22nd November 2009
We had a half day to spare before our long flight home and met up with a couple who were on the same cruise as us to have breakfast together. She had been poorly with a chest infection whilst on the cruise which had led to a 2 days stay in the hospital and a US $1500 bill! I hope their insurance covers the costs.
Still feeling brave after our climb up the Pylon I decided we would visit the Sydney Tower Observation Deck. Avril and Les had done this on our first visit to Sydney but I had declined to join them at that time. The Observation Deck soars a quarter of a kilometre above the city streets and offers breathtaking 360-degrees views of the whole city. The ticket also includes OzTrek which is an amazing virtual reality ride across Sydney to the Australian bush and beyond. I did decline to upgrade to do the Skywalk which takes you onto the outside of the tower at 260 metres above the streets onto a walkway which has glass floor overhangs!
By now it was time to say farewell once again to Sydney and as we boarded the plane for the long flight home it was time to reflect on our holiday.
This isn't quite the end of the blog. I will sum it up in a few days time so please keep checking to see when we reach The End.
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Monday, 23 November 2009
21st November 2009
Well, it's hard to believe that 8 months after we left Sydney we sailed back into her port this morning. Up on deck by 5.30 am this morning, the sight of us sailing into the harbour and berthing between the Opera House and the Bridge was almost worth the price of the cruise alone. Disembarkation from the ship went smoothly and we were at our hotel by 8.45; luckily our room was already available so once we had sorted ourselves out we were off into the city. We set off for the area known as The Rocks and decided to use the light railway, which is something we have never been on before; so you can imagine our surprise to find that the train has 3 levels! We have both bought ourselves UGG slippers as we have decided to be trendy and the price seems quite reasonable.
I would like to tell you that we both did the Bridge Climb but that would not be true, however we did settle for second best as, having looked at one of Rosalyn's guidebooks I discovered that you can climb to the very top of the South East Pylon of the bridge and taking the 200 steps very very slowly we were rewarded with spectacular views of the city of Sydney. If you want to find out more statistics about where we went you can go to
www.pylonlookout.com.au
We then went for lunch before visiting the Queen Victoria Building which houses some very expensive and exclusive shops. In the central area there is a most magnificent Christmas Tree whose trunk and sparkly bits are actually Swarovski crystals. By now both of us were tiring as it is very hot and we returned to the hotel for a wash and rest.
This evening we went for a walk round Darling Harbour. I've never seen so many people, the place was literally heaving. The build-up to Christmas has begun here with a fantastic fireworks show, lasting about 10 minutes. Having seen how they celebrate New Year's Eve we weren't surprised at the spectacle.
An observation I have made is that there are large numbers of young smokers here in Sydney, far more than I have seen anywhere else. If Australians are suffering with large numbers of people developing skin cancers as a result of the strong sun, then I wouldn't be surprised if lung cancer wasn't far behind.
It seems strange to be walking about in November, wearing shorts and t-shirt and we are making the most of it before we have to board the plane home tomorrow. We know the weather has been pretty horrendous in the last few days and we are hoping things will have settled down.
I don't know if we will get a chance to upload any more of our blog, but please keep looking in as I will attempt to sum up everything and perhaps fill in those things I have forgotten.
Well, it's hard to believe that 8 months after we left Sydney we sailed back into her port this morning. Up on deck by 5.30 am this morning, the sight of us sailing into the harbour and berthing between the Opera House and the Bridge was almost worth the price of the cruise alone. Disembarkation from the ship went smoothly and we were at our hotel by 8.45; luckily our room was already available so once we had sorted ourselves out we were off into the city. We set off for the area known as The Rocks and decided to use the light railway, which is something we have never been on before; so you can imagine our surprise to find that the train has 3 levels! We have both bought ourselves UGG slippers as we have decided to be trendy and the price seems quite reasonable.
I would like to tell you that we both did the Bridge Climb but that would not be true, however we did settle for second best as, having looked at one of Rosalyn's guidebooks I discovered that you can climb to the very top of the South East Pylon of the bridge and taking the 200 steps very very slowly we were rewarded with spectacular views of the city of Sydney. If you want to find out more statistics about where we went you can go to
www.pylonlookout.com.au
We then went for lunch before visiting the Queen Victoria Building which houses some very expensive and exclusive shops. In the central area there is a most magnificent Christmas Tree whose trunk and sparkly bits are actually Swarovski crystals. By now both of us were tiring as it is very hot and we returned to the hotel for a wash and rest.
This evening we went for a walk round Darling Harbour. I've never seen so many people, the place was literally heaving. The build-up to Christmas has begun here with a fantastic fireworks show, lasting about 10 minutes. Having seen how they celebrate New Year's Eve we weren't surprised at the spectacle.
An observation I have made is that there are large numbers of young smokers here in Sydney, far more than I have seen anywhere else. If Australians are suffering with large numbers of people developing skin cancers as a result of the strong sun, then I wouldn't be surprised if lung cancer wasn't far behind.
It seems strange to be walking about in November, wearing shorts and t-shirt and we are making the most of it before we have to board the plane home tomorrow. We know the weather has been pretty horrendous in the last few days and we are hoping things will have settled down.
I don't know if we will get a chance to upload any more of our blog, but please keep looking in as I will attempt to sum up everything and perhaps fill in those things I have forgotten.
20th November 2009
Following on from last night I must just add that Bjorn Again did not disappoint. They did a 45 minute set of ABBA songs to which most people sang along. Dancing Queen brought people to their feet, dancing in the aisles and the whole performance was met by a standing ovation.
Today has been another day at sea. We were a little disappointed that although the temperature was much higher, the wind was too strong to sit out by the pool. We spent most of the day in the solarium reading and at 5.15 returned to our stateroom to start packing as we had to have our luggage outside the room to be taken to the terminal when we arrive in Sydney. We have said our goodbyes to our 8 travelling companions. We have been really very lucky with our table as we all gelled quite quickly, even to the point where we would have a drink (or two) with them during the evening. It certainly has helped to make the cruise very enjoyable – after all think how it might have been if we hadn't got on with any of them.
Although it will be an early start we want to be on deck to see us arrive in Sydney.
Following on from last night I must just add that Bjorn Again did not disappoint. They did a 45 minute set of ABBA songs to which most people sang along. Dancing Queen brought people to their feet, dancing in the aisles and the whole performance was met by a standing ovation.
Today has been another day at sea. We were a little disappointed that although the temperature was much higher, the wind was too strong to sit out by the pool. We spent most of the day in the solarium reading and at 5.15 returned to our stateroom to start packing as we had to have our luggage outside the room to be taken to the terminal when we arrive in Sydney. We have said our goodbyes to our 8 travelling companions. We have been really very lucky with our table as we all gelled quite quickly, even to the point where we would have a drink (or two) with them during the evening. It certainly has helped to make the cruise very enjoyable – after all think how it might have been if we hadn't got on with any of them.
Although it will be an early start we want to be on deck to see us arrive in Sydney.
19th November 2009
Overnight we put the clocks back thus gaining one of the lost hours. Today was at sea sailing towards Sydney. We spent the day relaxing by the pool in the solarium, as it was a little cold and windy out on the deck by the main pool. Hopefully it will be warm enough tomorrow to sunbathe outside on what is our last day of the cruise. Twice I have mentioned how rough the sea has been, just think how difficult it is to take a shower and do the other things necessary in life whilst the floor is going up and down and swaying from side to side.
Tonight in the theatre is probably the best known worldwide Abba tribute band Bjorn Again, which we are looking forward to with great anticipation. More about this tomorrow.
Overnight we put the clocks back thus gaining one of the lost hours. Today was at sea sailing towards Sydney. We spent the day relaxing by the pool in the solarium, as it was a little cold and windy out on the deck by the main pool. Hopefully it will be warm enough tomorrow to sunbathe outside on what is our last day of the cruise. Twice I have mentioned how rough the sea has been, just think how difficult it is to take a shower and do the other things necessary in life whilst the floor is going up and down and swaying from side to side.
Tonight in the theatre is probably the best known worldwide Abba tribute band Bjorn Again, which we are looking forward to with great anticipation. More about this tomorrow.
18th November 2009
We arrived early in a very wet Wellington, the Capital of New Zealand. The town has a population of 350,000 inhabitants. The city's focal point is the harbour, one of the world's best protected. The picturesque rugged hills and cable cars have often caused the city to be compared to San Francisco. Since Wellington lies in the path of the only major gap in NZ's central mountain range, the city has earned its nickname of Windy Wellington.
After a short shuttle ride into the city we dashed out of the rain and into the Tourist Information Centre. With only a few hours here we decided to visit the Te Papa Museum, which is New Zealand's bold and innovative national museum. What we didn't realise was just how big and how much stuff there is to see and so we had to make a difficult decision on what to leave out. In the end we spent about only 3 hours in the museum and we barely skimmed the surface. Hopefully if we come back we have mentally pencilled in virtually a whole day just to do this one museum.
By now the rain had stopped and we were able to appreciate Wellington much better. We decided to take the cable car to the top of the hills and the Botanic Gardens. Construction of the system started in 1901, opened in 1902 and by 1912 a million rides were taken a year. The gradient is 1:5 and at the top we visited the cable car museum. We then took a short stroll round the Botanic Gardens which give great views of Wellington. We could have taken a 40 minutes walk down back into the heart of the city, passing by the Rose Garden, but time was against us and Rosalyn was tiring so we took the tram back down. After another stroll around what is obviously a very busy city with some beautiful shops we headed back to the ship; our visit to New Zealand was over.
The seas were a little rough again as we sailed out of Wellington. I have an update on the breakages that occurred the night of the gales. We now know that in excess of 2000 pieces of crockery were broken not the 800 first mentioned. Two people were slightly injured and I also understand that quite a few bottles of wine (expensive ones) were lost.
We arrived early in a very wet Wellington, the Capital of New Zealand. The town has a population of 350,000 inhabitants. The city's focal point is the harbour, one of the world's best protected. The picturesque rugged hills and cable cars have often caused the city to be compared to San Francisco. Since Wellington lies in the path of the only major gap in NZ's central mountain range, the city has earned its nickname of Windy Wellington.
After a short shuttle ride into the city we dashed out of the rain and into the Tourist Information Centre. With only a few hours here we decided to visit the Te Papa Museum, which is New Zealand's bold and innovative national museum. What we didn't realise was just how big and how much stuff there is to see and so we had to make a difficult decision on what to leave out. In the end we spent about only 3 hours in the museum and we barely skimmed the surface. Hopefully if we come back we have mentally pencilled in virtually a whole day just to do this one museum.
By now the rain had stopped and we were able to appreciate Wellington much better. We decided to take the cable car to the top of the hills and the Botanic Gardens. Construction of the system started in 1901, opened in 1902 and by 1912 a million rides were taken a year. The gradient is 1:5 and at the top we visited the cable car museum. We then took a short stroll round the Botanic Gardens which give great views of Wellington. We could have taken a 40 minutes walk down back into the heart of the city, passing by the Rose Garden, but time was against us and Rosalyn was tiring so we took the tram back down. After another stroll around what is obviously a very busy city with some beautiful shops we headed back to the ship; our visit to New Zealand was over.
The seas were a little rough again as we sailed out of Wellington. I have an update on the breakages that occurred the night of the gales. We now know that in excess of 2000 pieces of crockery were broken not the 800 first mentioned. Two people were slightly injured and I also understand that quite a few bottles of wine (expensive ones) were lost.
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
17th November 2009
Today we arrived in the port of Lyttleton which is the port for Christchurch, the largest city in the South Island. With a population of 324,300 it is often described as the most English city outside England, known for its parks, gardens, treelined avenues and gracious 19th century stone architecture. Our 30 minutes journey on what turned out to be a very pleasantly warm day took us through a tunnel cut through the hillside.
On arriving in the city centre, known as Cathedral Square, we decided to do a walk following a printed guide from the local information centre. (All the stops into the various cities drop you outside the information centre). This walk timed at 45 minutes if we didn't stop took us close to 31/2 hours. One of the marked stops was at the statue of Robert Falcon Scott which had been sculpted by his widow. It was very impressive and Rosalyn thought it looked a lot like John Mills (played Scott in Scott of the Antarctic for the uninitiated)! We then stopped to watch people punting on the River Avon which looked like fun. After various other stops we arrived at the Botanic Gardens which are absolutely glorious even though it is still quite early in the season for a lot of the flowers. They even had a small Victory Garden which had been started during World War II where they had planted, potatoes, leeks, lettuces, etc. Following on from this we went into the Canterbury Museum which was rather impressive. There are lots of different galleries, which range from dinosaurs to an Egyptian mummy, but the star of the show as far as I was concerned was the Antarctic gallery. I understand there is another museum in Christchurch completely devoted to Antarctica, but this, although on a smaller scale, was very well done. There were a number of vehicles that had been to the South Pole on show including a Ferguson tractor -modified for the conditions of course as well as facimilies of Scott's diary.
We had intended at this point to go on and complete the 2nd walk (3 in all which formed a huge circle round the city area) but we were both tiring so we walked back into the city square where we watched a busker doing some tricks. There was a market so we had a look around but even here the merino wool jumpers are ridiculously expensive. We have decided that NZ is not cheap and it is not solely down to the poor rate of exchange.
We both liked what little we have seen of Christchurch and hope to be able to come back and really explore the area. Very tired we returned to the ship to have a little sleep ready to face the evening fun and also with the realisation that our holiday is very nearly at its end. We have one more stop in NZ at Wellington before we cruise back to Australia and Sydney for one night and then home.
Today we arrived in the port of Lyttleton which is the port for Christchurch, the largest city in the South Island. With a population of 324,300 it is often described as the most English city outside England, known for its parks, gardens, treelined avenues and gracious 19th century stone architecture. Our 30 minutes journey on what turned out to be a very pleasantly warm day took us through a tunnel cut through the hillside.
On arriving in the city centre, known as Cathedral Square, we decided to do a walk following a printed guide from the local information centre. (All the stops into the various cities drop you outside the information centre). This walk timed at 45 minutes if we didn't stop took us close to 31/2 hours. One of the marked stops was at the statue of Robert Falcon Scott which had been sculpted by his widow. It was very impressive and Rosalyn thought it looked a lot like John Mills (played Scott in Scott of the Antarctic for the uninitiated)! We then stopped to watch people punting on the River Avon which looked like fun. After various other stops we arrived at the Botanic Gardens which are absolutely glorious even though it is still quite early in the season for a lot of the flowers. They even had a small Victory Garden which had been started during World War II where they had planted, potatoes, leeks, lettuces, etc. Following on from this we went into the Canterbury Museum which was rather impressive. There are lots of different galleries, which range from dinosaurs to an Egyptian mummy, but the star of the show as far as I was concerned was the Antarctic gallery. I understand there is another museum in Christchurch completely devoted to Antarctica, but this, although on a smaller scale, was very well done. There were a number of vehicles that had been to the South Pole on show including a Ferguson tractor -modified for the conditions of course as well as facimilies of Scott's diary.
We had intended at this point to go on and complete the 2nd walk (3 in all which formed a huge circle round the city area) but we were both tiring so we walked back into the city square where we watched a busker doing some tricks. There was a market so we had a look around but even here the merino wool jumpers are ridiculously expensive. We have decided that NZ is not cheap and it is not solely down to the poor rate of exchange.
We both liked what little we have seen of Christchurch and hope to be able to come back and really explore the area. Very tired we returned to the ship to have a little sleep ready to face the evening fun and also with the realisation that our holiday is very nearly at its end. We have one more stop in NZ at Wellington before we cruise back to Australia and Sydney for one night and then home.
