En Route to Rabaul, Papua New Guinea

 During our voyage along the west, south and east coasts of Australia, we sailed through the Indian Ocean, the Tasman Sea, the Pacific Ocean, the Coral Sea, and would soon be entering the Solomon Sea. We’ve covered a lot of water. We probably passed through other bodies of water, but I’ve started losing track of them since there have been so many. We also crossed the line marking the Tropic of Capricorn (going north this time) and would soon be crossing the equator.

I was particularly interested in sailing through the Coral Sea, the location of major naval battles during WWII. My uncle was on the U.S.S. Lexington, a ship sunk by the Japanese during the Battle of the Coral Sea. Fortunately, he was rescued and lived to the age of 96.

Leaving Yorkie’s Knob and the coast of Australia, we passed through the Trinity Passage of the Great Barrier Reef and headed northeast toward Papua New Guinea. On that route, we sailed through the Straits of China, which is a narrow passage between the mainland and a long series of islands covered with tall palm trees and lush vegetation.

Throughout the day, we sailed close to some of the islands and had a wonderful view of them from our cabin. Up until the 1960s some of them were known to be the home of cannibals and headhunters. Headhunters were different from cannibals in that they only displayed the heads of their enemies on a post—they didn’t eat them. That probably wasn’t any comfort to their victims. One of the islands has a cave filled with skulls.

Another of the islands, Doini, is now the location of an exclusive resort. How times change. Now they only scalp you with the cost of staying there.

The islands looked totally uninhabited, but we saw a lone man floating on a hollowed-out tree trunk with a single outrigger. The captain, addressing passengers over the PA system, pointed out the man who was waving at us. We waved back as the ship sailed by him. For all we knew he could have been waving for help thinking that a ship had finally arrived to rescue him from one of the islands. Poor man. We’ll never know.

A pilot came onboard to guide the Queen Elizabeth through the Straits of China and around the numerous islands that border the straits. The straits come under Australian jurisdiction, and the Australians require that all ships passing through this area must have a pilot onboard. The pilot gave a presentation in the theater describing the difficulty of transiting the straits and the condition of some of the ships he has worked on. He said one ship was so decrepit and poorly equipped that it didn’t even have navigational charts.

Islands in the Straits

He also told us stories about the area and showed us maps and photos. He pointed out Iwa Island, home to over 700 islanders. Apparently a film short had been made in the 1950s about a former Scottish colonel who lived on the island inhabited only by women He supposedly had 80 wives and over 50 children. The pilot said that the story had been absolutely faked. He showed us a bit of the film—it had a touch of Hollywood to it.

Gazing at the Passing Islands

In many of the islands, the islanders only have what is on the island for subsistence. Their major form of currency is the yam. They grow them, wrap them carefully, and store them in raised huts to keep pigs from getting to them. They also store coconuts in trees to protect them from the pigs. I wouldn’t want to come in contact with a pig whose jaw is strong enough to break into a coconut and its outer shell.

Boobies, a type of bird, have been flying alongside the ship. According to the pilot, the name came from the Spanish term boo-boos, meaning stupid. The birds were supposedly stupid and easy to catch. Historians credit the easy catch of these birds as being what helped keep Captain Bligh and his crew alive after they were set adrift in a small boat by the crew of HMS Bounty.

When we weren’t gazing at the islands we were passing, we attended some of the lectures held during the day. We’ve had some outstanding speakers, which I’ll talk more about later. One in particular was a series about the sun, planets, and stars presented by Valerie Calderbank. She very much reminds me of Gloria Barnett, the woman who gave the lectures about the seas. She is very knowledgeable about her subject, an experienced teacher, and has a good sense of humor. They even have the same build.

If Gloria Barnett’s sessions were like Oceanography 101, finishing Valerie Calderbank’s sessions could make you eligible for a degree in astronomy. She really knows her subject and goes into great detail, frequently going over the heads of the audience. She lost most of us when she discussed the Hertzprung-Russell Diagram to measure distances and brightness, but we’ve learned a lot. If nothing else, I learned why on a double rainbow the second rainbow is less intense and the colors are reversed from the other rainbow.

In one session she addressed how astronomers determine the distance to the sun, planets, and stars; how hot they are; how bright, and what elements they are composed of. The sun is composed of 67 elements. She even covered how they determine how old they are. Apparently, based on Hubble’s Law, the universe is 13.84 billion years old.

Her lectures came at a good time since we’ve finally had some calm nights with skies that were clear enough for us to see the stars. One night they turned off the lights on the back deck so we could do some stargazing. Gloria used a laser to point out various objects in the night sky, including Venus, Sirius, Alpha Centauri, Betelgeuse, the Southern Cross, the Big Dipper, and many others. We also had a good view of the Milky Way. She pointed out that near the equator is the only place the Big Dipper and the Southern Cross can be viewed at the same time, so we felt quite lucky to be able to view them. Her last session will be on the Big Bang Theory.

She also did a session on eclipses, which is good timing since there is going to be a total eclipse of the sun on March 9. She said that people are coming from over the world to view it in Indonesia, the place that a total eclipse can be viewed. As we will be near the Philippines on March 9, we will only get a partial eclipse.

