What an evening!

We’d arranged to meet Laurie and David in the bar at 7pm.  Now, we’ve never met before but Laurie and I have chatted online and it seems, Laurie had gathered enough information to recognise me by my toes!  Not being quite in the same league of detectives, everything I knew about her was of no use in guessing who she was, there in the busy pre-dinner drinks rush.  So it was a good job she came over and introduced herself and before long, we were a group of eight for dinner.

Waiting for our table to be made up, we gathered another new friend – Judy planned to dine alone as her husband was busy (piloting the ship).  So, there being no other one large enough, we found ourselves at the Captain’s table, centre stage.

What a lovely evening we had.  Great conversation, funny coincidences, shared experiences – and of course, terrific food.  We scanned our memories for our social diary status – could we do this again, maybe?  Hope so!

Anyway, the Captain wasn’t in dinner last night because he was making announcements.  He seldom – almost never – makes announcements, and I’ve never heard him interrupt dinner in this way.  It just had to be important.

It was. 

The Weather.

Seemed like as we left the Brisbane River, we were likely to hit some very strong winds and it was going to be rather a rough ride for an hour or two until we got into the ocean proper, but all would be fine and we were simply to take care, safe in the knowledge it wouldn’t last.  We went to the theatre as planned, made dinner arrangements for tomorrow evening and finally came back to our suite just as things began to get a little jumpy.

Fortunately someone had prepared our room ready for the ride, with the important things (flowers, champagne, wine and gin) secured by tucking them down the back of the sofa!  Thanks Bobby

For sure, we did roll about a fair bit and the ship moved around and creaked more than usual, but we were soon out of it and tucked up in bed, comfy and warm, we didn’t really mind too much.  This morning, the sky is brighter, though still cloudy, and we hope for calm.

In the rainforest

There was land right outside our window this morning as we opened our curtains.

In no time at all we were making one of those remarkable turns on a sixpence in the middle of the Brisbane river and thought it was time we went and gathered our things, because we were off early on a 4WD jaunt today.

The weather didn’t look too promising and in fact, as we left the ship,we felt the first drops of rain.

We were headed for Mount Tamborine and the Hinterland, an area of densely forested hills and a variety of experiences during the day which we very much looked forward to.

Our driver Darren had a lovely turn of phrase, was a true professional who knew his customers and who took every opportunity to inform and entertain.  No sooner had we taken the turning for the mountain than we were stopping to view first this Kookaburra sitting on a wire, but then gum trees, nut bushes and anything else he felt we should take a closer look at.

His ability to spot things was marvellous –”look to your right” said he, there’s a small wallaby there in the grass.

Is there?

Well, yes, there is!  Of course, we’d all been on the lookout for kangaroos and koalas and hadn’t seen a thing, but he seemed to have the eye for such creatures and time and again, we were happy to have them pointed out to us.

The ride up the mountain was bumpy and on an unfinished road, so rather fun.  But we never feared for our safety and loved Darren’s banter with his father, who was driving the vehicle behind ours.

When we reached the top of the mountain it was time for morning tea – with home baked scones still warm from the oven and oodles of jam and cream.  Yum!

A short way further and it was time to leave the vehicle and take Shank’s Pony through the trees on a pathway to the waterfall.  By this time it was pouring with rain and though Darren had said that we’d be sheltered from most of the rain by the canopy of trees, in fact he was wrong – it was raining just as heavily in the forest as it had been in the car park.

We didn’t mind, really.  Most of us had come prepared with raincoats and kagoules, umbrellas and suchlike and we didn’t mind getting wet.  Darren stopped from time to time to point out things of interest and we were a fairly jolly crowd throughout, although by the time we reached the falls we were absolutely soaked through.

He shared his knowledge readily – here pointing out a spider’s lair under what looked like a small tree stump.  As he lifted the top, he asked the young woman by my side if she’d like to see the spider.  For sure, yes, she would – though when he then asked for her finger, she soon changed her mind!

I could upload endless pictures of our bushwalk through the forest, of the waterfalls and the beautiful trees and ferns which lined our pathway.  But there’s just one picture which will stay in my memory

Wet feet.

Yes, they did come clean later, as did my shoes, but oh my goodness, it didn’t make for comfortable (or elegant) walking!

A short stop in Canungra offered some touristy shopping opportunities and having taken a brief look inside just one, we chose to take Darren’s recommendation and head for the Heritage Vineyard shop, where Michael was doing a spot of wine tasting.

Much more fun, especially when we reached the “Moonshine” stage!

From there it was on to lunch in the and a little more kangaroo spotting on the way.

These chaps were happy to stand watching and before long we were getting quite blase about “another kangaroo”.

