Let's go on a virtual NZ and Australia cruise

[possum52]

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

It ceased when they started tearing up George St for the light rail.

We used the 555 buses all the time when we have stayed in Sydney. 

 

Leigh

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, possum52 said:

We used the 555 buses all the time when we have stayed in Sydney. 

 

Leigh

It wasn't widely publicised in Sydney itself. I'd never heard of it until I read about it on a thread here.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Itinerary Item 26 – Geraldton.

 

Geraldton may look like a small coastal town but it has a lot going on. One of the main points of interest is the HMAS Sydney Memorial, high on a hill overlooking the town and harbour. This memorial commemorates the loss of the light cruiser during a mutually destructive fight with a German cruiser off Shark Bay in November 1941.

 

Another point of interest is the striking St Francis Xavier Cathedral. The architecture is unique and considered one of the finest cathedrals worldwide that were built in the 20^th century.

 

Geraldton is also a major rock lobster fishing port and you can take a tour of the Geraldton Fisherman’s Co-operative, the largest processor of rock lobsters in the world. I have been assured that we will be sourcing some fresh lobsters for the ship so expect to see them on the MDR menu tonight.

 

There is also a special helicopter excursion to view Hutt Lagoon, also known as the Pink Lake due to its colour which ranges from bubblegum pink to lilac purple. The colour is caused by algae in the water. Numbers for this excursion are limited so you must book at Guest Services.

 

Tomorrow will be a Sea Day on our way to Broome.

 

If you’ve just joined us, please read the first post which contains the rules for this thread. Note this is a luxury all inclusive ship - all drinks, restaurants, internet, excursions, spa, beauty salon.

[shipgeeks]

10 hours ago, GEcruzer said:

Thanks for the welcome, is it possible to get an itinerary list for the previous ports?( saves me scrolling back)
Regards


Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Welcome aboard!  One of the unique, and very nice, things about this cruise is that a virtual scrapbook has been created, allowing us to visit and re-visit all the ports and sea day discussions, and we can each do so at our leisure.  Such good memories!  Well worth going back and browsing, perhaps a few at a time.

[MicCanberra]

I loved going on the heli tour to the pink lake.

Also enjoyed the memorial.

And the Museum

 

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Thanks .....Never heard of the Pink Lake before ..Why is it pink ?

[OzKiwiJJ]

53 minutes ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

Thanks .....Never heard of the Pink Lake before ..Why is it pink ?

Algae.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

7 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Algae.

Thanks . The only other pink lake I have seen is Lac Rose in Dakar ,Senegal which is also harvested for salt .

[Bubbeh]

16 hours ago, possum52 said:

Bubbeh, aren't you on the cruise anymore? My son in law has relatives who live in Mandurah.

Sure am,  I just nipped home to take my normal size clothes back and replace them with fat girl trackie daks and mumus.  😁

[Bubbeh]

16 hours ago, boeckli said:

One thing I love about Perth and Fremantle is the free bus circuits

There is what is know as the FTZ - Free Transit Zone - around the city and  immediate surrounds.  All public transport is free for passengers travelling (that is boarding and alighting) within this zone, including trains.

[Bubbeh]

13 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Itinerary Item 26 – Geraldton.

Mr Bubbeh lived in Geraldton for some years when he worked for Telecom (before Telstra).  My sister also lived here for a couple of years when she first married her former husband (a copper on regional service) and two of my nephews were born at Geraldton Regional Hospital.  We know the place quite well and so I think we'll catch up with friends and just enjoy a drink and meal at one of the newish bistros on the waterfront.

[Bubbeh]

1 hour ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

Thanks . The only other pink lake I have seen is Lac Rose in Dakar ,Senegal which is also harvested for salt .

There's a pink lake in Esperance too.

[Sarnia 432]

 

Today we are going to drive out to the Kalbarri National Park.  It is about a 2hr drive, so we will be enjoying the scenery on the way.  Plan to stop at Hawk’s Head Gorge lookout point to see the view and go to the Coastal Gorges Red Bluff to look at the cliffs and rock formations.

[OzKiwiJJ]

We've also done the Pink Lake trip and are just about to have a nice seafood lunch at one of the local waterfront restaurants. Then we'll have a wander around the town. I wonder if that good cafe I found in 2016 is still there. Hopefully I'll recognise it if it is. They had great coffee.

