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

[KirkNC]

Kirk,

 

Yes, Maasdam has an on-board WAN, which you must access to get to paid internet, and from which you can access your on-board account, and in theory make dining and shore excursion reservations. You log on via the Maasdam guest account and establish an account based on your name and cabin number. Then you set a PIN, which allows you access from public computers; but even from my personal notebook in my cabin I need the PIN to access the account.

 

Here is a shot of the navigation page that launches as soon as you log onto the WAN:

 

 

 

 

 

I haven’t written about it, because frankly there is nothing much writing home about. It has about mastered waving bye-bye, but not quite conquered pat-a-cake yet, compared to what I encountered on QM2 … TEN years ago. As a conduit to paid internet, it is adequate. As a source of checking my account, it is convenient, but not totally accurate at times. As a way to book reservations or shore excursions, I have found it pretty much a bust – I always get the same message: “failed to retrieve data from the server.” So, I visit the desk or call, just as before.

 

Maybe I'm being too harsh. This is a step in the right direction, but there is a long way to go here, in my opinion.

 

 

Dave

 

Thanks for the review, I have not seen this yet on HAL. I continue to be surprised at how difficult something so simple can be. At least it might be a tool to keep up with our account, thanks again.

[Riversedge]

I have really enjoyed reading your posts every day and am sorry your cruise is coming to an end. We board the Maasdam Jan 15 for the cruise back to San Diego. I hope they manage to dig up some new menus before then! Thanks so much for all the pictures you've posted. It's a huge commitment of time and much appreciated.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Safe travels home.

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

[hpf]

Dave thanks for keeping us all informed about your travels; I know that I will most likely never get there so I certainly enjoyed reading about your adventure.

 

I hope you and Mrs Dave have a great post cruise time travelling around Australia and seeing some of the interior of Australia. So safe travels and I shall be looking forward to reading more about your adventures.

 

Helen

[boards]

I thank you for taking us along with you on this cruise. It was very enjoyable. We hope do it some day soon.

[fatcat04]

What a LOVELY journey and thank you for letting us tag along. I too doubt we will ever be able to visit these places so it is nice to get this much detail and so many great photos. It almost feels like we have been there with you all the way. Thank you Dave and safe travels for you and your wife as you venture into Australia and then back home.

[RetiredMustang]

This has been such a great adventure to follow, and I look forward to reading reports of the remaining days of your adventure.

 

A couple questions...do you ever consider non HAL excursions? I know getting back to the ship on time is a main concern.

 

And, if you wanted to have dinner on your balcony were you able to order from the MD or Pinnacle? A friend on their first cruise ever was on a HAL Med cruise this fall. They went to the Pinnacle one night for $35 per person, they ordered Pinnacle room service one night for $15 per person. I ask because I think enjoying a relaxing dinner on the balcony would be fabulous after an exhaustive but enjoyable excursion day.

 

Thank you again for your daily reports. It has been wonderful cruising with you. Cherie

 

 

Excursions: we almost always take the HAL ones. As you said, getting back on time or having the ship wait for us is the main concern. But, we enjoy the convenience of ordering and paying for most excursions before even getting on board. We also believe that HAL selects only licensed reputable companies with adequate safety records, etc. And, at least twice in our experience on cruise, the HAL excursion was the ONLY way to do something. The first was the Tattoo in Edinburgh in 2009; those who tried to book on their own found the event totally sold out. The second time was on this cruise. It was in Apia or Suva, but we had done something else, and later in the day talked to a couple who had taken a cab on their own to the start of where there was a river canoe trip to a waterfall -- no spaces; all had been bought by HAL for their excursions.

 

Dining in the room: We don't do this. We were in a Vista suite on Maasdam, and have in the past been in Neptune suites a few time. The idea of trying to eat on a small table with not-dining chairs is too awkward. And, we do not like alfresco dining even ashore when there is no ship movement involved. I don't want to have to anchor my napkin and roll at all times, for example. So, we don't order dinner in the room.

 

Of course, the above are just our preferences; others may really like independent tours and dining on their balcony.

 

 

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Nov. 18, debarkation, Alice Springs

 

 

This morning, we were among the first groups called, at 7:30. We walked through the terminal, and, since we had pre-screened Australian Border Force days before on the transit from Bali to Geraldton, we were soon through with formalities. We walked out, with ShoreEx staff directing us, until we were met by Melissa S., or “Mel”, our post-cruise Explore Australia tour director. She and the driver quickly tagged our bags based on whether they were being stowed in Syndey or coming with us, and loaded the luggage in the trailer behind the mini-van.

