A friendly Koala!
Good Day All,
Hope your week is going well - as ours is!
On Friday 26 February we were in Brisbane, the State Capital of Queensland. Brisbane is a city on the move where there is always something happening. Positioned in the middle of Australia's east coast, it is now the third largest city in the country and is well on the way to becoming Australia's second largest Capital city within the next 10 years.
Arcadia arriving into Brisbane - a wet and overcast morning.........however it did clear up and it turned into a hot sunny day!
The forward mooring door open and manned for arrival.
Arcadia approaching her berth. You've guessed it - I did not take these - my good friend Andreas our Port Agent did!
The Deck A Shelldoor and Deck 1 is open and the gangways are being rigged..............as our eager passengers get ready for their adventures ashore......
Passengers travelled through one of Queensland's farming and grazing regions and headed for Mount Tamborine via a 4x4 bush truck. The vehicles are great fun and the views are incredible from such an elevated position.Once the group headed off the high way and up through the eucalyptus forest they stopped for refreshments. Home-baked scones and morning tea was served in a quaint little restaurant before a leisurely nature walk through the subtropical rain forest with Darren, Royd and Steph, the bush guides. They spotted lots of wildlife and stopped at Curtis falls for a few snaps. Royd even managed to spot a koala in the wild.
An Aussie BBQ lunch was served at the exclusive country venue "Quamby" which would satisfy the heartiest of appetites. Quamby (Aboriginal meaning - resting place) is tucked away in the Aussie bush beside a crystal clear creek and is surrounded by 300 acres of bush and farm land. It is home to both native and farm animals where cattle, wallabies and kangaroos graze contentedly side by side. Colourful parrots, kookaburras, magpies and butcherbirds are frequent visitors, Lunchtime entertainment included a whip cracking demonstration, boomerang throwing and a refreshing swim in a cool mountain stream. Almost everyone had a go at whip cracking, and of course the women were better at cracking the whip!!
After the delicious lunch they all headed off for wine tasting at a local winery up in the mountains, which was a perfect ending to a perfect day and here are the photographs to prove it!
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So much to do - so little time!..........................Whitsunday Islands and Yorkey's Knob, Cairns - North Queensland to follow and then that is it for Australia next stop is Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia. In the meantime we have six sea days to enjoy. The sea conditions are just perfect today and the sun is shining...........need I say more!!
Bye for now,
James.
Gratitude is the best attitude.
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16 comments:
That looks fab - the scenery is just wonderful. Though I'm not sure about the snake!
I'm thinking you're well on the way to Asia now. I hope everyone is enjoying the long, lazy sea days - I like them best of all.
Calm seas.
Gill - only 4 more sleeps!
Hi James,
Fantastic as usual, that Forward mooring door looks like it is about to fall off?.
Sea days are the best as you are really the only people in the world that matter when all at sea. Glad the weather is good for you as QLD has had some terrible weather just lately.
Regards to all on Arcadia
Geoff Witts Perth
Morning James
Look at that lovely koala. Natalie had her photo taken at a koala sanctuary when she was backpacking in Oz and his name was Wendel! His hand was strategically placed on an important part of a ladies anatomy ;-0)
It's nice to see you have seen some of the wet stuff from the skies! Last weekend we had huge puddles of water in the back garden where it couldn't drain away because the ground is so sodden!
Is the forward mooring door supposed to look lopsided James?
I don't like the look of that snake :-0 But the scones look good ;-)
So much to do - so little time - that's what worries me about doing a world cruise. I would want to spend as much time as possible down in Oz. I think my suggestion of doing a cruise down under one year, staying the majority of the year and then coming back home the following year would work - reckon this sort of trip is a once in a lifetime - lottery win type thing. Hire a car or buy a cheap car - travel around - gosh it would take a lot of organising, but I'd be up for that! Drive to different states and stay for a month or so. Perfect. Would have to be away from the snakes though James ;-0)
Guess I could start putting something together now ready for when Tom retires (lol)
Talking of Tom - he is taking the kids to Las Vegas tomorrow for a week - and I'm home alone :-( N is just packing her bag as I type. Now what can I plan for myself I wonder??!!
Looking forward to seeing the photos from Yorkies Knob. Hope your crossing to Malaysia isn't too bad.
Elaine (aurorabore)
Morning Geoff
I've just said exactly the same thing as you about the mooring door! It just doesn't look right does it?? Looks like it's lost a hinge on the left hand side as we look at it :-)
Reckon the passengers will be looking forward to the rest after their busy time down in Australia. What do you think of my idea of a trip to Australia when OH retires??
