MMDown Under

GREAT ATTITUDE1 The only time I resented visitors were drought times when they wasted precious water in free public showers on the beach, when locals were restricted to watering gardens by hand by bucket.

Thank you for great photos. Wh at did passengers think of KEY WEST?

I love visiting Darwin, such a unique tropical city. I will be spending ten days from 18/7 there and wondered if there is anything a local would recommend, which I've missed. I'm happy to travel by bus.

We have stayed there several times and appreciated the convenience Just a shower to freshen up and to be able to spread out after long haul flights is close to heaven, If you have a longer stopover. there is also a full size hotel and swimming pool.

What I take depends on how I'm travelling and whether I have to carry it myself on public transport. Being driven to port and being picked up, the sky is the limit! Most useful items on a c4uise are two wall magnet clips to put all paperwork out of the way, plus one for pending activities . A stretchy clo5eline to hang underwear. Spare pen and paper Magazines, newspapers, brochures to read.

I share your travel desires. One last long haul trip to the UK, then find a cruise which fits in, Closer to home, I'd love to do another small ship cruise from Cairns to Darwin. A dream is another cruise on one of Virgin's "ladies" in Aus/Kiwi waters for the unique experience.

Has anyone camped in the one camping spot every year? Or stayed in the same holiday unit at the beach like our former Prime Minister? Has anyone used their annual recreation leave to visit the same sporting eent? I attended the Australian Tennis Open in January, in Melbourne

My first cruise overseas was a half world cruise, which set the benchmark for all future cruising. My return to Australia, via South Africa and India, was also unique and Excellent. Holidays in Australia meant staying with relatives. I was very lucky where my relatives lived, so have had a lifetime love affair with the tropics and the slower pace. Now I find I don't want to visit a place for ten mins. Now I want at least a week to explore live theatre, art galleries, museums, parks and gardens. This week I'm off to Darwin for ten days in winter. I hope the Darwin Show still has the competition where you win if the cow does its business on your number lot. Where you sit in the middle of the arena to listen to a live concert on the back of a truck, Were you watch the sun go down at Mindi Markets, Where you eat the best Laksa, mud crabs and fresh tropical fruit.

I was surprised how many people were walking the High Line during my last visit. It is very popular. Lovely to see the plants growing in late Spring. You'd need to go early to avoid the crowds and heat in summer. Good idea to rest. In Orlando, the weather was hot and humid and my feet and legs swelled up, despite putting my legs up on pillows at night. my legs have only recently returned to normal size.

i found the use of balcony depends on weather conditions and amount of time available to use the balcony (eg less port intensive). Best value is obstructive view balcony (between boats)..

Spain Just saw on the tv news, locals using water guns to spray visiting tourists with water "telling tourists to go home". Seems too many tourists in too small places, such as our beautiful South Pacific islands, is a universal problem.

Well done. That is a beautiful room. I can't live without light so that is all I need as a minimum.

I wondered about payment of tolls on hire cars.

What a great collection of books! After a number of bear killings en route to Vancouver Island, I searched out books on bear killings. I was told it was cougars we needed to be on the lookout for, not bears. In newsagents, I discovered a library or such books on cougars. Why do we not hear about cougar stalkings in Australia? Every American I meet can tell me about all our dangerous animals!

Thank you. The last time we visited Boston we were diverted to Boston by a hurricane. My friends in Boston received an unexpected visit. Ah two nights in New York would be a cruise highlight for me. I'll always remember the magic of standing on deck watching the skyscrapers in Manhattan creep ever closer. I met a girlfriend and we walked up to Broadway, on both occasions, where we saw a Spanish "West Side Story". I still can't believe we were game enough to hurry back alone, after the theatre, me to the wharf and my girlfriend to the Port Authority, the bus depot. Life is much easier now, as you can make half price ticket bookings on your phone. We drove to Key West, which is a unique city. Key Lime Pie and alcohol come to mind. Enjoy your cruise to USA.

Thinking of you in Canada. The East Coast is my favourite part of Canada. I love the people and the music. Is there a link showing ports yet to come? I have just returned from Manhattan, where we enjoyed live theatre every day and Orlando, Florida, where we had fun at WDW. Temperatures were close to 100 with high humidity, thunderstorms. flooding rains - worse heat than Queensland. We enjoyed flying Air NZ sky couches from Auckland to NY and Houston to Auckland. It is the only way to travel to USA long haul. We slept all the way! Kiwi Food was surprisingly good for economy and the Air NZ service is always first class. Wine with meals, with seconds! No dream cruises along the beautiful Queenland Coast to Darwin, so I'm about to fly to Darwin for ten days, so I don't loose my points.

Is the active volcano effecting cruising in Iceland?

What a beautiful magical place you chose to live for 8 years. I was blessed by my great aunt and uncle having the lease on Newry Island, off Seaforth, during my youth. We visited annually. This was a magical childhood for me. They built the buildings themselves, cooked delicious fresh fish for fishermen, ate oysters off the rocks, watched the koalas swim between outer and Newry Islands and listened to the koalas during the night. Are there still basic unspoilt places, such as these, still available for tourists in Australia?

I SAW MY LAST KOALA IN THE WILD FROM A WALKING PATH ON MAGNETIC ISLAND. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL ISLAND.

That would be too sensible! The principle of lack of variety in quality bottles of wine would drive me crazy, Can passengers bring bottles of wine on board to drink from ports with wineries?

Hot water bottle on the bed sounds like worth trying. The things you learn on Cruse Critic!! I have been researching Walt Disney World accommodation in Orlando and read of two cases of bed bugs in expensive to very expensive accommodation. The hard part seems to be getting hotel staff to believe the bights are from bed bugs.

No I had paid in advance. It was a short visit.

I hadn't heard of bed bugs on cruise ships. However, we were badly bitten in accommodation overlooking the Mediterranean. We were travelling with a friend's mother from Rome. When the owners discovered we were foreign, they tried to cancel our booking. However, We insisted they honour our booking. Not a smart move, because I suspect they knew about the bed bugs. Our friend from Rome's room had no bed bugs. I was told to always check the mattress protector, which will have blood spots, if there are bed bugs.

I live interstate, but always check what is on at the Sydney Opera House every time I visit Sydney. I always allow time to enjoy a drink overlooking the harbour and the harbour bridge.

Is the weather wetter where you live now Les? Must be nice overlooking the river. Hope you are feeling better.