Before I get into today's activities, here is an update on the end of our day in Esperance. After preparing for dinner, I went onto the veranda to see how the tender process was going. It was not, and we were already an hour late in departing for Fremantle/Perth. Midway through dinner the captain came on the public address system to update us on what was happening. It turned out that the tender we returned on was the last tender because the waves made moving from tender to ship very unsafe. Service would not resume until the seas calmed. That left almost 1,000 passengers and crew on shore at 3 o'clock. Now at 6:30 the captain had arranged for two large power catamarans to take over the tender service. At 7:00 we saw the first cat approach outside the dining room. Even it was buffeted by the waves, but it was far more stable than a tender and the passengers disembarked safely. This was the first of many trips this cat would make before all were back on board.
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| SEWING STORE |
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| MOVIE THEATER |
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| WAVES ARE BUILDING |
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| OUR TENDER CRASHING THROUGH WAVES |
We knew something was amiss because the dining room was almost empty. Our servers had explained the situation. When we went to bed the ship was still not moving. We would learn in the morning what happened.
At breakfast we shared a table with some passengers who had been stuck in Esperance. They could not say enough good things about how Celebrity handled the situation. They had the local yacht club open their kitchen and bar for free food and drink. When the food ran out they sent crew to Subway for more sandwiches. All were comfortable and well fed. Solstice departed for Perth at 11 PM. This was six hours late, but the captain assured us we would arrive in Perth on time. This was important because for many passengers this ended their cruise, and new passengers would be boarding.
We attended another iPad class. Then I went to the Hot Glass how. Alice took some pictures of the Corning team who had made our bowl. The day was otherwise uneventful.
February 25, 2015 - Wednesday - Perth
This is called Perth, but we actually dock in Fremantle. This requires a train trip into Perth. Since we were going on the next leg, we were Passenger in Transit, and had the day free to roam. We had elected to skip any shore excursions and take the train to Perth. When we exited the terminal at 8:30, we asked a member of the Shore Excursions staff how to get to the train station. She had no idea. Nor did any other Solstice personnel we asked. We returned to the terminal an sought out a local volunteer. He told us that we had to cross the parking lot, walk to the bridge over the railroad tracks and turn right on the other side of the tracks. If we just followed that street we would get to the train station. It turned out to be a half hour walk, but we got to the station just in time to catch the train. The one way fare was just $3.50 US per person. 45 minutes later we were in Perth.
As one might expect, the train station is right in the heart of Perth. A short walk brought us to a pedestrian mall and a very nice square. The tourist kiosk was just opening. We got maps and sightseeing literature, and sat down on a bench to chart our route. We knew what we wanted to visit and where things were on the map. Then I tried the internet. As I was doing that a young lady approached us and asked if we needed help. We told her we thought we had it figured out. As she was about to leave, Alice asked her if she knew of any place that might ship a large glass object to the states. She thought for a moment, and then told us that Australia Post has stores that sell packing material and handle international shipments. She thought there was one nearby. She used her phone to get the address. It turned out that it was just around the corner on the large square. We thanked her and started off. She offered to go with us, but we assured her we would not get lost. She said she was manning a booth on the mall and would be there if we did need her.
As we walked around the corner, Alice and I commented on how helpful she had been. We also thought we must look pretty helpless. Half way down the square was Australia Post as promised. Inside I took out a long shoestring in which I had tied knots for the length, width and height of the bowl. We had no measuring tape. Applying the shoestring to the largest box on the shelf, we found that it was too small. A helpful clerk approached and told us he had just received a larger box, and would assemble one for us. The dimensions were just right for a tight fit. This would not due because that left no room for protective wrapping. We thanked him and left.
Back at the mall we found Katie, who had helped us. When we told her how things had turned out, she said she remembered another company that did shipping. It was PackN' Ship. Her phone showed that the closest location was in the suburbs. That would not work for us. Again we thanked her , and headed away.
It was a long, but pleasant, walk to the Bell Tower. This is a tall, modern spire near the ferry terminal. It is quite striking, but currently it is surrounded by construction sites. We walked back toward the mall.
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| BELL TOWER |
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| CHURCH WITH NEW CONSTRUCTION |
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| VIEW FROM KING'S PARK CONSTRUCTION SITE AT WATER'S EDGE IS WHERE BELL TOWER IS LOCATED |
A few days ago we had met some Perth residents on the ship. They had highly recommended that we visit King's Park for great views of the city as well as nice gardens. We boarded a free bus near the mall and it took us to the heart of the park at the end of the line. When we got off we were surrounded by tour buses. They were excursions from the ship. I don't know their cost, but ours was nothing. We walked away from these masses and found a quiet walk along the cliff's edge high above the city. The views were special and the gardens were as well. After some nice viewing and walking we boarded the free bus back to the center.
We had seen enough of Perth. We walked to the train station, and boarded the train to Fremantle. It left in 5 minutes. The ride through the suburbs was interesting and quick.
