Oregon Living
2025 – Blog #10 – Our Cruise – Part 2
Monday Mar. 10 day
16 cruise day 11
Today was another at sea
day. So, we did absolutely nothing. Until it was time to change into formal
clothes, then go get pics and then dinner. Cathye is still not feeling up to
dancing and I'm good with not going. We sat at a table with new friends and had
dinner. Tonight's show was called Encore and was very good. Then back to our
stateroom and bed.
Tuesday Mar. 11 day 17
cruise day 12
We woke up this morning
in Melbourne. We needed to be done with breakfast and at our pickup point for
today's tour. We are going to see Alleyways and Arcades. We had a tour of
16 (14 were from our group) and our local guide, Isabel, fitted us with radios
and earplugs so we could hear her. We boarded a tram which took us downtown and
we walked. And walked... Temps here today were in the high 80s so it was plenty
warm. We saw art work on the alley walls as well as beautiful architecture of
the old and new in the cityscape. Cat took a tumble up a small curb. Like this
one...
No major injury, so far a bruised hip.. After about 2 hours, we stopped for tea and cake at a high tea shop. It was a fun day - a lot more fun than I thought. Here are pics from the day….
We
got back and went to our stateroom and took naps. Cathye left to go walk around
and see how her hip felt. She took ibuprofen. I went to do a last load of
laundry. It was crowded but I got through it. But, by then, it was too late to
meet our group for dinner, so we changed and went out looking. We ended up
going up to the buffet. We only had lunch there once and then only breakfasts
after that. No dinners there until tonight. This turned out to be a great
choice! No crowds and they had a wide variety of foods we didn't see on our
first meal there. We both found flaky fish and also baked mac and cheese!
Yummy!. After that, we went down and found a bar and had drinks before the
show...
Tonight it was The Cover
Girls. They just joined the cruise in Melbourne for the one night. Sure
wish we could see more! They did a tribute to girl singers from the 40s to the
80s. My favorite was the Andrew sisters Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of
Company B.
We made our way back but I needed to go up to the buffet to retrieve Cat's sweater. They had it! I found David and Dawn up there and we talked a bit. They were on the walk and asked how Cat was doing after her fall. No worries. We will be there for the last dance tomorrow afternoon.
Wednesday Mar. 12 day
18 cruise day 13
Last day at sea. We dock
early and our group has all received luggage tags for those first off the ship.
We will be meeting our bus when we clear immigration. We will go from 130
dancers on the cruise, to 80 for the land tour.
Ok, it's later now. I
have begun packing. We have to have our tagged luggage outside our door early
tonight so we held tomorrow's clothes out and will put today's clothes in our carry-ons.
We also have to guess on the luggage weight. For the flights to and from Cairns its 44
lbs. for the bags and 15 for the carry-ons. We came over under that and don't
have much to add so we should be ok. We'll see.
We went down for the last
session for dancing. It was only 1 1/2 hour so Cat did well. We don't remember
David telling us anything about dancing for the land tour, so we'll see.
Later, we changed and
headed up to the dining room for dinner. Then the last show. Tonight is the
Princess Orchestra Rock Edition. It was pretty good. They have played for all
of the shows and it was nice to see them highlighted. Back to our room and to
bed. Early morning tomorrow...
Thursday Mar. 13 day
19 tour day 1
We were up super early
this morning. 5:30am. Thank God for cell phone alarms! This was the first view we got early early this morning view when we opened our balcony curtains as the ship got in to dock....
We cleaned up and
doublechecked our room and that we had everything. We met our group in
the Vista Lounge and at 6:30am we all made our way off the ship and to the
Globus Tour Line bus for a trip to Sydney airport. We got a quick look at the
Sydney Bridge as we left the harbor.....
Yep, its big! At the airport we got checked in and I got us exit row seats at no charge. Our luggage was over by a lb. or so but they let it go. We made our way to our gate and the flight left on time. Next up was Cairns (pronounced ‘canes’). Once we got everyone loaded (we have two buses 80 people) we made our way to our hotel. We are at the Bailey hotel. I will remember that name because one of the other two in the chain is Rylee!
