Day 11 unsolicited testimonial

Returning from Darwin city centre David was collared by a man spruiking Australian Blue Cypress Essential Oil. David was fascinated by the science and the genetics and I was interested when he said "has the power of DEET to repel insects and the power of ti-tree oil to remove the stinging."  Thinking of Beechwood's ferocious march flies I bought some spray. At the same time he gave me a sample of cream which I rubbed into my arthritic texting finger which is usually painful.

By the time we got through security and started back to the ship, about 15 minutes, that pain had gone. So David reversed his tracks and went back to buy some cream - we will both try it.

Day 11 Darwin

"Only 29' in Darwin and dry" announced the Captain.  Dry? Humidity is about 80+ and Darwin is full of QM2 passengers wilting in the tropics. We were anxious to disembark after 5 days at sea but I bet there's a rush to get back to the cool comfort we are accustomed to.

Rain comes belting down and we take refuge in a coffee shop where we can download emails and upload blogs: internet access on board QM2 in the harbour is blocked by them unless you sign up to their internet at great cost, which I consider extremely stingy. Luckily I woke early and sent off my backblogs before they got around to blocking.  

In the Mall is a secondhand bookshop with an Aboriginal woman sitting outside working on a painting - I really like it but won't succumb to impulse buying (Beechwood was bad enough). 

Day 11 Port of Darwin

Early morning arrival in Darwin and we gradually edged over to the very long wharf where a few wharfies lounged. I was glad to see them spring into action when the mooring rope appeared at their feet:

Day 10 at sea

 We are crossing the Arafura Sea on a calm sea towards Darwin at full steam ahead at 18 knots  - as announced by the captain at noon.

David has had another hectic day on the lecture circuit and I am happy to say that partner Margaret and I have cracked the bridge: first with 75 %, which entitles us to two stamps on our cards. We had a drink (elderflower mojito) in the Golden Lion pub to celebrate.

For dinner we tried the early sitting: the trick is check which of the two levels is manned by maitre d "mean eyes" and go to the other where "happy eyes" will let you in. Maria sussed this out and it works. The chilled raspberry soup was magnificent. 

In the Golden Lion

David in the corridor on deck 4 where our stateroom is  - I am about halfway  

Day 9 at sea

Today is different because suddenly I can post my blogs. The captain has just announced we are close to Thursday Island in the Prince of Wales Channel which has a communication tower so that must be why. Soon we'll be turning the corner into Torres Strait and going past Wednesday Island. The view from the port side is beautiful - many islands,  aquagreen sea and fluffy white clouds. It's 27'C and a little breeze.

This is the best yet: the morning's parade of islands and even a town with this lovely sparkling sea - I haven't read a word, too busy just looking and will have to miss line dancing.

Then two Black Hawk helicopters from Townsville flew over - who was looking at whom?

Thursday Island

Day 7 Airlie Beach

Early this morning we moored in the Whitsunday Islands way out at sea, 30 minutes in a tender to Airlie Beach. The day was grey and gloomy and threatening rain though warm so we decided not to go ashore but to stay on board and do something different
from bouncing like a cork in a tiny boat.

Which was have iced coffee at Sir Samuel's coffee shop and go in the quiz at the Golden Lion pub. This was abstruse film questions and we came third with 15/20 e.g. the last words in Gone With the Wind.

After lunch in the Britannia we spent the afternoon out of the rain in our favourite Library chairs - such a hard life.

Then in search of a cup of tea we encountered our Italians Ferdie and Maria green about the gills, spitting mad (Maria) and trying to recover from their excursion to the Great Barrier Reef over rough seas.  39 out of 40 on their catamaran were sick so that was a good one to miss.
Needless to say they are not dining tonight.

We managed to get the early dinner in company with an interesting American couple: Denny is a lecturer in Oceanography whom David will hear tomorrow. He confirmed the lack of internet since Brisbane, frustrating for him as he has university students to keep in touch with. Maybe his is the perfect job?

The entertainment was The Leading Men, four stars of Australian musical theatre, singing their songs to a packed audience. Very loudly.

Day 6 at sea

Already we have settled into a routine for sea days: breakfast in Healthy Corner,  lectures for David (little known facts about Captain Cook and the randy Sir Joseph Banks) and  line dancing for me, lunch at Healthy Corner, a film and bridge in the afternoon. Breakfast and lunch in the official dining room are fraught with danger as we always seem to get stuck with boring old trouts - in the little cafes and pubs you can choose more interesting-looking dining companions.

Our Italian dinner companions went to the pop up restaurant, leaving us alone in quiet splendour - very good food.  As we are 8.30 sitting we miss the first entertainment show and find the 10.30 repeat show too late: will have to change that.

Day 8 at sea

Day 8 was very like day 7: we sat in deck chairs with our books and watched the misty coast of Australia pass slowly by. Our course is within 12 miles of the mainland so the casino may not operate - not that we care, nor is there Telstra or internet. I have no idea where we are, a rumour went round that the settlement over there was Cooktown but it wasn't official.

