March 2018 – Page 2 – Steps to Anywhere

Continuing in Sydney

Posted on March 16, 2018 by Ted Thorpe

We were awake early enough this Wednesday morning to make a couple of telephone calls to yesterday at home. We’ve figured out that breakfast time here is dinner time there. After breakfast we went to Bondi Beach for a look and the surf.

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The two metre waves looked pretty intense to us but one local chap categorized them as little waves. It turned out that the chap was actually an immigrant from Victoria, BC with family in Guelph Ontario. Once again we learn how small the world can be. It was easy to get to Bondi by train and bus. It was a very warm, humid Wednesday and we continued by bus from Bondi to Watson’s Bay, a community on a peninsula that forms the southern boundary to the entrance to Sydney Harbour. It is about 18 kilometres east of the Harbour Bridge and Circular Quay.

The peninsula that is Watson’s Bay has high stone cliffs on the eastern side facing the open ocean and sandy beaches on the western shore less than a kilometre away. Much of the residential community has a magnificent view of the harbour and central Sydney. We walked the cliffs for a while then descended to the ferry port on the west side. It was about a one hour ferry ride back to Circular Quay and a spot for a quick lunch. We have walked so much I think we may be a couple of inches shorter than when we began the trip. Having seen so many on the ships with mobility impairments we are just glad to be able to do what we are doing.

Watsons Bay – Cliffs and Beach

After another day, Thursday, of walking I decided to check the pedometer on my phone. I don’t normally pay it any attention but I do keep it enabled. I found the average for the current week is 12,832 steps per day, average and over 10,000 a day for the current month. When at home, my typical day is between 5,000 & 10,000. Today was warm and humid, our legs said, ENOUGH! That was after we had walked from the hotel to Wooloomooloo and a high rent area known as The Finger Wharf. To the east of the wharf is the Guardian Island Naval Base.

The Finger Wharf

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Guardian Island Naval Base

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There is also a marine maintenance facility whose dry dock is currently occupied by the P&O Pacific Dawn. After lunch at a small cafe we grabbed a bus to downtown and a ferry to Milsons Point on the north side of the harbour.

From Milsons Point, the Harbour Bridge with the City as a Background

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We gradually worked our way back to the hotel to rest the feet that have done so well for several weeks.

Friday, Mar 16, was our last full day in Sydney so we made it less strenuous. We returned to Manly again and visited a couple of the small beaches near the ferry terminal on the west side of the peninsula. The Manly beach famous for its surf is on the eastern side, exposed to the open ocean. There are two ferries servicing Manly. One takes about 30 minutes and costs $7.35 each way, the FastFerry service is quicker but costs $9.00 each way. The less costly service is part of the Sydney Harbour Ferry service so the fare counts toward the $15.50 daily maximum while the fast ferry does not. After lunch at Manly we returned to the hotel to pack for Saturday’s flight to Coolingatta and our accommodation in Burleigh Head.

My writing was just interrupted bu the sound of fireworks. Indeed, from our hotel room window we got a great view of an impressive display somewhere to the north of us and near the harbour, I believe. This was the second time during our stay that we have seen fireworks from the window.

There is a pharmacy nearby our hotel that deserves a real compliment on their service. Gail has been searching, unsuccessfully, for a place to purchase certain diabetic supplies. The other day we visited Blakes Pharmacy and we had success. We had several other items on our list and they had everything. Their prices were fantastic and service even better. Just wanted to say thanks.

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A few Days in Sydney

Posted on March 13, 2018 by Ted Thorpe

Arriving on a weekend certainly makes taxi fares more reasonable than on week days. Our first taxi to the hotel after arriving on the Queen Elizabeth ran the meter up to $30, while this Saturday trip cost only $18. After checking in to the hotel on we did a little grocery shopping for snacks etc. We went back to Circular Quay then into the Central Business District to get a SIM card for one of our cell phones. As it turns out, $40 buys one month of unlimited talk & text almost world wide, with a modest data budget. The store we expected to use was closed on Saturday but we had no difficulty finding one that was open.

With communications in place we found a tourist information centre to plan Sunday’s excursion. It was decided to take the train to Katoomba and have a look at the Blue Mountains. First thing Sunday morning we were on the subway to Sydney’s Central Station where we transferred to an intercity train for a 2 hour ride to Katoomba. Our total Sunday rate fare for the subway and return trip to Katoomba was $2.60.

Having arrived in Katoomba we bought $25 tour tickets for a Hop-On-Off bus service. The bus toured the town, the nearby town of Leura and the rim of the Blue Mountain canyon. We left the bus to walk a portion of the canyon rim then returned to the bus. Looking into the distance across the canyon there is an ever thickening blue haze resulting from the eucalyptus trees. Also interesting is the fact that despite the thousands of acres of eucalyptus trees there are no koalas because they prefer species that are not found in the area.