Next up was a walk later to dinner as a group. Dundee's was at the aquarium just down the street and we had tables for all of us together! The meal was served as group for 4 each. Several meats and veggies and sweet potato fries. Everything was very good! All of this type of treatment is included in our package. We usually like to go out on our own but it’s been kinda nice not having to arrange things. We'll see how it goes after the week is over!
Friday Mar. 14 day
20 tour day 2
We met in the lobby after
the buffet breakfast. The trip to the marina only took 5 minutes. We loaded up
on the Sunlover
and took the 2 hr. cruise out to the Great Barrier Reef. The weather was not so great today. Temps in the high 70s but it was rainy and didn't look like it would let up. The catamaran takes you to the large anchored pontoon, where things are based. You can chose many things as part of the package we were on - the glass bottom boat, the semi-submersible, and, of course, snorkeling. We did the glass bottom boat first. Wow, it was beautiful. I tried to catch items through the glass floor, including giant clams. You may have to zoom in to spot any....
Next up was lunch. There were 283 on the boat so it was crowded. But we managed, then went on the submersible. Reminded me of the submarine ride at Disneyland!
It was hot and stuffy and our side didn't get too much of a view! Next up was snorkeling. They provided everything. It was required that everyone use the 'stinger suits'
because of the jellyfish in the area (we didn't ever see any). Once we got the rest of the gear on, we made our way down to the platform in the water, and we were good to swim around. Really nice warm and clear water, just really choppy! I borrowed these photos....
not us, but you can see what we were dealing with. But we both saw a lot of fish and beautiful coral. Some from our group saw a sea turtle, but we missed it. After a bit, I was ready to come back.
It
took way too much effort to get to the swim platform and I was pooped! Cathye
did more than me and came back a bit later. We got out together and
changed and got ready for the trip back. Once back at the hotel, we were on our
own for dinner. We immediately headed down to the night market down on the
esplanade. We chose La Pizza and we enjoyed the food and the drinks. Then
we found the vendor booths at the market square. Lots of choices! We got back
to our room around 9:00pm and watched TV for only a short time before turning
in. We were tired from our busy day!
Saturday Mar. 15 day
21 tour day 3
We went down to breakfast
before the group headed out at 8:00am. Today, we are going to the
rainforest. The weather was terrible. We all had our raincoats or ponchos
though, so we were ready. We were supposed to take an old time train up the mountain to
Kuranda, but it was open sided and they had to cancel. No worries, plan B!. Our
bus driver took us up to the depot at Kuranda, where we walked around and
shopped. I found an Australia opal for Penny here. Plus a few things for the
great grandkid twins coming next month. Next up was the wildlife center. We saw
koalas (not bears - they are marsupials like wallabies and kangaroos).
We also saw lizards and snakes and crocodiles. This one was the granddaddy of them all - close to 12 ft!
After that, we had lunch and then met up at the ducks. These are the US made amphibious vehicles and they really put them to the test here!. We traversed a lot of hilly ground up and down plus went into the water. No wild crocs up here on the mountain so we were good.
We then went over to the aboriginal house to see traditional dancing.
Next up, was a didgeridoo session. Lots of work and it takes a lot of practice. After that, they showed us how they hunt with throwing spears.
I was thinking about a decorative boomerang as a souvenir but now I want a returnable one! Then we boarded the gondolas. They showed us the bottom station on the way up and our driver met us there after the ride. On the gondola, you could get out and walk the boardwalk to see Barron Falls. It was worth it to see this…
We got back on and made our way down. This gondola was about a 45 minute ride above and through the rainforest. Very scenic and relaxing. Toward the end, as we were almost in the flatlands again, we looked down and saw 20+ wallabies sleeping in the grass. We were so mesmerized, nobody took pics! Will add here if someone else got pics....