Monday, 16 November 2009
16th November 2009
Just an update on last night, the Captain told us it was a gale that we came through and at times the ship was rolling through about 8 degrees which does not sound a lot, but believe me it is. The captain also said that the roll of 8 degrees was a lot for a ship of this type and we are just pleased he told us that afterwards. The restaurant had lost about 800 plates and almost 300 pieces of glassware. Furthermore, the Sun Princess which was in Dunedin yesterday and supposed to sail last night could not get out of port because of the high seas and did not leave until early this morning. Anyway, it has been an experience, just one neither of us would like to repeat and it was a pleasure to get on dry land today.
Now for today; the wind was cold, the temperature about 8 degrees and we had several showers of sleet, but when the sun shone it was quite warm. We went into Dunedin. The coach journey took about 20 minutes and our first view of New Zealand was green and lots of sheep! Dunedin is a bustling university city located at the head of the long, narrow and wonderfully picturesque Otago Harbour. It is the 2nd largest city in the South Island with a population of around 100,000 people. Plans for the town were drawn up in England without regard to the actual topography of the land and as a result many of the streets in the city go straight up very steep hills. Dunedin actually boasts the steepest street in the world as recorded in the Guinness Book of Records. I would hate to drive here in the winter when the roads are icy. I would imagine it is a nightmare.
We had nothing planned so took an hour long guided bus tour round the city. The centre has 1 main street (with streets off), but seems well covered with 'cheapie' shops to well-known branded ones. The tour ended at the Railway Station which is a most impressive building with a floor laid with Royal Doulton tiles. There is only one problem though, there are no trains!!! Apart from goods trains there have been no passenger trains for nearly half a century. We then went to look at the Settlers Museum which also housed the Transport Museum and a gallery on Freemasonry. It was all very interesting. Rosalyn would have liked a merino wool jumper, but despite there being more sheep than people here in NZ, the cost was ridiculously high, anything from £75 to £250 so she didn't get one!!!!
Our overall impression in such a short time in Dunedin was one of a small English town – although the Scottish wouldn't like that comment as the first settlers were obviously from Dunedin in Scotland. We couldn't hope to do the place justice and can only say that having listened to other people who did the various ship excursions that there is plenty to see.
Just an update on last night, the Captain told us it was a gale that we came through and at times the ship was rolling through about 8 degrees which does not sound a lot, but believe me it is. The captain also said that the roll of 8 degrees was a lot for a ship of this type and we are just pleased he told us that afterwards. The restaurant had lost about 800 plates and almost 300 pieces of glassware. Furthermore, the Sun Princess which was in Dunedin yesterday and supposed to sail last night could not get out of port because of the high seas and did not leave until early this morning. Anyway, it has been an experience, just one neither of us would like to repeat and it was a pleasure to get on dry land today.
Now for today; the wind was cold, the temperature about 8 degrees and we had several showers of sleet, but when the sun shone it was quite warm. We went into Dunedin. The coach journey took about 20 minutes and our first view of New Zealand was green and lots of sheep! Dunedin is a bustling university city located at the head of the long, narrow and wonderfully picturesque Otago Harbour. It is the 2nd largest city in the South Island with a population of around 100,000 people. Plans for the town were drawn up in England without regard to the actual topography of the land and as a result many of the streets in the city go straight up very steep hills. Dunedin actually boasts the steepest street in the world as recorded in the Guinness Book of Records. I would hate to drive here in the winter when the roads are icy. I would imagine it is a nightmare.
We had nothing planned so took an hour long guided bus tour round the city. The centre has 1 main street (with streets off), but seems well covered with 'cheapie' shops to well-known branded ones. The tour ended at the Railway Station which is a most impressive building with a floor laid with Royal Doulton tiles. There is only one problem though, there are no trains!!! Apart from goods trains there have been no passenger trains for nearly half a century. We then went to look at the Settlers Museum which also housed the Transport Museum and a gallery on Freemasonry. It was all very interesting. Rosalyn would have liked a merino wool jumper, but despite there being more sheep than people here in NZ, the cost was ridiculously high, anything from £75 to £250 so she didn't get one!!!!
Our overall impression in such a short time in Dunedin was one of a small English town – although the Scottish wouldn't like that comment as the first settlers were obviously from Dunedin in Scotland. We couldn't hope to do the place justice and can only say that having listened to other people who did the various ship excursions that there is plenty to see.
15th November 2009
Today we were up early in order to see us enter the first of the 3 Sounds, Milford Sound. This Sound remains an unspoiled beauty dominated by the famed Mitre peak and marked by pristine waters that mirror the sheer granite peaks surrounding them. The scenery is spectacular. Following this the action moved indoors when we watched a Haka/Powhiri ceremony which is the traditional Maori Welcome to New Zealand. The challenge is made to the chief, in this case the captain of the ship Captain Sullivan. With two more sounds to visit, Doubtful Sound and Dusky Sound we hoped for smooth sailing, unfortunately this has not been the case. The sea has been rough with the swell reaching heights of 24 feet! We have also been rolling at an angle of 5 degrees which doesn't sound much, but trust me it feels worse. We have also been pitching up and down over the high waves. Not pleasant but we are hopeful it will clear up soon and thankfully we are docking tomorrow so we will be able to get off the ship for a while.
(This is now Rosalyn typing: As Stephan has said, it has been actually very rough tonight. We understand that the first dinner sitting lost over 300 pieces of crockery and glasses and our sitting lost a number of plates, etc. but we were quicker and managed to hold onto just about anything that moved! Our friend David was more concerned about hanging onto his wine then onto his wife! Anyway, as those of you who know me well, will know I am not the world's best traveller however, I coped well with yesterday and up until about 5 pm tonight I was still congratulating myself on feeling okay and then the queasiness struck. I went into dinner but did I get any sympathy – no – everyone enjoyed telling me when the next big wave was about to hit – and they were huge – in excess of 25 feet. Fortunately by 10.30 pm(ish) things have calmed down and although we are still rolling, the queasiness has gone and I am obviously able to type this note).
Today we were up early in order to see us enter the first of the 3 Sounds, Milford Sound. This Sound remains an unspoiled beauty dominated by the famed Mitre peak and marked by pristine waters that mirror the sheer granite peaks surrounding them. The scenery is spectacular. Following this the action moved indoors when we watched a Haka/Powhiri ceremony which is the traditional Maori Welcome to New Zealand. The challenge is made to the chief, in this case the captain of the ship Captain Sullivan. With two more sounds to visit, Doubtful Sound and Dusky Sound we hoped for smooth sailing, unfortunately this has not been the case. The sea has been rough with the swell reaching heights of 24 feet! We have also been rolling at an angle of 5 degrees which doesn't sound much, but trust me it feels worse. We have also been pitching up and down over the high waves. Not pleasant but we are hopeful it will clear up soon and thankfully we are docking tomorrow so we will be able to get off the ship for a while.
(This is now Rosalyn typing: As Stephan has said, it has been actually very rough tonight. We understand that the first dinner sitting lost over 300 pieces of crockery and glasses and our sitting lost a number of plates, etc. but we were quicker and managed to hold onto just about anything that moved! Our friend David was more concerned about hanging onto his wine then onto his wife! Anyway, as those of you who know me well, will know I am not the world's best traveller however, I coped well with yesterday and up until about 5 pm tonight I was still congratulating myself on feeling okay and then the queasiness struck. I went into dinner but did I get any sympathy – no – everyone enjoyed telling me when the next big wave was about to hit – and they were huge – in excess of 25 feet. Fortunately by 10.30 pm(ish) things have calmed down and although we are still rolling, the queasiness has gone and I am obviously able to type this note).
14th November 2009
I suspect that by now you know how I'm starting this blog – the clocks went forward an hour overnight and we are now 13 hours ahead of the UK. Thankfully this is the last time we will lose an hour and we will get 2 back by the time we reach Sydney.
We went to the Friday night Shabbat Service again last night. If it had been a balagan last week, this time it was even worse. Others must have felt the same as only 9 men turned up and half a dozen women; but we muddled through some sort of service anyway. I nearly lost my rag and thumped a WOMAN who insisted on trying to tell me where we were in the service. I told her that I knew what I was doing and that the prayer book I was using was different to hers so that obviously my page numbers were not the same! What had really made me angry with this particular woman was that last week she had asked if at least a part of the service could be in english (it wasn't), so on that basis I reckon she is either Reform or not even Jewish!!!!
We woke up today to a grey, misty and cold day. The sea is running rough enough that the outdoor pool has been drained of its water. Strangely enough though, the indoor pool in the solarium still has water in, but even this has not proved safe from the rolling of the ship and water has slopped over the edges despite an 18 ins high wall. The Captain always gives an update on the ship's position, sea conditions and weather at noon. Today was no different until he announced that 3 icebergs had broken off from the Ross Iceshelf in Antarctica. One was known to be floating northwards towards us – then he added that it was over 700 miles away and would probably melt by the time it reached our current position!!! After lunch (not lost our appetites) we did a backstage tour of the theatre which proved very interesting. An answer and question session told how Royal Caribbean is the only cruise line that holds its own auditions. Performers simply send them their cvs and dvds and hope to at least get an audition. The orchestra is made up of individuals and when headliner acts are booked the orchestra has only one hour to practice with them before the show! The entertainment has been hit and miss, but tonight's was excellent with a theme of 'country and western'. We understand that next week's main headliner act will be Bjorn Again (probably the best of the ABBA tribute bands) and Rosalyn is already getting excited.
We are retiring early tonight as we will be in the first of the 3 Sounds (fjords) just after 6 am. and we want to try and get a good view.
I suspect that by now you know how I'm starting this blog – the clocks went forward an hour overnight and we are now 13 hours ahead of the UK. Thankfully this is the last time we will lose an hour and we will get 2 back by the time we reach Sydney.
We went to the Friday night Shabbat Service again last night. If it had been a balagan last week, this time it was even worse. Others must have felt the same as only 9 men turned up and half a dozen women; but we muddled through some sort of service anyway. I nearly lost my rag and thumped a WOMAN who insisted on trying to tell me where we were in the service. I told her that I knew what I was doing and that the prayer book I was using was different to hers so that obviously my page numbers were not the same! What had really made me angry with this particular woman was that last week she had asked if at least a part of the service could be in english (it wasn't), so on that basis I reckon she is either Reform or not even Jewish!!!!
We woke up today to a grey, misty and cold day. The sea is running rough enough that the outdoor pool has been drained of its water. Strangely enough though, the indoor pool in the solarium still has water in, but even this has not proved safe from the rolling of the ship and water has slopped over the edges despite an 18 ins high wall. The Captain always gives an update on the ship's position, sea conditions and weather at noon. Today was no different until he announced that 3 icebergs had broken off from the Ross Iceshelf in Antarctica. One was known to be floating northwards towards us – then he added that it was over 700 miles away and would probably melt by the time it reached our current position!!! After lunch (not lost our appetites) we did a backstage tour of the theatre which proved very interesting. An answer and question session told how Royal Caribbean is the only cruise line that holds its own auditions. Performers simply send them their cvs and dvds and hope to at least get an audition. The orchestra is made up of individuals and when headliner acts are booked the orchestra has only one hour to practice with them before the show! The entertainment has been hit and miss, but tonight's was excellent with a theme of 'country and western'. We understand that next week's main headliner act will be Bjorn Again (probably the best of the ABBA tribute bands) and Rosalyn is already getting excited.
We are retiring early tonight as we will be in the first of the 3 Sounds (fjords) just after 6 am. and we want to try and get a good view.
13th November 2009
The clocks went forward an hour overnight and we are now 12 hours ahead of the UK. Today (and tomorrow) we are at sea as we head for New Zealand so I will use the opportunity to add bits and pieces that I have remembered after the original postings. For example, there is the incongruity of being in Melbourne, experiencing temperatures in excess of 35C and yet the Christmas lights are in place and people are walking about wearing Santa Hats! As well as seeing dolphins and whales we have seen lots of jellyfish. Rosalyn described them as looking like small plastic bottles that had been thrown overboard; it was only when we saw so many we realised what they were.
Security getting back onto the ship is at times quite ridiculous. Yesterday, for example, as we approached the outer gate of the pier where the Rhapsody was berthed Tasmanian security got onto the coach and checked everyone's seapass whilst a colleague using a mirror checked underneath the coach. Once cleared we drove approximately 50 yards before we were checked again! I don't know what they thought could have happened in such a short space but they are quite paranoid. Mind you, in Burnie security was taken to new heights with 5 checks within a short distance.
Health concerns are another factor and placed in front of the entrance to the two main restaurants you find machines dispensing handgel and notices asking you to use them; most people do, but occasionally I've noticed people who can't be bothered.
So far the seas have been kind to us, although we are rolling a bit as I type this. The captain has said that as we get closer to New Zealand it might get just a little rougher. Today we took part in a walk round the ship, raising money for the 'Make-A-Wish' Foundation. As I said before, we are rolling a little and it is very disconcerting to take step and then find that the deck has dropped away a little from you and is not where you expect it to be!
The clocks went forward an hour overnight and we are now 12 hours ahead of the UK. Today (and tomorrow) we are at sea as we head for New Zealand so I will use the opportunity to add bits and pieces that I have remembered after the original postings. For example, there is the incongruity of being in Melbourne, experiencing temperatures in excess of 35C and yet the Christmas lights are in place and people are walking about wearing Santa Hats! As well as seeing dolphins and whales we have seen lots of jellyfish. Rosalyn described them as looking like small plastic bottles that had been thrown overboard; it was only when we saw so many we realised what they were.
Security getting back onto the ship is at times quite ridiculous. Yesterday, for example, as we approached the outer gate of the pier where the Rhapsody was berthed Tasmanian security got onto the coach and checked everyone's seapass whilst a colleague using a mirror checked underneath the coach. Once cleared we drove approximately 50 yards before we were checked again! I don't know what they thought could have happened in such a short space but they are quite paranoid. Mind you, in Burnie security was taken to new heights with 5 checks within a short distance.
Health concerns are another factor and placed in front of the entrance to the two main restaurants you find machines dispensing handgel and notices asking you to use them; most people do, but occasionally I've noticed people who can't be bothered.
So far the seas have been kind to us, although we are rolling a bit as I type this. The captain has said that as we get closer to New Zealand it might get just a little rougher. Today we took part in a walk round the ship, raising money for the 'Make-A-Wish' Foundation. As I said before, we are rolling a little and it is very disconcerting to take step and then find that the deck has dropped away a little from you and is not where you expect it to be!
12th November 2009
Today we were in Hobart, Australia's second city. The first European colony in Tasmania was founded in 1803 at Risdon Cove but a year later it was decided that a cove about 6 miles below Risdon and on the opposite shore was a better place to settle. This was to become the site of Tasmania's future capital city and began as a village of tents and huts and a population of 262.
It had been our intention to hire a car and explore the immediate area plus Port Arthur (the penal colony) but the cost for a day's hire proved prohibitive and reluctantly we switched to our second choice. This was to explore the city of Hobart on a hop-on..hop-off double decker red bus. This took us through some areas of very expensive property. The route also took us passed the synagogue which was founded in 1845 and is Australia's oldest (and still in use) synagogue. We got off in the city centre where we strolled round the shops and the main shopping mall, before getting back onto the bus to visit the Botanical Gardens. We didn't have nearly enough time here to do the place justice, but what we did see looked lovely. After the tour we walked back to the synagogue to have a closer look. The building is shared by both the Orthodox and Progressive Communities.
