Adelaide, Australia

Since leaving Perth, it took us two days to cross the Great Australian Bight. It turns out that a bight is a long, inward curved coastline, so it wasn’t as mysterious as it sounded. Frequently, we could see land in the distance.

Approaching Adelaide, we sailed through Investigator Straight into the Gulf of Saint Vincent. Adelaide is the capital of the state of South Australia, which is on the south coast of Australia. The state is four times the size of the United Kingdom, with only one and a half million people. The first settlers from Britain arrived in South Australia in1836. German refugees arrived in the 1860s and created the vineyards that have made the wines produced there famous throughout the world.

It was a bright sunny day without a cloud in the sky the day we arrived. The sun was warm but the breezes were cool. We have been quite fortunate in the temperatures we’ve experienced in Australia, especially since we just missed a really hot spell there.

The greeting we received when leaving the ship was impressive. A band played on the dockside and dozens of volunteers, the “Adelaide Greeters,” handed out information about the city and answered questions. The Adelaide Greeters also provide a free 30-minute First Steps Orientation Walk, which departs from the Adelaide Visitor Center each weekday. Visitors can also pre-book an Adelaide Greeter for free and spend two hours exploring the city with a volunteer.

www.cityofadelaide.com.au/adelaidegreeters.

No matter where we went, we found the people friendly and helpful. Several times as we stood on the street looking at a map, people would stop and ask us if they could direct us.

Tours of Adelaide, Hahndorf, a nearby town that shows it’s German heritage, and the vineyards of the Barossa Valley are available through Cunard. Since we previously visited Adelaide and toured the surrounding areas, and armed with so much information about Adelaide, we decided to take the shuttle downtown, about a 30-minute ride, and tour on our own. Several passengers got rail passes for about $9 and went to Hahndorf on their own. We wouldn’t be sailing until 11:30 p.m., which gave everyone plenty of time to get back to the ship.

One of the most interesting areas of Adelaide is North Terrace, a long street where the historic buildings of the University of Adelaide, Government House, Art Gallery of South Australia, Parliament House, and the National War Memorial are located. We spent an enjoyable morning wandering around the buildings and seeing the sights.

National War Memorial

The war memorial is being renovated and a walk added as an ANZAC Centenary Memorial. It was 100 years ago that thousands of Australian and New Zealand soldiers were killed during WWI. ANZAC Day observances are held each April to honor the Australian and New Zealand members of the military who have given their lives during the wars. 

A number of statues and busts honoring various individuals are located along North Terrace. Most statutes erected are of men, so I was particularly interested to see the memorial to Mary Lee, Secretary and Leader of the Women’s Suffrage League of South Australia. It was inscribed with her words: “My aim is to leave the world better for women than I found it.”

Mary Lee

At lunchtime, we were delighted to find an Australian version of a Cornish pasty and a custard tart. John is just as fond of custard tarts as Lionel on “As Time Goes By.”

Rundle Street is a pedestrian shopping area where you can find all kinds of stores. Australians love their hats and we passed several hat stores, especially in the Adelaide Arcade. The arcade, off Rundle Street, is one of at least two Victorian shopping arcades in that area. The stores inside are a good mix, but it is worth stopping to see it just for the architecture, especially the intricate tile floors.

Adelaide Arcade

Street entertainers (also referred to as buskers) performed along Rundle Street. One played a variety of aboriginal instruments, including a didgeridoo.

Performer

Bronze Statues Along Rundle Street

Another interesting area of Adelaide is King William Street, leading down to Victoria Square. On the other side of North Terrace, it becomes King William Road and leads to the embankment along the River Torrens and the Adelaide Oval, all within walking distance of the shuttle drop-off spot.

The Botanic Gardens of Adelaide at the junction of East Terrace and North Terrace is a beautiful place and worth visiting. The Amazon lily pads were the largest we’ve ever seen. They have to be seen to be believed.

Adelaide is a beautiful, vibrant city with lots of activities and performances. We passed dozens of signs for events, including a display of the costumes from the Australian TV detective series, “Miss Fisher.” Unfortunately, after having been on display for several months, it ended the day before we arrived. The series is set during the 1920s and the costumes have been spectacular. I was disappointed to miss seeing the display.

