28 February - Brisbane

After a rainy and thundery day at sea we arrived in Brisbane early this morning.

Brisbane is the capital of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. The city played a central role in the Allied campaign during World War II as the South West Pacific headquarters for General Douglas MacArthur.

We visited the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and saw the sights of Brisbane on our last visit here (see www.sandieuphill.com/blog).

Today we caught the shuttle bus into the City. There wasn't really much to see but I did manage to buy a few essential toiletries and Terry bought a t shirt obviously! It was very hot and humid so stopped off at the Pig and Whistle for some refreshment.

We sail this evening for Yorkey's Knob in Cairns which I'll take two days.

A few Brisbane pics (2015 photos at sandieuphill.com/blog)

The Blue Mountains

Sydney

Sydney

24th/25th February
Arrived early morning to wind and rain. At anchor today so we need to tender into the harbour for our Blue Mountains trip.

We visited the Featherdale Wildlife Park first to see all the indigenous Australian animals. Kangaroos, cuddly koalas, wombats, cassowary and the really cute fairy penguins.

After stopping for lunch we continued up to the mountains where the visibility was virtually nil and on to Scenic World.

Our first ride was on the Scenic Cableway, which is Australia's biggest cable car, and descended 545 metres into the Jamison Valley. We then travelled on the Scenic Skyway between the cliff tops above the valley and walked through the rainforest. At 270 metres it is the highest cable car in Australia. Lastly we took the Scenic Railway back to the top. This was our fave! It travels at a 52 degree incline and is the steepest passenger train in the world.  A bit like a fun fair ride! Sadly we didn't see much because of the adverse weather conditions but we still enjoyed it. A worthwhile trip but check the weather if you go there!

An absolute deluge of rain overnight that was so heavy it sounded more like thunder and went on for ages. Thankfully the ship has now moved into Circular Quays harbour so it's easy to get on and off whenever we wish.

Our new dining neighbours, a nice couple Sandra and Robert from Wimbledon, got off today. They were only on for five days so we didn't get to see them too often. We enjoyed their company when we did though.
They will be replaced by an Australian couple going to Kobe, Japan.

The weather on the 25th was much better. We caught a taxi into town to visit the Sydney Tower. Just over $10 NSW.  Very much like the Sky Tower in Auckland. We then went into the 360degree Bar where it slowly rotates giving good views over Sydney. There is a minimum $20 spend to go in. The Tower is in the Westfield Centre which holds many of the high end stores. We had a quick look around the shops before returning to Central Quays. As usual the sail away from Sydney is lovely to see with spectacular views of the Bridge and Opera House.

So many changes in the restaurant tonight. There was a change over of 1100 guests today and a few of the restaurant staff.

We have a day at sea now before Brisbane.

Captain's Nautical Anecdote: Scraping the bottom of the barrel -
In days gone by chefs used to scrape the obnoxious smelling slush from the bottom of a barrel containing salted meat and sell it for candle making.

23/24 February

We have had two beautiful, sunny days en route to Sydney.  A light breeze has kept it comfortable and the sea had just a gentle roll to it. Very soporific!

We watched a couple of late shows. Walk Like A Man, a Frankie Valli and Four Seasons Tribute Band, were absolutely terrific. It was the first time I had ever seen a standing ovation in the Royal Court Theatre. Awesome.

The other show was by the Cunard dancers which was also good.

There are quite a few guests on board with colds, as usual, including Terry unfortunately.

We arrive in Sydney at 5.30am tomorrow but will be at anchor until 1.30am the following morning do will need to tender in. An early start for our trip.

Captain's Nautical Anecdote: Over a Barrel
In the days when it was fairly common for sailors to fall overboard the only way to clear his lungs was to roll him over a barrel. As the Captain reminded us there was no mouth to mouth resuscitation in those days which was just as well as it wouldn't be pleasant to try it on a bearded, toothless sailor with scurvy!

Bay of Islands

Auckland

Auckland is on New Zealand's North Island. It is surrounded by water and volcanic hills and is nicknamed 'City of Sails'. It has a population of 1.43 million.

Winds up to force 8 last night but it gradually became calmer as we neared Auckland.

We arrived about 5pm to lovely sunshine. Decided on an early dinner and had a walk around the city in the evening.

Revisited the Sky Tower but still too chicken to jump though.

Our friends Julie & Tony disembarked today. We really enjoyed their company. Looking forward (or not!) to see who we get next.

We sail at 11pm for the Bay of Islands which is 150 miles north of Auckland.
The Bay of Islands is a Maritime Park in New Zealand with 144 Islands.
Dutch explorer, Abel Tasman, tried to land on South Island in 1642 but was given a hostile reception by the Maoris. About 100 years later Captain James Cook chartered the two main islands but enjoyed a better relationship with them. In 1840 a pact between Great Britain and the Maori chieftains was signed and the Maori accepted British sovereignty.