[kent05]

Years ago we went flew to the Abrolhos Islands. We took a small plane with Geralton Air Charter and saw where the Batavia ran aground. It is now on display in Fremantle Museum. We flew over whales and learnt shipwreck history in the area before landing - had a picnic lunch, snorkelled and explored. It is a photographers dream and I would highly recommend it for the more adventurous.

[benjoon]

New attraction on Geraldton. Pink lake from the ground.

[possum52]

Our first point of call was the HMAS Sydney II Memorial. I was actually surprised at how amazing it is. It is quite stunning and a wonderful tribute to the HMAS Sydney crew.

 

 

We wanted to see the St Francis Xavier Cathedral as we had been told about it and its designer, the then parish priest Father John Hawes who became Monsignor Hawes.

 

 

As I love lighthouses, we also visited the Point Moore Lighthouse and 

 

As I love lighthouses, we also visited the Point Moore lighthouse. I loved the the red and white hoops it is painted. The lighthouse is not open to the public but there is signage giving some facts about it. The light can be seen from 26 kms out to sea.

 

 

 

A visit to the museum was also on the agenda, but we decided to have lunch first. We picked up some sandwiches from a bakery and found a picnic table close the beach to sit and eat them. 

 

The museum was quite interesting and we spent a couple of hours viewing the exhibits before returning to the ship.

 

Edited May 13, 2020 by possum52

[OzKiwiJJ]

Itinerary Item 27 – Sea Day

Discussion Topic – Cruise Cuisine

 

We’ve already discussed what restaurants are onboard, we know the food onboard is manna from heaven but real life cruise cuisine has it’s ups and downs.

 

Tell us about your favourite dishes on whatever ships you’ve cruised on, and also what dishes didn’t impress and why.

 

Our next port of call is Broome.

 

If you’ve just joined us, please read the first post which contains the rules for this thread. Note this is a luxury all inclusive ship - all drinks, restaurants, internet, excursions, spa, beauty salon.

[OzKiwiJJ]

I'm getting in first to mention the Princess Black and Blue Onion Soup, offered in the Crown Grill or the Sterling Steakhouse depending on the ship.

 

I love a good French onion soup. I've eaten it in Paris several times. I've eaten it in Australian French restaurants. But that touch of Jack Daniels (the Black) and the hint of Blue cheese just elevates it to another level. My only complaint is that it is a huge serving. I've learnt to only eat half of it but putting that spoon down is very hard to do. Their regular French onion soup in the MDR is pretty good too.

[possum52]

25 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I'm getting in first to mention the Princess Black and Blue Onion Soup, offered in the Crown Grill or the Sterling Steakhouse depending on the ship.

 

I love a good French onion soup. I've eaten it in Paris several times. I've eaten it in Australian French restaurants. But that touch of Jack Daniels (the Black) and the hint of Blue cheese just elevates it to another level. My only complaint is that it is a huge serving. I've learnt to only eat half of it but putting that spoon down is very hard to do. Their regular French onion soup in the MDR is pretty good too.

I love the black and blue onion soup too. I agree the helpings are too big for me. 
 

Leigh

[shipgeeks]

Food!  The variety and quality of food on this cruise have been excellent!  No complaints at all.

Thinking back to previous cruises, here were some of our favorites:

On MSC Seaside:  calamari, sticky buns, pizza, curries from the crew dining room, bacon.

On Regal Empress:  duck

On Premier SeaBreeze:  breadsticks

On Premier IslandBreeze:  lobster

On Celebrity Equinox:  ice creams, asparagus and sautéed mushrooms (in communal bowls, by request)

 

Oh, my, I think I better go get something nice to eat.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Another sea day ....I am so bored  🤔.. what activities have they got to do ,besides eating all day ?

[GEcruzer]

I can start on the unimpressive, the apple pie on QM2  in the MDR very, very average no better than a school canteen offering.

On the other hand the dinning experience in the Todd English restaurant  on the same ship was spectacular.

I always go for a self made roast beef sandwich on embarkation day a bit of a ritual and the beef on Majestic Princess was delicious.

The  desert tasting platter on Majestic Princess's sterling Steak House was just divine, also the service was first class.

 

Edited May 13, 2020 by GEcruzer

[By The Bay]

 

The desert tasting platter looks amazing. It has, what looks like my favorite, Lemon Meringue pie. 😋😍

[Bubbeh]

5 hours ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

Another sea day ....I am so bored  🤔..

I love sea days and never feel disappointed when a scheduled stop has had to be cancelled for whatever reason.  Funny how we are all so very different and yet all enjoy cruising.