Back on the ship and after dinner we went for a drink with 3 of our table companions. The conversation turned to Britain's woes, and if I tell you that one of our companions is a black cab taxi driver from the East End of London, then you can imagine the colourful way in which he described our present government. It's a good job neither of us is easily offended!!!!
Today we were in Hobart, Australia's second city. The first European colony in Tasmania was founded in 1803 at Risdon Cove but a year later it was decided that a cove about 6 miles below Risdon and on the opposite shore was a better place to settle. This was to become the site of Tasmania's future capital city and began as a village of tents and huts and a population of 262.
It had been our intention to hire a car and explore the immediate area plus Port Arthur (the penal colony) but the cost for a day's hire proved prohibitive and reluctantly we switched to our second choice. This was to explore the city of Hobart on a hop-on..hop-off double decker red bus. This took us through some areas of very expensive property. The route also took us passed the synagogue which was founded in 1845 and is Australia's oldest (and still in use) synagogue. We got off in the city centre where we strolled round the shops and the main shopping mall, before getting back onto the bus to visit the Botanical Gardens. We didn't have nearly enough time here to do the place justice, but what we did see looked lovely. After the tour we walked back to the synagogue to have a closer look. The building is shared by both the Orthodox and Progressive Communities.
Back on the ship and after dinner we went for a drink with 3 of our table companions. The conversation turned to Britain's woes, and if I tell you that one of our companions is a black cab taxi driver from the East End of London, then you can imagine the colourful way in which he described our present government. It's a good job neither of us is easily offended!!!!
Thursday, 12 November 2009
11th November 2009
Just 150 miles across the Bass Strait from southeast continental Australia is Tasmania, 26,000 square miles in area and with a population close to half a million. Our first port of call is Burnie, a small city on the northwest coast of Tasmania. The town, founded in the early 1800s, was at one time a major lumber processing centre. Papermaking remains an important industry.
Having said all that, Burnie has suddenly realised how lucrative the cruise ship business is and to that effect, when we disembarked this morning we were greeted by the Mayor of Burnie, whilst members of the community handed out souvenir pins!! Our first view of Burnie led us to think that it was no more than a one-horse town but on further inspection we quickly revised that opinion and it is actually quite a pretty little place. We only had six hours ashore, but it was ample time for us to have a good look round. We quickly discovered a shoes & clothing supermarket where we made a number of bargain purchases. The supervisor told me quietly that the tourists from the ships were now the life-blood for the area. They do have a potential problem looming though as some of the bigger ships can no longer get into port.
As today was 11th November we did wonder if Remembrance Day would be marked, however we were shopping at the time and nothing appeared to have happened although it was marked in the big cities.
After the fierce temperatures of Adelaide and Melbourne it was a relief to find the temperature at around the 20C mark. We returned to the ship for lunch and sunbathed for a while; however, once we set sail about 3 pm, having been piped out of port by by a kilted pipe band, the wind picked up and in consequence the temperature dropped. We moved into the solarium for the rest of the afternoon. I suspect we can say goodbye to the hot weather now for the time being, but hopefully I'll be proved wrong because after our stop at Hobart we have two days cruising to the South Island of New Zealand.
Just 150 miles across the Bass Strait from southeast continental Australia is Tasmania, 26,000 square miles in area and with a population close to half a million. Our first port of call is Burnie, a small city on the northwest coast of Tasmania. The town, founded in the early 1800s, was at one time a major lumber processing centre. Papermaking remains an important industry.
Having said all that, Burnie has suddenly realised how lucrative the cruise ship business is and to that effect, when we disembarked this morning we were greeted by the Mayor of Burnie, whilst members of the community handed out souvenir pins!! Our first view of Burnie led us to think that it was no more than a one-horse town but on further inspection we quickly revised that opinion and it is actually quite a pretty little place. We only had six hours ashore, but it was ample time for us to have a good look round. We quickly discovered a shoes & clothing supermarket where we made a number of bargain purchases. The supervisor told me quietly that the tourists from the ships were now the life-blood for the area. They do have a potential problem looming though as some of the bigger ships can no longer get into port.
As today was 11th November we did wonder if Remembrance Day would be marked, however we were shopping at the time and nothing appeared to have happened although it was marked in the big cities.
After the fierce temperatures of Adelaide and Melbourne it was a relief to find the temperature at around the 20C mark. We returned to the ship for lunch and sunbathed for a while; however, once we set sail about 3 pm, having been piped out of port by by a kilted pipe band, the wind picked up and in consequence the temperature dropped. We moved into the solarium for the rest of the afternoon. I suspect we can say goodbye to the hot weather now for the time being, but hopefully I'll be proved wrong because after our stop at Hobart we have two days cruising to the South Island of New Zealand.
10th November2009
Today's port of call was Melbourne. Amazingly I managed to get Rosalyn out of bed, breakfasted and on the tram into town by 8.30 am. Melbourne is Australia's second largest city. Many Victorian bluestone buildings may be found amongst brand-new highrise blocks and English-style parks and gardens, contributing to the air of stability, reserve and tradition. The city also enjoys the reputation as a “Fashion Capital” with many streets being lined with rows of modern and trendy boutiques.
Our first stop was at a cafe for a decent cup of coffee (the stuff on the ship isn't brilliant) and to catch up with e-mails and update the blog. Despite having been here before we have never visited the Botanic Gardens which are supposed to be very good and that is what we set off to do, but very quickly we decided it was far too hot to walk far and revised our choices. Melbourne is experiencing a very early heatwave, bringing with it the ever present threat of bushfires. Today the temperature rose to 35C so you can understand why we didn't feel like walking very far. We decided to visit Old Melbourne Gaol as we had not been there before and it was more interesting than we imagined. Opened in 1845 prisoners were kept in a series of inadequate lock-ups from which escapes were frequent and by 1850 the Gaol was already overcrowded. The self-guided tour took us into the various cells to learn more about the inmates terrible conditions. We also saw a number of death masks. These were made from wax casts of the heads of the executed prisoners!! Ned Kelly and his mother were held in this gaol. We then visited the Police Watch House were we experienced what it was like to be arrested, charged and locked-up – quite scary.
By now it was time for lunch so we went to the Young & Jackson pub. Rosalyn had hardly settled in her seat when an old man who appeared slightly worse for wear, approached her, thrust his face into hers and asked her to watch his beer while he went for a 'piss' He was some time but when he returned he thrust his face into hers again, thanked her and told her it had been a long 'piss'!
Because of the heat we returned slightly earlier than intended to the ship and sunbathed until it was time to get ready for dinner. A long day and another port of call tomorrow means an early night. Incidentally I'm feeling rather pleased with myself. We knew City had won 2-1 against Stoke but not who'd scored so I suggested Olofinjani and Jan Venegor of Hessle Road (local joke) to Rosalyn and she laughed; but when we looked in the paper in the cafe this morning, guess what – I was right!!!
Today's port of call was Melbourne. Amazingly I managed to get Rosalyn out of bed, breakfasted and on the tram into town by 8.30 am. Melbourne is Australia's second largest city. Many Victorian bluestone buildings may be found amongst brand-new highrise blocks and English-style parks and gardens, contributing to the air of stability, reserve and tradition. The city also enjoys the reputation as a “Fashion Capital” with many streets being lined with rows of modern and trendy boutiques.
Our first stop was at a cafe for a decent cup of coffee (the stuff on the ship isn't brilliant) and to catch up with e-mails and update the blog. Despite having been here before we have never visited the Botanic Gardens which are supposed to be very good and that is what we set off to do, but very quickly we decided it was far too hot to walk far and revised our choices. Melbourne is experiencing a very early heatwave, bringing with it the ever present threat of bushfires. Today the temperature rose to 35C so you can understand why we didn't feel like walking very far. We decided to visit Old Melbourne Gaol as we had not been there before and it was more interesting than we imagined. Opened in 1845 prisoners were kept in a series of inadequate lock-ups from which escapes were frequent and by 1850 the Gaol was already overcrowded. The self-guided tour took us into the various cells to learn more about the inmates terrible conditions. We also saw a number of death masks. These were made from wax casts of the heads of the executed prisoners!! Ned Kelly and his mother were held in this gaol. We then visited the Police Watch House were we experienced what it was like to be arrested, charged and locked-up – quite scary.
By now it was time for lunch so we went to the Young & Jackson pub. Rosalyn had hardly settled in her seat when an old man who appeared slightly worse for wear, approached her, thrust his face into hers and asked her to watch his beer while he went for a 'piss' He was some time but when he returned he thrust his face into hers again, thanked her and told her it had been a long 'piss'!
Because of the heat we returned slightly earlier than intended to the ship and sunbathed until it was time to get ready for dinner. A long day and another port of call tomorrow means an early night. Incidentally I'm feeling rather pleased with myself. We knew City had won 2-1 against Stoke but not who'd scored so I suggested Olofinjani and Jan Venegor of Hessle Road (local joke) to Rosalyn and she laughed; but when we looked in the paper in the cafe this morning, guess what – I was right!!!
Monday, 9 November 2009
9th November 2009
Today is a day at sea having gone to bed very late we got up very late as well and went for breakfast at about 10. After breakfast we got changed and sunbathed on the deck the temperature being about 30 degrees but actually felt a bit cooler as we were at sea, sailing to Melbourne. After I had spent an hour in the sun I left Rosalyn comatose in the sun and I went and spent an hour in the gym, the view from the windows here is a lot better than in Manchester. We then spent the rest of the morning idling by the pool in the sun. You have guessed how we occupied ourselves in the afternoon, by the pool.
Late in the afternoon many people spotted a pod of whales near the ship, there seemed to be about five every few seconds one of them would breech and we could see the water from them spouting.
A little about the ship. She is not as big as some of the Royal Caribbean ships as she has no flow-rider or ice rink for example as you see on the ads. She does have a rock climbing wall which neither of us will be attempting. She is carrying 1900 passengers from 21 different countries and her crew of nearly 1,000 come from 55 different countries. Food is available literally 24 hours a day. Tea, coffee, iced tea, and lemonade are freely available as is ice cream. Water is also available. There is a large theatre which also doubles as a cinema. Activities that take place are the inevitable games of bingo, quizzes, talks on the ports of call, arts & crafts sessions, I could go on much longer. There are several places to head for in an evening if you want to dance the night away. A library is available if you run out of books to read and if you want pampering there is a spa and hairdressers. You can also try and work off some of the excess calories by going to a fully equipped gym.
Today is a day at sea having gone to bed very late we got up very late as well and went for breakfast at about 10. After breakfast we got changed and sunbathed on the deck the temperature being about 30 degrees but actually felt a bit cooler as we were at sea, sailing to Melbourne. After I had spent an hour in the sun I left Rosalyn comatose in the sun and I went and spent an hour in the gym, the view from the windows here is a lot better than in Manchester. We then spent the rest of the morning idling by the pool in the sun. You have guessed how we occupied ourselves in the afternoon, by the pool.
Late in the afternoon many people spotted a pod of whales near the ship, there seemed to be about five every few seconds one of them would breech and we could see the water from them spouting.
A little about the ship. She is not as big as some of the Royal Caribbean ships as she has no flow-rider or ice rink for example as you see on the ads. She does have a rock climbing wall which neither of us will be attempting. She is carrying 1900 passengers from 21 different countries and her crew of nearly 1,000 come from 55 different countries. Food is available literally 24 hours a day. Tea, coffee, iced tea, and lemonade are freely available as is ice cream. Water is also available. There is a large theatre which also doubles as a cinema. Activities that take place are the inevitable games of bingo, quizzes, talks on the ports of call, arts & crafts sessions, I could go on much longer. There are several places to head for in an evening if you want to dance the night away. A library is available if you run out of books to read and if you want pampering there is a spa and hairdressers. You can also try and work off some of the excess calories by going to a fully equipped gym.
8th November 2009
Today was an early start as we had arrived in Adelaide. Our clocks had gone forward an hour yet again overnight, putting us 11 hours ahead of the UK and to add to the confusion Adelaide is a further half-an-hour ahead of that! The captain requested that we all operated on ship time which did cause a little confusion at first.
Adelaide is about a 45 minutes ride from the port and our trip included a tour of the city, which was founded in 1836 and laid out on a grid pattern with wide streets, beautiful parks and open public space. The city was planned for free colonists as opposed to other towns in Australia that were based on prison colonies. The city is named in honour of Queen Adelaide, consort to King William IV and has a population of just over one million. In the short city tour I would certainly agree that it looks a beautiful place. After the city orientation we went to Tandanya Cultural Institute where we saw some really interesting pieces of art. The art in the gallery come from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and their art still reflects the complexity and diversity of the people themselves. Most visitors instantly recognise the dot paintings of the Western Desert People but the artists in this Institute use many more mediums and art forms including acrylic paint on canvas, fabric, photographic works and multimedia. The final stop on the tour was to Penfolds Winery where we enjoyed a number of tastings (none of which we spat out!) The coach driver then agreed to let people off the bus in the city centre rather than return to the ship and so we decided to have a closer look at the city at our own pace. However, there was one major problem – it was hot, 35C to be exact and we seemed to spend a lot of time searching for shade. We did walk down one of the open malls, looking at the shops and had lunch in a cafe with air-conditioning.
We finally admitted defeat and returned to the ship for some sun-bathing. As we sailed out of port a couple of dolphins followed us a little way. Our table companions are very nice; with us there are 10 of us on the table and we all have a good laugh every evening. Last night there was a pool-side party at 10 pm. There was food galore and each buffet table was adorned with ice sculptures. A reggae band played music and 6 of us from our table sat together. We 3 men didn't dance until the very end but the 3 'girls' bopped the night away under the stars. I must admit there is something almost surreal dancing on a ship in the middle of November, but I could certainly get used to it.
Today was an early start as we had arrived in Adelaide. Our clocks had gone forward an hour yet again overnight, putting us 11 hours ahead of the UK and to add to the confusion Adelaide is a further half-an-hour ahead of that! The captain requested that we all operated on ship time which did cause a little confusion at first.
Adelaide is about a 45 minutes ride from the port and our trip included a tour of the city, which was founded in 1836 and laid out on a grid pattern with wide streets, beautiful parks and open public space. The city was planned for free colonists as opposed to other towns in Australia that were based on prison colonies. The city is named in honour of Queen Adelaide, consort to King William IV and has a population of just over one million. In the short city tour I would certainly agree that it looks a beautiful place. After the city orientation we went to Tandanya Cultural Institute where we saw some really interesting pieces of art. The art in the gallery come from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and their art still reflects the complexity and diversity of the people themselves. Most visitors instantly recognise the dot paintings of the Western Desert People but the artists in this Institute use many more mediums and art forms including acrylic paint on canvas, fabric, photographic works and multimedia. The final stop on the tour was to Penfolds Winery where we enjoyed a number of tastings (none of which we spat out!) The coach driver then agreed to let people off the bus in the city centre rather than return to the ship and so we decided to have a closer look at the city at our own pace. However, there was one major problem – it was hot, 35C to be exact and we seemed to spend a lot of time searching for shade. We did walk down one of the open malls, looking at the shops and had lunch in a cafe with air-conditioning.
We finally admitted defeat and returned to the ship for some sun-bathing. As we sailed out of port a couple of dolphins followed us a little way. Our table companions are very nice; with us there are 10 of us on the table and we all have a good laugh every evening. Last night there was a pool-side party at 10 pm. There was food galore and each buffet table was adorned with ice sculptures. A reggae band played music and 6 of us from our table sat together. We 3 men didn't dance until the very end but the 3 'girls' bopped the night away under the stars. I must admit there is something almost surreal dancing on a ship in the middle of November, but I could certainly get used to it.