Rugby Union and cricket are big sports in Australia, and the new Adelaide Oval, a stadium used for matches, is a huge place downtown, which we passed traveling into town. A couple of passengers from Wales that we’ve gotten to know are great cricket fans. They walked over to see the Oval and were thrilled to discover that a match was going on. Because it was a free admission day, they got to walk right in and see part of a match. That made their day.

In addition to the free cricket, we saw a notice that free Wi-Fi is provided for the whole city. Also, Adelaide provides free bikes with bike drop-off points throughout the city. The bikes and the free inner-city bus transportation are some ways Australia is working to keep inner-city traffic down.

Although we didn’t get there, we heard that the Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute on Grenfell Street has the largest display of Aboriginal arts in the country. There were so many things to see in Adelaide but, unfortunately, we only had one day there.

When we visited Adelaide before, we found it a most hospitable place. We were glad to find that it is still a terrific place to visit and the people even more welcoming.

En Route to Adelaide, Australia

With two sea days before we reach Adelaide, I’m continuing with my discussion of life at sea on the Queen Elizabeth.

Dining at Sea

There is good news and bad news about food on the ship. The good news is it’s fabulous and available twenty-four hours a day. The bad news is it’s fabulous and available twenty-four hours a day.

We’ve found the food served on the Queen Elizabeth to be the best we’ve had at sea. Trying to counter all the extra calories we have consumed, we are climbing the stairs, walking around the promenade deck, and playing games on the Games (sports) Deck.  We would probably have to walk day and night to stay at the same weight. I think it’s going to be a losing (or perhaps I should say a “gaining”) battle. We’ll see how successful we’ll be.

The menus vary a lot and the selection of food is frequently based on the countries we are visiting. One exception was the menu for the Burn’s Night celebrations. January 25 is the birthday of Robert Burns, the great Scottish poet. That evening, haggis and many other Scottish specialties were featured on the menu. The entertainment that evening included lots of traditional Scottish songs and dancing of the Gay Gordon.

The Queen Elizabeth provides a number of places to eat. The dining rooms (Britannia, Britannia Club, Princess Grill, and Queen’s Grill, depending on your cabin assignment) are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For less formal dining, a buffet in the Lido is open 24-hours a day. Snack bars on the deck provide fast food. Afternoon tea is available throughout the ship but more formally in the Queen’s Room where waiters bring teapots to your table and platters of sandwiches, cakes, pastries and scones to select from (to the sound of harp music). And if all that isn’t enough, 24-hour room service is available.

One couple told us that they eat all their meals in the dining room because it forces portion control on them. Maybe, but it would also mean spending a lot of time ordering and waiting for your meals. Time versus portion control? Hmm. We may have to give that some thought. We have breakfast and lunch at the buffet with far too many things to select from.

One of the chefs behind the buffet line asked if we were enjoying the food and was there anything we would like to see that we haven’t seen already. They really want you to be happy with the food. John mentioned that he would like to see fried bread at breakfast (it’s a British thing). He told John to ask someone behind the counter for it and they would make it for him. The next day at lunch, the chef asked if we had been able to get the fried bread at breakfast. I was amazed that he even remembered the request, or me for that matter. The next day John asked for it, and they fixed it for him, much to his delight (and the possible dismay of his cardiologist).

In the Lido, you have the option of getting your beverage or waiting for a cart brought around by a waiter who will serve coffee and tea at your table. I’ve not seen this done on ship before, but I’m sure it cuts down on the number of people spilling their beverages when the ship sways.

Lido Seating Area Set Up for Dinner

For our evening meal in the dining room we have an assigned table, which we share with a couple of retired college professors from California and a couple from Worthing, England (on the Brighton Line). If you’ve ever seen the play/movie “The Importance of Being Ernest,” you’ll understand why that got a good laugh. We discovered that we had been on the 2008 QE2 world voyage with the couple from Worthing. We shared some funny memories of that trip, including that of the well endowed woman who walked around the ship and hot Easter Island in a bright orange jumpsuit and a fur coat, the man they put off the ship on Easter Island for his outrageous behavior, rumors of fights in the laundry room, etc. It shows that you never know when you are going to run into someone you’ve met before and that you might go home in someone’s bank of memories. When I return home I plan to post the log I kept of the 2008 trip.

