Dave’s Trip To, Around and Into Australia, Sept. 26 – Nov. 23, 2016

[RetiredMustang]

Nov. 6, Geraldton (Cont.)

 

 

We then re-boarded the buses and drove about an hour to the town of Kalbarri, at the mouth of the Murchison River. Our guide said we would have our lunch at Sally’s (or possibly Sully’s) tree in the town, named for a good cook who served food to the original campers and fishermen who came to vacation in the area. We thought it would be a restaurant of that name where we would get our choice of the chicken or the beef, or perhaps a buffet line.

 

Actually, it was a tree, in the park:

 

 

 

 

The tour drivers and guides set up tables and some plastic chairs, and we went through a line to serve ourselves home-made quiches, two types of salad, and homemade rolls. We did not care for the quiche, so had some salad and a roll, and then had time to walk around a bit. I took a photo of the pier and the mouth of the river leading to the sea:

 

 

 

 

We looked at the nearby gift shop and news agents for postcards, but both were closed due to it being Sunday (the news agent had been open for a few hours in the morning, but had closed by the time we arrived). But, the supermarket was open, and we got an ice cream each to eat as we walked about.

 

 

About 1 p.m., we got back on the bus and drove a short way to the sea cliffs to a combined overlook, where we could see the Natural Bridge:

 

 

 

 

 

And of the Castle Cove:

 

 

 

 

There was also a trail going 8 km along the cliff top, the Bigurda Trail, but we did not have time to walk any of it. We then drove about 1-1/2 hours back to Geraldton. Apparently, because of lighter traffic or something, we had a few minutes to spare to visit the HMAS Sydney Memorial on a hill in town, something not normally part of the tour. The HMAS Sydney was sunk off Western Australia in 1941 by a German raider ship. The Sydney went down with all hands. A memorial was dedicated 1n 2001, the main feature being a dome consisting of a seagull for each Sailor lost:

 

 

 

 

A short drive from there brought us to the ship, where we were almost on time.

 

 

My impression: I got to see a lot of the countryside, learn some history, and see some beautiful natural sights. But, of the seven hours on the tour, five were spent on the bus. The lunch was disappointing, and the cost for the tour, almost $250 U.S. each, was pretty steep for what we experienced. I probably would not take this tour again.

 

 

More later,

Dave

Edited November 6, 2016 by RetiredMustang

[Krazy Kruizers]

Got behind.

Enjoying your reports and pictures.

[RetiredMustang]

Nov. 7, Freemantle

 

 

We have just docked at the Freemantle Passenger Terminal, and have received clearance by the authorities. It is breezy and a bit chilly – 24C/57F. We have packed light jackets for our excursion, just in case. We have booked the trip to Caversham Wildlife Park and River Cruise, a 75-minute ride down the Swan River from Perth back to Freemantle (or alternatively, boat first, then wildlife park; we’ll see which version we get.)

 

Here are the first four pages of today’s On Location:

 

 

 

 

 

 

More in the next post,

Dave

Edited November 7, 2016 by RetiredMustang

[RetiredMustang]

Nov. 7, Freemantle (Cont.)

 

 

Here are the other two pages of the On Location:

 

 

 

 

Here are the Explorer pages about Freemantle:

 

 

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Nov. 7, Freemantle (Cont.)

 

 

Our tour left about 9:30 or so, to go to Caversham Wildlife Park and then a river cruise. Our buses drove north out of Freemantle and along the coast road, beside some very nice beaches:

 

 

 

 

We arrived at the wildlife park, north of Perth, after about an hour’s drive. There were three buses, and we were taken to stops in differing orders so as not to crowd everything. Our bus passengers, 35 of us, first were led in a group by a Park guide to a session of having our photos taken petting (but not holding) a koala:

 

 

 

 

 

These were a different variety of koala than we had seen at Lone Pine sanctuary in Brisbane – these were larger, and had darker fur. Here is a shot I took later of an alert koala in his compound:

 

 

 

 

 

And a photo of one who is resting between assignments:

 

 

 

 

After petting the koalas, we were led in a group to a tent with some displays and opportunities to hold a snake or get a picture taken with a wombat. One of the displays had a crowd-pleasing Red Kangaroo joey about five months old:

 

 

 

 

 

More in the next post,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Nov. 7, Freemantle (Cont.)

 

 

At the tent, those wishing to stand in the line could have their photos taken, with their own cameras or other devices, sitting next to a park employee holding a large wombat:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We next were taken to the kangaroo enclosure where we could see and, if we wanted, try to feed the kangaroos, before being given about 1-1/2 hours of free time to wander the park, looking at other animals, feeding kangaroos, or having a bit of lunch on our own. The kangaroos were mostly asleep or resting and not much interested in the humans, but we saw some animals that were alert, including a dingo, a possum, and, unusual for the middle of the day, an active Tasmanian Devil:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More in the next post,

Dave

Edited November 7, 2016 by RetiredMustang

[RetiredMustang]

Nov. 7, Freemantle (Cont.)

