In Kalgoorlie water is more precious than champaign. It was the site of one of the biggest gold strikes in Australia, but to develop its full potential it needed water. The answer was The Goldfields Water Supply Scheme or “Golden … Continue reading More Precious Than Champaign… Kalgoorlie
The legendary trains had names cited in literature and celebrated in song. Probably the most famous named train is the “Orient Express” made famous by Agathe Christie, Graham Green, Eric Ambler, and Ian Flemming (yes James Bond rode the fabled … Continue reading “You’re Taking a Train Across Oz!”
Note to Naval Architects. It is not a good idea to put the sick bay in the bow of the ship. It’s the place that pitches the most. I am a notoriously hard “stick” when drawing blood. Moderately heavy seas … Continue reading Freo Checkup
…and Mardi Gras trumps Ash Wednesday, at least on Zaandam. Tuesday was both Lunar New Year and Fat Tuesday. Holland America makes a big deal out of both. But how can you make a big deal of each when they … Continue reading Chinese New Year Trumps Mardi Gras…
After we pulled into Broome in Western Australia Cruise Director Rebekah came on the PA saying that it would take some time for us to dock because of the wind, please don’t gather near the gangways. A few minutes later … Continue reading Unexpected Sea Day
…But HMS Beagle was. In 1839 the ship was on a survey mission to Northern Australia. Both the Captain and Lieutenant remembered Charles Darwin fondly so they named the bay Port Darwin. The city that grew up around the bay … Continue reading Charles was never in Darwin…
I booked this tour because I’m a train nut. But in the event, it was the gondola ride down from Kuranda that caught my fancy. The gondola holds six people but they only put in four. It flies over and … Continue reading Sky Rail Down
“Be Mindful of the gap” shows a more relaxed Aussie attitude to rail travel than the British commanding “Mind the Gap.” Or perhaps the mindfulness movement has just taken off more completely in Australia. But if the Kuranda Scenic Railway … Continue reading Be Mindful of the Gap
The tour out of Cairns (pronounced cans, as in an Andy Warhol painting) was advertised as “Green Island Eco Adventure.” This is the second time we have tried it and we found, blessedly, that this time it was much less … Continue reading Green Island Redux (Cairns)
March 28, 2020, Sitka, Alaska Evacuations seldom go smoothly, they’re chaotic, and messy, changing by the hour. I know, I’ve been through several, either as the evacuee or the guy on the other end of the phone trying to organize … Continue reading Penultimate Thoughts
March 23, 2020, Perth, Australia On Saturday I was pretty upset with the Australian officials, changing their minds on us, first we can get off the ship and wait in hotels for flights, then we can only get off if … Continue reading In Defense of the Aussies
March 23, 2020, Perth. Australia Yesterday Suzi and I were sitting in a café where each table was separated by a couple of meters watching the hop-on/hop-off bus drive by with exactly three people on the top open deck. I … Continue reading A Final Port Call
March 22, 2020, Fremantle, Australia “For the first time in our marriage, when my wife offered me one of her tranquilizers last night, I took it,” said a lap swimming buddy yesterday afternoon as we were working our frustrations in … Continue reading A Chaotic Ending*
March 21, 2020, Fremantle, Australia We were lolling along at 12 knots toward Fremantle when all of a sudden Amsterdam picked up speed and started racing along at 22 knots. Captain Mercer came on the horn saying that we were … Continue reading Waiting
March 16 and 17 2020, in the Indian Ocean off of Australia “…as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there … Continue reading Chaos Theory
March 14, 2020, Cruising off the North Coast of Australia. As the elevator door opened, I heard one of the staff say to a colleague who was holding a box of pencils and pads of paper for trivia “I’m not … Continue reading The Ides of March Come One Day Early.
March 12, 2020, Cairns, Australia Rain, Old Testament rain. The slight rain in Townsville was just the preview for the heavy rains Cairns. We went to Great Barrier Reef HQ in Townsville as kind of an insurance policy. It was … Continue reading Ersatz Reef
March 11, 2020, Townsville, Australia In our lectures we’re warned of several different types of jellyfish with stingers that can cause a range of reactions from discomfort to heart stopping paralysis. Then there are crocodiles, sharks to eat you, fish … Continue reading Things Here Can Kill You!
March 8, 2020, Sydney, Australia Two years ago, two days in Sydney wasn’t enough, we explored “The Rocks” the original part of town, did the Opera House tour, explored Circular Quay, went to Bondi Beach, had tea in the Queen … Continue reading The Australian Trash Bin Bird and Other Downtown Delights.
Sunday Sydney Ferry. March 8, 2020, Sydney Harbor The ferry sails through fleets of Sunday sailors in every sort of sailboat. There are hundreds of them, sometimes tacking and heeling over like some sort of synchronized ballet regatta. There was … Continue reading Sunday on the Ferry
March 9, 2020, The morning after Sydney, Halfway home. Sydney marks the halfway point in our journey. The second day in Sydney was the 64th day of our 128 day ‘round the world cruise. Marked in time zones we’re 9 … Continue reading Halfway Home? Who knows?
March 7, 2020, Katoomba, Australia. Our family likes playing a game called “Empire Builder, Australian Edition” where we get to build track to different Australian cities, collect loads, deliver tourists and have our tracks wiped out by sandstorms, bush fires … Continue reading Wilderness Theme Park
March 7. 2020, Sydney Opera House Two years ago, we stumbled on Badu Gili, a projection of animated Australian aboriginal art onto one of the sets of sails on the Sydney Opera House. I found a flyer tucked into a … Continue reading Water Light (Songlines)