The Queen Elizabeth does not have a midnight buffet. It’s just as well since most of the passengers are in bed by that time. Food is available in the Lido 24 hours a day, so anyone who wants a snack at midnight can find it there. However, in each segment of the voyage they have a grand afternoon tea with beautifully displayed desserts.

The Verandah Restaurant is an alterative dining area, serving French cuisine all sourced from France. Dining there requires a reservation and a fee. To celebrate Valentine’s Day and the 42^nd anniversary of our meeting on that day, we had a lovely dinner there. It was very formal French dining but made relaxing by two of the assistant waiters we’ve seen working in other areas of the ship. They were so cute, obviously learning to be quite proper in their service, but at the same time with a glint in their eyes that showed they were having fun—kind of like playing grownup. They gave me a long-stemmed red rose and brought us white chocolate that had “Happy Anniversary” written on it in dark chocolate. The dinner was fabulous, and we had a wonderful evening. It made for a memorable anniversary celebration.

Valentine’s Day/Anniversary Celebration Dinner

Fremantle and Perth, Australia

After seven long days at sea and crossing the breadth of the Indian Ocean, we were pleased to finally see the shores of Australia. Early in the morning, we arrived in Fremantle, the first of seven ports we would be visiting in Australia. Fremantle is the port city outside of the larger city of Perth.

Perth, which is on the west coast of Australia, is the capital of the state of Western Australia, and has been called one of the most isolated cities in the world. It is a region known for it mining, including gold mining. The temperatures can reach quite high, but today, much to our relief, it was only 81 F. When we visited before, it was well over 100 F.

Cunard offered some good tours of the area. In fact, when we visited Fremantle/Perth several years ago, we took a daylong tour that included a visit to an animal preserve, where we saw kangaroos, koalas, and other indigenous animals. We also toured a vineyard and had a wine tasting. According to people who know a lot more about wine than we do, Australians produce some very fine wines. Back home, we drink Australian-produced Yellowtail wines and enjoy them.

On this visit, we decided to see Perth and Fremantle, and from the information provided in the Port Presentation, we felt very comfortable setting out and touring the cities on our own.

As we walked into the cruise terminal, we were met by very friendly people welcoming us to Australia. We later saw a sign that read, “Real Australians Say Welcome.” We weren’t sure if that was just a nice welcome, or whether there was some message in that.

We stopped at the information booth to ask about the trains and for maps of Fremantle and Perth. The man at the booth told us that Fremantle is the best-preserved port city in all of Australia, maintaining most of its Victorian architecture. He looked so disappointed that we were looking for information about Perth that we assured him that we were coming back to tour Fremantle in the afternoon. 

Perth is a 30-minute ride by train from Fremantle. The ship was docked within a short walk of the train station, so it couldn’t have been easier. They called it the train, but it was like the Metro (subway) cars that we are accustomed to in our area. The fare was 4.50 Australian dollars each way. You keep your ticket, and if you get back on the train within two hours, the ticket is still good for the return journey. They don’t have a round-trip fare. What we found surprising was that no one checked our ticket going in or coming out—either direction. Unlike the garbled messages identifying an upcoming station that we get on the Metro, each stop was identified by both an announcement and the name of the station flashing on a light board above the aisle.

The ride was pleasant, and we got to see Perth’s suburban areas, consisting of attractive bungalows, schools, churches, and small businesses. Lots of school children in uniforms got on the train, which made us think that the Fremantle high school kids go into Perth for school.

The train stopped in the middle of Perth, and we walked out of the train station right into the business and shopping area. Close by Hay Street is the place to go for shopping.

Perth is an attractive and clean city, without a lot of downtown traffic congestion. It is also vibrant city but a comfortable one. The scent of eucalyptus trees filled the air. The city helps keep the amount of inner city traffic down by providing free bus transportation throughout the downtown area in a system called the CAT. Four long circular routes (red, green, yellow, and blue) cover most of the downtown area and pass close to most of the major points of interest. If we saw something along the way that we wanted to visit, we got off at the next stop. We created our own Hop On, Hop Off bus.