Official facts: there are 2500 passengers and 1300 staff.

Last night's dinner companion turned into oceanography Professor Denny and gave an interesting lecture on waves - good pictures and a touch of humour. I only went to sleep once...

Once again we fronted to early dinner and succeeded,  sitting with a nice couple from Melbourne who are also escapees from second sitting. There is a minor revolution on board as we older Australians don't like late dinner: "it's obscene!" I heard a man say.

We had good seats for the show which was a man playing the cello - very good - and an American Olympic gold medal gymnast who tied himself up in knots.

Day 5 in Brisbane

Early arrival in the Brisbane River and I awoke at 5.30 to a beautiful sunrise, photographed it and went straight back to sleep. Next time I opened my eyes we were moored at the grain wharf on Fisherman's Island miles from anywhere.

A shuttle bus took us the 40 minute drive into Brisbane where David Jones beckoned: David Boomsma is a dedicated non-shopper but holidays have gone to his head and he bought a white shirt (which would have been handy last night) and a watch. Wonders will never cease!

Our builder sent photos of progress on the renovations at Beechwood which was the most exciting part of the day. Back at QM2 following afternoon tea in the Britannia Room we bagged our favourite seats in the library with a great view over the pointy end.

Day 4 at sea

The ship glides along so calmly you wouldn't know you were at sea until you do the promenade around deck 7 and can see the sea - 1.9 circuits = 1Km which we will try to do every day. But there are many activities to tempt you away from exercise, including eating.

David is on the lecture trail: The Legacies of WW2 and what to see in Brisbane. Don't laugh - I went to line dancing and enjoyed it. There were lots of beginners like me and a patient teacher Amy from England. So now I can boot scoot and will go again.

Margaret and I played bridge in the afternoon, not so well this time but we won't give up.

At pre-dinner drinks a gorgeous young harpist played: she is our favourite entertainer so far. Most people dressed elegantly for our first formal night the Black and White Ball: we did too but preferred dinner at the American Bistro which is a pop up restaurant within the main buffet. They charge extra but it was llovely.

Day 3 in the rain

It's raining and some poor people are climbing the bridge. How nice to be watching them from QM2's library.

Day 3 in Sydney

QM2 passed through Sydney Heads at 4.30am: we took a look from our balcony and went back to bed and sleep again, disembarking at 10 after a leisurely breakfast. The ship is tied up at Circular Quay, very handy to everything including the Harbour ferries. We took a harbour cruise under grey skies which later became rain.

Me on Circular Quay with QM2 in background.

Lunch on board - and the perfect view.

First day at sea

We lost Telstra soon after passing through the Heads at Melbourne and changed to very expensive Maritime so I switched off my phone and went exploring. QM2 is huge and there are miles of corridor to get from one end to the other. Our cabin is aft with the gorgeous library at the bow: what a job that woman has, travelling the world as a librarian.

Our allocated  dinner companions are interesting - two Italian-Australian couples with frank and outspoken opinions on everything,  especially Maria who makes me laugh. Her husband Ferdie lived in Coonawarra as a child but a weird coincidence is that they were on Dawn Princess around NZ the same time we did our first trip. Maria has been dieting in preparation for this trip and is outraged by the tiny exquisite serves we are given.

David attended a lecture on rainfall modification and another on Sydney while I found a duplicate bridge tournament and a nice partner Margaret.  We came second, not bad for a new partnership,  and will have another game after Sydney. On shore days most of the activities are suspended.

Last night's entertainment (apart from Maria) was a singer Karen Beckett, very glamorous in sequins but pushing 60: very clever to have an older entertainer for an audience average age 70. Passengers are in the elderly conservative range and I doubt the nightclub gets much custom. Lots of British passengers: they boarded in Capetown and are getting off 22 days later in Sydney.

Best job in the world?

We're off

Left Melbourne just after 6 pm having been on board since 1, sampling lunch and afternoon tea in the Queen's Room which is on level 3 just below our room 4164. I hoped we could hear the nice piano music through the floor - but no.

The obligatory life jacket drill for passengers who boarded in Melbourne produced very few participants as they seem to get on and off all over the place which must make cabin allocation a nightmare.

Out on level 14 it was extremely windy and this couple was signalling to friends on shore in Geelong:

Preparations

 

David and I are off on the Queen Mary 2 on Monday for a 23-day cruise around Australia, starting in Melbourne then Sydney - Brisbane - Airlie Beach - Darwin - Bali - Fremantle - Adelaide and Melbourne.

 

 

The timing of this trip is unfortunate as we are deep in repairs to Beechwood, our house at Cape Douglas - but I'd booked 8 months ago and paid for the trip just a week before we made our sudden decision to buy Beechwood.
For the blog on this go to: http://bbbatthebeach.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/nearly-jumbo.html

remembering that blogs go backwards in time scale.

 

 

So we are going and leaving the house in the capable hands of the builder who promises to send lots of photos.