We are gradually learning that here in Australia some of the best food stops do not have the most appealing premises. We are finding ourselves in pubs that would have panicked the hand sanitizer folks on the cruise ships. Cutlery for the days customers is often stockpiled in table dispensers along with the salt and pepper. Table service is not normal here either. Food and drink is pre-ordered and pre-paid at the bar. You take the drinks to your table and the food is delivered when ready.

Monday Gail needed some retail therapy so we asked for a recommendation to a suburban shopping mall and were directed to Bondi Junction. It was but two subway stops to the east so off we went. There were at least two buildings carrying the name Westfield. We see the same name from our hotel window on the top of the tower in downtown Sydney. We carefully laid a trail of breadcrumbs as we threaded our way through shopping concourse after concourse. I believe there were five or six levels above ground in two, perhaps three buildings interconnected both above and below ground. Sadly, when we attempted to follow the bread crumbs back they had been eaten by birds or swept up by cleaners! Through little but blind luck we landed on the sidewalk within site of the transit terminal and made it back to the hotel.

We spent the afternoon enjoying the Sydney Royal Botanical Garden. Autumn is just about to arrive so the majority of bloom is finished.

The massive trees of many species provided welcome shade as we walked the garden on a gorgeous sunny day. It is a large garden where the western exit leads to a waterfront trail around Mrs Macquarie’s Point. From the western side of the point we could see the Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf with expensive condos housing an occasional celebrity and the Garden Island Naval Base. The hours slipped by and suddenly it was time for dinner at The Fortune of War pub, the oldest in Sydney dating back to 1828.

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Tuesday Mar 13 was a rather different day. It began the evening before when we suddenly realized that a bag of snacks and miscellaneous groceries was missing from the hotel room. A call to hotel reception started an investigation that ended Tuesday morning when the hotel offered to reimburse the cost of missing items. Having become experts in navigating the Bondi Junction shopping centre, we decided to return there, buy the necessary items and return to the hotel with bill in hand. We managed to find two massive grocery stores and got what we needed at the second. I’m not sure we could have found our way back to the first one anyway. We did find an exit but once on the sidewalk it took a while to find the transit terminal and return to the hotel. The refund was instantaneous along with a complimentary bottle of wine.

This day was rainy and cool. Not a torrential rain and not even continuous but enough that an umbrella was standard equipment. After lunch we set out for downtown Sydney again but having arrived at the subway station we learned of an accident on our line that prevented us from going to our transfer point, Central Station. We took the train as far as we could and left at the Martin Place station. Actually, by the time we got to Martin Place the track had been cleared and we could have continued but we had already decided to accept the challenge. How far could we go from the Martin Place station without going outside into the rain. We negotiated a zig zag path which covered at least 10 city blocks and ended up at Central Station. The trip took about an hour and a half to do what would have been a five minute subway ride but it was an adventure in mole city.

Here’s Something Not Seen Before at Building Entrances

Darling Harbour Panorama

We gradually found our way, by train and ferry, to the Hard Rock Cafe in Darling Harbour where we had dinner, then by ferry and train back to the hotel. We had not been long in the hotel when we received a phone call from a lovely couple, Sarah and Noel whom we had met as dinner companions on the Queen Elizabeth. It was wonderful to hear from them again. Since they live in Queensland there may be a chance to visit with them again once we relocate to the gold coast next week.

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After Tasmania

Posted on March 9, 2018 by Ted Thorpe

On Tuesday Mar 6 The ship sailed out of Port Arthur at about 6 PM into smooth seas, north, along the east coast of Tasmania. The trip across the Bass Straight was very smooth and we arrived in Melbourne early Thursday morning. Shortly after 7 AM we were joined in port by the Radiance of the Sea, a Royal Caribbean ship of similar size to ours.

After breakfast we went ashore and walked east from Port Melbourne to Port Philip and eastward toward St. Kilda. It was a beautiful, sunny, warm day to walk along the beach. We stopped to chat several times, once with a couple from Calgary, passengers from the Radiance. It was interesting to watch workers grooming the beach. There was one machine hockey fans might describe as a Zamboni for sand. It scooped up the surface sand, filtered out anything not sand sized then smoothed it out for another day of use.

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There were lots of cars, walkers, joggers and cyclists. Noteworthy is the fact that cycling paths, walking paths and roadways were separate. A fascinating concept more cities could learn about and adopt.

Cars bikes people separate lanes IMG 3462

There were a few sun bathers, and swimmers or perhaps waders, and three guys doing training drills on the beach volley ball courts. After about an hour of wandering we stopped for a coffee, reversed our direction and returned to the ship.