Fremantle provides two free bus routes that start just outside the train station. We waited for the first to come and took the 45 minute ride around town. We viewed shops, museums, industrial sites parks and beaches before returning to our starting point at the train station. As we waited for the bus to arrive for the other free route, I studied its route, and found that if we got off 2 stops before it completed the circuit we should be right at the bridge over the railroad tracks that led to the cruise terminal. The bus arrived and took us in new directions through residential neighborhoods and past schools and more parks. We got off at the stop I had picked. Sure enough, directly across the street was the approach to the bridge. Over the bridge and through the parking lot and we were back to Solstice. As we walked we decided that we would rather have spent more time in Fremantle. Perth is just another big city, while Fremantle is an older city with older architecture and much more character.
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| FREMANTLE ARCHITECTURE |
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| BRIDGE OVER PARKING LOT AND TRAIN TRACKS TO PIER |
Back on board I used the ship's poky internet to search out Pack N' Ship. The corporate website described the services, and highlighted shipping glass, artworks and antiques. They clearly stated that they had a fragile service. The crowning disclosure was that there is one in downtown Darwin. We scheduled a short excursion of Darwin for early the morning we arrived. This would allow for some walking before we returned to the ship to pick up the bowl and walk to Pack N' Ship.
I went to guest services to have our prepaid gratuities benefit changed to the beverage package. Alice had tracked our consumption of orange juice, special coffees, water, non-alcoholic beverages, cocktails and wine during the last seventeen days. We had one serving of each category per day except for wine, where we had two glasses each day. Our savings exceeded $1,000. That was not due to excessive consumption, but excessive pricing. Orange juice was $3.50, water $3.50, special coffee$6.00, non-alcoholic beverages $6.00, cocktails $9.50 and wine $10.50 per glass. Yikes.
February 26 and 27, 2015 - Thursday and Friday - Sea Days
These were what have become typical days. More lectures, iPad and Hot Glass. Nothing special to report.
February 28, 2015 - Saturday - Port Hedlund, Australia
Port Hedlund ships more iron ore by freighter than any other port in the world. We had been warned by many staff that it was highly likely our clothes would be stained red from the ore dust that blows around. We had also been warned that the heat would be oppressive, so we should buy water before leaving the ship. Our water was free because we have the beverage package.
We were shuttled from the ship to town because there is absolutely no walking in this busy industrial port. When we got off the shuttle we were greeted by locals with maps and free water. Once again, Celebrity suck it to the passengers.
The shuttle stop was at the central market. this was for crafts and baked goods. It was very nice. Again, we had great conversations with the vendors. At one booth the lady called her husband out of the shade to talk to the Americans. He was a train driver. His job is engineer on the two mile long ore trains that come 240 miles from the mines. He really likes his job. We asked if operations had been stopped because the ship was in. there was no red dust blowing around at all. He said they never stop. 24 hours a day every day of the year. Port Hedlund is clearly a company town, but the wages are good and the morale is high. We had a good time. The only downside was that Celebrity had not paid to extend the shuttle service to the shopping mall.
Alice and I spent a lovely morning touring this area near the port and visiting with the residents. It was extremely hot and very,very humid. We drank more water hear than any where else so far. After a full morning's visit we returned to the ship for lunch. I had an excursion at 2:30 to tour the operating side of the port. This was a bus tour narrated by a company employee. We were never allowed to leave the bus, but they did pass all of the sights going in both directions so everybody had an opportunity to take pictures from the bus.
We learned that the turn around time for an ore carrier from tying up to casting off is 24 hours. in that time between 240,000 and 260,000 tons of iron ore is loaded. When an ore train arrives the locomotive pulls up to a mark at the unloading facility and goes into neutral. From that point the unloader grasps the ore car and rotates it to empty it. couplers are on swivels so the car does not have to be separated from the train. When empty the car is rotated back and pushed ahead so the next car is in place. The ore is load onto conveyors that take it to stockpiles for late loading onto ships. There are miles and miles of conveyors. From the stockpile a huge machine with enormous buckets on a large wheel, rotating on a long arm, scoop ore onto another conveyor that will take it through many junctions to the correct ship loader. This bucket wheel looks like an enormous saw blade. It devours the pile.
All of this activity is automated. As we came into the facility the guide pointed out a one story building labeled Control Center. From here the entire operation is directed. This was a truly interesting tour. We returned to the ship, and a half hour later the ship departed.
March 1, 2015 - Sunday - Sea Day
Celebrity's policy is to have a catholic priest on board for Sundays during Lent, Easter Sunday and Christmas. The priest boarded in Perth. This was our first Mass on board. The priest is very congenial and devout. His preaching is concise and appropriate to the readings. At the end of Mass he offered to say Mass on all sea days if there was interest. There was. We are to watch the daily program for time and location.
More lectures and more glass.
March 2, 2015 - Monday - Benoa, Bali, Indonesia
Many of the crew are Indonesian. They hope to meet family ashore here. The ship is prohibiting non-Indonesians from going ashore in order to accommodate this. This is a tender port. The tenders will be local boats. There is a lot of graft in Bali, and this requirement seems to be part of that.
The tenders operated efficiently. We have learned that the best way to get off the ship in a tender port is to take an excursion. otherwise the wait can be extensive. An hour or more.