 

There are only four of us on the tour – us and a couple from Ottawa, which means we are getting specialized attention from Mel. We drove to the airport in heavy but not impossible traffic, and Mel quickly had us checked in, boarding passes printed, and luggage dropped. We went through security, where I found the agents quick, efficient, cheerful, helpful and friendly. That’s when I knew I was in a different country instead of the U.S.

 

We had an uneventful three-hour flight to Alice Springs, changing our clocks back 1-1/2 hours. That’s when I not only thought I was in another country, but in another time – we climbed down some stairs, walked across the tarmac and then into the terminal building to go to baggage claim, where we were met by John, our bus driver for this portion of the tour. We went outside to find our full-sized coach. We drove a few miles through semi-arid lands and through a gap in some ancient hills to enter the town of Alice Springs, actually a small city of 27,000 or so.

 

We drove through the main part of the city and went up to the ANZAC Hill Lookout. Like most cities in Australia I suppose, Alice Springs has its memorial to the Australia New Zealand Army Corps which fought at Gallipoli in World War I with heavy casualties, and like most cities, has extended the intent of the monument to honor the fallen of all conflicts.

 

It is a simple dignified obelisk on the hill:

 

 

 

 

 

The flag in the photo is the flag of Northern Territory. There were also some good views from the hill, including one along the main highway we had driven from the airport, through the gap in the hills:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Afterwards, we drove back to the city center and had time to get some lunch in the pedestrian area. It was quite warm but not oppressive, so DW and I strolled a bit and looked into some shops before finding a pub called Sporties and had a drink and shared a plate of what turned out to be nachos Bolognese. We had been given a snack on the plane and did not want a large meal.

 

We met Mel and John with coach at the agreed spot, and Mel said our rooms were ready at the Hilton Doubletree resort, which was a short drive away. She gave us envelopes with our room cards and some info sheets. When we arrived at the hotel, we were greeted by a staff member bearing gifts of warm cookies (biscuits) – chocolate chip with walnuts.

 

We had some time to get settled, and then met Mel in the lobby bar for nibbles and drinks to go over the itinerary for the tour, practical information about times and places to have our luggage, etc. DW and I then had a light supper.

 

Saturday is going to be a very long day, what with a six-hour bus ride to Ayers Rock and a sunset viewing. Then, we have a sunrise viewing the next morning, at 5 a.m. I will provide updates as I can.

 

 

More later,

Dave

[KNOT2L82SAIL]

I so enjoyed your comment about the menus and.... look what I got them to eat! Lots of options were, for me, not an option. I think I am going to lose weight when I do the Voyage of the Viking cruise, unless there are more options. LOL

Your photos have been so awesome and your detailed reports, so great. A huge thank you for making the effort and taking the time to do this.

Enjoy the rest of your adventure!

[cccole]

Thank you for answering my questions re veranda dining and excursions and giving your insight.

 

Your overland trip in Australia is looking great, I had no idea that Alice Springs was such a large city and the Doubletree looks wonderful. Thank you again for letting us travel with you!!!!!! Cherie

[bluesplayer]

Thank you for your photos, posts of your experiences and letting us live precariously on your journey. I have followed your experiences of your grand voyage. Thank you so much for the time you out in to share your trip..i have enjoyed every post.. safe travels home..

[kftw]

Thank you for taking us along on your cruise.

[GUT2407]

Always,over the views from ANZAC hill over The Alice. A beaut little town, be interested to hear what you think of the other locations, I presume you're going to The Rock, spectacular in one word. But Katherine Gorge and Stanley chasm are up there.

[DFD1]

Great thread. Fun and interesting to read. Thanks for all the hard work keeping it going.

I learned a lot !

[RetiredMustang]

Nov. 19, Ayer’s Rock

 

 

We left Alice Springs after breakfast and drove a bit over six hours, including stops for restrooms and a quick lunch at an outback roadhouse. We also stopped for a few minutes at the Finke River, which at over 350 million years old, is one of the oldest rivers on earth. Here is a photo of the dry river bed; sometimes water flows on the surface, but usually only underground:

 

 

 

 

We arrived at the Ayer’s Rock resort a bit after 2 p.m., and had a chance to get into our rooms at the Sails in the Desert Hotel, and get a bit of rest and a drink. The Sails in the Desert is the high-end hotel at the resort, which is a small village with a range of accommodations and campgrounds, as well as stores, restaurants and a post office.