 

 

About 1:30, we left the wildlife park and drove to Perth, going south and then entering the city from the east side. We drove along the banks of the Swan River, which flows from inland, through Perth and to the sea at Freemantle to the southeast of the city. The buses drop us off at the Barrack Street Jetty in central Perth, where we boarded a Captain Cook cruise book that HAL had chartered for our group of about 100 people:

 

 

 

 

 

We boarded the vessel, and it set off on a 75-minute narrated tour of the Swan River as we went back to Freemantle, where we docked and debarked at a pier a few hundred meters down from Maasdam. The boat had two levels; on the bottom level was a bar serving free tea, coffee and water, and from which we could purchase beer, wine and snacks. Here are some of the many photos I took, including the interior of the lower level of the boat:

 

 

 

 

 

The Perth skyline:

 

 

 

 

 

A section of riverfront in an area named Dalkeith – this section of homes is called Millionaire’s Row:

 

 

 

 

 

And finally, a photo of Maasdam at the Port of Freemantle Passenger Terminal:

 

 

 

 

 

This was a pleasant and not too taxing day, although it lasted a bit more than six hours. The wildlife park was I believe larger and had more animals than Featherdale park near Sydney, and it was less crowded. The boat trip was very enjoyable, and certainly was better than riding a bus back to the ship. A very good excursion in my opinion.

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Nov. 7, Freemantle (Cont.)

 

 

The tour was a little bit late, as most tours are, and we got aboard with just enough time to shower, get the menus scanned at the Crow’s Nest (and a quick glass of wine) before our fixed dining time.

 

Here are the MDR dinner and dessert menus:

 

 

 

 

We both had the same dishes – we started with the mushroom and wild rice chowder, followed by the prime rib. For dessert, we ordered the Rocky Road ice cream, but when Ayep came back he said they had run out of that, so he had put some mini marshmallows on some chocolate ice cream for us instead. We appreciated the extra effort … and the marshmallows actually were good with the chocolate ice cream.

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Nov. 8, Freemantle Day 2

 

 

We spent the night in Freemantle, and are due to leave at noon; all aboard is 10:45. DW and I plan to walk into Freemantle after breakfast and see what we can. Here are the first four pages of the On Location:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More in the next post,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Nov. 8, Freemantle Day 2 (Cont.)

 

 

Here are the other two pages of the On Location:

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[bcummin]

Really enjoyed your Fremantle tour, especially the bigger koalas and the well fed wombat.

Sounds like you have found our Washington State weather :(

Could you please post page two of the Fremantle Explorer?

Thanks,

Barbara

[Mtn2Sea]

Great reporting Dave! Thanks for all your efforts in sharing your trip with us.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Great pictures thanks

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

[RetiredMustang]

Really enjoyed your Fremantle tour, especially the bigger koalas and the well fed wombat.

Sounds like you have found our Washington State weather :(

Could you please post page two of the Fremantle Explorer?

Thanks,

Barbara

 

Barbara,

 

Sorry, file name error that I did not catch. D'oh! Here is the second page of the Explorer sheet:

 

 

 

 

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Nov. 8, Freemantle Day 2 (Cont.)

 

 

We walked ashore after breakfast and wandered about central Freemantle. We stooped at the post office to buy stamps, at a newsagent for post cards and note cards, and at a small coffee shop for a flat white for DW and a cappuccino for me.

 

It was a lovely sunny morning, about 22C/72F, with a pleasant breeze. I took many photographs. Here are some focusing on the port/passenger terminal area. First are photos of a lighthouse at the port entrance:

 

 

 

 

And a shot of the Maritime Museum from the water:

 

 

 

 

A railway line runs between the port area and the city, but there is a pedestrian overpass that allows easy access to and from the port:

 

 

 

 

 

Frequent commuter trains run between the Freemantle station, a few hundred meters from the passenger terminal, to central Perth:

 

 

 

 

We did not take the train, but heard that tickets were in the range of $4 to $5 each way. The boat company runs three trips a day between Freemantle and Perth and three back as well, and tickets cost $30. So, you could take a morning train to Perth, sightsse and have lunch, and catch the 2:15 boat back to Freemantle and walk back to the passenger terminal fairly easily.

 

 

This morning, the Emerald Princess pulled in in front of us at the Passenger Terminal. It is a much larger ship than Maasdam, and has many more passengers. We hurried ashore before the Princess ship was cleared, and were at the central area near the information center when the shuttles started letting off passengers from that ship. Yesterday, the Maasdam had free shuttles, I presume also to the information center, which is very centrally located for visiting the city. I took a photograph from the far end of the pedestrian overpass to show the comparison of the two ships:

 

 

 

 

 

More in the next post,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Nov. 8, Freemantle Day 2 (Cont.)