We booked an excursion that would take us to a wood carving studio, a silversmith, a batik making facility and a market. This started with a bus ride to the farthest point. The roads are very narrow. The buses are also narrow, have narrow aisles and very narrow seats. Our guide explained the religious background of the country, and pointed out many personal temples along the route. There were also much larger neighborhood or village temples. The road was lined with a multitude of shops selling statuary.
We arrived at the carving studio where we were shown about ten people carving various figures. It was explained that their skills were passed down from generation to generation. This was a display not a working "factory". Then we were moved to the exhibit. This was a store. The artifacts were interesting, but not something we were interested in.
The silversmith and batik stops were the same. The market was just a store. We saw some nice things, but the "craft" demonstrations were very artificial and superficial. For example, the batik demonstration used no wax at all. They did not explain the process either. They just talked about how it was labor intensive, and that justified the price. The shop seemed to be stocked with Chinese imports that looked like batik.
While the tour was disappointing in terms of how it taught us the process, it was useful for its cultural aspects and sightseeing. We returned to the ship disappointed in Benoa, and wondering where the beautiful places are.
These were what have become typical days. More lectures, iPad and Hot Glass. Nothing special to report.
February 28, 2015 - Saturday - Port Hedlund, Australia
Port Hedlund ships more iron ore by freighter than any other port in the world. We had been warned by many staff that it was highly likely our clothes would be stained red from the ore dust that blows around. We had also been warned that the heat would be oppressive, so we should buy water before leaving the ship. Our water was free because we have the beverage package.
We were shuttled from the ship to town because there is absolutely no walking in this busy industrial port. When we got off the shuttle we were greeted by locals with maps and free water. Once again, Celebrity suck it to the passengers.
The shuttle stop was at the central market. this was for crafts and baked goods. It was very nice. Again, we had great conversations with the vendors. At one booth the lady called her husband out of the shade to talk to the Americans. He was a train driver. His job is engineer on the two mile long ore trains that come 240 miles from the mines. He really likes his job. We asked if operations had been stopped because the ship was in. there was no red dust blowing around at all. He said they never stop. 24 hours a day every day of the year. Port Hedlund is clearly a company town, but the wages are good and the morale is high. We had a good time. The only downside was that Celebrity had not paid to extend the shuttle service to the shopping mall.
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| FRIENDLY LOCALS IN PORT HEDLUND HE IS A TRAIN DRIVER |
Alice and I spent a lovely morning touring this area near the port and visiting with the residents. It was extremely hot and very,very humid. We drank more water hear than any where else so far. After a full morning's visit we returned to the ship for lunch. I had an excursion at 2:30 to tour the operating side of the port. This was a bus tour narrated by a company employee. We were never allowed to leave the bus, but they did pass all of the sights going in both directions so everybody had an opportunity to take pictures from the bus.
We learned that the turn around time for an ore carrier from tying up to casting off is 24 hours. in that time between 240,000 and 260,000 tons of iron ore is loaded. When an ore train arrives the locomotive pulls up to a mark at the unloading facility and goes into neutral. From that point the unloader grasps the ore car and rotates it to empty it. couplers are on swivels so the car does not have to be separated from the train. When empty the car is rotated back and pushed ahead so the next car is in place. The ore is load onto conveyors that take it to stockpiles for late loading onto ships. There are miles and miles of conveyors. From the stockpile a huge machine with enormous buckets on a large wheel, rotating on a long arm, scoop ore onto another conveyor that will take it through many junctions to the correct ship loader. This bucket wheel looks like an enormous saw blade. It devours the pile.
All of this activity is automated. As we came into the facility the guide pointed out a one story building labeled Control Center. From here the entire operation is directed. This was a truly interesting tour. We returned to the ship, and a half hour later the ship departed.
March 1, 2015 - Sunday - Sea Day
Celebrity's policy is to have a catholic priest on board for Sundays during Lent, Easter Sunday and Christmas. The priest boarded in Perth. This was our first Mass on board. The priest is very congenial and devout. His preaching is concise and appropriate to the readings. At the end of Mass he offered to say Mass on all sea days if there was interest. There was. We are to watch the daily program for time and location.
More lectures and more glass.
March 2, 2015 - Monday - Benoa, Bali, Indonesia
Many of the crew are Indonesian. They hope to meet family ashore here. The ship is prohibiting non-Indonesians from going ashore in order to accommodate this. This is a tender port. The tenders will be local boats. There is a lot of graft in Bali, and this requirement seems to be part of that.
The tenders operated efficiently. We have learned that the best way to get off the ship in a tender port is to take an excursion. otherwise the wait can be extensive. An hour or more.
We booked an excursion that would take us to a wood carving studio, a silversmith, a batik making facility and a market. This started with a bus ride to the farthest point. The roads are very narrow. The buses are also narrow, have narrow aisles and very narrow seats. Our guide explained the religious background of the country, and pointed out many personal temples along the route. There were also much larger neighborhood or village temples. The road was lined with a multitude of shops selling statuary.
We arrived at the carving studio where we were shown about ten people carving various figures. It was explained that their skills were passed down from generation to generation. This was a display not a working "factory". Then we were moved to the exhibit. This was a store. The artifacts were interesting, but not something we were interested in.
