel Manager, and then Cathy, our Canadian friend, and so on. At 11:00, the band quit and Marcel, the ship’s DJ took over, and the dancing continued. We made it until about 12:30, and then gave up. The best thing about last evening was that, for the first time ever, we set the clocks back an hour and a half, and it was the perfect night for that much time. After we set our clocks back, it was a civilized time to go to sleep, and we slept right through until almost 7:00 this morning.

 

Today was fairly quiet around the ship, with everyone, including the crew, agreeing that the extra sleep was a great idea. There are a couple of places around the world where, instead of time changing by an hour, it has these quirky little half hour increments. South Australia is like that, as is India.

 

At midday, we had the immense pleasure of a Sommelier lunch, conducted by Jacques, the Cellar master, as well as the Pinnacle chef, his assistant, and the show chef. It was an incredible meal. Now you have to keep in mind that sommelier dinners cost $79.00 and include wines that are paired with the courses. The sommelier lunches have the same courses, the same wines, and cost $39.00 - such a deal! We began with a glass (or two) of excellent Champagne as we headed into the back room of the Pinnacle, and then began eating in earnest. The first course was a smoked sea scallop, and we watched as the little domes had smoke piped into them before the scallops were served. Next was a cream of roasted parsnip soup, and although I’m not a parsnip fan, the soup was excellent. The wine for those two courses was Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and - wow! The fish course was black cod in a wonderful beurre blanc, paired with Cloudy Bay Chardonnay, a wine that Jacques serves whenever something special comes up. After a mango “palate refresher,” it was time for the main course, called “short rib sous vide,” in a lovely sauce with a barley risotto. Yummmmm! The accompanying wine was Kim Crawford Pinot Noir (all the wines were from New Zealand). When no one thought there was any space left, here was dessert - a plate with three little offerings that people oohed and aahed over. It was served with Cloudy Bay late harvest riesling.

 

Lunch, which lasted 2-1/2 hours, was just heaven, but it definitely called for a nap afterward. When I lay down at 2:30, John reminded me that I had book club at 4:00, but I told him that 90 minutes was certainly enough. When he woke me at 4:20, however, I threw on my shoes, grabbed my book, and made it to book club for the last 20 minutes. I couldn’t believe that, in addition to the extra 1-1/2 hours we had last night, I slept for almost two hours this afternoon. Oh well, I guess I’ll sleep well tonight, too.

 

P. S. We won't finish "The Bone People" for a couple of weeks, so I don't know what the next book will be. I'll let you know when I find out, though. Thanks for asking.

[Emilija]

What a delight. I am travelling vicariously with you and another poster on CC from the same World Cruise.

It it so interesting to read each days post, from each, as they are so different and almost the opposite.

 

You enjoy each days activities from various areas of the ship, others enjoy the same from the comfort of their cabin and the TV. You find the cruise line generous in their decorations and give-aways other cruisers find too many cutbacks.

 

You explore and taste the foods of the world. Another poster thrives on their favourite (same) food and drink in each port.

 

The fauna and flora is enjoyed by all. It's such a fascinating contrast by two posters from the same WC. I am enjoying both.:)

[Folk Singer]

Another free transport option is the City Circle tram.

 

All the information is here. http://ptv.vic.gov.au/route/view/1112

 

Enjoy your day. :)

 

Thank you for the link. I have booked marked it for future.