 

 

We walked up the main street leading away from the port until we encountered High Street, where we turned right to head to the central area. Along the way, we saw a huge tree:

 

 

 

 

 

The sign at the tree said it was planted in 1890 to commemorate the establishment of the Western Australia government:

 

 

 

 

We also saw the first of many city info signs that are very useful to visitors:

 

 

 

 

 

Along the high street were the post office, and the coffee bar. We entered the central pedestrian square by the information center. Across from it is St. John’s Anglican Church:

 

 

 

 

 

From there, we visited the newsagent, and then walked around some pedestrian streets:

 

 

 

 

More in the next post,

Dave

Edited November 8, 2016 by RetiredMustang

[RetiredMustang]

Nov. 8, Freemantle Day 2 (Cont.)

 

 

We then walked down Market street, passing two impressive buildings, the Dome Café and the National Hotel:

 

 

 

 

 

 

While on our walk, there also were some things that caught my eye, including a painting of a mantis on a building, and a couple of signs:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(I am guessing that thongs refer to footwear and not intimate apparel.) It was a great morning in Freemantle, but we had to get back because all on board was 10:45. We returned to the ship, which held boat drill for the passengers who got on board in Freemantle before we sailed at noon, en route to Albany tomorrow.

 

 

More later,

Dave

Edited November 8, 2016 by RetiredMustang

[RetiredMustang]

Nov. 8, Freemantle Day 2 (Cont.)

 

 

We went to happy hour in the Crow’s Nest and it seemed fairly quiet; we thought it was because we were experiencing a fairly significant pitch in a stiff wind at the bow, and the ship rocking fore and aft.

 

We went into dinner as scheduled. Here are the MDR dinner and dessert menus:

 

 

 

 

 

For starter, we both had the andouille and chard soup. For main, DW had the beef bourguignon, while I had the pork medallions. For dessert, she had the vanilla ice cream and I had the strawberry sorbet.

 

In the Pinnacle, they had another Indian night, which seemed to be very popular. Here is the flyer they sent around, and it lists more dishes than the one from last cruise:

 

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

Edited November 8, 2016 by RetiredMustang

[bcummin]

Thank you, Dave, for page two. Can't imagine how it got missed :) I really appreciate all of your work to share this adventure with us.

Fremantle is a lovely city. You are a good explorer and your photographs are great. Glad the weather warmed up.

The Gazpacho Andalusia at dinner sure looked good to me.

Keep up the good work and enjoy.

Barbara

Edited November 8, 2016 by bcummin

[RetiredMustang]

Nov. 9, Albany

 

 

We arrive at Albany at 10 this morning. We have booked a tour to see a winery and some sights, but should be back mid-afternoon. Here are the first four pages of the On Location:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More in the next post,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Nov. 9, Albany (Cont.)

 

 

Here are the other two pages of the On Location:

 

 

 

 

 

Here are the Explorer pages about Albany:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[easyboy]

Very nice read! The details, the photos, the presentation, the sequence.

Never a dull moment. Thanks.

[Krazy Kruizers]

As usual, great reporting and wonderful pictures.

[RetiredMustang]

Nov. 9, Albany (Cont.)

 

 

We arrived in Albany at 10 a.m. It is a city of about 35,000 people on the southeastern coast of Australia. It was overcast and gray as we pulled in. Here is a photo of the marina and the central part of the city:

 

 

 

 

We docked at the commercial grain port. It was not all that far from the central district, and some passengers did walk, but many took the free shuttles:

 

 

 

 

Our tour was called just before 11, and we walked off the gangway to a waiting bus. About 50 of us were on the tour, which was the ship’s Southern Wineries and Sights excursion. The weather became misty and now and then we had light rain. We went first to the top of Mount Clarence, to the reconstructed memorial to the Desert Mounted Corps. The original memorial was in Egypt, but it was destroyed. The original base was brought to Albany and a new monument was cast. Here are a photo of the monument, and of a plaque that tells its history:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our guide said the statue depicts a horseman coming to aid of another in battle. He said Australians say it is an Australian helping a New Zealander, while New Zealanders say it’s the other way around.

 

 

More in the next post

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Nov. 9, Albany (Cont.)

 

 

After viewing the memorial, we walked a hundred meters or so up to the lookout, which afforded an expansive view of King George Sound and surrounding waters and islands. Here are photos of the lookout, of the city below, and of the Maasdam in port:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After that, we got back on the bus and drove a few minutes to the Albany wind farm, a collection of 16 windmills on a ridge nearby to the city. Our guide said the wind farm produces about 80% of the city’s electricity. Here is a photo of some of the windmills:

 

 

 

 

 

More in the next post,

Dave