Australia - 3 Ports of Call

We began our entrance into Sydney Harbour at about 6AM, on Feb. 9. It was a cloudy and rainy morning so we went to the uppermost indoor deck to observe. Sydney Harbour is protected by 2 land masses called the North and South Heads. Since the harbor is long and winding some of the early explorers like Capt. James Cook, passed it up thinking it was not suitable. Boy, was he wrong! After what seemed like an hour we had our first glimpse of the iconic symbol of Sydney – the Opera House. I got goose bumps seeing it for the first time. Then came the famous Harbour Bridge. It was hard to believe we were actually seeing this in person. The ship docked at the Overseas Passenger Terminal which happens to be a short walk from the Opera House. So far the next 2 days we were in Sydney, the Opera House was right next door! Later we took a rainy, damp tour of the city. We toured the Opera House and sat in the concert hall to hear the fabulous acoustics and the auditorium to observe a set being assembled for an upcoming play. The architecture was stunning and we learned the history of how and why the structure was built. Another place we visited was the famous Bondi Beach. Even in a slight drizzle there were many surfers riding the waves on this gorgeous beach. Later in the day we walked and shopped in downtown Sydney and ended up in a trendy section near the dock called “The Rocks”. We were tired and thirsty and had our first taste of James Squire ale. I had 2 “middies” or medium (small) size glasses. Next day the sun was shining and we took a cruise of Sydney Harbour on one of the small ferry boats that operate regularly all around Sydney. They took us to all the coves and bays up and down the full length of the harbor. At one cove we passed a nude beach complete with naked sunbathers proudly waving at us as we sailed by. Tea was served during the trip which was very civilized we thought! When we got back, the dock was full of street musicians and artists and food stands so we hung out as long as we could with the locals. We were sorry to have to return to the ship. (Before we did though, we went back for another glass of that ale!!!)
The ship left Sydney Harbour around 8PM and we watched from the aft outside deck as the Opera House and Harbour Bridge disappeared. It was a clear night and as we left we saw the Southern Cross officially for the first time. (Southern Cross is the famous constellation only visible in the Southern Hemisphere. We think we saw it in New Zealand but we didn’t have anyone around us at the time who could verify that it was indeed the Southern Cross.)
After a day at sea we docked in Melbourne. The port was a long way from the city so we hopped on the local tram (#109) and made our way into town. Melbourne reminded me a lot of Sydney, very cosmopolitan, hip and clean but without the beautiful harbor. The trams were the chief means of transportation in and around the city. They were great – no graffiti, people were courteous, modern, clean and safe – very refreshing!!! We went to the Botanical Gardens (think city park) and saw the Australian magpie for the first time. This is a large black and white bird and it makes a sweet chirping sound. They were all around and I enjoyed them more than the gardens.
Australia is a vast land. Our next port of call was Perth on the western side of the country. It took us 3 sea days at 20 knots to get there from Melbourne. During this trek, we sailed through Bass Straight, known for its rough seas, then westward in the Southern Ocean, which separates Australia from Antarctica and finally north in the Indian Ocean. The W.A. was worth the wait!! (The locals use the initials, W.A. when speaking of Western Australia.) We docked in the Port of Fremantle which is about 20 miles from Perth. Fremantle is a quaint port town and we had time to walk around, call the kids and shop before heading to Perth. Lovely, lovely Perth on the Indian Ocean and the Swan River. Beautiful beyond description. We visited their city park called King’s Gardens. Here we walked some of the many trails through the grounds and saw exotic plants, trees and wildlife. There was the smell of Eucalyptus in the air from the many varieties of Eucalyptus trees and a symphony of birds chirping and singing. We saw black cockatoos flying from tree to tree, wild parakeets, ravens and more Australian magpies. To top it off, on a nearby lake, we saw hundreds of graceful black swans. Perth is a city of 1.5 million people. It’s the only city of any size in the whole W.A. but what a city it is! We both agreed we had to come back. Perth was my favorite of our 3 stops in Australia but Australia in general is a place no one should miss. It is so far away but so worth the trip!!!