We passed the Perth Mint, which according to one of our tablemates, is one of the few mints where you can see them actually pour gold into molds. We got off the bus to visit St. Mary’s Cathedral, which sits on a hill in the center of town. It was an unusual building in that a modern extension was added right in the middle of it.

St. Mary’s Cathedral

The man at the Fremantle information booth had said that many of the historic buildings in Perth had been demolished and replaced with office buildings. It is a very modern city, but we saw some interesting 19^th century buildings wedged in between tall office buildings. Something new to us were the dispensing machines along the sidewalks where you could refill your water bottle for 25 cents. That’s one way of keeping down the number of plastic bottles in landfills.

From the Red CAT route bus (the green route goes there as well), we made our way to King’s Park, a huge park along the scale of Hyde Park or Central Park. It contains the Western Australian Botanic Gardens, overlooks of the city, and multiple war memorials and monuments. One that we liked was in honor of Dr. Arnold Cook, who introduced the training of guide dogs to Australia.

Dr. Arnold Cook and Companion

At the park, we stopped for a bottle of water at the StickyBeaks Pavilion (a refreshment area at children’s play area). The young woman behind the counter told us that to Australians someone with a sticky beak is nosy. Not sure what that has to do with a children’s play area or refreshments, but interesting. Outside the refreshment area, we saw some parrots and unusual birds with long curved beaks. Maybe that’s where the name of the refreshment area came from.

Continuing our travels through Perth, we crossed Altona Street (almost the spelling of my hometown).

We returned to the ship for a short break and then set out for the Western Australian Maritime Museum. (We brake for maritime/nautical museums.) We asked the shuttle driver if he went near the museum and he explained that it would be a short walk from the drop off place in the downtown area. Before we realized it, we were pulling up to the museum. The driver told us that he decided to give us a break, which really helped us since the museum would be closing in ninety minutes. That’s an example of how nice the people here have been.

The museum was well worth the visit. It featured a special exhibit showing wooden models based on Leonardo DiVinci’s designs. You read about some of his inventions, but until you see examples of them, you don’t realize what a genius he was. His inventions included a double hull on ships, paddleboat, water skis, lifebuoy, diving helmet, pulleys, bicycle, helicopter, and many more. We’re convinced that he was a time traveler.

 

Fremantle is known for its fishing fleets. A display at the museum pointed to the contributions by Italian, Greek, Croatian, and Portuguese immigrants to the fishing industry in Fremantle. Fremantle is the sister city to Capo d’Orlando, Italy; Molfettese, Italy; and Madeira, Portugal, where many of the fishing families came from.

But pride of place in the main hall of the museum was given to Australia II, which is the yacht that won the America’s Cup on September 26, 1983, breaking the132-year record of U.S. teams winning the race and holding the cup. Australia II was sailed by members of the Royal Perth Yacht Club. It was such a monumental event for Australia that the prime minister declared the day a national holiday. The strong winds off Fremantle, called the Fremantle Doctor, because of its famous sea breezes that air condition the city, make for perfect sailing conditions, which are said to be the envy of the world.

Australia II

Docked outside of the museum was the three-masted sailing vessel, Leeuwin II, Australia’s largest ocean going tall ship. The Leeuwin Ocean Adventure Foundation, as part of its youth development program, enables young people to take the helm of the ship, set the sails, climb the masts, and navigate.

Leeuwin II

Tribute to British Children Displaced During WWII

During WWII, John and has family were evacuated from London to Northamptonshire. Many British children were evacuated to Australia—most never to return to Britain or see their families again. A statue outside the museum and a plaque paid tribute to those children and their contributions to Australia as parents, workers, and citizens.

Several years ago we met an Australian man who had been one of those children. His early years in Australia had been awful ones filled with hardship and abuse, but he said he built a good life for himself in Australia. He had the misfortune of having his luggage lost before the start of the 2008 world voyage of the QE2 and it never caught up with him during the voyage. After all that he experienced in life, he took it in good humor. Everyone knew him on the ship, and he was a favorite of the passengers. He bought a few pieces of clothing and said it was amazing how little clothing one needed for a world voyage.