 

In the afternoon, we took a drive a few kilometers into the national park and drove around to the east side of the Rock, where we took a short walk, the Kuniya Walk, to a waterhole, where our guide related a story from the aborigines that related to marks on the Rock. One of the purchases our guide had recommended was a fly net, to protect against small black flies. They are about half-size versions of everyday house flies, and are harmless in that they do not bite or sting. But, they seek moisture, and will try to land on your eyes, mouth, ears, nostrils, etc. They are ubiquitous and relentless during the day in some parts. One of those parts was around the waterhole, so we used ours. Here is a photo of me sporting the essential outback apparel:

 

 

 

 

We then went to the sunset viewing area, where many, many tables had been set up. One was for us, and some staff arranged by the tour company served us champagne and light snacks as we watched the colors change on the Rock as the sun went down. The Rock is mostly gray in mid-day, although you can tell it has iron in it. When the angle of the sun gets toward the horizon, the color of the Rock changes. Here are two photos, one taken about 15 minutes before sunset, and one about 10 minutes later:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

Edited November 20, 2016 by RetiredMustang

[RetiredMustang]

Nov. 20, Ayer’s Rock

 

 

We met at 4:45 a.m. to drive to the sunrise viewing area, and met up with several busloads of fellow tourists to watch the event. We climbed a fairly short path that led to observation decks on several levels, and took up a station facing the Rock.

 

 

When it got a bit more light, I took a photo that shows some of us waiting:

 

 

 

Then I took a series of photos at intervals. Here are two I took a couple of minutes apart, just after sunrise:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then returned to our hotel for a great buffet breakfast. Afterwards, we checked out of the hotel and then took a longer drive, which included a stop at the point where you could climb the Rock. Here is a photo of the path, which has a guide chain along part of it:

 

 

 

 

We did not climb: we did not have the time, we did not have the inclination, and besides, the park had closed the path by that point of the day because it was over the limit of, I think, 36C.

 

 

We also drove about 50 km to the west to view Kata Tjuta (“many heads”) formation, also known as the Olgas. We drove around to the west side for the better view:

 

 

 

 

 

Then, we returned to the resort complex, where we had some free time to get lunch. We ate at the Gecko Café, and had a pretty decent pizza.

 

Then, it was time to load up and go to the airport for the flight to Cairns.

 

 

More later,

Dave

Edited November 21, 2016 by RetiredMustang

[RetiredMustang]

Nov. 20-21, Cairns

 

 

We arrived in Cairns just after 6, and drove to the Hilton on the waterfront – it’s the hotel that we could see from the Maasdam when we were at the port terminal earlier in the month.

 

 

We had gotten a snack on the plane, and since we had been up at 3:30, we just went to bed.

 

 

After breakfast at the hotel, Mel met us in the lobby at 8 a.m. and walked us a couple of hundred meters along the waterfront to the Reef Fleet Terminal, where we were stickered and led to our boat, the Reef Magic III.

 

We set out and, after a 90-minute sometimes rough transit, we arrived at the Marine World platform at Moore Reef. They boat tied up to the platform, and we went aboard, to find a main deck with metal picnic tables, places for gear, an upper sun deck, etc.:

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a photo of the boat tied up to the platform that I took from the sun deck:

 

 

 

 

 

On the other side of the platform were excursion boats – a semi-submersible and a glass-bottom boat:

 

 

 

 

 

But most of the people were snorkeling over the roped-off area of the reef:

 

 

 

 

 

DW went snorkeling. The company handed out lycra body suits, which protected against any stings from any small, non-poisonous jellyfish that may be about, but also made unnecessary the putting on of any sun screen, which also protects the reef from those chemicals. The suits were not the thick wet suits, which were available for divers if they wanted them, but were of a thin material. DW said she wished Caribbean snorkel sites would get these lycra suits.

 

 

 

There is a large hump-head wrasse around the platform, like the one I photographed in Noumea. He hangs about, getting his underwater photo taken with snorkelers, etc. At one point, one of the marine biologists fed some fish from the snorkeling shelf, and Wally came up on the shallow ledge, much to the delight of those on the shelf:

 

 

 

 

From 12-1:30, the platform opened a buffet lunch, serving various salads, chicken, shrimp and pastas.