The silversmith and batik stops were the same. The market was just a store. We saw some nice things, but the "craft" demonstrations were very artificial and superficial. For example, the batik demonstration used no wax at all. They did not explain the process either. They just talked about how it was labor intensive, and that justified the price. The shop seemed to be stocked with Chinese imports that looked like batik.
While the tour was disappointing in terms of how it taught us the process, it was useful for its cultural aspects and sightseeing. We returned to the ship disappointed in Benoa, and wondering where the beautiful places are.
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| NEIGHBORHOOD TEMPLE |
March 3 & 4, 2015 - Tuesday & Wednesday - Sea Days
Our sea days continue to be very comfortable. We are surprised at how few other vessels we see. We know they are out there because the ports we visit are always busy.
The Hot Glass shows continue to teach and amaze. In Perth a new gaffer, Ryan Dolittle, joined the ship. She replaced Lyndsey. She seems more energetic. This may be because Lyndsey had been aboard for six months, and Ryan is just joining us. She has a different style. She produces some beautiful work.
March 5, 2015 - Thursday - Darwin, Australia
This will be a busy day for us. We chose to do a bus excursion that leaves first thing. It will be a city panorama. That means it will basically drive past the sights with a narration. We usually opt for something more in depth, but we have another goal today. We have to find Pack 'N Ship to send our prized bowl home.
The tour proved to be informative and enjoyable. We learned that on Christmas Eve, 1974 Cyclone Tracy devastated the city. 70% of the buildings were destroyed. 30,000 of the 47,000 residents had to be relocated to other metropolitan areas of Australia. Some will never return. Almost everything we saw was constructed after the storm.
What we did see is quite nice. While there is a central business district, it is rather small and easy to walk. We drove through it in a very short time. The rest of the city appears to be resort like. There are waterfront drives with beautiful views. Some nice harbors are home to sailboats and a good sized fishing fleet. There is a lot of parkland with beautiful vistas. Some of the shoreline consists of steep cliffs. The tidal range is 24 feet, and you can see where that takes its toll on the shore. Salt water crocodiles are prevalent here. Each year some deaths are attributed to these. This usually involves alcohol. The pace seems slow. People take their time and enjoy life.
We returned to Solstice very satisfied with our tour. As we went through the security checks, we noticed a couple leaving the vessel with a beautiful glass vase from the Show. We were not in a position to talk to them, but we suspected where they were going.
We stopped in the cabin to get the bowl and headed off again. Google Maps had provided a route for us. We should have no problem finding Pack N' Ship. So we thought. We followed the path, but suddenly found ourselves at the top of a cliff with no way to go on. Hm. We entered a small business office and asked where the place might be . They had no clue. A search online sparked a recollection, and the clerk said we needed to go back about two blocks to an unmarked alley. That would be the street. We retraced our steps, found the alley, and found the shop a block away. When we entered, the couple we had seen on the ship was completing the paperwork necessary to ship their vase. They were as thrilled with their prize as we were with ours. They wanted to wait until we got the cost for our shipment. They were ready to perform CPR. Their vase cost $355 Australian. Ours turned out to be $351. They were stunned that even though ours was larger than theirs, it weighed less.
They left, and we carried on with the clerk. She was most helpful. We insured it and prepared the US customs declaration. She asked when we would be returning home. She would hold it until the following week so it would not beat us home. When we arrived home on March 14, we had an email from her with a DHL tracking number. Excellent!
With our primary objective achieved we set out to explore Darwin on foot. Walking was easy, but distances were farther than anticipated. There are many memorials to the devastation of the cyclone around the central area. They are a grim reminder of the fore of nature. The city is a testimony to the grit and determination of the Aussies. When we returned home we were satisfied that we had done all that we wanted to in Darwin
Our sea days continue to be very comfortable. We are surprised at how few other vessels we see. We know they are out there because the ports we visit are always busy.
The Hot Glass shows continue to teach and amaze. In Perth a new gaffer, Ryan Dolittle, joined the ship. She replaced Lyndsey. She seems more energetic. This may be because Lyndsey had been aboard for six months, and Ryan is just joining us. She has a different style. She produces some beautiful work.
March 5, 2015 - Thursday - Darwin, Australia
This will be a busy day for us. We chose to do a bus excursion that leaves first thing. It will be a city panorama. That means it will basically drive past the sights with a narration. We usually opt for something more in depth, but we have another goal today. We have to find Pack 'N Ship to send our prized bowl home.
The tour proved to be informative and enjoyable. We learned that on Christmas Eve, 1974 Cyclone Tracy devastated the city. 70% of the buildings were destroyed. 30,000 of the 47,000 residents had to be relocated to other metropolitan areas of Australia. Some will never return. Almost everything we saw was constructed after the storm.
What we did see is quite nice. While there is a central business district, it is rather small and easy to walk. We drove through it in a very short time. The rest of the city appears to be resort like. There are waterfront drives with beautiful views. Some nice harbors are home to sailboats and a good sized fishing fleet. There is a lot of parkland with beautiful vistas. Some of the shoreline consists of steep cliffs. The tidal range is 24 feet, and you can see where that takes its toll on the shore. Salt water crocodiles are prevalent here. Each year some deaths are attributed to these. This usually involves alcohol. The pace seems slow. People take their time and enjoy life.