Sunday, 8 November 2009
7th November 2009
The clock went forward again overnight and we are now 10 hours ahead of the UK. Another day at sea and the weather has seen a great improvement; although it is still windy it is nothing like yesterday and we have also had the pleasure of the sun. Despite our best intentions to get involved in the ship's many activities we once again did nothing but lay by the pool, moving only to get food and drink. I did, however, persuade Rosalyn to join me on a walk round the ship. Four circuits equals one mile and then she insisted she needed an ice-cream as a reward!
We went to the pre-dinner show which starred Donald Cant who had starred for 7 years as the Phantom in the Australian show Phantom of the Opera. He performed a mixture of musical and light opera numbers. Halfway through the meal the waiters serenaded the restaurant diners with a rousing rendition of O Sole Mio.
The casino finally opened today. While we were in Western Australia water it had had to remain closed. We went mad and spent a whole dollar in a slot machine. I would have liked to tell you that we won but that wouldn't be true.
The clock went forward again overnight and we are now 10 hours ahead of the UK. Another day at sea and the weather has seen a great improvement; although it is still windy it is nothing like yesterday and we have also had the pleasure of the sun. Despite our best intentions to get involved in the ship's many activities we once again did nothing but lay by the pool, moving only to get food and drink. I did, however, persuade Rosalyn to join me on a walk round the ship. Four circuits equals one mile and then she insisted she needed an ice-cream as a reward!
We went to the pre-dinner show which starred Donald Cant who had starred for 7 years as the Phantom in the Australian show Phantom of the Opera. He performed a mixture of musical and light opera numbers. Halfway through the meal the waiters serenaded the restaurant diners with a rousing rendition of O Sole Mio.
The casino finally opened today. While we were in Western Australia water it had had to remain closed. We went mad and spent a whole dollar in a slot machine. I would have liked to tell you that we won but that wouldn't be true.
6th November 2009
Today was a day at sea. Having put our clocks forward on the 5th we both overslept until 9 am. Fortunately as breakfast is on the go until 11 am no great damage was done. The weather proved a disappointment with a lot of cloud and strong winds so no-one was brave enough to sit out, preferring the warmth of the solarium, We found seats and never moved the whole day!!! There were activities going on all over the ship and perhaps we will participate tomorrow which is another day at sea. As today is Friday we attended the Shabbat Service. About 12 men and 12 women attended and initially it appeared as if it was going to be a complete balagan; however it was a complete balagan as about 4 or 5 of the men who are Sephardi literally 'kidnapped' the service, omitting many things that I would normally expect in a Friday night service. The ship provided Manischewitz grape juice and 'challah' and the whole thing was over in about 45 minutes. We met fellow Jews from Leeds, London, Israel and Venezuela.
Today was a day at sea. Having put our clocks forward on the 5th we both overslept until 9 am. Fortunately as breakfast is on the go until 11 am no great damage was done. The weather proved a disappointment with a lot of cloud and strong winds so no-one was brave enough to sit out, preferring the warmth of the solarium, We found seats and never moved the whole day!!! There were activities going on all over the ship and perhaps we will participate tomorrow which is another day at sea. As today is Friday we attended the Shabbat Service. About 12 men and 12 women attended and initially it appeared as if it was going to be a complete balagan; however it was a complete balagan as about 4 or 5 of the men who are Sephardi literally 'kidnapped' the service, omitting many things that I would normally expect in a Friday night service. The ship provided Manischewitz grape juice and 'challah' and the whole thing was over in about 45 minutes. We met fellow Jews from Leeds, London, Israel and Venezuela.
Thursday, 5 November 2009
4th November 2009
Today has been our first stop in Bunbury, just south of Perth. Established around 1831 the port of Bunbury became a vital hub for shipping wheat as well as a port-of-call for the great whaling fleets. Today it is one of Western Australia's largest ports.
We had no excursions booked, preferring to do our own thing and after an early morning coffee and a quick check of our e-mail we went for a stroll round Leschenaut Inlet where we were extremely fortunate to see a dolphin with her baby and a ray. We also saw two large black cockatoos perched in a tree eating fruit. We had intended to go to Busselton which we had visited in March, but the wooden jetty is closed for repairs so we decided not to bother. Avril, Les and us must have been among the last tourists to visit this pier as it closed in June. The route back to the ship took us past some very expensive property, in the region of 1.5 million Australian dollars, and they looked lovely.
After lunch in the self-service restaurant, which included from the exotic Thai curry to the mundane egg sandwich, we went for a rest by the outside pool; however, getting a bit fed up at fending off the flies we moved to sit by the inside pool. After a while I left Rosalyn to have a sleep while I went to the gym. It was much more interesting to be able to look out on to the sea while using the treadmill instead of usually working out in front of the Jeremy Kyle Show!
Tonight we are going to the Captain's Welcome Aboard Reception which is the first of the 3 Formal Nights. Because of this, the entertainment will be later than usual and if I feel up to it I will add a further note about this before going to bed.
As I type this the ship is rolling just a little more than last night. This is to be expected as we round the southwest corner of Australia and so long as it gets no worse we are getting used to it.
There was someone we met who lived only 20 minutes from Bunbury and had travelled all the way to Perth to catch the ship having left her husband at home. Having said that she was not going home to have afternoon tea with him.
Well, I am now adding to my blog at midnight. On the way to the Captain's Reception we bumped into a couple who had come out on the same flight as us and had been with us in both Singapore and Perth. She firmly believed in the word FREE champagne and insisted we matched her drink for drink! As we would both normally have had just the one glass of champagne this proved fairly difficult and we opted out after our 3rd glass each and let her carry on drinking. After dinner we met up again and went to the show where she and her husband promptly bought us both a glass of wine. The show wasn't brilliant but we didn't care! We are now back in our cabin but neither of us dare lay down and have also had Gaviscon. Fortunately whilst tomorrow is a day on shore (Albany) it is at our leisure so we have no one to worry about; just us!!
Today has been our first stop in Bunbury, just south of Perth. Established around 1831 the port of Bunbury became a vital hub for shipping wheat as well as a port-of-call for the great whaling fleets. Today it is one of Western Australia's largest ports.
We had no excursions booked, preferring to do our own thing and after an early morning coffee and a quick check of our e-mail we went for a stroll round Leschenaut Inlet where we were extremely fortunate to see a dolphin with her baby and a ray. We also saw two large black cockatoos perched in a tree eating fruit. We had intended to go to Busselton which we had visited in March, but the wooden jetty is closed for repairs so we decided not to bother. Avril, Les and us must have been among the last tourists to visit this pier as it closed in June. The route back to the ship took us past some very expensive property, in the region of 1.5 million Australian dollars, and they looked lovely.
After lunch in the self-service restaurant, which included from the exotic Thai curry to the mundane egg sandwich, we went for a rest by the outside pool; however, getting a bit fed up at fending off the flies we moved to sit by the inside pool. After a while I left Rosalyn to have a sleep while I went to the gym. It was much more interesting to be able to look out on to the sea while using the treadmill instead of usually working out in front of the Jeremy Kyle Show!
Tonight we are going to the Captain's Welcome Aboard Reception which is the first of the 3 Formal Nights. Because of this, the entertainment will be later than usual and if I feel up to it I will add a further note about this before going to bed.
As I type this the ship is rolling just a little more than last night. This is to be expected as we round the southwest corner of Australia and so long as it gets no worse we are getting used to it.
There was someone we met who lived only 20 minutes from Bunbury and had travelled all the way to Perth to catch the ship having left her husband at home. Having said that she was not going home to have afternoon tea with him.
Well, I am now adding to my blog at midnight. On the way to the Captain's Reception we bumped into a couple who had come out on the same flight as us and had been with us in both Singapore and Perth. She firmly believed in the word FREE champagne and insisted we matched her drink for drink! As we would both normally have had just the one glass of champagne this proved fairly difficult and we opted out after our 3rd glass each and let her carry on drinking. After dinner we met up again and went to the show where she and her husband promptly bought us both a glass of wine. The show wasn't brilliant but we didn't care! We are now back in our cabin but neither of us dare lay down and have also had Gaviscon. Fortunately whilst tomorrow is a day on shore (Albany) it is at our leisure so we have no one to worry about; just us!!
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
３rd November 2009
After breakfast we strolled into Perth city centre. It was another glorious day and we took one of the free buses to the local jetty where we went for a walk along the river front. Today was the Melbourne Cup which is THE flat race of the Australian calendar. From what we can gather the country just about comes to a halt and we certainly noticed the very full pubs and restaurants. It was also obvious that most offices take a long lunch break (due to the difference in time zones, the race is run at lunchtime in Perth) as we saw lots of catering people carrying platters of food through the business area of the city.
We had no transfers organised to the ship and after a discussion that involved taking either the ferry, bus or train we took a taxi. Embarkation was quite painless and we were checked in and on board within 45 minutes. After trying to get our bearings it was soon time for the obligatory muster exercise which took place in the blazing sun. After a bit of a rest we went on deck to watch the ship set sail; unfortunately the captain was just over an hour late setting off! Following a pre-dinner drink we went for a meal and to meet our table companions. They seem nice enough and as they all come from England at least they speak the same language.
At this point I was going to give you a description of the the ship but of the on board newsletters give much information and the brochures are at home, except that is about 90,000 tons and is called Rhapsody of the Seas. I can assure you that that it is big, however in the last couple of years there are now ships nearly twice the size.
After breakfast we strolled into Perth city centre. It was another glorious day and we took one of the free buses to the local jetty where we went for a walk along the river front. Today was the Melbourne Cup which is THE flat race of the Australian calendar. From what we can gather the country just about comes to a halt and we certainly noticed the very full pubs and restaurants. It was also obvious that most offices take a long lunch break (due to the difference in time zones, the race is run at lunchtime in Perth) as we saw lots of catering people carrying platters of food through the business area of the city.
We had no transfers organised to the ship and after a discussion that involved taking either the ferry, bus or train we took a taxi. Embarkation was quite painless and we were checked in and on board within 45 minutes. After trying to get our bearings it was soon time for the obligatory muster exercise which took place in the blazing sun. After a bit of a rest we went on deck to watch the ship set sail; unfortunately the captain was just over an hour late setting off! Following a pre-dinner drink we went for a meal and to meet our table companions. They seem nice enough and as they all come from England at least they speak the same language.
At this point I was going to give you a description of the the ship but of the on board newsletters give much information and the brochures are at home, except that is about 90,000 tons and is called Rhapsody of the Seas. I can assure you that that it is big, however in the last couple of years there are now ships nearly twice the size.
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
2nd November 2009
Today we were up early and down for breakfast at 6 am prompt. The flight to Perth was uneventful except that they served up what was probably the worst kosher airline meal we have ever had. The starter was bean salad, but as it was full of peppers which i don't like, I didn't even start it. The main course was inedible chicken. I suppose part of the problem was that they served up at 10.30 am which was far too early for either of us.
The hotel, The Somerset, is not as nice as the one in Singapore but by way of compensation we have been upgraded to a Spa Room. (Please note, there will be no pictures available on the net!!!).
We have to be at the cruise terminal in Freemantle for the earliest 2 pm. We had no organised transfers and will probably take the local train, the station being only a 10 minute walk from the hotel.
Perth is a very different city to either Melbourne or Sydney. About 95% of the shops close between 5 and 6 pm and when we went out at 8.30 pm there was hardly anyone about; whereas both Melbourne and Sydney would be still buzzing.
We embark on the Rhapsody of the Seas tomorrow and the adventure will begin.
Today we were up early and down for breakfast at 6 am prompt. The flight to Perth was uneventful except that they served up what was probably the worst kosher airline meal we have ever had. The starter was bean salad, but as it was full of peppers which i don't like, I didn't even start it. The main course was inedible chicken. I suppose part of the problem was that they served up at 10.30 am which was far too early for either of us.
The hotel, The Somerset, is not as nice as the one in Singapore but by way of compensation we have been upgraded to a Spa Room. (Please note, there will be no pictures available on the net!!!).
We have to be at the cruise terminal in Freemantle for the earliest 2 pm. We had no organised transfers and will probably take the local train, the station being only a 10 minute walk from the hotel.
Perth is a very different city to either Melbourne or Sydney. About 95% of the shops close between 5 and 6 pm and when we went out at 8.30 pm there was hardly anyone about; whereas both Melbourne and Sydney would be still buzzing.
We embark on the Rhapsody of the Seas tomorrow and the adventure will begin.
Monday, 2 November 2009
1st November 2009
After a restless night, (I think we were both over-tired), we woke up in time to watch the Hull City match from the point in the game where they had a goal disallowed. They are certainly not getting the luck. Breakfast was fabulous; if we had wanted it, we could have had a full 3-course meal starting with soup (nothing we recognised!) and including vegetarian curry.
We spent the morning window shopping along Orchard Road but after a couple of hours found the humidity absolutely sapping (just as Avril had promised us in March but not delivered!!!) and we returned to the hotel. After a rest we went to Raffles Hotel where 'one took afternoon tea -actually had to treat 'the other half' to afternoon tea as well. We walked back to the hotel through one of the many huge malls that you find here in Singapore; however, we took a different route to the one we meant too and as I have just said, these malls are like little cities and we got quite confused as to how to get to the original mall. As we wandered along the myriad of concourses I kept my hands firmly in my pockets as we passed shops that reduced Rosalyn to a quivering wreck at the sight of some of the clothes, etc.
What we have found interesting is that while somethings are very reasonably priced, books (they have Borders here as well as local ones) are quite expensive; so if you are coming here on holiday, make sure you bring books with you.
We have an early start tomorrow, the flight to Perth is 9 am and we have to be up and out of the hotel by 6,30 am so I think we will have an early night.
After a restless night, (I think we were both over-tired), we woke up in time to watch the Hull City match from the point in the game where they had a goal disallowed. They are certainly not getting the luck. Breakfast was fabulous; if we had wanted it, we could have had a full 3-course meal starting with soup (nothing we recognised!) and including vegetarian curry.
We spent the morning window shopping along Orchard Road but after a couple of hours found the humidity absolutely sapping (just as Avril had promised us in March but not delivered!!!) and we returned to the hotel. After a rest we went to Raffles Hotel where 'one took afternoon tea -actually had to treat 'the other half' to afternoon tea as well. We walked back to the hotel through one of the many huge malls that you find here in Singapore; however, we took a different route to the one we meant too and as I have just said, these malls are like little cities and we got quite confused as to how to get to the original mall. As we wandered along the myriad of concourses I kept my hands firmly in my pockets as we passed shops that reduced Rosalyn to a quivering wreck at the sight of some of the clothes, etc.
What we have found interesting is that while somethings are very reasonably priced, books (they have Borders here as well as local ones) are quite expensive; so if you are coming here on holiday, make sure you bring books with you.
We have an early start tomorrow, the flight to Perth is 9 am and we have to be up and out of the hotel by 6,30 am so I think we will have an early night.
31st October 2009
Arrived in Singapore after a long but quite good flight to be greeted by rain and lightning; however it was still warm, in fact as high as 26C. Although we were tired we had to keep going and decided to go to Clarke Quay. What neither of us had remembered was that it's Halloween and the place was absolutely heaving. Rosalyn and I felt grossly under-dressed as we watched swathes of people going by wearing fantastic masks and equally outlandish costumes. Everyone was in party mood with live music and the sheer weight of numbers. Interestingly enough, whilst everyone was drinking quite freely (they have 'happy hours' here as well, there was no evidence of the binge-drinking culture we see at home.