 

At 3:30, we cast off and made our way back to Cairns, arriving just after 5. We went ashore and walked to the hotel.

 

 

More later,

Dave

[VICKIB114]

Dave you wear the stinger suits because the stingers are poisonous

Edited November 21, 2016 by VICKIB114

[RetiredMustang]

Dave you wear the stinger suits because the stingers are poisonous

 

Oops, sorry! I mis-interpreted what out guide said, apparently. She said there weren't any large poisonous jellies about, but the suits would protect against small jellies. I took the contrast to be large/poisonous jellies and small/not. The suits are a brilliant idea that we hope takes off in the Caribbean, because even non-poisonous jelly stings can be painful. And, if the suits keep the sunscreen chemicals off the reef, all the better.

 

Dave

Edited November 21, 2016 by RetiredMustang

[KirkNC]

If I recall correctly climbing Ayer Rock is discouraged by the native population as it is sacred in their culture.

[RetiredMustang]

Nov. 22, Cairns

 

 

On Tuesday, we walked about Cairns for a while, then met Mel and our bus for a drive to Kuranda, a village in the Atherton Tablelands. The drive was not very long, but included some winding road up the hills. Kuranda is mostly given over to catering to tourists, with lots of shops and restaurants. Here is a typical view:

 

 

 

 

We had free time in Kuranda for some lunch and shopping, and then we drove a short way to the Skyrail station to take gondolas on cables down to the end station near the Cairns airport.

 

The Skytrain was in two segments. We got out at the first stop and took a stroll to see the Barron Falls, and then rejoined the Skytrain. Here are photos of the Barron Falls station and of the falls:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then got on another gondola for the ride to the Red Peak station, where we changed to another gondola on the second segment. The cable went up over the top of Red Peak, and allowed for some sweeping views on the way down:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were met at the bottom by our bus and drove to the airport to catch a flight to Sydney. We arrived in the evening, and checked into the Sheraton Four Points hotel near the Aquarium in Darling Harbour.

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Nov. 23-24, Sydney, Seattle

 

 

Since our flight was in the evening, we had some free time in the morning, so we went to the excellent Aquarium, and then got some lunch at a place along the Darling Harbour waterfront.

 

Mel and a limo driver met us at 1 p.m. for a tour of Sydney – it was just the two of us left at that point as the other couple had an earlier flight and had taken a morning city tour. We saw a few sights around Sydney, including the Royal Botanical Gardens where there was a wall where I could get the iconic shot that everyone gets of the Opera House and the Bridge:

 

 

 

 

 

It is also the site of Mrs. Macquarie's Chair, a stone bench carved by convicts in 1811 for the wife of the Governor, and which she used to watch the harbor:

 

 

 

 

We then did some windshield touring around and ended up at Bondi Beach for a coffee. We also got a large thunderstorm, so we dashed for the car, and drove the back ways to the airport to check in for our flight.

 

We left Sydney on time at about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, changed planes in Honolulu, and arrived in Seattle at about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. We got an airport hotel room for the night and returned home Thursday.

 

That concludes our two-month long expedition to, around and into Australia. We had a wonderful time, and we both agreed it was not enough time to see everything. But, we saw a lot, and are grateful to have had the opportunity to see a bit of Australia and to meet the people.

 

Thanks for coming along. Unless anyone has any questions, this will end the blog.

 

 

Thanks,

Dave

[retiretwo]

Thanks for the final report, Dave. We really enjoyed your taking all of us along for the 2 month trip! As I don't like long air travel, I'll never do any Australian adventure. I Loved your pics.........Especially the animals! So glad you made it home safely. Thanks again, until your next great adventure. Terri

[bcummin]

Thank you, Dave, for taking us along on your awesome Australian adventure.

I have appreciated each blogger's description of the special cruise that we had to cancel. You went above and beyond the usual travelogue. Well done.

 

Now that you are home to reality, may you both enjoy a Merry Christmas and the blessings of a Happy New Year.

 

Barbara

[RuthC]

Thank you for the ever-faithful reports. I have enjoyed not only reading them, but also seeing the pictures. In more than one case your pics have reminded me of what I did in the same port! My memory just isn't what it used to be, and you have helped fill in some blanks there.