We returned to Solstice very satisfied with our tour. As we went through the security checks, we noticed a couple leaving the vessel with a beautiful glass vase from the Show. We were not in a position to talk to them, but we suspected where they were going.
We stopped in the cabin to get the bowl and headed off again. Google Maps had provided a route for us. We should have no problem finding Pack N' Ship. So we thought. We followed the path, but suddenly found ourselves at the top of a cliff with no way to go on. Hm. We entered a small business office and asked where the place might be . They had no clue. A search online sparked a recollection, and the clerk said we needed to go back about two blocks to an unmarked alley. That would be the street. We retraced our steps, found the alley, and found the shop a block away. When we entered, the couple we had seen on the ship was completing the paperwork necessary to ship their vase. They were as thrilled with their prize as we were with ours. They wanted to wait until we got the cost for our shipment. They were ready to perform CPR. Their vase cost $355 Australian. Ours turned out to be $351. They were stunned that even though ours was larger than theirs, it weighed less.
They left, and we carried on with the clerk. She was most helpful. We insured it and prepared the US customs declaration. She asked when we would be returning home. She would hold it until the following week so it would not beat us home. When we arrived home on March 14, we had an email from her with a DHL tracking number. Excellent!
With our primary objective achieved we set out to explore Darwin on foot. Walking was easy, but distances were farther than anticipated. There are many memorials to the devastation of the cyclone around the central area. They are a grim reminder of the fore of nature. The city is a testimony to the grit and determination of the Aussies. When we returned home we were satisfied that we had done all that we wanted to in Darwin
March 6 & 7, 2015 - Friday and Saturday - Cruising the Torres Strait
We are headed toward the Great Barrier Reef. A reef pilot boarded Solstice in Darwin. He will remain on board to Brisbane. This is the longest piloted passage in the world. It is necessary because the strait is very shallow, dotted with many small islands, and is a major international shipping lane. Coral heads also populate our track.
The seas remained very calm and our passage was uneventful. We seemed to be in sight of land the whole time. Sometimes this was the continent. Other times it was the proliferation of islands.
On Friday I went up for the Hot Glass show. It was enjoyable, as always. The raffle was held before the final piece was made. Aaron was narrating the process for the final piece. He asked us to shout out if we had any questions. I had not won the raffle, but i did notice that they had a surplus of pieces left for the giving. So, I asked if in light of the extra pieces he thought we should have a second raffle. The crowd cheered, and he said he would think about it. When the final piece went into the annealing oven, he passed out raffle tickets. The piece was a very nice blue and violet vase made by Ryan. Megan had just finished the last piece, and was sweating profusely. Aaron chastised her for getting the ticket she pulled all wet. We went through the usual procedure of standing until the digit called was not on our tickets. We got down to the last digit, and I was still standing. Aaron called that the last digit was even. Groans. It was greater than 4. More groans. It was less than 8. Hooray! It was mine. I had not only asked for the raffle, I had won it.
I took the beautiful vase to the cabin. Alice was amazed. At least this was something we could carry home.
March 8, 2015 - Sunday - Cairns, Australia
We anchored off of Cairns. A large catamaran pulled alongside the ship and we boarded it for our excursion to the Great Barrier Reef. We had come too far to miss this. We would not be going into the water, but we could board the glass bottomed boat and the semi-submersible for viewing sea life and the reef. While this would not be ideal, it was necessary because I was nursing wounds on my right foot from the pressure sore spawned by all of the walking I had done. I knew this was a risk. I had an appointment with the podiatrist as soon as we got home to schedule surgery to repair this
The trip out to the reef was fast and somewhat rocky, but we were not affected. The setup at the reef is quite impressive. A large pontoon is tethered there. It provides the changing area, scuba storage, snorkeling gear sanitation and a dock for the viewing boats. Very efficient.
We boarded the glass bottomed boat. In less than 50 yards we were over coral heads. The different shapes and colors of the coral were beautiful. Of course, there were fish of all sizes and hues swimming everywhere. Even a large sea turtle swam by. The captain's narration was excellent. We had a wonderful time.
We went from the glass bottomed boat directly to the semi-submersible. This was a very different experience. The fish were all around us, and we seemed to be passing through coral canyons. We would get to the edge of the reef, and the sea would turn dark blue beneath us. The fish looked larger and the coral was better defined. Another good narration. As we returned to the pontoon, we marveled at how comfortable the fish were in our presence.
We wandered around the pontoon. On the far side were the platforms used to get the snorkelers into the water. The approved swim area was well marked It was full of swimmers. Floats were strategically placed for the less capable swimmers.
Soon, too soon, it was time for the cat to return to Solstice. Before departing, the crew went through the vessel in waves to perform independent counts of the guests. The counts matched. No one was left behind.