The hotel, Pan Pacific, is absolutely great but with one drawback – no wifi. It seems strange that in this day and age and in a place like Singapore we cannot get on-line in the hotel. Never mind, we will write up the blog off-line and find a cafe where we can get on-line and post it. As a result you may find that a day or two goes by before the appearance of a new blog. Certainly this will happen once we board the ship. There will be no free wifi and I understand it is quite pricey to log onto their system. We will just have to see how it goes.
Arrived in Singapore after a long but quite good flight to be greeted by rain and lightning; however it was still warm, in fact as high as 26C. Although we were tired we had to keep going and decided to go to Clarke Quay. What neither of us had remembered was that it's Halloween and the place was absolutely heaving. Rosalyn and I felt grossly under-dressed as we watched swathes of people going by wearing fantastic masks and equally outlandish costumes. Everyone was in party mood with live music and the sheer weight of numbers. Interestingly enough, whilst everyone was drinking quite freely (they have 'happy hours' here as well, there was no evidence of the binge-drinking culture we see at home.
The hotel, Pan Pacific, is absolutely great but with one drawback – no wifi. It seems strange that in this day and age and in a place like Singapore we cannot get on-line in the hotel. Never mind, we will write up the blog off-line and find a cafe where we can get on-line and post it. As a result you may find that a day or two goes by before the appearance of a new blog. Certainly this will happen once we board the ship. There will be no free wifi and I understand it is quite pricey to log onto their system. We will just have to see how it goes.
Saturday, 24 October 2009
Adventures At Sea
ALL AT SEA
Foreword: 15th June 2009
It would be nice if we could do a cruise through the Panama Canal in April 2010 says Rosalyn. Okay say I, humouring her. I'll start looking now and see if I can find any good deals, she says..........and that is why we are doing a cruise round the Southern edge of Australia and New Zealand in November of this Year. I always Knew that Rosalyn's grasp of geography was poor, but to mistake Australia for the Panama Canal is a bit ridiculous!
Foreword: 15th June 2009
It would be nice if we could do a cruise through the Panama Canal in April 2010 says Rosalyn. Okay say I, humouring her. I'll start looking now and see if I can find any good deals, she says..........and that is why we are doing a cruise round the Southern edge of Australia and New Zealand in November of this Year. I always Knew that Rosalyn's grasp of geography was poor, but to mistake Australia for the Panama Canal is a bit ridiculous!
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
24th March 2009
Home now since Friday mid-morning. The reason why we were delayed taking off was quite interesting. Apparently London Heathrow does not open until 5 am and as there were favourable tail winds we would have arrived too early so we had to wait until the arrival time was okay! Wouldn't recommend a 14 hours flight to my worst enemy. It seemed to last a lot longer and although we all managed some sleep it was not really enough to help pass the time. Jet-lag is beginning to pass; maybe if we were younger it wouldn't be such a problem.
I will now try and sum up the holiday, plus fill in bits I've forgotten to mention at the time. Firstly, both Hong Kong and Singapore still have squatting toilets – okay for us men but not too good for Rosalyn and Avril. Rosalyn tells me though that the public toilets also had ordinary toilets so they always waited for those. Singaporeans were very friendly and helpful; one seemed to spend a lot of time bowing and thanking people. Australia is wonderful and we have still only barely scratched the surface. I believe that you would need at least a month in each major city whilst you visited the area before you could begin to feel you had seen the place.
I've not mentioned the roads in Australia. Considering the size of the country you would expect a road called the North-West Highway to be like our motorways, but they are not. The roads (apart obviously those in the cities) are for the most part single carriageways with a passing spot every so often. For those who live in Manchester, think Deansgate; for those in Hull, think Tranby Lane.
I could ramble on at length but every good thing must come to an end so, until the next adventure of a 'not-so-grey nomad' I will sign off in the hope that you have enjoyed reading this blog and this is now THE END.
Home now since Friday mid-morning. The reason why we were delayed taking off was quite interesting. Apparently London Heathrow does not open until 5 am and as there were favourable tail winds we would have arrived too early so we had to wait until the arrival time was okay! Wouldn't recommend a 14 hours flight to my worst enemy. It seemed to last a lot longer and although we all managed some sleep it was not really enough to help pass the time. Jet-lag is beginning to pass; maybe if we were younger it wouldn't be such a problem.
I will now try and sum up the holiday, plus fill in bits I've forgotten to mention at the time. Firstly, both Hong Kong and Singapore still have squatting toilets – okay for us men but not too good for Rosalyn and Avril. Rosalyn tells me though that the public toilets also had ordinary toilets so they always waited for those. Singaporeans were very friendly and helpful; one seemed to spend a lot of time bowing and thanking people. Australia is wonderful and we have still only barely scratched the surface. I believe that you would need at least a month in each major city whilst you visited the area before you could begin to feel you had seen the place.
I've not mentioned the roads in Australia. Considering the size of the country you would expect a road called the North-West Highway to be like our motorways, but they are not. The roads (apart obviously those in the cities) are for the most part single carriageways with a passing spot every so often. For those who live in Manchester, think Deansgate; for those in Hull, think Tranby Lane.
I could ramble on at length but every good thing must come to an end so, until the next adventure of a 'not-so-grey nomad' I will sign off in the hope that you have enjoyed reading this blog and this is now THE END.
Friday, 20 March 2009
9th March 2009
Today has been a very long day and it is not over yet. I am typing this whilst awaiting the flight to Heathrow, which has been delayed at the moment 30 minutes. We are not concerned about the connection to Manchester yet but watch this space!!
This morning we visited the Maghain Aboth shul, which is very close to the city centre. the street that it is on is also full of temples and at least one church. On arrival at the shul which is a beautiful white building, the gates were closed and we were questioned by the security man who asked for I.D. (driving licence was OK) and also which shul we attended in Manchester. Once they had established we were kosher they let us in. What struck us the most was how light and spacious the building was. Not overly ornate the serenity of the building was quite impressive. To one side of the shul is a separate building which houses a memorial room, a cheder, kosher shop, restaurant, offices and the Rabbi's residence. We went into the shop which is not very big but seemed to contain most of the basic foodstuffs. The meat, prepacked, comes from Australia but there was also the familiar Osem brands, etc. Not really intending to buy anything we left with a couple of kippot!
We returned to the hotel as we had to vacate the room by 2 pm, changed into our travelling clothes and decided to take it easy for the rest of the afternoon. Having arranged for a taxi to pick us up at 7 pm, we were surprised when he turned up 30 minutes early. We had hoped that by being early we could get 4 seats together so that we wouldn't be disturbing anyone else, unfortunately it is a full flight and the best they can offer us is 2 and 2 which means that whoever is on the aisle will be disturbed as Rosalyn and I like to get up and wander about on a long flight.
At 10.25 pm we are still waiting for the plane, the gate has now been moved and we hope that is the end of all the changes. I am closing now. Once I have got over my jetlag I will post a final comment about the holiday, including bits I forgot to mention at the time and any thoughts that I hope you will find interesting.
Today has been a very long day and it is not over yet. I am typing this whilst awaiting the flight to Heathrow, which has been delayed at the moment 30 minutes. We are not concerned about the connection to Manchester yet but watch this space!!
This morning we visited the Maghain Aboth shul, which is very close to the city centre. the street that it is on is also full of temples and at least one church. On arrival at the shul which is a beautiful white building, the gates were closed and we were questioned by the security man who asked for I.D. (driving licence was OK) and also which shul we attended in Manchester. Once they had established we were kosher they let us in. What struck us the most was how light and spacious the building was. Not overly ornate the serenity of the building was quite impressive. To one side of the shul is a separate building which houses a memorial room, a cheder, kosher shop, restaurant, offices and the Rabbi's residence. We went into the shop which is not very big but seemed to contain most of the basic foodstuffs. The meat, prepacked, comes from Australia but there was also the familiar Osem brands, etc. Not really intending to buy anything we left with a couple of kippot!
We returned to the hotel as we had to vacate the room by 2 pm, changed into our travelling clothes and decided to take it easy for the rest of the afternoon. Having arranged for a taxi to pick us up at 7 pm, we were surprised when he turned up 30 minutes early. We had hoped that by being early we could get 4 seats together so that we wouldn't be disturbing anyone else, unfortunately it is a full flight and the best they can offer us is 2 and 2 which means that whoever is on the aisle will be disturbed as Rosalyn and I like to get up and wander about on a long flight.
At 10.25 pm we are still waiting for the plane, the gate has now been moved and we hope that is the end of all the changes. I am closing now. Once I have got over my jetlag I will post a final comment about the holiday, including bits I forgot to mention at the time and any thoughts that I hope you will find interesting.
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
18th March 2009
Rosalyn and I are now completely shopped out. Today is our last full day of holiday and the four of us decided to take a trip on the Singapore Flyer which is even bigger than the London Eye. Unfortunately my fear of heights took over and I stayed very much on terra firma. It takes 30 minutes to complete a full revolution and whilst Rosalyn said it was very good and it was interesting to see the F1 grand prix circuit, she felt it was not as good as the London Eye. Two reasons – at the moment there is a lot of development going on so you were looking at building sites and secondly, there was no running commentary on what you could see. You were handed an audio guide and a pamphlet of information, but if you are using a camera and/or a video camera you cannot hold anything else and in consequence you are to a large extent not sure what you are looking at. Went back to the hotel and had a swim in the pool. We don't fly until 11.30 pm tomorrow night and have not decided how to spend the last day. The hotel will allow us to keep our rooms until 2 pm, but that still leaves us 5 hours before we need to leave for the airport. The problem is obviously one of trying not to get too hot as we will only have the showers by the pool if we need a good wash.
Anyway, not sure if I'll have chance to add to blog tomorrow, so you will have to wait until I return to Manchester before I do a summing up. I can tell you that in some way we are ready for home, but we are not looking forward to the cold weather!
Rosalyn and I are now completely shopped out. Today is our last full day of holiday and the four of us decided to take a trip on the Singapore Flyer which is even bigger than the London Eye. Unfortunately my fear of heights took over and I stayed very much on terra firma. It takes 30 minutes to complete a full revolution and whilst Rosalyn said it was very good and it was interesting to see the F1 grand prix circuit, she felt it was not as good as the London Eye. Two reasons – at the moment there is a lot of development going on so you were looking at building sites and secondly, there was no running commentary on what you could see. You were handed an audio guide and a pamphlet of information, but if you are using a camera and/or a video camera you cannot hold anything else and in consequence you are to a large extent not sure what you are looking at. Went back to the hotel and had a swim in the pool. We don't fly until 11.30 pm tomorrow night and have not decided how to spend the last day. The hotel will allow us to keep our rooms until 2 pm, but that still leaves us 5 hours before we need to leave for the airport. The problem is obviously one of trying not to get too hot as we will only have the showers by the pool if we need a good wash.
Anyway, not sure if I'll have chance to add to blog tomorrow, so you will have to wait until I return to Manchester before I do a summing up. I can tell you that in some way we are ready for home, but we are not looking forward to the cold weather!
Tuesday, 17 March 2009
17th March 2009
Today Rosalyn and I decided to explore the shopping here, we set off to have a look down Orchard Road. We traveled by the MRT which is the local underground and meant being really brave and even a change of line. many of the UK's well known stores are represented including M&S which seemed more expensive than home. A note on the underground system as compared to London's tubes. It doesn't. Like Hong Kong the stations are clean and bright and for safety there is a glass barrier between the rails and the platform. These only open once the train has stopped and its doors have opened. Another difference is that the train is that there are no enclosed carriages. They simply lead on from one another which is quite a sight when you get on the train and realise it goes on forever. Seating is at a premium as they simply are a means of getting from A to B. We were very impressed with the shopping malls we visited. They are so huge that they are almost little cities on their own.
After this shopping expedition we set off to go to the world famous Hotel Raffles. After having a look round the lobby we bumped into a Tigers supporter and went with him to see the Long Bar. We left the couple to have a beer and went and took lunch in one of the eating places in Raffles. We then went back to the hotel and I had a swim in the pool whilst Rosalyn sunbathed. In the evening the four of us met up and after a bite to eat we went for a 30 minutes cruise on the river. It was very pleasant and put us all in such a good mood that we went back to the hotel and had a Singapore sling and any typing errors on today's blog you will know the reason why!!
Today Rosalyn and I decided to explore the shopping here, we set off to have a look down Orchard Road. We traveled by the MRT which is the local underground and meant being really brave and even a change of line. many of the UK's well known stores are represented including M&S which seemed more expensive than home. A note on the underground system as compared to London's tubes. It doesn't. Like Hong Kong the stations are clean and bright and for safety there is a glass barrier between the rails and the platform. These only open once the train has stopped and its doors have opened. Another difference is that the train is that there are no enclosed carriages. They simply lead on from one another which is quite a sight when you get on the train and realise it goes on forever. Seating is at a premium as they simply are a means of getting from A to B. We were very impressed with the shopping malls we visited. They are so huge that they are almost little cities on their own.
After this shopping expedition we set off to go to the world famous Hotel Raffles. After having a look round the lobby we bumped into a Tigers supporter and went with him to see the Long Bar. We left the couple to have a beer and went and took lunch in one of the eating places in Raffles. We then went back to the hotel and I had a swim in the pool whilst Rosalyn sunbathed. In the evening the four of us met up and after a bite to eat we went for a 30 minutes cruise on the river. It was very pleasant and put us all in such a good mood that we went back to the hotel and had a Singapore sling and any typing errors on today's blog you will know the reason why!!
16th March 2009
Today was a day of tremendous contrasts, during the morning we visited the Changi Museum, the actual prison no longer exists. Nearby is a modern but separate men and womens prison and behind is a Singaporean air force base. The whole place has very grim and distressing feel at the massive suffering that Allied POWS and Singaporean citizens suffered. If you want to learn more about this museum and see some pictures go to – www. changimuseum.com . On the way there, in contrast we saw areas of condominiums worth about a million Singaporean dollars.
In a complete change of mood in the evening we did the Night Safari. Occupying over 40 hectares of dense secondary forest we took a 3.2 km tram ride covering terrain ranging from the rocky Himalayan foothills to the grassy plains of Equatorial Africa. We were fortunate to see lots of different animals such as giraffes, elephants, hyenas, deer, lions. etc. If any of you have visited the Animal Kingdom at Disney in Florida, then you will know what it was like. We got back to the hotel quite late and Rosalyn and I were tired so we went straight to bed.
Today was a day of tremendous contrasts, during the morning we visited the Changi Museum, the actual prison no longer exists. Nearby is a modern but separate men and womens prison and behind is a Singaporean air force base. The whole place has very grim and distressing feel at the massive suffering that Allied POWS and Singaporean citizens suffered. If you want to learn more about this museum and see some pictures go to – www. changimuseum.com . On the way there, in contrast we saw areas of condominiums worth about a million Singaporean dollars.
In a complete change of mood in the evening we did the Night Safari. Occupying over 40 hectares of dense secondary forest we took a 3.2 km tram ride covering terrain ranging from the rocky Himalayan foothills to the grassy plains of Equatorial Africa. We were fortunate to see lots of different animals such as giraffes, elephants, hyenas, deer, lions. etc. If any of you have visited the Animal Kingdom at Disney in Florida, then you will know what it was like. We got back to the hotel quite late and Rosalyn and I were tired so we went straight to bed.
Sunday, 15 March 2009
Summation of Perth. Not easy because we had too little time there to form a definite opinion, but what we saw we liked.
Summation of the two self-drives. Easy – brilliant; with the car we were masters of our own destiny to some extent and as a result saw things tourists in a regular tour would not see.
Summation of Australia as a whole – Start saving, it's not cheap (in the 3 years since we last went prices have gone up quite dramatically) but it's worth every penny.