The stars that form the Southern Cross appear on both the Australian and New Zealand flags, along with the Union Jack. On the New Zealand flag, the stars are outlined in red. We were told that the people of New Zealand are considering a new flag that is unique to them. Several designs have been proposed, but so far they haven’t made a decision.

During our transit, we sailed over the New Britain Trench, which is an unbelievable five miles deep. The ocean bottom of the trench is covered with shifting Teutonic plates, which create tremendous pressure in the area and contribute to volcanic eruptions on the nearby islands. Our course was taking us directly to one of those volcanoes.

While sitting on our balcony writing this, I looked up to see a dolphin jump out of the water just below our balcony. He wanted to make his presence known.

Yorkie’s Knob and Cairns, Queensland, Australia

The morning found us anchored off shore from tropical Yorkie’s Knob, which is in the far northeast corner of Australia. The small town is bordered on one side by the sea and mountainous rain forest on the other. It is a good jumping off point for people wanting to snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef.

Not planning to go snorkeling, we took the 30-minute tender ride into Yorkie’s Knob and then the shuttle bus into Cairns. From there we planned to go into the rain forest and then walk around the city. Cairns is a pleasant beach resort with a large casino that draws people from Asia.

Ship Tender

Going into Cairns, we passed fields and fields of sugar cane. Most of the sugar produced in Australia comes from there. The shuttle bus driver said that sugar cane provides far more energy for fuel than corn. I wonder if US fuel producers know this. They are so fixated on corn. Coffee is also grown there.

When we arrived in Cairns (pronounced Cans by the Australians, and they actually do say G’day), we saw several military vehicles in the park with uniformed military personnel standing next to them. One of the tourist information volunteers told us that a local battalion was holding a parade and ceremony that day. We stopped and talked to two of the soldiers and learned that the 51^st Battalion of the North Queensland Regiment was commemorating the 100^th anniversary of its formation during WWI. Following a service being held at nearby St. Monica’s Cathedral, representatives and veterans of the battalion would parade through town and a ceremony would be held at the park.

We had planned to go to the local tourist information office and find a tour going into the rain forest but decided to stay in town for the parade and ceremony. Seeing the human element of an area is far more important to us than viewing some of its sights.

At noon, we watched the band, members, and veterans of the 51^st Battalion of the Australian Army march by the ANZAC Memorial and down the street along the waterfront. We stood across from the reviewing stand where a major general took the salute. Afterwards in the park, we listened to the speeches honoring the group’s history and its current mission serving as the eyes and ears of north Queensland, doing surveillance along the north coast of Australia. At the conclusion of the ceremony, three Army military helicopters flew over and the soldiers marched off the field as the band played Waltzing Matilda. We were pleased that our visit coincided with this ceremony.

51^st Battalion of the North Queensland Regiment

Veterans of the 51^st Battalion

Afterwards, we walked down to the Cairns Esplanade and beachfront, where a wadding pool and paved lagoon overflowed with swimmers. The stinging jellyfish in the local waters make it dangerous to swim in the sea. One variety kills its victims almost instantly. That would be enough to keep you out of the water. During our voyage along the coast, we saw loads of jellyfish in the water and wouldn’t want to come in contact with them.

Cairns Esplanade Lagoon on the Seafront

In some areas along the coast, they net the swimming areas to keep sharks out. It made us wonder how the people snorkeling at the barrier reef were going to be protected from the jellyfish and sharks. The boat ride to the reef takes 90 minutes, and passengers going on the tour were advised to take medicine to prevent seasickness as the boats bob around a lot. Perhaps the jellyfish like warm water and it would be cold that far out. We didn’t plan to find out.

Along the esplanade, a small market with vendors selling jewelry and other items of interest to tourist sat under the trees near the lagoon. The local tarot card reader was doing a brisk business telling people what lay ahead for them. Surprisingly, most of the people we saw consulting the reader were men.

We stopped at a local coffee house for lunch and ordered flat white coffee like we knew what we were doing. If we stayed here long enough, we might get the hang of all the varieties of coffee. Not that we know what they are in the States. We got the large cups, which we learned have two shots of espresso in them. We were wired for the rest of the afternoon.

During our ride on the tender returning to the ship, a man sitting next to me said that he had lived in Cairns but had moved to the Gold Coast, an area south of Brisbane. Apparently, the Gold Coast is an area like Florida, where many Australians move to after they retire. He said that he wanted a place where he could swim in the sea year round and without the threat of killer jellyfish. It reminded me of what Bill Bryson said about Australia—that there were more things in Australia that could kill you than any other place in the world.

The man on the shuttle pointed out an island in the distance called Devil’s Island, which he said was owned by a Chinese billionaire who planned to build a massive resort there. He also pointed out a nude beach. He said that he had once been there. When I asked him if clothes were optional, he just gave me a cheeky grin. In a place that has such intense sunshine and the threat of sunburn, it surprises me that anyone would want to sunbathe in the nude. I plan to continue wearing a swimsuit and a heavy coat of Water Babies sunblock.