After lunch and some time in the hot tub where we are sitting on our balcony in the warm shade. The ship is positioned so that the sun is more or less overhead such that both side are in shade and not in the 30°C sun. As we walked along the pier this morning there were literally hundreds of pallets of supplies waiting to be loaded onto one or the other of the ships in port. From our balcony we can watch the loading process on the Radiance of the Seas. Although we cannot see it from our balcony, the same thing is happening to the Diamond Princess. I managed to get a few seconds of time-lapse video of the ballet. Certain lift trucks move pallets from their delivery point to the side of the ship. Another selects a pallet and places it in front of the loading hatch. Another, with a longer reach, transfers it from the dock into the ship and backs away. Immediately, another machine moves the pallet from the entry point to elsewhere in the ship where it is stored for use on the next cruise segment. It is just like a form of ballet. I hope this time-lapse video gives you an idea. (if it works)

Cruiseport Ballet.mp4

I am always impressed by the precise movements of these large ships. I watched the Radiance of the Seas dock. She approached the berth backward gradually closing the gap between the ship and the dock. When the ship came to a stop with the shore gangway about 5 metres from desired location on the ship’s rail. The ship began to move again stopping exactly at the correct place. That’s control.

Weather-wise, this is one of the warmest days since leaving Sydney. The temperatures in Tasmania were cooler but we can’t complain. We have so rarely encountered bad weather on our journeys we feel charmed. (Immediately touching wood for continued luck.)

Friday, March 9 was our final day at sea and cruising for this trip. As we sailed along the coast we had an unexpected sighting of another cruise ship, the Golden Princess.

When we disembark Saturday morning we will remain on land with occasional airborne bits until we arrive home. Once on land with reliable, inexpensive internet access I will get some of the photos on line with at least a little organization. By the way, I hope you are clicking on the emails sent to you so you can view the photos posted. There are usually photos in the message that are not automatically downloaded with the text.

Saturday, March 10, we arrived in Sydney again. Disembarkation was quick and painless, no immigration or other border security screening. Luggage picked up and taxi delivered us to our hotel where, once again, a room was ready for early check-in.

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Tasmania Ashore

Posted on March 7, 2018 by Ted Thorpe

Monday, March 5, was our day in Hobart. Although the overcast kept the temperature in the mid teens (Celsius, 60s fahrenheit) the sun broke through occasionally but we decided to take a little rain protection just in case and around noon we went ashore to meet our tour group. During a short ride, where we learned that Hobart was a city of about 250,000 in a state with a population of about half a million, we arrived at the Royal Tasman Botanical Garden. As it is approaching autumn here there were fewer blooms than there might have been in summer, the garden was very nice. The garden contains a global collection of species well organized and labeled. Some species have been there for over 80 years.

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Amaryllis in the wild

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Following the gardens visit we traveled through Hobart and began the ascent of Mount Wellington. The road up the mountain, built early in the 20th century, has been maintained but improved little in a century. The upper half features periodic turnouts to accommodate upbound and downbound vehicles passing safely. When traffic is moderately heavy this system works poorly. The view of Hobart becomes evermore expansive as the coach climbs toward the 1270 metre summit.

Hobart Panorama from Mount Wellington

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The Port from the Sunnit

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The overnight sail from Hobart to Port Arthur took place between 11:30 PM and 7:00 AM Tuesday, this to cover less than 90 nautical miles. Port Arthur is one of the most famous and infamous British Penal Colonies and our tenders arrived nearly at the front gate of the prison. This location might be said to be a natural prison with sea surrounding it and a very narrow isthmus linking it to the mainland. This isthmus, named Eaglehawk Neck, was policed day and night by vicious dogs chained as a living barrier to those who would try to escape, thus was called the “Dog Line”.

Prison Site

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Dog Line Memorial

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Our tour coach transported our group around the Port Arthur region stopping frequently for photo opportunities featuring the unusual geology of the region. Many of the sheer rock walls facing the sea are riddled with caves. Where this rock has been eroded to sea level the beach is formed by flat, natural patio stone-like formations called Tessellated Pavement. Other areas have stretches of white sand beaches, some of which provide opportunities for surfers.

Rock Face with Tessellated Pavement below

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Rock Formations and Sandy Beaches

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We all complain about the cramped seating and narrow isles on airliners but they are nothing compared to the motor coaches we used for the tours. In Hobart we really re-boarded the coach only twice, in Port Arthur there were a dozen stops. This was a very well behaved group. There were no stragglers and everyone returned to the coach by the time requested by our guide. When we returned to the tender port our seats on the bus were quickly taken over by the next tour group and we returned to the ship to enjoy a sunny, warm afternoon.

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