About an hour later we were alongside Solstice. Well, almost. The sea had built while we were away. It was to unstable to tie up as we had been tied for our departure. After considerable jockeying and turning we landed with the starboard side to Solstice and exited from the stern. It went well, but it was a lot slower than we had boarded. We were safe, and we were home.
We had vacillated about doing this tour before we left home. In January 2016 we will be back to the reef on the World Voyage. We thought that would be the time to visit the reef because my feet would be fully recovered from the repairs. In the end we decided that we should not wait because one never know what the future brings. We are glad we made that choice. Now we know we can either return to the reef or do other tours in Cairns without missing anything.
March 9 & 10, 2015 - Monday and Tuesday - Sea Days
We are on our way to Brisbane. The sea is calm. We have Islands to the west at close range. They are alluring. It would be fun to spend some time on the long beaches. Then someone commented that salt water crocs populate this area. We were safe at the reef because the crocs cannot swim that far offshore without resting. Here they can range freely. The beaches remain pretty to look at.
We and our table mates are all coughing. You cannot get into a public area without hearing somebody hacking. We have fought it of as long as we could. Now it is our turn. No fever. Just a relentless cough. We have avoided going to the medical center. I have a doctor's appointment the Monday after we get home. We will look for cough syrup in a pharmacy ashore.
March 11, 2015 - Wednesday - Brisbane, Australia
We had considered using public transportation to get to the Koala Park. After further consideration we decided to take a tour to Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo. What a great choice. The tour consisted of a bus ride to the gate and a return ride to the ship. We had four hours on our own inside the zoo. We visited crocodile enclosures, koalas, kangaroos and many more birds and animals. We attended the show, which featured several birds in flight and the essential crocodile demonstration. This was a great time. It was both entertaining and informative. We met Sharon and Jim from our table, and joined them in feeding some kangaroos. Then Alice and I took the tram that runs all around the zoo. This was a good respite for my feet.
We returned to the ship very satisfied with our day.
March 12, 2015 - Thursday - Sea Day
This is our last sea day as the cruise winds down. We attended the Glass Auction. The pieces were beautiful and raised a considerable for the Corning Museum scholarship program and for Cancer research. There was some very competitive bidding going on. This a fun time because we get to see the artists all dressed up. they clean up well.
Packing consumed the rest of our time. We discovered that the odds and ends we accumulated in 52 days add up. We will be checking one of our carryons to take up this excess. Once more we discovered cloths that we never touched the whole time. We really look forward to returning to Holland America where we have free laundry. We will definitely pack lighter next time.
March 13, 2015 - Friday - Newcastle, Australia
Wow! This is our last port day.
We have done and seen so much since we stepped off the plane in Sydney on January 24. That day was filled with a happy apprehension. Now we are looking back with satisfaction over our many accomplishments. This is one more chance to attack the bucket list.
Newcastle is a compact city developed around a large harbor. Solstice docked a long way from the city center, but a free shuttle bus would bring us to the heart of things.When we disembarked the shuttle, we walked along the water's edge. The view was expansive. The main shipping passed right in front of us. It was very busy with large commercial vessels and some smaller fishing trawlers. To our right, were some historical buildings, then an entertainment district and finally, a long walk through an attractive park to a beautiful beach. The walk continued to a fort on a cliff high above the sea before extending to a lighthouse on the headlands at the harbor's mouth. This called out to us, but it would have to wait. Newcastle is another city with a free bus zone at its center.
We walked away from the water and found a substantial shopping area. We went straight to the pharmacy. Our coughs had gotten so bad that there was no way we would forget to get medicine here. We surveyed the shelves, consulted with the pharmacist and made a purchase. Hopefully this would loosen the cough and clear our ears before our flights tomorrow.
Now it was time for some fun. After a short walk we found a stop for the free bus. The driver confirmed that it was, indeed, the free bus. We settled in for our mobile exploration. We passed through several nice neighborhoods, saw some nice hotels and shopping districts. We drove past a large sports complex. Then we started to get anxious. The bus had not made any turns . Usually by now it would have been obvious that the bus was following a loop. We had gotten farther and farther from city center. We were in the suburbs. A consultation with the driver revealed that Newcastle, unlike the other cities, did not offer a loop, but a zone. When the bus passed a certain street, it was like the meter turned on and the fare began to grow. We had gone $5 out of the city center. The helpful driver told us to cross the street, wait at the bus stop sign for about 20 minutes and wave our arms when the bus appeared. He would not collect a fare from us, but he could not vouch for the next driver. We followed his instructions, and soon found ourselves pleading our case to a far less sympathetic driver. He was clearly a company man. Maybe he thought we were the "secret riders" who would turn him in, if he let us ride free. Finally he relented, and we rode back downtown.
It was time to head to the waterfront for or walk. The park was some distance away. We set it as our goal. My feet were suffering from the abuse of all the walking we had done in seven weeks. When we had finished with the park, we thought the beach was just a little further on. Why not? We set off for the beach. It was very nice, and we were glad we visited it. The fort did not seem so far. what the heck. We can do it. The walk along the break wall was unprotected and the wind was howling. This was so invigorating. As we got closer to the fort, we discovered that the path up to it was closed. Rats! The lighthouse beckoned. We had come this far, too far not to finish the walk. The wind had gotten quite fierce. Waves were crashing over the path. We had to time our passages in order to stay dry.
