After two days at sea, eating and drinking, we anchored in Sydney and took the shuttle into town. We took the “Hop on Hop Off” bus and went to the Botanic garden. The gardens were lovely, although most of the flowers were done blooming.
After our garden walk, we went all around Sydney on the bus and saw a lot of the city buildings and neighborhoods. We learned a baby kangaroo is called a “Woolloomooloo” and an area of Sydney.
January 30 : Sydney
We did a tour of the Opera House. It has all the intrigue and interesting places one might expect but was certainly modern and impressive.
January 31 : Sea
A day at sea and a pod of dolphins swam along with the ship, appearing to enjoy the wake and the attention from the viewers on board.
February 1 : Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital of the state of Queensland with a population of about 2 million people. Did a tour to the Gold Coast and a city tour. We went up into the tallest building where we could see the reef and shore. Incredible views.
We also enjoyed the interesting street signs and laughed at the Australian humour. A Yield sign says “Give Way”, a bus stop is a “Refuge Island” and drivers are cautioned to “Turn Left At Any time with Care” “Shared Zone” means pedestrians and bicycles on the same path.
Following a day at sea we arrived in Airlie Beach. We took a small boat cruise where we could see Dugong, turtles, and a hammerhead but they move too quickly for pictures.
February 3-4 : Cairns
The gateway to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation.
We walked in the botanic garden where the birds and insects in the canopy in the rain forest were very loud and made a constant melodic sound. In Cairns, there were hundreds of bats sleeping in the trees and while we ate dinner on the ship, hundreds of bats flew over the bay and toward the agricultural area.
February 5 : Cookstown
We had to tender to the shore for an excursion to Captain James Cook museum. Interesting artifacts, coins and costumes and buildings from the past. The temperature was 90° Fahrenheit (32.2 C).
February 6-7 : Sea
Uneventful sea days, rain in the day, an incredible lightening storm at night.
February 7 : Darwin
Darwin was first named in 1839 by John Lort Stokes. It was named after his former shipmate and famous naturalist Charles Darwin. It is a beautiful city of about 140,000 people. We took a tour of the Botanical garden where we saw a 20-foot python in a tree quietly watching unaware people pass under it. We also saw black parrots and lots of interesting trees, plants, and flowers.
Next Stop Komodo Island