15th March 2009
An early start from Central Perth to drive to the airport, return the hire car and check in for the flight to Singapore. The flight was only 5 hours and we arrived to be greeted by a cool 24C and not overpowering humidity. The hotel seems to be in the heart of the tourist area and we have somehow received an upgrade to a Premium Room (although we don't have the extra facilities that go with the room). Rosalyn and my first impression is of noise, lights and lots of people. Despite staying in the heart of Hong Kong, Sydney and Melbourne, the number of people out and about seemed huge.
Summation of the two self-drives. Easy – brilliant; with the car we were masters of our own destiny to some extent and as a result saw things tourists in a regular tour would not see.
Summation of Australia as a whole – Start saving, it's not cheap (in the 3 years since we last went prices have gone up quite dramatically) but it's worth every penny.
15th March 2009
An early start from Central Perth to drive to the airport, return the hire car and check in for the flight to Singapore. The flight was only 5 hours and we arrived to be greeted by a cool 24C and not overpowering humidity. The hotel seems to be in the heart of the tourist area and we have somehow received an upgrade to a Premium Room (although we don't have the extra facilities that go with the room). Rosalyn and my first impression is of noise, lights and lots of people. Despite staying in the heart of Hong Kong, Sydney and Melbourne, the number of people out and about seemed huge.
13th March 2009
Yet another early start as we are faced with a 670 kilometres journey to Perth. We decided to cut out the scenic route and make it a direct trip back. All went well until we were nearly at the hotel and Les who was driving followed the satnav's directions which unfortunately took us slightly wrong and left us having to negotiate Perth's tricky one-way system. We finally arrived at the hotel and having booked in decided to take a walk to stretch our legs. Although it was 5 pm it was still very warm.
Today we walked along Hay Street which is the main shopping area of Perth. We discovered some really nice shops and I eventually prised Rosalyn away and caught one of the three free buses which circulates the central areas of Perth seeing various different parts of the city. We alighted at what we thought was Kings Park only to find that to get to it we had to climb what is known as Jacobs Ladder all 221 steps to get there. There was much of the flora of Western Australia including a 750 year old tree Gija Jumulu ( Boab Tree) which had been transported from the Kimberleys and transplanted in the park. Within the park was a memorial to the many Western Australians who had died in the various wars starting with the Great War, there was a separate memorial to the Jewish Fallen. Many of the trees around the park had been dedicated to the memory of different individuals by their family. The views of Perth and her river were simply stunning. Kings Park and Botanic Garden is 1004 acres in size and overlooks the city of Perth from Mount Eliza which is 62m above sea level. We stopped for an ice cream and started talking to a local lady who told us that this was her favourite visiting place. With a temperature in the middle 30s we were pleased when a light breeze sprung up. The lady told us that it is called 'The Freemantle Doctor' because it makes people feel better!
Yet another early start as we are faced with a 670 kilometres journey to Perth. We decided to cut out the scenic route and make it a direct trip back. All went well until we were nearly at the hotel and Les who was driving followed the satnav's directions which unfortunately took us slightly wrong and left us having to negotiate Perth's tricky one-way system. We finally arrived at the hotel and having booked in decided to take a walk to stretch our legs. Although it was 5 pm it was still very warm.
Today we walked along Hay Street which is the main shopping area of Perth. We discovered some really nice shops and I eventually prised Rosalyn away and caught one of the three free buses which circulates the central areas of Perth seeing various different parts of the city. We alighted at what we thought was Kings Park only to find that to get to it we had to climb what is known as Jacobs Ladder all 221 steps to get there. There was much of the flora of Western Australia including a 750 year old tree Gija Jumulu ( Boab Tree) which had been transported from the Kimberleys and transplanted in the park. Within the park was a memorial to the many Western Australians who had died in the various wars starting with the Great War, there was a separate memorial to the Jewish Fallen. Many of the trees around the park had been dedicated to the memory of different individuals by their family. The views of Perth and her river were simply stunning. Kings Park and Botanic Garden is 1004 acres in size and overlooks the city of Perth from Mount Eliza which is 62m above sea level. We stopped for an ice cream and started talking to a local lady who told us that this was her favourite visiting place. With a temperature in the middle 30s we were pleased when a light breeze sprung up. The lady told us that it is called 'The Freemantle Doctor' because it makes people feel better!
Friday, 13 March 2009
12th March 2009
After breakfast we saw 3 emus gathered around a tree. To our amazement we watched one of the birds try to reach the berries by stretching its neck; when it realised it couldn't reach it jumped up and grabbed a beakful. We didn't know they did that. We managed another early start today and started our drive back to Perth with an overnight stop at a small place on the coast called Kalbarri. A pretty little town (probably what we would call a village) the views of the Indian Ocean are quite spectacular and there are houses to match the view. We wanted to go and visit an area within the Kalbarri National Park known as Nature's Window but on being told that temperatures there could be as high as 50C we decided to take a dip in the pool instead!
After breakfast we saw 3 emus gathered around a tree. To our amazement we watched one of the birds try to reach the berries by stretching its neck; when it realised it couldn't reach it jumped up and grabbed a beakful. We didn't know they did that. We managed another early start today and started our drive back to Perth with an overnight stop at a small place on the coast called Kalbarri. A pretty little town (probably what we would call a village) the views of the Indian Ocean are quite spectacular and there are houses to match the view. We wanted to go and visit an area within the Kalbarri National Park known as Nature's Window but on being told that temperatures there could be as high as 50C we decided to take a dip in the pool instead!
11th March 2009
A very early start today we went to see the Bottlenose Dolphins come right up to the edge of the beach to be fed by the rangers. Lo and behold they came at about 7.45am and the rangers told us there names and about them. The star of the show was Nicky who was about 32 years old and she had a male calf called Fin who was about six months old. Nicky was fed about four fish only to encourage them not to be fed at the beach but to go and catch their own food. Several pelicans flew in and I photographed them from quite close. Wandering around the cabins were a number of Emus. The heat today was not as intense as yesterday, but it was still in the high 90s. In some ways we have been unlucky with the weather, which does seem an extraordinary statement, but because it has been hotter than normal, we have been plagued with flies. I would like to come back here when it wasn't quite so hot as there is no doubt that the flies have been an awful nuisance. We spent a great deal of the day just sunbathing on the beach (complete with flynets) and it has been nice to unwind and have a good rest.
A very early start today we went to see the Bottlenose Dolphins come right up to the edge of the beach to be fed by the rangers. Lo and behold they came at about 7.45am and the rangers told us there names and about them. The star of the show was Nicky who was about 32 years old and she had a male calf called Fin who was about six months old. Nicky was fed about four fish only to encourage them not to be fed at the beach but to go and catch their own food. Several pelicans flew in and I photographed them from quite close. Wandering around the cabins were a number of Emus. The heat today was not as intense as yesterday, but it was still in the high 90s. In some ways we have been unlucky with the weather, which does seem an extraordinary statement, but because it has been hotter than normal, we have been plagued with flies. I would like to come back here when it wasn't quite so hot as there is no doubt that the flies have been an awful nuisance. We spent a great deal of the day just sunbathing on the beach (complete with flynets) and it has been nice to unwind and have a good rest.
10th March, 2009
Faced with a very long drive we set off early to Monkey Mia, again over 300 miles from Geraldton. We stopped off at Hamelin Pool, a marine reserve that contains the world's best known colony of stromatolites. (Look it up!). We then drove to the stunning Shell Beach. The beach consists of solid shells up to 10m deep. In some places the shells are so tightly packed that they can be cut into blocks and used for construction. Our final stop and our home for two nights is at Monkey Mia where bottlenose dolphins have visited the beaches to interact with the visitors. The coast line and beaches here are quite unspoilt and the water is a gorgeous turquoise. This area is known as Shark Bay. Oh by the way I was just sat here typing this up in my cabin, when an Emu walked past the window and we also saw a hunter spider in the tree outside the coffee bar. We understand that while it is poisonous it will make you quite ill it will not kill you.
Faced with a very long drive we set off early to Monkey Mia, again over 300 miles from Geraldton. We stopped off at Hamelin Pool, a marine reserve that contains the world's best known colony of stromatolites. (Look it up!). We then drove to the stunning Shell Beach. The beach consists of solid shells up to 10m deep. In some places the shells are so tightly packed that they can be cut into blocks and used for construction. Our final stop and our home for two nights is at Monkey Mia where bottlenose dolphins have visited the beaches to interact with the visitors. The coast line and beaches here are quite unspoilt and the water is a gorgeous turquoise. This area is known as Shark Bay. Oh by the way I was just sat here typing this up in my cabin, when an Emu walked past the window and we also saw a hunter spider in the tree outside the coffee bar. We understand that while it is poisonous it will make you quite ill it will not kill you.
9th March, 2009
Today was a very long drive of over 300 miles from Perth to Geraldton. Having reasonably successfully managed to find our way out of Perth (only one wrong turning which actually seemed to us to be better than the way we should have gone) we stopped for a drink at a roadhouse at about 11 am when the temperature was 92F in the shade!! We made a detour to the Nambung National Park to view The Pinnacles. Rising mysteriously from the dune sands are literally thousands of limestone pillars, a landscape in eerie contrast to the surrounding heath and in the not too far a distance, the Indian Ocean. We took the Pinnacles Drive across the sand dunes which is a 4 km one-way loop with a few parking bays so that you can get out of your car and take pictures. It is very difficult to describe the scene except to say it was pretty amazing and I will post a picture so that you can see what I mean.
After a quick sandwich we were soon back on the road and arrived in Geraldton about 5 pm in time to have a quick dip in the Indian Ocean which is just a 5 minutes walk from our hotel. Later in the evening we went for a walk along the seafront. By now the temperature had dropped to a much more pleasant level and a gentle breeze off the sea was a real pleasure.
Today was a very long drive of over 300 miles from Perth to Geraldton. Having reasonably successfully managed to find our way out of Perth (only one wrong turning which actually seemed to us to be better than the way we should have gone) we stopped for a drink at a roadhouse at about 11 am when the temperature was 92F in the shade!! We made a detour to the Nambung National Park to view The Pinnacles. Rising mysteriously from the dune sands are literally thousands of limestone pillars, a landscape in eerie contrast to the surrounding heath and in the not too far a distance, the Indian Ocean. We took the Pinnacles Drive across the sand dunes which is a 4 km one-way loop with a few parking bays so that you can get out of your car and take pictures. It is very difficult to describe the scene except to say it was pretty amazing and I will post a picture so that you can see what I mean.
After a quick sandwich we were soon back on the road and arrived in Geraldton about 5 pm in time to have a quick dip in the Indian Ocean which is just a 5 minutes walk from our hotel. Later in the evening we went for a walk along the seafront. By now the temperature had dropped to a much more pleasant level and a gentle breeze off the sea was a real pleasure.
8th March, 2009
After an early start we arrived in Perth early enough to take the free shuttle bus into the city centre. The drive into Perth had taken us through some very obviously rich areas with houses to make your jaw drop. Not knowing what to expect of Perth we were pleasantly surprised to find a very vibrant and busy shopping area. We were all tired after the long drive so we had a quick coffee, a look at the shops and then jumped onto the shuttle bus and took the long way back to the hotel. We will be returning to Perth after our 5 days drive north and will have more time to explore.
After an early start we arrived in Perth early enough to take the free shuttle bus into the city centre. The drive into Perth had taken us through some very obviously rich areas with houses to make your jaw drop. Not knowing what to expect of Perth we were pleasantly surprised to find a very vibrant and busy shopping area. We were all tired after the long drive so we had a quick coffee, a look at the shops and then jumped onto the shuttle bus and took the long way back to the hotel. We will be returning to Perth after our 5 days drive north and will have more time to explore.
Sunday, 8 March 2009
6th March 2009
Today we set off to visit some of the many wineries in the area but we were diverted to visit Busselton a pretty little seaside town.This has the longest wooden jetty in the southern hemisphere. Building commenced in 1865 and took more than 95 years to complete. It was used for shipping and eventually fell into disuse after operations ceased. In April 1978 it was damaged by cyclone Alby. It is now used as a tourist attraction and is 1841metres long. There is a small gauge rail track along the length but until further remedial work is done it is not working so in order to get to the underwater observatory it is a long walk. At the end of the 1 mile long jetty there is an observatory which allows visitors to descend 8 metres below sea level to view the thriving marine environment. The colours of the coral which had made a life on the wooden pillars of the jetty were quite incredible and the amount of fish swimming around was huge.
We then set off back to Margaret River making a number of stops at wineries, a cheese factory, a chocolate factory and a jam factory. Its a thankless task but someone has to do it!
7th March 2009
Once again we are on the move. Today we have moved 2 hours south east to a small town called Pemberton. After a drive through some glorious countryside, when we saw kangaroos and emus, we finally arrived at our hotel in time to take a ride on the Pemberton Tram. This was a 2 hours ride through the Karri Forest crossing 6 bridges, all of which looked not strong enough to take the tram, with two stops at the Cascades (small waterfall) and at the Warren River Bridge.
After this we went to look at the Gloucester Tree which is 65 meters high and has a lookout on the top. There are permanent fixed climbing spikes for those people brave enough (or stupid) to climb to the top. Needless to say, I didn't attempt this!!!
Today we set off to visit some of the many wineries in the area but we were diverted to visit Busselton a pretty little seaside town.This has the longest wooden jetty in the southern hemisphere. Building commenced in 1865 and took more than 95 years to complete. It was used for shipping and eventually fell into disuse after operations ceased. In April 1978 it was damaged by cyclone Alby. It is now used as a tourist attraction and is 1841metres long. There is a small gauge rail track along the length but until further remedial work is done it is not working so in order to get to the underwater observatory it is a long walk. At the end of the 1 mile long jetty there is an observatory which allows visitors to descend 8 metres below sea level to view the thriving marine environment. The colours of the coral which had made a life on the wooden pillars of the jetty were quite incredible and the amount of fish swimming around was huge.
We then set off back to Margaret River making a number of stops at wineries, a cheese factory, a chocolate factory and a jam factory. Its a thankless task but someone has to do it!
7th March 2009
Once again we are on the move. Today we have moved 2 hours south east to a small town called Pemberton. After a drive through some glorious countryside, when we saw kangaroos and emus, we finally arrived at our hotel in time to take a ride on the Pemberton Tram. This was a 2 hours ride through the Karri Forest crossing 6 bridges, all of which looked not strong enough to take the tram, with two stops at the Cascades (small waterfall) and at the Warren River Bridge.
After this we went to look at the Gloucester Tree which is 65 meters high and has a lookout on the top. There are permanent fixed climbing spikes for those people brave enough (or stupid) to climb to the top. Needless to say, I didn't attempt this!!!
5th March 2009
The morning was an early start with a 3 hours flight to Perth and another time change. We are now 9 hours ahead of the UK, Melbourne and Sydney were 11 hours. Attempting to pick up our hire car, a Holden Estate, proved fun. The actual cost of the car had been paid for at home but it was decided we would invest in a SatNav, which we have called Sheila, and when I produced my credit card the worst happened – it was declined, so Rosalyn had to pay with a different card. There was nothing I could do about it at the time so we set off with Sheila giving instructions. What should have been an easy 3 hours drive took a little longer because of an accident ahead of us which completely blocked the road. Margaret River itself looks quite charming and the hotel is more than adequate. After our evening meal I tried to use my card again, only to have it declined once more. This meant an anxious phone call to the UK where a gentleman explained that it had been blocked because it had been used first thing in the morning in Alice Springs and then 3 hours later in Perth. When I explained we were moving about Australia he immediately unblocked it and problem solved. I wouldn't have minded, but I had actually rung the credit card company prior to our holiday to say where we were going!!! Still I suppose they were only being careful and looking after my interests.
