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25 October 2012 - (564 Nautical Miles from Brisbane) -
This tiny island in the Whitsunday chain is probably the most commercial, home to some resort hotels as well as residences. The rest of the chain, I hear, is fairly undeveloped and thus good for boat trips and snorkeling.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitsunday_Islands
I walk to the closest beach, but there is a strong wind and lots of sand blowing around. The water is cold! Deciding to take a hike, I find a trail which goes up the mountain to a view point over the bay. In the interior, it is hot and still, and I hear, but do not see, lots of birds.
There is a tiny wildlife park near one of the hotels, and I have the opportunity to hug and hold a koala. She is 4 years old and quite tiny. Her fur is dense and soft, and she holds onto me with her paws and long nails. She is a darling.
23 October 2012 - 550 Nautical Miles from Sydney
I've been to Brisbane before, prior to the major flooding of 2009, and had a magical morning in the Botanical Gardens which lie along the river and the mud flats, and thus are a magnet for the shore birds. This is where I saw an Eastern Curlew, with its long curved bill... such an exotic bird sighting for me.
Today our ship docks outside the city, along a cruise ship wharf which delights with fish restaurants and coffee shops. Just a 500 yard walk along the river brings you to the city ferry, which plies its route up and down the river, from suburbs to University, with city in between.
Brisbane is a lovely mix of old and new architecture, skillfully blended into a harmonious aesthetic. On the far side of the river is a series of parks which spill into the Museum and Opera House. Then there are more eclectic houses before the University. I see a lot of students, a multitude of nationalities.
Dateline: Sydney, Australia, 21 October 2012
How I love Sydney...the vitality of the waterfront, with the ferries going to and fro, the itinerant artists performing on didgeridoos, dancing, doing houdini-like contortions..every performer carving out his or her own space on the wide esplanade. The fragrant purple jacarandas dot the green spaces, and the Art Museum anchors one end while the Opera House anchors the other.
Cafes provide outdoor seats for watching the endless parade, and the Botanical Gardens lie just on the other side of the Opera House.
The old city Rocks neighborhood lies just to the north, between Sydney and Darling Harbors. The buildings are rich in history, and the architecture a living memorial to earlier times. A large sculpture shows off the intertwined histories of Australia - an Aboriginal, a Miner, and a Jackaroo.
As this is Sunday morning, a lively market of hand-crafted goods is displayed, and lots of dickering is occuring. Local artists are showing hand-painted silk made into dresses, floral 50s-style skirts, silver jewelry, windchimes, and carved wooden animals. Folks are also selling goods from other parts of the world, such as Hmong crafted bags, the sales of which benefit the displaced Hmong communities in Australia.
We spend the day enjoying all these sights, sounds, and aromas, and then the ship sails away at 6 o'clock, to begin the great Australian circumnavigation. First stop, Hamilton Island.