Late that night we sailed away from Fremantle, wishing we could have spent more time there and met more of the people. It is a splendid place. Tomorrow we cross the Great Australian Bight.

More information about Perth and Fremantle is available at

www.westernaustralia.net and www.fremantlefirst.com.

Still En Route to Fremantle, Australia

As we continue our voyage to Australia, the Queen Elizabeth is following the Great Circle track, passing over the Naturaliste Plateau, which covers approximately 34,750 square miles. From what I understand, when following the Great Circle track, the navigator adjusts the course of the ship by one degree (or minute, not sure of the correct navigational term) at set intervals to allow for the curvature of the earth.

The seas are a bit choppy, and as we look out from the back deck, we can see the ship swerve and then get pulled back onto course. That, along with the shifting from side to side by the waves, makes for a lot of movement. We’ve gotten good at dancing from side to side as we walk throughout the ship.

Packing for a Long Voyage

Before we sailed, people frequently asked us how were we going to pack for such a long voyage (121 days). So for those who are just curious and those planning to take a long voyage some day, here is my take on packing for four months. I’m definitely no expert when it comes to packing, but this is what has worked (somewhat) for us.

Cunard places no limit on the amount of luggage you can take onboard (only that each case must not weigh more than 50 pounds or so to protect their crew). A U-Haul could pull up at the pier, and the crew would load the content onto the ship without batting an eye. The problem arises when you have to fly to a port and are limited on the number of cases you can take on a plane without being charged a fortune for additional cases.

Some airlines will charge $100 to $200 for each additional case over the number allowed. Make sure you check the allowance of the airline you fly with. Two of our tablemates assumed they were allowed two cases each and ended up paying a fortune for two extra cases.

Some people use the service provided by Cunard to have an additional case picked up at their home and delivered to the ship. It can be about $250 per case, probably depending on where you live. That might be worth it to people who are unable to deal with numerous cases during their travels to a port.

One passenger told us the story of some people they met who would reach the port they were sailing from, buy a lot of what they needed, and then donate the extras at the end of the voyage before flying home. They said it was cheaper than paying for extra cases. We’ve also heard the story of the people who rented the cabin next to them to store all the items they brought with them—an expensive way to store their belongings. But if they brought a lot of things overseas, it might have ended up being cheaper than shipping them home.

On our flight to London, we were each able to check two cases and take one carry-on case and a computer bag into the cabin. (With the help of lots of air mile points, we flew Premium Economy, which enabled us to check two cases each; otherwise, it would have been one each.) Based on that limit, we selected the clothes and other items to take with us carefully.

So how did we pack for a four-month voyage, keeping in mind that we would also have limited storage in the cabin? It got a little complicated because we needed formal, informal, and casual clothing for both warmer and cooler climates. We wanted to take enough so that we wouldn’t get sick of wearing the same items over and over.

We tried to pack carefully by color coordinating items that could be worn in different combinations or made more formal by adding a jacket, scarves, shawls, or jewelry. I started with daytime and evening clothing with base colors of black, tan, white, and red. From there I added tops of turquoise, red, white, black, etc. Also, it helps to limit the number of items with patterns and go with solid colors. They are more versatile.

On formal nights, you see lots of black, which can be dressed up with glitzy jewelry, brighter scarves, shawls, etc. A long black skirt or dress pants are very versatile, especially ones that are microfiber or knit that won’t wrinkle. They can be worn over and over with different tops of various colors. This trip I’ve packed fewer formal outfits than I usually do and have done quite well with what I’ve brought. A good rule of thumb: take half the clothing you think you need and twice the amount of underwear.

A word about dress shoes for evening: bring a comfortable pair. The dining room, theater, and other public rooms are quite a distance apart. You’ll be glad you have some comfortable dress/evening shoes, especially when the ship is swaying back and forth.

As I’ve mentioned before, some of the places we’ve visited have been colder than expected, so we were glad we brought windbreakers and sweaters (to layer). Also, parts of the ship have been quite cool, so I’ve needed a sweater or shawl most days. It’s been quite windy on the deck, so we’ve found having a sweater or jacket useful.