The morning was an early start with a 3 hours flight to Perth and another time change. We are now 9 hours ahead of the UK, Melbourne and Sydney were 11 hours. Attempting to pick up our hire car, a Holden Estate, proved fun. The actual cost of the car had been paid for at home but it was decided we would invest in a SatNav, which we have called Sheila, and when I produced my credit card the worst happened – it was declined, so Rosalyn had to pay with a different card. There was nothing I could do about it at the time so we set off with Sheila giving instructions. What should have been an easy 3 hours drive took a little longer because of an accident ahead of us which completely blocked the road. Margaret River itself looks quite charming and the hotel is more than adequate. After our evening meal I tried to use my card again, only to have it declined once more. This meant an anxious phone call to the UK where a gentleman explained that it had been blocked because it had been used first thing in the morning in Alice Springs and then 3 hours later in Perth. When I explained we were moving about Australia he immediately unblocked it and problem solved. I wouldn't have minded, but I had actually rung the credit card company prior to our holiday to say where we were going!!! Still I suppose they were only being careful and looking after my interests.
Thursday, 5 March 2009
4th March 2009
Today has been a very long day. We were picked up just after 8.30 am and did not return to the hotel until 5 pm. Our first call was to Anzac Hill where there is a monument to the soldiers of Australia and New Zealand who fell in the two World Wars and other various conflicts, including Vietnam. Today was a lot cooler than yesterday; a mere 28C instead of a giddy 40C so sightseeing was much more pleasant. We then went to the grave of John Flynn, who we mentioned earlier was the founder of the Flying Doctors. This was followed by travelling to the Western MacDonnell Range and walking to Simpsons Gap. We then went to Standley Chasm which is a narrow cleft in the ranges and can only be reached by scrambling over sand and rocks.. The day was concluded with an afternoon visit to the Desert Park, a most fascinating place which attempts to show three different habitats and their flora and fauna. Desert Rivers showed mainly birds, Sand Country is the land of thorny devils, lizards and termites and Woodland is everyone's favourite – kangaroos.
Alice Springs summation – hot with lots of flies. The 4 of us invested in fly nets and although we felt a little foolish wearing them, it was easier than having to constantly swish them away from your face. To live here we feel you need to be a little mad – where else would you hold an annual regatta which involved carrying your boat down the length of a dry river bed and where else would you find that this same regatta had to be cancelled because it had actually rained the day before and the river level was too high to carry the boat?!!
Today has been a very long day. We were picked up just after 8.30 am and did not return to the hotel until 5 pm. Our first call was to Anzac Hill where there is a monument to the soldiers of Australia and New Zealand who fell in the two World Wars and other various conflicts, including Vietnam. Today was a lot cooler than yesterday; a mere 28C instead of a giddy 40C so sightseeing was much more pleasant. We then went to the grave of John Flynn, who we mentioned earlier was the founder of the Flying Doctors. This was followed by travelling to the Western MacDonnell Range and walking to Simpsons Gap. We then went to Standley Chasm which is a narrow cleft in the ranges and can only be reached by scrambling over sand and rocks.. The day was concluded with an afternoon visit to the Desert Park, a most fascinating place which attempts to show three different habitats and their flora and fauna. Desert Rivers showed mainly birds, Sand Country is the land of thorny devils, lizards and termites and Woodland is everyone's favourite – kangaroos.
Alice Springs summation – hot with lots of flies. The 4 of us invested in fly nets and although we felt a little foolish wearing them, it was easier than having to constantly swish them away from your face. To live here we feel you need to be a little mad – where else would you hold an annual regatta which involved carrying your boat down the length of a dry river bed and where else would you find that this same regatta had to be cancelled because it had actually rained the day before and the river level was too high to carry the boat?!!
2nd March 2009
WE visited the Immigration Museum which told the story of immigration from its early days by sailing ship which could take as long as 3 months with all its trials and tribulations. Now it can be done as 24 hour direct flight. An interesting section is were you can sit as an immigration officer and interview prospective immigrants and decide whether they are suitable new citizens. It was interesting to note that there was even immigration from Israel.
Melbourne summation, It is an easy place to get around as the city centre is based on the grid system, the availability of free trams and buses was excellent and made getting around very simple. Cafe culture is also very much in evidence, even if all the coffee we had was pretty foul.
3rd March 2009
After an early start we flew to Alice Springs. While we were at Melbourne Airport we learnt of several shark attacks in and around Sydney Harbour including Bondi Beach, still we can be pretty certain we would not hear of any shark attacks at Alice Springs!!!!
After a 3 hours flight we arrived at our hotel and after a quick sandwich we were off on our afternoon trip around the area. First stop was to the School of the Air, a fascinating insight in how the children who are spread over an area of 521,000 square miles are taught. To give you an idea of the size, that is 10 times the size of England!!! Initially using old fashioned radio, the advent of the digital and satellite era has made contact between teacher and pupil more 'hands on'. The next stop was the Flying Doctor Service headquarters. The founder was Rev. John Flynn whose vision was to set up a Mantle of Safety for health in Central Australia. The first Flying Doctor started operation in 1928 and has gradually grown to be the size it is now. It covers an area of 7,150,000 square kilometres, and now has 51 aircraft.
For those who have not discovered who or what Chloe is I will tell you. It is a painting in the Young and Jackson Public House which is situated opposite Flinders Street Station in Melbourne. The painting of a young lady dressed as she was outraged Victorian Australians and this outrage only disappeared during World War 1 when the people discovered that soldiers going to war were going into the pub to drink a toast with Chloe as they went off to war from Flinders Street Station. This tradition continued during the Second World War. If your eyes are not too delicate look at the picture below. (I joined in the toasting of Chloe by indulging in 2 Natural Blondes, whilst Rosalyn watched on. - Beer for the uninitiated).
Today we went on a day trip to Ballarat and Sovereign Hill north-west of Melbourne, setting off at an early hour we travelled by coach about 110 killometres. In Ballarat we saw Lake Wendouree which is where the world rowing championships will take place in three years time. It got the name when the person who discovered it asked a local Aboriginal child who said to him Wendouree which in the native tongue means go away. However even though the rowing championships take place in 3 years the lake absolutely bone dry but they are working on filling it with reclaimed water. Victoria has experienced 13 years of no significant, rainfall and long range forecasts have not suggested any change. The longest drought in the past has been no more than about seven years.
Ballarat/Sovereign Hill is a living museum of Australia's gold rush period. An extremely interesting place, most of the people who work there are in period costume (victorian) and everything that you see is a true representation of what would have happened in those times. It reminded us of Beamish, with its old fashioned foundry, sweet shop, candle and soap makers, etc. Our first trip was to the Gold Mine Tour, a 40 minutes underground guided tour of a gold mine. We also visited and participated in a school lesson.
We ended the day with a visit to the gold museum. This had a beautiful gold menorah as described in the Torah.
1st March 2009
Today our last full day on our own, we had fully intended to visit the Queen Victoria Market in the morning and a museum in the afternoon, however we spent so much time at the market that we had no time to visit the museum. The market is an historic landmark and has been operating for more than a century having been officially opened in 1878. The market sells everything from exotic fruit and vegetables and local and imported gourmet foods to hardware, clothing and souvenirs. Because we were there so long lunch was late and we decided to have a ride on the free city circle tram which takes about an hour to travel go round the Central Business District. we then returned to the hotel and sat down for ten minutes and woke up forty minutes later!!!
We then went to have a look at the Italian quarter travelling there by tram, where we saw various Italian themed shops and restaurants. After that we travelled back to Federation Square.
Whilst we are in Federation Square have you discovered who or what is Chloe. Chloe's history is closely connected with the picture below.
Ballarat/Sovereign Hill is a living museum of Australia's gold rush period. An extremely interesting place, most of the people who work there are in period costume (victorian) and everything that you see is a true representation of what would have happened in those times. It reminded us of Beamish, with its old fashioned foundry, sweet shop, candle and soap makers, etc. Our first trip was to the Gold Mine Tour, a 40 minutes underground guided tour of a gold mine. We also visited and participated in a school lesson.
We ended the day with a visit to the gold museum. This had a beautiful gold menorah as described in the Torah.
1st March 2009
Today our last full day on our own, we had fully intended to visit the Queen Victoria Market in the morning and a museum in the afternoon, however we spent so much time at the market that we had no time to visit the museum. The market is an historic landmark and has been operating for more than a century having been officially opened in 1878. The market sells everything from exotic fruit and vegetables and local and imported gourmet foods to hardware, clothing and souvenirs. Because we were there so long lunch was late and we decided to have a ride on the free city circle tram which takes about an hour to travel go round the Central Business District. we then returned to the hotel and sat down for ten minutes and woke up forty minutes later!!!
We then went to have a look at the Italian quarter travelling there by tram, where we saw various Italian themed shops and restaurants. After that we travelled back to Federation Square.
Whilst we are in Federation Square have you discovered who or what is Chloe. Chloe's history is closely connected with the picture below.
Monday, 2 March 2009
Saturday, 28 February 2009
Today we went on a day trip to Ballarat and Sovereign Hill north-west of Melbourne, setting off at an early hour we travelled by coach about 110 killometres. In Ballarat we saw Lake Wendouree which is where the world rowing championships will take place in three years time. It got the name when the person who discovered it asked a local Aboriginal child who said to him Wendouree which in the native tongue means go away. However even though the rowing championships take place in 3 years the lake absolutely bone dry but they are working on filling it with reclaimed water. Victoria has experienced 13 years of no significant, rainfall and long range forecasts have not suggested any change. The longest drought in the past has been no more than about seven years.
Ballarat/Sovereign Hill is a living museum of Australia's gold rush period. An extremely interesting place, most of the people who work there are in period costume (victorian) and everything that you see is a true representation of what would have happened in those times. It reminded us of Beamish, with its old fashioned foundry, sweet shop, candle and soap makers, etc. Our first trip was to the Gold Mine Tour, a 40 minutes underground guided tour of a gold mine. We also visited and participated in a school lesson.
We ended the day with a visit to the gold museum. This had a beautiful gold menorah as described in the Torah.
Ballarat/Sovereign Hill is a living museum of Australia's gold rush period. An extremely interesting place, most of the people who work there are in period costume (victorian) and everything that you see is a true representation of what would have happened in those times. It reminded us of Beamish, with its old fashioned foundry, sweet shop, candle and soap makers, etc. Our first trip was to the Gold Mine Tour, a 40 minutes underground guided tour of a gold mine. We also visited and participated in a school lesson.
We ended the day with a visit to the gold museum. This had a beautiful gold menorah as described in the Torah.
27th February 2009
Today we visited the famous MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) the stadium will hold 100,000 spectators. A behind the scenes tour showed us all of the stadium, we saw the Long Room which is modelled on the Long Room at Lords. We even saw the changing rooms and facilities. The highlight of the tour was when we were taken onto the actual hallowed turf.
After this we were able to visit National Sports Museum which had areas devoted to the Olympics, AFL (Australian Rules Football) – its still a mystery to me and of course cricket. There were special exhibits on Sir Donald Bradman and an exhibit about Shane Warne who gave a short talk about his life in cricket. He appeared to be only a yard or so in front of us, an excellent hologram.
We spent the rest of the day relaxing.
Today we visited the famous MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) the stadium will hold 100,000 spectators. A behind the scenes tour showed us all of the stadium, we saw the Long Room which is modelled on the Long Room at Lords. We even saw the changing rooms and facilities. The highlight of the tour was when we were taken onto the actual hallowed turf.
After this we were able to visit National Sports Museum which had areas devoted to the Olympics, AFL (Australian Rules Football) – its still a mystery to me and of course cricket. There were special exhibits on Sir Donald Bradman and an exhibit about Shane Warne who gave a short talk about his life in cricket. He appeared to be only a yard or so in front of us, an excellent hologram.
We spent the rest of the day relaxing.
Thursday, 26 February 2009
26th February 2009
We again met up with Avril & Les even though we had all awoken late as we had had such a late night. We went off to go up the Eureka Sky Deck 88. This is the highest public vantage point in the southern hemisphere. The lift takes you up 88 stories at 9 metres per second which makes them the fastest in the southern hemisphere. I went out onto the terrace which exposes you to the elements. Those of you who know me well will know that I really do not like heights, so to be outside at 300 metres is above and beyond the call of duty.
Left Avril and Les a little early as we have been invited out for dinner tonight. So before we came back to our hotel to change we went into the Gardens across the road from where we are staying. Fitzroy Gardens contains the cottage that belonged to Captain Cook's parents in Whitby. It was shipped over in the 1930s and is surrounded by some very pretty plants. There is also a memorial to John F. Kennedy, but I felt this looked a little neglected. We were then picked up by Sandy and Brian Morris, whom we had met briefly in Manchester at a shabbat lunch last year and they took us back to their home in the suburb of Bentley for a lovely meal. It was nice to be treated to some real home hospitality and it finished the day off on a high note.
Just a note on Australian TV, obviously we can only watch what is fed into the hotel. The format of Sky News is different from that at home, It being mainly a discussion programme and very little news. The only way to keep up with what is happening is to read the scrolling news which runs constantly on the bottom of the screen. The presenters do not seem to update the news 'live'. Neighbours even managing to have 2 advert breaks in a half hour programme.
We again met up with Avril & Les even though we had all awoken late as we had had such a late night. We went off to go up the Eureka Sky Deck 88. This is the highest public vantage point in the southern hemisphere. The lift takes you up 88 stories at 9 metres per second which makes them the fastest in the southern hemisphere. I went out onto the terrace which exposes you to the elements. Those of you who know me well will know that I really do not like heights, so to be outside at 300 metres is above and beyond the call of duty.
Left Avril and Les a little early as we have been invited out for dinner tonight. So before we came back to our hotel to change we went into the Gardens across the road from where we are staying. Fitzroy Gardens contains the cottage that belonged to Captain Cook's parents in Whitby. It was shipped over in the 1930s and is surrounded by some very pretty plants. There is also a memorial to John F. Kennedy, but I felt this looked a little neglected. We were then picked up by Sandy and Brian Morris, whom we had met briefly in Manchester at a shabbat lunch last year and they took us back to their home in the suburb of Bentley for a lovely meal. It was nice to be treated to some real home hospitality and it finished the day off on a high note.
Just a note on Australian TV, obviously we can only watch what is fed into the hotel. The format of Sky News is different from that at home, It being mainly a discussion programme and very little news. The only way to keep up with what is happening is to read the scrolling news which runs constantly on the bottom of the screen. The presenters do not seem to update the news 'live'. Neighbours even managing to have 2 advert breaks in a half hour programme.
25th February 2009
We had woken up and it was actually drizzling but the rain soon disappeared. Today was a very full day. We walked to Federation Square (a large plaza where the Tourist Information Centre, Art Galleries and cafes can be found) where a Blood Donor Campaign was in full swing. As part of this drive, a stage had been set up below a permanent big screen and bands were playing (loudly!). We decided to investigate and were surprised to discover the lead singer with the first band was the actor who plays Ringo in the soap 'Neighbours'.