When we sailed away from Yorkie’s Knob, we were also leaving Australia. We were sorry to be leaving. The country is filled with beautiful places to visit and warm, welcoming people—definitely a place we would like to return to.

Correction:

When I named the Australian states and territories, I mistakenly identified the Northern Territories as the New Territories. Sorry about that.

Brisbane, Australia

Brisbane is in the state of Queensland, which covers the northeast corner of Australia. During our journey, we’ve visited most of the states of Australia: Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland. We visited Tasmania on a previous visit. The only area of Australia we’ve yet to visit is the Northern Territories, which covers the northwest corner of Australia. With the Northern Territories being such a remote area of Australia, I doubt we’ll ever visit there. I don’t think many Australians have been there either.

Like many of the major cities in Australia, Brisbane (pronounced Brisbin by the Australians) has a beautiful river that runs through it. Since we regretted not seeing Melbourne by boat, the first thing we did was travel up the Brisbane River to see the city from the water. It was the perfect day for a boat ride—hot and sunny. We sat on the upper deck of a small ferry, under a canopy, and enjoyed a leisurely ride with nice breezes off the water.

Unfortunately, when we aimed the camera to take a picture of the view, we realized that we had brought the camera—but not the battery, which we had left recharging on the ship.

Our boat tour took us under the Brisbane Storey Bridge, which is similar to the Sydney Harbor Bridge but doesn’t have the top arch. You can climb the top supporting structure, but we didn’t see anyone walking over it. With temperatures over 90F, we could understand why. The sun was quite intense and would have made the climb most uncomfortable.

The Brisbane River snakes through Brisbane with frequent bends, and each turning of the river provided beautiful vistas. We were told that Brisbane has changed drastically in recent years with tremendous growth, so a great many of the buildings were new. We felt as though we were visiting a brand new city.

The newer skyscraper office buildings and hotels have overshadowed most of the older buildings in Brisbane, which is a shame, since they are such magnificent buildings. The newly renovated Brisbane City Hall, a very impressive building, has a tall tower that used to provide a view of the city and surrounding areas. Now the only thing you can see from the tower are the skyscrapers around it.

Along the river we passed a large home that must have once been a grand estate. It too had large apartment buildings very close to it on three sides. Few open areas remain along the river.

On the south side of the river, museums, art galleries, a huge Ferris wheel, and parks line the river and can easily be reached by crossing one of the bridges from the main business area. The Goodwill Bridge, a new pedestrian/bike bridge, was recently built and provides easy access to the south bank.

Ferries make frequent runs and crisscross the river stopping at multiple docks. They make it easy for residents and tourists to get from one area of the city to another. The free tourist ferry provides a leisurely pace. For anyone in a hurry, the CityCat catamaran ferries travel at a faster pace. Tour boats with commentary and refreshments are also available.

Sitting on the banks of the river, Brisbane is a beautiful setting for a city, but it isn’t without its problems. Brisbane was built on a floodplain. Sudden heavy rains in 2007 caused the river to overflow and flood business and residential areas of the city. With tall skyscrapers and apartment buildings right on the banks of the river, that can be a problem.

We strolled through the open-air market along the river. Later, keeping with our goal of having a leisurely day, we enjoyed a picnic lunch on a park bench and did some people watching. A rock group played nearby, so we had entertainment with our lunch.

Before leaving the city, we stopped at the Brisbane ANZAC war memorial, which sits in the middle of a small park in the business district. A bronze statue of two soldiers representing Australians and New Zealanders killed in Vietnam was added to the grounds, along with memorials from other wars.

To catch shuttle to the ship, we walked back through the city, which has its share of high-end stores (Gucci and Hermes across the street from Woolworths). We were surprised to see that Apple, which usually has a very modern storefront, had opened a store in a building that had previously been a bank with its impressive marble pillars, high ceilings, and crystal chandeliers. Throughout Australia, many former bank buildings now house restaurants, shops, and other businesses. In the UK, that’s what’s happened to many of the churches.

Another thing that we’ve noticed is that each of the major cities we’ve visited in Australia have very grand gambling casinos.

On the shuttle bus we went through some residential areas of Brisbane. It was interesting to see how the architecture has changed over the years and the variety of home styles along the route. As I mentioned, the sun was quite intense and must be that way quite a bit as we saw one shopping center that had long covers for cars to park under to protect them from the sun.

Brisbane was a beautiful city. With lots to see there, we could have easily spent days exploring all it had to offer.

That evening as we sailed away from Brisbane, we attended a party on the back Lido Deck. The band played, and many of the passengers danced. While enjoying the entertainment, John had a beer and I had a tall fruity drink without alcohol they call a softtail. Delicious and without the potential of a hangover.

A full moon lite the sky, and we were delighted to discover that if we sheltered our eyes from the lights of the ship, we had an excellent view of the stars and of Venus. We could see Orion’s Belt and what we think was the Southern Cross, which is only visible in the southern hemisphere. Using John’s binoculars, we could clearly see the mountains and craters on the moon.

It made for a perfect ending to our day.

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!