In packing, what usually loads us down are all the just-in-case items we tend to pack (medicines for a wide variety of maladies (including seasickness), insect repellent, sewing kits, extra toiletries, batteries, rain gear, etc.). One of the ship’s shops has a limited number of toiletries and medicines, but you may not find what you need there, so pack those items you especially don’t want to run out of. Note: Don’t pack any extra toiletries in your carry-on cases. They will be confiscated unless under a certain size.

What we didn’t bring but would find handy are a couple of plastic refillable bottles to take on shore with us. You aren’t always at a place on shore where you can get something to drink. Next stop we’ll look for some. Some places don’t allow you to take any food (especially fruitl) or water ashore, unless the water is in a sealed bottle.

People post recommended packing lists online. We studied them and decided not to take the recommended duct tape, super glue, power strips, smuggled alcohol, etc. We did follow the recommendation to take an over-the-door hanger with pockets for shoes and miscellaneous items; metal hangers to replace some of the wooden hangers provided by the cruise line, which take up a lot of closet space; magnets with clips, which enable us to mount things on the wall (family photos, calendar, daily schedule, trip itinerary, etc.). A multi-plug adapter enables us to plug in more than one item at a time.

The over-the-door hanger gives us extra space to store items that would ordinarily clutter a small cabin (sunglasses, cameras, books, recharging cords, etc.). It really holds a lot. We ended up hanging it from two coat hooks on the wall instead of on a closet door (using plastic slip cords) because I missed packing the metal over-the-door holders. It worked out better than on the door.

Photo

I always pack small items in shallow empty candy boxes, greeting card boxes, and other small boxes. After I’ve unpacked them, I separate the box lids and bottoms and put them open side up into drawers. They make excellent drawer dividers for storing things like pens, jewelry, makeup, and other things that would quickly become a mess in a drawer. At the end of our trip, I simply discard them and know that the ship will recycle the cardboard.

Pop-up net clothes hampers are a great way to store dirty clothes and fit nicely into the bottom of one of the closets. Bed, Bath, and Beyond carry them in sets of two (black and white). Since they come equipped with handles, they can also be used to carry clothes to the launderette.

Speaking of laundry, the launderette can be one of the most stressful places on the ship. It is a small, hot area, and the washers/dryers are the most sought after things on the ship. We’ve heard stories about fights breaking out in the launderette, but we haven’t come across any yet. Each deck has only three washers, three dryers, and one ironing board for hundreds of passengers. Everyone thinks that early in the morning is the best time to do laundry, so everyone is there at the same time. We’ve found the best time is when people at first seating are having dinner and the people at the second seating are getting ready. Don’t tell anyone.

Detergent pods are available for free, but since some people take them back to their cabins to do hand washing, they sometimes aren’t available. So check before loading your laundry into a washer to make sure one is available.

Another consideration when packing is storing what you’ve brought in the cabin. Our cabin on the Queen Elizabeth has three large closets (one for full-length clothes, and two divided top and bottom for shorter clothes such as folded trousers, shirts, etc.). One of the closets has three deep shelves at the top with a safe on one shelf.

The desk has two small drawers (one holds a hairdryer), and the two bedside cabinets have three small drawers in each, which don’t hold much more than some underwear. Two large drawers are under the bed. Suitcases fit under the bed, and if you still need extra storage space, you can store items in the cases and pull them out as needed. If you don’t need the cases, the cabin attendant will arrange to have them stored.

Storage Drawers

As for bringing bottles of alcohol onboard, there is really no need to (and why risk having one break in your luggage). You can buy bottles on board at duty free prices and enjoy a drink in your cabin if you want. In fact, Cunard occasionally sends reminders to the cabin that specials on various brands are available. Bring a corkscrew if you plan to buy wine on shore.

Make sure you bring rechargers for all electronic items you bring with you. We once did a trip without the recharger for the camera battery and spent lots of time in various ports trying to buy one.

One final word: make a list and check it twice. Even as carefully as we planned, we still forgot items. And if you are traveling with a spouse, give them a checklist and suggestions. They will tell you that they’ve packed everything and will discover later that they haven’t. It’s the same gender that won’t ask directions.

A Rainbow at Sea