We met up with Avril and Les as we had booked a trip out to Phillip Island to see the Penguin Parade. The Island is about a 2 hours drive south of Melbourne and fortunately not in the direction of any of the fires which are still burning. Our first stop was at a Koala Conservation Centre where we were able to see lots of cuddly koalas. We were also lucky to see some wallabys roaming around the area. We then went to an area called the Nobbies which are some caves that the sea rushes into with such force that the sea comes flying out when it hits the back of the cave. Phillip Island is roughly the same size as the Isle of Wight and the main town is also called Cowes. The main purpose of the trip was to witness the penguins. This species of penguins are known as little penguins as they are – little!!! For several months of the year at sunset they leave th sea, waddle across the beach (which has been lit with some sort of subdued floodlighting) to go to their burrows. Watching them do this is fun and it is also possible to get a little closer to them by going onto organised boardwalks. We returned to Melbourne by about 11.30 at night.
We had woken up and it was actually drizzling but the rain soon disappeared. Today was a very full day. We walked to Federation Square (a large plaza where the Tourist Information Centre, Art Galleries and cafes can be found) where a Blood Donor Campaign was in full swing. As part of this drive, a stage had been set up below a permanent big screen and bands were playing (loudly!). We decided to investigate and were surprised to discover the lead singer with the first band was the actor who plays Ringo in the soap 'Neighbours'.
We met up with Avril and Les as we had booked a trip out to Phillip Island to see the Penguin Parade. The Island is about a 2 hours drive south of Melbourne and fortunately not in the direction of any of the fires which are still burning. Our first stop was at a Koala Conservation Centre where we were able to see lots of cuddly koalas. We were also lucky to see some wallabys roaming around the area. We then went to an area called the Nobbies which are some caves that the sea rushes into with such force that the sea comes flying out when it hits the back of the cave. Phillip Island is roughly the same size as the Isle of Wight and the main town is also called Cowes. The main purpose of the trip was to witness the penguins. This species of penguins are known as little penguins as they are – little!!! For several months of the year at sunset they leave th sea, waddle across the beach (which has been lit with some sort of subdued floodlighting) to go to their burrows. Watching them do this is fun and it is also possible to get a little closer to them by going onto organised boardwalks. We returned to Melbourne by about 11.30 at night.
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
24th February 2009
You are hearing from two very depressed people following this mornings result, sadly we saw every minute as we watched TV first thing as we got ready to go out.
Today we very bravely negotiated the Melbourne tram system to get to the Melbourne Jewish museum. The museum was quite different to the Manchester one. Its main work is on Judaism and the history of the Jewish people, although there is a section on Jewish immigration into Australia. It is based in purpose built building which is quite modern and offers daily visits to the Schul behind the building.
After this we found our way to the Jewish area in Balaclava where we went first to look at the various Kosher eating places before settling on a rather large smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel. Yum Yum !!! Before leaving the area we had a look at a book shop which was the largest one we have seen.
We finished off our adventures on the tram by travelling into St. Kilda's and walked along the sea front. We wandered along Ackland Street, once the heart of the Jewish area, now a street full of trendy boutiques and a myriad of gooey, fattening cakes of every size, shape and even colour. Using the trams is easy once you know what you are doing! You work out which zone you are in and on each tram there is a machine which will give you the cost of the fare for the whole of the zone, i.e. one price irrespective of you going one stop or lots. Once you have this ticket, and if you have purchased either a return or a 24 hours ticket you then validate it in a machine which you will find on every tram.
You are hearing from two very depressed people following this mornings result, sadly we saw every minute as we watched TV first thing as we got ready to go out.
Today we very bravely negotiated the Melbourne tram system to get to the Melbourne Jewish museum. The museum was quite different to the Manchester one. Its main work is on Judaism and the history of the Jewish people, although there is a section on Jewish immigration into Australia. It is based in purpose built building which is quite modern and offers daily visits to the Schul behind the building.
After this we found our way to the Jewish area in Balaclava where we went first to look at the various Kosher eating places before settling on a rather large smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel. Yum Yum !!! Before leaving the area we had a look at a book shop which was the largest one we have seen.
We finished off our adventures on the tram by travelling into St. Kilda's and walked along the sea front. We wandered along Ackland Street, once the heart of the Jewish area, now a street full of trendy boutiques and a myriad of gooey, fattening cakes of every size, shape and even colour. Using the trams is easy once you know what you are doing! You work out which zone you are in and on each tram there is a machine which will give you the cost of the fare for the whole of the zone, i.e. one price irrespective of you going one stop or lots. Once you have this ticket, and if you have purchased either a return or a 24 hours ticket you then validate it in a machine which you will find on every tram.
Monday, 23 February 2009
23rd February 2009
Our view of Sydney – A huge sprawling city with the typical laid-back Aussie attitude. If you are in a hurry, then forget it! Fabulous scenery whether it is the harbour with the Bridge or the Opera House or even the city skyline. To coin a typical Aussie saying 'No Worries'.
Flew via Virgin Blue to Melbourne it was quite a good flight except it was bumpy as we came into land in Melbourne. One thing we did see was the bush fires still burning, obviously burning not a long way from Melbourne. Once we reached our hotel we had a stroll into Federation Square. to try to book trips to Ballarat and Phillips Island. We also went to see Chloe (There might be a prize for whoever tells us who or what is Chloe).
Rosalyn thinks that Hull City will be on the tv tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. The question arises that if they are – do we want to watch and maybe depressed for the rest of the day, or can we afford to be optimistic that we will beat Spurs??!! Anyway 'UP THE TIGERS'
Went for an evening stroll along the bank of the Yarra River. Saw something different – people stood on what looked like surfboards, sculling down the river. Would have liked to have seen how they got on and off the boards! Weather actually turned a little chilly with a coolish breeze. We were glad we had taken our sweaters with us and we did notice that some of the restaurants actually had put their heaters on. Melbourne today lived up to its reputation of quickly changeable weather.
Our view of Sydney – A huge sprawling city with the typical laid-back Aussie attitude. If you are in a hurry, then forget it! Fabulous scenery whether it is the harbour with the Bridge or the Opera House or even the city skyline. To coin a typical Aussie saying 'No Worries'.
Flew via Virgin Blue to Melbourne it was quite a good flight except it was bumpy as we came into land in Melbourne. One thing we did see was the bush fires still burning, obviously burning not a long way from Melbourne. Once we reached our hotel we had a stroll into Federation Square. to try to book trips to Ballarat and Phillips Island. We also went to see Chloe (There might be a prize for whoever tells us who or what is Chloe).
Rosalyn thinks that Hull City will be on the tv tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. The question arises that if they are – do we want to watch and maybe depressed for the rest of the day, or can we afford to be optimistic that we will beat Spurs??!! Anyway 'UP THE TIGERS'
Went for an evening stroll along the bank of the Yarra River. Saw something different – people stood on what looked like surfboards, sculling down the river. Would have liked to have seen how they got on and off the boards! Weather actually turned a little chilly with a coolish breeze. We were glad we had taken our sweaters with us and we did notice that some of the restaurants actually had put their heaters on. Melbourne today lived up to its reputation of quickly changeable weather.
ddendum to posting 20th February 2009
I forgot to tell you about the Bats roosting in the Botanical Gardens. There are thousands of bats roosting high in the trees in the gardens. One of the wardens told that this particular breed is an endangered one and could be extinct in about thirty years.
21st February 2009
We took a taxi to the suburb of Paddington and did a walk that Rosalyn had found in her guide book. This area is a heritage listed suburb with terraced houses, dating from Victorian times which are unique to this part of Sydney. The outsides of these houses, which look quite narrow are not allowed to be changed, although the inside can be modernised. The walk finished on Oxford Street which is full of trendy shops and cafes.
22nd February 2009
Today we visited Bondi Beach and while it was dull and cloudy when we set off, however once we got there on the local buses the clouds had cleared and it was bright and sunny. The beach itself is only about a mile long but it is clean and white with low cliffs at either end. Rosalyn and Avril where disappointed at the lack of “beautiful people”. In some ways it was not a lot different to a lot of other beaches.
For lunch we went to Katzy's (under the supervision of the NSW Beth Din) on Hall Street which is only five minutes from the front, down this same street were several kosher places, butcher and a Judaica shop.
I forgot to tell you about the Bats roosting in the Botanical Gardens. There are thousands of bats roosting high in the trees in the gardens. One of the wardens told that this particular breed is an endangered one and could be extinct in about thirty years.
21st February 2009
We took a taxi to the suburb of Paddington and did a walk that Rosalyn had found in her guide book. This area is a heritage listed suburb with terraced houses, dating from Victorian times which are unique to this part of Sydney. The outsides of these houses, which look quite narrow are not allowed to be changed, although the inside can be modernised. The walk finished on Oxford Street which is full of trendy shops and cafes.
22nd February 2009
Today we visited Bondi Beach and while it was dull and cloudy when we set off, however once we got there on the local buses the clouds had cleared and it was bright and sunny. The beach itself is only about a mile long but it is clean and white with low cliffs at either end. Rosalyn and Avril where disappointed at the lack of “beautiful people”. In some ways it was not a lot different to a lot of other beaches.
For lunch we went to Katzy's (under the supervision of the NSW Beth Din) on Hall Street which is only five minutes from the front, down this same street were several kosher places, butcher and a Judaica shop.
Saturday, 21 February 2009
Friday, 20 February 2009
20th February 2009
It is the end of our first day here in a very hot and sunny Sydney. We spent the day on the Hop-on,Hop-Off bus tour which was very good. We got off at the Queen Victoria Building which is a magnificent shopping mall with equally magnificent shops and prices, but our main stop was at the Botanical Gardens where the views were simply breathtaking. We also found ourselves a good spot to watch the cruise liner Queen Victoria sail out of the harbour. She is one very big ship! The ship came out of Circular Quay emerging from between the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. It was nice to have a reasonably quiet day after the long day of travelling yesterday.
It is the end of our first day here in a very hot and sunny Sydney. We spent the day on the Hop-on,Hop-Off bus tour which was very good. We got off at the Queen Victoria Building which is a magnificent shopping mall with equally magnificent shops and prices, but our main stop was at the Botanical Gardens where the views were simply breathtaking. We also found ourselves a good spot to watch the cruise liner Queen Victoria sail out of the harbour. She is one very big ship! The ship came out of Circular Quay emerging from between the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. It was nice to have a reasonably quiet day after the long day of travelling yesterday.
19th February 2009
After an exhausting 9 hours flight we have arrived in Sydney. We were greeted by the sight and feel of a very hot sun – wonderful. The hotel is a little disappointing. They are renovating the lobby area so our first impression was a little shocked. Once you are in your room it isn't too bad. A pity we didn't know about the work beforehand, we may have chosen elsewhere.
Following a quick wash and change into summer clothes we went to Darling Harbour. This has changed since we were last here. We decided to catch the ferry to Manley. We were all excited to see the Queen Victoria moored next to the Quay. She looks magnificent. Manley was interesting and we stayed until the sun set over the water before returning to the hotel for an early night.
After an exhausting 9 hours flight we have arrived in Sydney. We were greeted by the sight and feel of a very hot sun – wonderful. The hotel is a little disappointing. They are renovating the lobby area so our first impression was a little shocked. Once you are in your room it isn't too bad. A pity we didn't know about the work beforehand, we may have chosen elsewhere.
Following a quick wash and change into summer clothes we went to Darling Harbour. This has changed since we were last here. We decided to catch the ferry to Manley. We were all excited to see the Queen Victoria moored next to the Quay. She looks magnificent. Manley was interesting and we stayed until the sun set over the water before returning to the hotel for an early night.
Wednesday, 18 February 2009
18th February 2009
Our all too short stay in Hong Kong is now at an end and we are at the airport. The flight is delayed by nearly two hours at least. We had fun getting to the airport first of all the taxi driver drove very gingerly as the luggage was more than filling his boot and then we got to check in at the metro station when we discovered that Les was the only one of us whose visa was not on his passport. We were quite prepared to leave him behind !!!
Our view of Hong Kong – Huge skyscrapers, clean shopping centres, lots of people and CURVED escalators!!!!! That was quite an experience. We've all been up and down, but never round corners. We also think taking the credit crunch into consideration everything is a lot mor expensive here than 3 years ago.
Our all too short stay in Hong Kong is now at an end and we are at the airport. The flight is delayed by nearly two hours at least. We had fun getting to the airport first of all the taxi driver drove very gingerly as the luggage was more than filling his boot and then we got to check in at the metro station when we discovered that Les was the only one of us whose visa was not on his passport. We were quite prepared to leave him behind !!!
Our view of Hong Kong – Huge skyscrapers, clean shopping centres, lots of people and CURVED escalators!!!!! That was quite an experience. We've all been up and down, but never round corners. We also think taking the credit crunch into consideration everything is a lot mor expensive here than 3 years ago.
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
17th February 2009
Today we visited Lantau Island going by ferry, the water was quite choppy and some people felt more than a little queasy. Having arrived on the Island we had to take a local bus to the Po Lin monastery at the top of a mountain with a 250 ton bronze statue of a seated Buddha and sat at the top of nearly 300 steps. However the bus journey to the mountain top was more scary than any roller coaster ride than you can imagine, with sheer drop one one side and a gradient of 1 in six- I will say no more. I will leave you to imagine, needless to say the bus driver only seemed to think his accelerator should be flat on the ground.
We came back to Kowloon via the MTR (tube), a much safer mode of travel and visited Nathan Road where we were accosted every step of the way by people trying to sell us 'Rolex' watches, etc. After a coffee and a rest we returned to the hotel to start packing again for the next stage of our trip – this time to Sydney.
Today we visited Lantau Island going by ferry, the water was quite choppy and some people felt more than a little queasy. Having arrived on the Island we had to take a local bus to the Po Lin monastery at the top of a mountain with a 250 ton bronze statue of a seated Buddha and sat at the top of nearly 300 steps. However the bus journey to the mountain top was more scary than any roller coaster ride than you can imagine, with sheer drop one one side and a gradient of 1 in six- I will say no more. I will leave you to imagine, needless to say the bus driver only seemed to think his accelerator should be flat on the ground.
We came back to Kowloon via the MTR (tube), a much safer mode of travel and visited Nathan Road where we were accosted every step of the way by people trying to sell us 'Rolex' watches, etc. After a coffee and a rest we returned to the hotel to start packing again for the next stage of our trip – this time to Sydney.
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15th February 2009
THE SLIGHT DELAY IS BECAUSE I COULD NOT TRANSLATE FROM THE CHINESE!!!!
Arrived
The flight was smooth here this is the first chance we have had to add to the blog. Here in Hong Kong today Sunday is very misty and you can hardly see the tops of some buildings. We had a quick wander around Causeway Bay in the early evening and as we were still tired from the flight we had an early night.
16th February 2009
The first full day
We spent the day going on a double decker bus to Stanley where there is a very nice market. I almost bought a Rolex watch but decided that it was not genuine when the guy wanted me to go down a back alley and it was only going to cost about £40.
We then went onto Aberdeen which was a bit disappointing except for the houseboats in the harbour clustered together.
Later in the afternoon we went off to Victoria Peak using the Peak Tram. We would have had superb views across the harbour towards Kowloon except for the mist which meant we could only see about 2 feet in front of you.
The early evening we went up the Mid-Levels escalator which took 15 minutes from the bottom to the top. What goes up must come down so we had to walk all the way down. By then we were so tired from all the walking and decided to have another reasonably early night.
Wednesday, 11 February 2009
11th February 2009
Now for the Packing
Shall we take this, shall we take that. The possibilities are endless. One of the things we have discovered is that all the hotels have laundry facilities, and Rosalyn can ensure that I have a constant supply of clean clothes so therefore we do not need to take huge amounts. Rosalyn would take the kitchen sink if I let her. Although having done the ironing once she refuses to do anymore as she tells me she is also on holiday.
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