The views from out here were extraordinary. The skyline was very distinct in this clear air. The fort, beach and park still beckoned. We would pause at each on our way back. We strolled through the entertainment district. There were many fine restaurants. At last we stepped onto the shuttle, and made our way aboard Solstice for the last time.
This was a great way to end our journey down under. The sights and activities far exceeded our expectations. The people really made the experience delightful. Our mix of self-guided and ship's tours gave us a strong sense of accomplishment. As we sat on the veranda reviewing our experiences, we concluded that for the very first time, we would scratch destinations from our bucket list. We will add the destination pins to our travel map. We know we will pass this way again next February. That will be relaxing as the urgency of taking everything in will be past us. We may even find that staying onboard and skipping a port is something we can handle.
Thank you for traveling along with us. We hope you can feel some of the excitement and satisfaction that cruising brings to us.
We are headed toward the Great Barrier Reef. A reef pilot boarded Solstice in Darwin. He will remain on board to Brisbane. This is the longest piloted passage in the world. It is necessary because the strait is very shallow, dotted with many small islands, and is a major international shipping lane. Coral heads also populate our track.
The seas remained very calm and our passage was uneventful. We seemed to be in sight of land the whole time. Sometimes this was the continent. Other times it was the proliferation of islands.
On Friday I went up for the Hot Glass show. It was enjoyable, as always. The raffle was held before the final piece was made. Aaron was narrating the process for the final piece. He asked us to shout out if we had any questions. I had not won the raffle, but i did notice that they had a surplus of pieces left for the giving. So, I asked if in light of the extra pieces he thought we should have a second raffle. The crowd cheered, and he said he would think about it. When the final piece went into the annealing oven, he passed out raffle tickets. The piece was a very nice blue and violet vase made by Ryan. Megan had just finished the last piece, and was sweating profusely. Aaron chastised her for getting the ticket she pulled all wet. We went through the usual procedure of standing until the digit called was not on our tickets. We got down to the last digit, and I was still standing. Aaron called that the last digit was even. Groans. It was greater than 4. More groans. It was less than 8. Hooray! It was mine. I had not only asked for the raffle, I had won it.
I took the beautiful vase to the cabin. Alice was amazed. At least this was something we could carry home.
March 8, 2015 - Sunday - Cairns, Australia
We anchored off of Cairns. A large catamaran pulled alongside the ship and we boarded it for our excursion to the Great Barrier Reef. We had come too far to miss this. We would not be going into the water, but we could board the glass bottomed boat and the semi-submersible for viewing sea life and the reef. While this would not be ideal, it was necessary because I was nursing wounds on my right foot from the pressure sore spawned by all of the walking I had done. I knew this was a risk. I had an appointment with the podiatrist as soon as we got home to schedule surgery to repair this
The trip out to the reef was fast and somewhat rocky, but we were not affected. The setup at the reef is quite impressive. A large pontoon is tethered there. It provides the changing area, scuba storage, snorkeling gear sanitation and a dock for the viewing boats. Very efficient.
We boarded the glass bottomed boat. In less than 50 yards we were over coral heads. The different shapes and colors of the coral were beautiful. Of course, there were fish of all sizes and hues swimming everywhere. Even a large sea turtle swam by. The captain's narration was excellent. We had a wonderful time.
We went from the glass bottomed boat directly to the semi-submersible. This was a very different experience. The fish were all around us, and we seemed to be passing through coral canyons. We would get to the edge of the reef, and the sea would turn dark blue beneath us. The fish looked larger and the coral was better defined. Another good narration. As we returned to the pontoon, we marveled at how comfortable the fish were in our presence.
We wandered around the pontoon. On the far side were the platforms used to get the snorkelers into the water. The approved swim area was well marked It was full of swimmers. Floats were strategically placed for the less capable swimmers.
Soon, too soon, it was time for the cat to return to Solstice. Before departing, the crew went through the vessel in waves to perform independent counts of the guests. The counts matched. No one was left behind.
About an hour later we were alongside Solstice. Well, almost. The sea had built while we were away. It was to unstable to tie up as we had been tied for our departure. After considerable jockeying and turning we landed with the starboard side to Solstice and exited from the stern. It went well, but it was a lot slower than we had boarded. We were safe, and we were home.
We had vacillated about doing this tour before we left home. In January 2016 we will be back to the reef on the World Voyage. We thought that would be the time to visit the reef because my feet would be fully recovered from the repairs. In the end we decided that we should not wait because one never know what the future brings. We are glad we made that choice. Now we know we can either return to the reef or do other tours in Cairns without missing anything.
March 9 & 10, 2015 - Monday and Tuesday - Sea Days
We are on our way to Brisbane. The sea is calm. We have Islands to the west at close range. They are alluring. It would be fun to spend some time on the long beaches. Then someone commented that salt water crocs populate this area. We were safe at the reef because the crocs cannot swim that far offshore without resting. Here they can range freely. The beaches remain pretty to look at.
