Newcastle, Australia

During the night as we sailed to Newcastle, we entered into the Tasman Sea, which separates Australia and New Zealand. The Tasman Sea can be quite rough, so we were relieved that we had smooth sailing. Also, we passed Pirate Point without incidence.

As we approached Newcastle, we looked out early in the morning and were surprised to see hundreds of people on the rocks at the harbor entrance. Since this was the first visit (or maiden call) of the Queen Elizabeth to Newcastle, the people of the community came out to see and welcome the ship. It was touching to look out at 7:00 a.m. and see people waving as we pulled into the harbor.

The Newcastle metropolitan area, which is on the east coast of Australia just north of Sydney, is the second most populated area of the state of New South Wales. It is located near the coal-mining region of the Hunter Valley, and Newcastle is the largest coal-exporting harbor in the world.

Newcastle is a pleasant-looking town without the skyscrapers and tall buildings that we saw in other cities in Australia. It sits on a peninsula that is bordered on both sides by beaches. A huge cathedral on a hill above the town, a lighthouse on a promontory, and a fort on another hill, all contribute to a very picturesque place.

To commemorate this maiden call to the port, the Lord Mayor of Newcastle presented the ships company with the keys to the city.

At noon, a service was held on deck to commemorate the 75^th anniversary of the establishment of the Royal Australian Air Force’s 450 Squadron and transportation by the original Queen Elizabeth for service during WWII. Veterans of that voyage and/or their families were present at the service, as well as representatives of the current 450 Squadron. At the end of the ceremony, the artillery at nearby Fort Scratchley fired a three-gun salute and two RAF fighter jets flew over the ship. Various groups laid wreaths in memory of the members of the squadron and in remembrance of the role played by the original RMS Queen Elizabeth.

Memorials to the RAF 450 Squadron and RMS Queen Elizabeth

We spent an enjoyable day in Newcastle, starting with the warm welcome we received from the volunteer greeters both at the end of the gangway and in town. It was evident that the people of Newcastle were thrilled that the Queen Elizabeth was making a visit to their town. The volunteers gave us maps and information about Newcastle and chatted with us on the bus into town. Again, the people were so welcoming.

With only one short day in Newcastle, we set out to make the most of our time there. Some passengers took tours to nearby vineyards, but we felt there were lots of things to see in Newcastle and we’ve visited a number of vineyards in the past.

After taking the shuttle into town, we walked along the seafront and hiked up a steep incline to the lighthouse, which sat on a promontory at the end of the Newcastle peninsula. It was a very hot, sunny day, but we made it to the top—me walking a lot more slowly than John, who has much longer legs. I told him that I’d meet him at the top. The metal lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse in New South Wales.

At the lighthouse, we talked to the volunteers who spent the day there in the heat to provide information about the site. They told us that the lighthouse is usually open only on Sundays but had been opened that day for the ship visit. We were certainly glad it was since it was a beautiful spot and provided a terrific view of Newcastle and surrounding areas.

Lighthouse

Hiking back from the lighthouse, we stopped at nearby Nobby Beach to rest and watch the surfers and swimmers. Some of the surfers were using sails and kites to propel their surfboards across the water. It takes a lot of nerve and skill to surf around the rocky cliffs along the beach, dragged by a kite.

From the beachfront, it was a steep climb up to Fort Scratchley, which I encouraged John to do—without me. I had an enjoyable rest sitting next to the beach, which was quite peaceful. After the rush of the previous two days in Sydney, I needed it.

Fort Scratchley

Leaving the seafront, we walked through one of the shopping areas of Newcastle before returning to the ship, which was scheduled to sail shortly after 5:30 p.m.

Hundreds of people lined the embankment to give us a warm sendoff. A tug in the harbor used its fire hoses to create arcs of water, and the artillery at Fort Scratchley fired a three-gun salute as we passed the fort. In response, the Queen Elizabeth sounded its horn three times. Our last sight was the Newcastle Lighthouse with the sun shining behind it. It was a terrific day at a terrific site.

Correction:

When I talked about the StickyBeak rest center in Perth, I said that to Australians, a stickybeak is someone who is noisy. What I meant to type was nosy. Someone who sticks his or her nose where it doesn’t belong. I need a proofreader!