Our bus got us back to the room where we rested for two hours before getting bussed to dinner. We went to a place called Ochre and were served family style again. This time it was emu, kangaroo, crocodile and salmon. Interesting! I liked it all! The others, not so much!
Sunday Mar. 16 day 22 tour day 4
Thanks to my cell phone alarm we were awake and ready to head down to meet our bus and make the 10-minute ride to the airport for our 6:45am 2.5 hr. flight to Sydney. We lost an hour time change. Our seats were separated on the flight but we made it ok. Cathye slept all the way. Me not so much in the cramped seats! Our group got bags collected and we got shuttled to Sydney. We are at Swisotel tonight, but won't check in until later. We got a tour of the Sydney Opera House….
It was magnificent! Some of our group have tickets for an opera there tonight. Not our thing but I bet it will be an experience! Anja had our driver take us to see some other city sights. Sydney city limits is 30-40 miles. We got another look at the Sydney Bridge. Yep, still imposing!
We also did a drive-by at Bondi Beach. It is Sunday and temps are in the 90s, so it was packed! We were on the wrong side of the bus for any good pics....
Later, we got in to our room. Very nice. It is a free evening. I ended up going out for takeout. The only place I could find was McDonald's. They call it Macca's here. Early to bed after a long day!
Monday Mar. 17 day
23 tour day 5
Happy St Patrick's day!
We hit the hotel's breakfast buffet, then were ready for our trip out today. We
are seeing Cawson Farm, and the Blue Mountains. We are having lunch at a stop
on the way. But, Cathye needed a break today and had a stomach issue as well,
so she decided to skip the day and stayed in the room. She said later she walked down the street for a
chicken bagel. As for me, it was lonely but still enjoyable. Cawson Farm is a
working farm as well as an attraction. They had pens for koalas, as well as
goats and emus. The wallabies were in an enclosure which you could go in. They
also had draught horses that were very friendly! We saw a couple of demos – one
with a bullwhip, and another with a dog herding sheep…
After that, we headed to the Blue Mountains. No snow in Australia, but this is one of the only spots where they get heavy frosts in the winter. It was about as nice a view as I have seen here. The rock formation is called the Sisters.
This is the stop that Cathye would have really enjoyed! The views would have mesmerized her. Next stop was the Hydro Majestic Pavilion and its converted boiler house restaurant. They served us a package meal that was huge! No one ate it all!
Last stop today was the Botanical Gardens. Once there, I chose the forest path which was hilly. I needed to test my legs for tomorrow's walk! It was a beautiful place even though most of their flowers were past season.
When we made our way back home, I checked on Cathye. She had a nice day and needed the rest! She was feeling a lot better! Later, we made our down to the tour's hosted dinner, which was a nice buffet and drinks, including these, which we have been drinking since we got on the ship!
Back to our room and bed.
Tuesday Mar. 18 day 24
tour day 6
Today is Bridge climb
day! For me anyway. We both knew that Cathye wasn't up to the climb. Her hip is
still sore from her fall in Melbourne and she is out of breath easily again. We
think her overexertion has re-engaged her long covid. But, she wants to go
there and walk around. They have a tower climb and you can also walk the bridge
on the path adjacent to the roadway across. There were about a dozen of us
going so we split up and shared taxes for the 10 minute drive I left
Cathye in the gift shop and checked in. For our 9:15am climb, there were 11
from our cruise, plus 3 others. We got through the safety session and
breathalyzer and got suited up. You are not allowed anything on your person
except for rings and glasses and small earrings. Once that was done, we
got harnessed up. The cable attachment goes into a slot and you simply drag it
up through the system as you go. Very simple and yet brilliant!. Then we went
through some practice stairs to see how folks climb. Our guide, Jack, asked us
to pair up so Jenny and I went together. She and I were the oldest, so we were
up front. But we kept up with Jack, and at times there was a gap to the younger
climbers behind us! I am so proud to say that we held our own!