We and our table mates are all coughing. You cannot get into a public area without hearing somebody hacking. We have fought it of as long as we could. Now it is our turn. No fever. Just a relentless cough. We have avoided going to the medical center. I have a doctor's appointment the Monday after we get home. We will look for cough syrup in a pharmacy ashore.
March 11, 2015 - Wednesday - Brisbane, Australia
We had considered using public transportation to get to the Koala Park. After further consideration we decided to take a tour to Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo. What a great choice. The tour consisted of a bus ride to the gate and a return ride to the ship. We had four hours on our own inside the zoo. We visited crocodile enclosures, koalas, kangaroos and many more birds and animals. We attended the show, which featured several birds in flight and the essential crocodile demonstration. This was a great time. It was both entertaining and informative. We met Sharon and Jim from our table, and joined them in feeding some kangaroos. Then Alice and I took the tram that runs all around the zoo. This was a good respite for my feet.
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| ZOO GROUNDS |
March 12, 2015 - Thursday - Sea Day
This is our last sea day as the cruise winds down. We attended the Glass Auction. The pieces were beautiful and raised a considerable for the Corning Museum scholarship program and for Cancer research. There was some very competitive bidding going on. This a fun time because we get to see the artists all dressed up. they clean up well.
Packing consumed the rest of our time. We discovered that the odds and ends we accumulated in 52 days add up. We will be checking one of our carryons to take up this excess. Once more we discovered cloths that we never touched the whole time. We really look forward to returning to Holland America where we have free laundry. We will definitely pack lighter next time.
March 13, 2015 - Friday - Newcastle, Australia
Wow! This is our last port day.
We have done and seen so much since we stepped off the plane in Sydney on January 24. That day was filled with a happy apprehension. Now we are looking back with satisfaction over our many accomplishments. This is one more chance to attack the bucket list.
Newcastle is a compact city developed around a large harbor. Solstice docked a long way from the city center, but a free shuttle bus would bring us to the heart of things.When we disembarked the shuttle, we walked along the water's edge. The view was expansive. The main shipping passed right in front of us. It was very busy with large commercial vessels and some smaller fishing trawlers. To our right, were some historical buildings, then an entertainment district and finally, a long walk through an attractive park to a beautiful beach. The walk continued to a fort on a cliff high above the sea before extending to a lighthouse on the headlands at the harbor's mouth. This called out to us, but it would have to wait. Newcastle is another city with a free bus zone at its center.
We walked away from the water and found a substantial shopping area. We went straight to the pharmacy. Our coughs had gotten so bad that there was no way we would forget to get medicine here. We surveyed the shelves, consulted with the pharmacist and made a purchase. Hopefully this would loosen the cough and clear our ears before our flights tomorrow.
Now it was time for some fun. After a short walk we found a stop for the free bus. The driver confirmed that it was, indeed, the free bus. We settled in for our mobile exploration. We passed through several nice neighborhoods, saw some nice hotels and shopping districts. We drove past a large sports complex. Then we started to get anxious. The bus had not made any turns . Usually by now it would have been obvious that the bus was following a loop. We had gotten farther and farther from city center. We were in the suburbs. A consultation with the driver revealed that Newcastle, unlike the other cities, did not offer a loop, but a zone. When the bus passed a certain street, it was like the meter turned on and the fare began to grow. We had gone $5 out of the city center. The helpful driver told us to cross the street, wait at the bus stop sign for about 20 minutes and wave our arms when the bus appeared. He would not collect a fare from us, but he could not vouch for the next driver. We followed his instructions, and soon found ourselves pleading our case to a far less sympathetic driver. He was clearly a company man. Maybe he thought we were the "secret riders" who would turn him in, if he let us ride free. Finally he relented, and we rode back downtown.
It was time to head to the waterfront for or walk. The park was some distance away. We set it as our goal. My feet were suffering from the abuse of all the walking we had done in seven weeks. When we had finished with the park, we thought the beach was just a little further on. Why not? We set off for the beach. It was very nice, and we were glad we visited it. The fort did not seem so far. what the heck. We can do it. The walk along the break wall was unprotected and the wind was howling. This was so invigorating. As we got closer to the fort, we discovered that the path up to it was closed. Rats! The lighthouse beckoned. We had come this far, too far not to finish the walk. The wind had gotten quite fierce. Waves were crashing over the path. We had to time our passages in order to stay dry.
The views from out here were extraordinary. The skyline was very distinct in this clear air. The fort, beach and park still beckoned. We would pause at each on our way back. We strolled through the entertainment district. There were many fine restaurants. At last we stepped onto the shuttle, and made our way aboard Solstice for the last time.
This was a great way to end our journey down under. The sights and activities far exceeded our expectations. The people really made the experience delightful. Our mix of self-guided and ship's tours gave us a strong sense of accomplishment. As we sat on the veranda reviewing our experiences, we concluded that for the very first time, we would scratch destinations from our bucket list. We will add the destination pins to our travel map. We know we will pass this way again next February. That will be relaxing as the urgency of taking everything in will be past us. We may even find that staying onboard and skipping a port is something we can handle.
Thank you for traveling along with us. We hope you can feel some of the excitement and satisfaction that cruising brings to us.