Lunch was a fine Aussie barbecue, washed down with wine or beer and followed by a couple of opportunities.

Who wants to learn to crack a whip?

Throw a boomerang?

Several did, and most did very well indeed!

But more popular still was the next stop, “real” wine tasting at the O’Reilly vineyard down the road, which had suffered considerably in the floods a couple of years ago.  A beautiful Queenslander homestead set in a lovely valley, it was hard to imagine the place under water.

Having tasted and savoured, Darren headed for home…with one last stop up his sleeve.  Just down the road, he knew of one further place which would interest us; a place where we could see something we were unlikely to see anywhere else.

A colony of 15 – 20,000 fruit bats hanging in the trees!  Amazing and rather horrible all at the same time (and rather smelly as well!)

Leaving them there, we headed back to the ship.

In the rain.

A day at sea

A sea day begins with a leisurely breakfast.

Continues with intriguing views, sometimes including dolphins swimming alongside, but always requiring consultation of the map.

Fun activities, some we win….

and some we don’t (even if we come a very close second!)

Our day was filled with fun and friends and finished with the most delicious dinner and a show.  We laughed until our sides hurt and came back to our suite feeling weary but looking forward to a day in Brisbane tomorrow.

Into the inky blue

You’ll be relieved to know, I’m sure, that the lifeboat drill was serious, comprehensive and reassuring.  It also provided a little entertainment to the people standing on the wharf, gazing up at a couple of hundred people standing out on deck wearing orange lifejackets in the late afternoon sunshine.  Only once before have we actually had to put on our lifejackets and make our way to the lifeboats but it was noticeable that, on this occasion, every one of us paid attention and followed instructions to the letter.

Having changed, we made our way onto the top deck a little later and with drinks in hand, chatted and waited for the off. 

As we did, we spotted another ship leaving, just passing under the bridge.

It was the Oceania Regatta,  I think a similarly sized ship to ours, just setting off for Auckland, possibly.  The two ships sounded horns as they passed.

As she sailed past the Opera House, we were getting ready to leave.

There were people everywhere; this little group on the roof of the building opposite.  How lucky to have a roof terrace overlooking such a panorama!

At precisely 8pm, as the sun sank behind the skyline, we cast off and were away.

We looked down at Doyles, where we’d sat just last evening with Jane and Allan – that seafood was delicious!

In no time at all, it was dark and reversing away from the quay we just couldn’t stop taking photographs!  With the light changing by the minute, the sound of camera shutters was all around us.

We looked up to see another group climbing the bridge. Rather them than me!

The city twinkled and we became quiet – I thought of my parents, who sailed from Sydney just like this and here we were doing the same.  Daddy would have been 86 today and I wished him a quiet “Happy Birthday” as a tear rolled down my cheek.  Silly, isn’t it?

But it would be a hard soul to not be overwhelmed by such a beautiful place.  Such a beautiful evening.  How lucky we are to be here, to do this, to share it all in such good company.

Anyway,  there were more photos to be taken, more gasps of delight as yet another perfect scene unfolded.  Turning past the Opera House, lit against the night sky, we gazed at the view hoping upon hope that our photos would come out ok.

So we took another one, just in case.

And another.  Because even though I believe the best photos are in my head, I do want the pictures in my camera too!

And there we were, gone.

Off into the inky blue.

Must be time for dinner!

It wouldn’t happen in Hobart

Returning to our hotel last evening, we found a puddle in the bathroom, beginning a little saga which ended in a different bedroom shortly before midnight.  Disappointing service from which we’ll move swiftly along, merely noting that it wouldn’t have happened in our Hobart home!

So, sadly, we no longer had the view of the Opera House and of the wharf where our ship would arrive.  Still, we were out there first thing to check all was well and sure enough, there she was – moored right there where we’d hoped.

After breakfast, we enjoyed a stroll around The Rocks, marvelling at this little cottage which survives right there in the middle of the modern city.

We walked under the bridge and took a different route back, looking up just in time to see

a group of people just starting their bridge climb.  By the time we’d made our way back to Circular Quay and found ourselves a bench on which to sit and people watch, they were right up there at the top.

Meanwhile, it was time for us to go, collect our bags and gather with our shipmates to be herded on to a coach, to travel all the way across the road again.  Silly really, but we supposed it was necessary for everyone to identify bags and suchlike, and be there as a group rather than as 20-odd individuals.

By just gone 1pm, we were enjoying lunch on the Pool deck, watching people come and go and generally feeling relaxed.  Around 2, we made our way to our suite and unpacked.

I sit here at the desk with this view.  How lucky am I?

The champagne is on ice, lifeboat drill is in ten minutes time and we sail away just after sunset at 8pm.

Cheers!