As far as the climb, in few words, it was spectacular! Many stops along the way for water and misters to stay hydrated. But, most all, it was well worth the effort to climb. Turned out easier than I anticipated. Jack took photos of us (available for purchase and yes, I did!) Once down and changed, we made our way back to the hotel. We immediately left for Five Guys for a bite to eat. Then, later, we gathered our group for the busses to take us to the wharf where we got on the Clearview for a hosted dinner.
Again, tons of food and drinks,
plus great views of the harbor, including the Opera House and the Sydney
Bridge. Tomorrow we head home!
Wednesday Mar. 19 day
25 last day!
The transportation today
to the airport was divided. Our flight isn't until 5:25 this afternoon,
so we were on the last bus. Cathye is all congested and her chest and back hurt
from coughing so much these past few weeks. But, we got up and going and since
we got a lot packed last night, it was easy to finish up this morning, and we
had plenty of time to go down to breakfast. Since we got to the airport early,
we had to sit in the area outside before checking in. But once we dropped off
our bags, we made our way to the gate and rested some more before boarding. We
stopped at KFC for a light lunch and went to our gate and sat. I had already got us upgraded to exit row seating, so we were very happy with that. We are on a
Qantas Airbus A380-800, the double decker model.
No,
we don't have upstairs sleep pods (way to pricey) but we are in the front of
the plane where we enjoyed the 13 hour flight. Cathye moved to an open three
seat combo and layed down and slept the whole way. They had a few 5 across but I
waited too long. No worries - I was able to stretch my legs. We got into
LAX and had to collect our bags and go through customs, then recheck them on to
PDX. But it was a two hour layover, before boarding the Alaska a/l
flight, so we had plenty of time. The snag today was our Groome Shuttle from
PDX. They moved our pickup time from 7:30 to 8:30pm. Then it was a 2 hr.
shuttle ride to the Comfort Suites in Albany, where Penny was waiting. A big
ask for my sister, who goes to bed early! Thanks Sis. A super long day and
Cathye is exhausted, but we made it. Read more below for overall thoughts and
emotions....
And the story goes on...
For me, the 25 day
adventure was very enjoyable. Even though we were bussed everywhere, I don't
think I would change anything. There was a couple who stayed in Sydney and
extended their time to see everything there. Then, they rented a car and drove
to Cairns afterwards, doing our trip in reverse. I'm sure they had fun, but we
really enjoyed our tour guide and all her info about everywhere we visited and
drove by. We would do this type of trip again. David and Dawn asked us for
input for future (2028) cruises. We suggested the Panama Canal and that was
popular with our fellow travelers, so we'll see. As far as favorite experiences
or excursions, for me, it was, hands down, the Sydney Bridge Climb! I also
liked the Great Barrier Reef day with the snorkeling. From the ship, I liked
the day we went out to see the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary in Hobart
Tasmania. I enjoyed the glow worm caves and the Aboriginal village and
demos. Downers for me was the jet boat ride and 4 wheeler drive. If the weather
was nicer, it would be up there on my list. The dancing on the shop was fun,
but for me, I wasn't impressed with the overall group, who, for the most
part, were all SoCal friends and pretty much squared up together most of the
time. Those we did dance with, were friendly and Cathye kept up well - until
she pooped out! We tried to find
different folks to eat with each night and by doing that, we met some nice
people.
Ok, for Cathye -
her favorite thing was the snorkeling. She also liked the terrain and the rain
forest, especially high above on the gondolas. She enjoyed soaking in the
thermal pools in Tauranga. Least favorite was her getting sick on the boat ride.
She was chilled and couldn't stop shivering. That's what put her in quarantine,
so it wasn't that fun. Would we go
again? Not back to Australia and New Zealand – but on another cruise somewhere
else! Heck Yeah! David and Dawn are asking about where to go next? They may plan another one in 2028. We suggested a Panama Canal Cruise.
Ok, that's about it. We both do need to say a special thank you to both Penny and Cherrelyn. They tag-teamed it while we were gone and kept the house intact and took care of the puppies while we were out having fun. We can't say enough! But - once we recover, we will be taking you out for a nice dinner - your choice!
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