Elaine (aurorabore)
PS, no sign of spring arriving here in the UK yet - it's still quite cold!
Hi James, As regular Arcadians we are following you all the way on the World Cruise. Like seeing photos of crew as we know many of them, however we do not see any of the Arcadia Orchestra, who are an integral part of the productions on board. So please say hi from us to Ray the MD, Tim the drummer and Steve the bass player, & a picture of them would be nice to prove they are still alive.
Howard & Lynn
I have memories of being an engineer with the P&O during the 1950s. My last voyage being on the first Arcadia. I am travelling on Arcadia three (15/04/10) - Carribean.
Recollections
Lads when young just love a spree
That's why lots go off to sea
Of shipping companies there are numerous
Some are good, others dubious
But if they choose the P&O
They are sure to make a go
The SS Canberra`s gallant nerve
makes us proud that we can serve
on sister ships that still survive
which troops were carried far and wide
One has yet to see a finer sight
Than sister ships that pass at night
Lights and sirens rend the air
Passengers just stand and stare
They can sense the deep emotion
That grips all those who sail the ocean.
Skyrider (Doug Powell, Brecon)
Hi James
Have spent a few hours catching up on your blogs that I missed whilst on holiday, and very pleasant reading they were, you always make the places you visit come alive, roll on Hong Kong, great shopping there James better leave your wallet in the cabin when going ashore.
Cheers
Mary G.K.
Hi James,
Just looked at the webcam the weather looks overcast, but the sea looks OK.
HI Elaine,
Yes it is a great idea to travel to Oz the way you said, this country is so diverse, you get tropical rain forests, in QLD to Desserts right across OZ. The best way to see this great country is to hire a vehicle as there are plenty of places to stop along the way, and having your own transport you and Tom can just up and go when the fancy takes you.
Your more than welcome to pop in when in WA. The soutwest of WA is for me the best.But up north you have the Pilbara, and the Kimberley region which are both fantastic tourist places. The best way to travel up north is via the coast as there is more to see and do. The interior road is quite boring so they tell me.
The Aurora is in Burnie Tasmania today, she get to Fremantle on the 11th of March.
Hope this helps you. Hope that all are having a good time in Vegas, one place i would like to see.
Regards Geoff.
Hi James,
I was just reading a newspaper on line and it is reported that the Louis Majesty got hit with a 8m wave unfortunately resulting in casualties.It then went on and sailed into Barcelona. At this stage there is conflicting reports as to exactly where the incident happened.The paper was saying that the Greek coast guard said the incident occurred near Marseille,but that a French newspaper reported that it happened off Cape de Begur off the coast of Spain about 80 miles northeast of Barcelona.
either way tragic.
Regards Geoff
Hello Everyone,
All is well here - a bit overcast today! Thanks for all your messages and keep them coming!!
Best wishes,
James.
Hurry up and get there, James and Arcadia. Sharon and I can't wait much longer - we are almost at explosion point!
Gill
Hi James
Thanks for all the wonderful photos. I love to see them, it somehow makes you feel that you are on the Arcadia yourself for a couple of moments (until you look away from the computer to the window!).
Best wishes to all on board, especially to my mum, Christine whos doing the full world cruise! I keep looking at the pictures incase I see her!
Laura Bullock
Sheffield, UK
Hi James
Still more lovely photos, thanks so much - are you sure you're in the right job ? Seriously tho' we can't wait till 15th April when we board for the Caribbean. Any chance of a photo of the port quarter so we can see our cabin ? We've searched the internet but all the photos seem to show the bows.
Good sailing !
Tim
Hi James
The photo's of your world cruise are first class.Can't wait to be on Arcadia in July 2010 and Azura March 2011.I shall keep bloggin on.
Kind regards
Jill and Brian Dann
Hi James
Glad to hear all is well. Looking forward to the next instalment.
Elaine (aurorabore)
HI from Ray and evelyn Nicholls
well we are watching with interest Arcadia as she continues on her way.Wish we were there, but rollon to feb 2011 when we embark again in Sydney for our other half of the world cruise, give our kindest regards to Mizzie, Lucy Emma, Matt,and Greg and of course the wonderful headlinners theatre group.The entertainment on Arcadia is the best.All GOOD WISHES to all who are sailing on her.
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