It was quite cloudy and not very warm first thing but the scenery in the Bay of Islands is beautiful. After a 20/25 minute tender to the pier a shuttle bus took us into the little town of Paihia. A lovely little place with a few shops and restaurants.  It turned out to be really hot and sunny. Before getting the tender back we went to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds to see the house where the treaty was signed and the worlds longest canoe. It is 120ft long, carried 150 Maori warriors and is named Ngatokimatawhaorua! We had stunning views of the bay from here too.

Captain's Miscellany - Above Board
Back in the days when illegal trading was rife it was usual to pack illegal goods underneath the board which held the legal goods. Therefore if it was legal it was 'above board '

The sea is much calmer this morning and there is quite a bit of sunshine. After our deck laps we went to the theatre for a Q&A with the Captain. Very interesting learning of his career from pilot to captain. He's very down to earth and self deprecating but confident and decisive. A few LOL moments and very interesting.

This afternoon I went on the 'Behind the Scenes' tour. Really fascinating. It took over four hours and included a back stage look at the theatre, the engine control room, the medical centre, the mooring deck, the bakery (where we had cakes!), the galley and the Bridge. The Captain and Chief Engineer both gave a talk. It was even better than I had imagined and we finish with champagne and canapés in the Commodore Lounge. Couldn't believe how clean and tidy it was everywhere, even the mooring deck was spotless.

We arrive in Auckland tomorrow evening.

Captain's Miscellany - Round Robin
This was a letter to a Captain from the crew when they wanted to voice their opinion without having to be first to sign the letter. Instead the names were written in a circle so that no-one would know who started it.

Hello and Goodbye to Tonga!

After 32c and sunshine yesterday we awoke to pouring rain this morning and although it stopped raining it remained cloudy for the rest of the day apart from a very few sunny spells. Not a problem for me as I had my hair done this morning, we had a wine tasting this afternoon and World Voyage cocktail party this evening.

The Captain explained that as we passed between Western Samoa and American Samoa this morning the port side was on Wednesday and the starboard side was on Thursday for two hours.

He also talked of the superstition that sailors have about not setting sail on a Friday as it was unlucky.  The Admiralty tried to dispel this myth by building the keel on a Friday, called the ship HMS Friday, had a Captain called Friday and sailed on a Friday. Sadly they were never heard from again!

Formal evening tonight so we went down to the ballroom after dinner. It's lovely watching people who can actually dance!

Saturday 18th Feb-Nuku 'Alofa, Tonga
....or maybe not!
We awoke to the noise and juddering of the ship trying trying to dock. Sadly, due to high winds, and a long time spent trying to manoeuvre her in safely the Captain decided to abort our visit. The winds were due to increase so even if he had managed to we'd have even more problems trying to get out. We were really disappointed as this is one of the islands that we hadn't visited before. Safety first though.

We are now on our way to Auckland which should take two days and hopefully we'll be able to find somewhere that we can dock earlier.

Crossing the line Ceremony

Apia Photos

Apia, Western Samoa

16 Feb - Apia, Western Samoa.
Samoa is in the centre of the South Pacific and is approximately the size of Dorset.  Since the missionaries arrived in 1830 religion has greatly influenced the lives of the Samoans. Every evening prayers are said in each village heralded by the blowing of a conch shell or banging on a cylinder. Since cleanliness is next to godliness the 'Women's Committee' does a weekly inspection of the houses and imposes a fine on those not up to standard!

The most famous hotel in the South Pacific, Aggie Grey's, is in Apia. This is now part of Sheraton. Robert Louis Stevenson also lived here from 1889 until his death five years later.

Even though it is really hot and humid we decided to walk into the town. It took us about half an hour and my face was so sweaty my sunglasses kept falling off my nose. (Not that ladies really sweat obviously!). I did wear a hat though. We reached the Cathedral first which is really pretty and then carried on into town. There just isn't a lot to see here so we stopped and had a Vailima beer before getting a taxi back to the ship.
Just one day at sea before we arrive in Tonga.

At Sea

The last four days at sea have been superb compared with our crossing from San Francisco to Hawaii. Calm seas and warm sunshine. So relaxing. Much easier doing our deck laps now too. So far we've sat out in the courtyard for lunch every day but it's becoming increasingly popular and not so easy to get a table.

We've had another World Club cocktail party but it was so so packed we probably give the next one a miss.
We did get to meet our new Captain, Aseem Hashmi, though. A nice guy with a really good sense of humour. This was sadly lacking with Inger! Saw Ben Mills twice, he was the runner up to Leona Lewis on the X Factor. A really good singer with a Rod Stewart/Joe Cocker type voice. The Crew put on another talent show and our Sommelier sang My Way this time.

We lost the 13th February when crossing the International Date Line and went from the 12th to Valentine's Day on the 14th. So now we're ahead of the UK and not behind.

We also had the Crossing the Line Ceremony which is always good fun. Pollywogs (those who haven't crossed the equator before) are tried before King Neptune and punished by having to kiss a fish and being covered with gunge. If you have crossed the equator then you are a shellback. A really entertaining hour or so.

Lahaina, Maui

Honolulu

9 Feb - Honolulu
So lovely to wake up to a calm sea and warm sunshine in beautiful Hawaii.
We had seen Pearl Harbour and been on tours previously so thought we'd do our own thing and try a hop on hop off bus. The first bus was the most comprehensive. It took us around the coast where we saw the bay where the beach scene From Here To Eternity was filmed, the house where Barack Obama lived, Hanauma Bay and Diamond Head. We also saw the hotel in Waikiki that we stayed in about 15 years ago!

10 Feb - Lahaina
Very different morning. Quite overcast with only a few sunny spells. We are at anchor today so have to tender in. We've seen quite a few whales from the ship but only at a distance. Lahaina is a historic whaling village. The most conspicuous landmark is a banyan tree planted in 1873 which covers two thirds of an acre. We walked for a while before stopping at Kimo's who are known for making the best Mai Tai in Maui.  Definitely good. The town is full of art galleries and Terry had to tear me away from a beautiful glass carving that took my fancy!
The sea was a lot rougher for our trip back to the ship. The tender pilot warned that it wouldn't be good but we didn't find it a problem at all and he did a terrific job of making it as smooth as possible.
We saw so many whales as we left but sadly too far to get a good photo.

5th - 8th February
At sea on our way to Honolulu.

6th - Remembering and missing my mum today and everyday.

The Pacific Ocean has a total surface area of 169.2 million square kilometres and covers 30% of the Earth's total surface. It was named Mar Pacifico (peaceful sea) by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. It certainly hasn't been peaceful so far!

So looking forward to better weather again. We've had gale force winds and high seas for these four days with so much movement on the ship that it's not particularly pleasant. The outside decks have been closed for most of this time so no outside deck laps.  It hasn't stopped us from doing anything else though. I've been trying to keep up with my yoga but it's not easy. With our room being at the back it is really difficult to balance anyway! We do know of someone who actually rolled out of bed twice last night. A lovely room and balcony when the weather is fine though. Soon please!

Our new dining companions are a very nice couple. Julie, a teacher and Tony, a barrister for British Aerospace. They are English but live in Virginia and are only going as far as New Zealand.

We've done a number of quizzes (only one away on at least four occasions) but we've always been beaten by teams of six and there are generally just the two of us. I've enjoyed going to the shows, practicing my art work and doing a bit of knitting but can't get to grips with any creative writing at the moment. Maybe when the weather improves I will be inspired!

It's HM the Queen's Sapphire Jubilee and as this ship is named after her the Captain sent her good wishes from the crew and passengers. God Save the Queen (that's what the Captain said anyway!)

We both went to the beginner's foil fencing lesson this morning. It was a lot more physical than we'd anticipated but good fun. Looking through the mesh helmet was weird and hot - a bit claustrophobic for me! She said I did really well though so happy enough with that. Intermediate now!

A few San Francisco pics

6 Feb 2009 RIP Mum - missing you always x

Arrived at our pier in San Francisco at 6.30 this morning. We have good views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz from our balcony although by the time I took my photographs it was clouding over. It took an hour to get through immigration before we could leave the ship.

When we were here a couple of years ago we did all the usual highlights and must sees so we're just doing our own thing this time.

We had a few rides on the famous cable cars starting at Fisherman's Wharf to pick one up that would take us past Lombard Street (aka as the worlds most crooked street). We sat on the outside to get a good view even though it was a bit chilly and then got off at the shops in Union Square. Good fun going up and down the hills. We caught another one back and had a walk around Pier 39 (and Hard Rock as usual). We arrived back at the ship just before it poured with rain. Shattered by the end of the day!

We said goodbye to Hugh & Sue this evening. We have really enjoyed their company and will stay in touch.

1st/2nd February - At Sea

We will be at sea for two days now until we reach San Francisco. Although it is still sunny and the sea is perfectly calm it is now getting chilly. It was ok to sit outside for lunch though. We were lucky to see a pod of dolphins and had two separate whale sightings this morning too.

We enjoyed the Cunard Singers and Dancers Hollywood Nights show this evening from the comfort of a theatre box and with a g&t!

Thursday morning has brought wind and rain with it and is likely to remain this way for our time in San Francisco.
Not the nicest of days as the sea is quite rough. Sue & Hugh joined us in our room for pre lunch drinks and we met up again in the lounge this evening along with Helmut & Christina for a champagne farewell to them. It is really foggy at the moment so the ship's whistle is constantly being sounded. Hopefully it will improve in time to get some sleep. Only nine hours to San Francisco.

Sea Life