Come sail with me on a virtual cruise on Majestic Princess to Fiji!

[ellie1145]

The sunrise turns the engines to gold, and finally the sky is blue. I am mesmerised by the vista below me. 

 

Hope you enjoy these photos. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can’t help feeling that I could just hop down out of the plane and walk on these clouds, they are so beautiful and ever changing.

 

 

 

[ellie1145]

Breakfast! We’re nearly there!

 

It’s been a long night,  with very little sleep, but the view out of the window is enough to revive me. 

 

The clattering continues as they prepare our breakfast - well, actually it was probably the First Class breakfast.

 

Ours, I’m afraid, is a rather flat roll, too dry to eat, a small pot of fruit, a muffin and strawberry jam. Not impressed. But at least there is a cup of tea....

 

The clouds change to cotton wool as we begin our descent. 

 

As we break through the clouds we catch our first glimpse of terra firma, as a gap appears in the clouds.

The clouds begin to clear

 

 

 

 

We can see the coast now!

There are rolling hills and evidence of townships

 

 

[ellie1145]

Wow, just look at that coast!

 

We are on our final approach and at last we see the coast.  Are your seatbelts fastened? Have you stowed all your belongings? 

 

Isn’t it a beautiful sight?

 

It’s going to be a beautiful sunny day! Hooray!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sun is shining brightly as we glide smoothly in. The runway is parallel to the sea, and it’s a welcome sight.

 

We taxi down the runway. We’re here!

 

 

 

Edited July 4, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

Part 2

🎶  I Come from a Land Down Under 🎶

 

 

Now starts part 2 of our amazing adventure, so be ready to enjoy exploring  Sydney, and share with us the wonders of the Sydney Opera House, the spectacular Blue Mountains, and a train ride to Parramatta. Come walk the streets of this beautiful city with us, before we set foot onboard the wonderful Majestic Princess.

 

But sure you’ve got comfortable shoes because there will be a whole lot of walking ahead! 😀

 

A final glimpse of the big bird that has brought us safely to these shores. 

 

 

We have nothing planned today, but will probably crash out for a little while, as neither of us slept last night.  Then we will go and explore this great city, and maybe try an iconic eatery....will it be ostrich? Or kangaroo? Or crocodile?

 

Well, you will just have to wait and see!🤣

 

 

[ellie1145]

Sydney

 

 

Sydney is the capital of New South Wales, and one of the largest and most populous cities in Australia, and home to over 5 million people.

 

There can be few people who would not recognise the iconic Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

 

 

Lieutenant James Cook and his crew made landfall at Botany Bay during his first Pacific voyage in 1770, and in 1788 the first fleet of convicts founded Sydney as a British penal colony and European settlement in Australia. Transportation of convicts to Australia ended in 1842, and there followed a gold rush in 1851.

 

After World War II it became one of the most multi-cultural cities in the world, with the advent of mass immigration. Apparently, there are more than 250 languages spoken in Sydney. After London and New York it has the largest foreign born population of any city in the world.

 

It was home to the 2000 Summer Olympics, one of those frustrating bits of trivia which I always forget!

 

We’ve arrived, half an hour late, and although it takes ages and ages for our luggage to come, and we are beginning to get worried, thankfully it is all there. Then it’s on through immigration and passport control.

 

I’m an avid watcher of the programmes about Australian security, ‘Nothing to Declare,’ and we are surprised at how automated it is, as we were expecting to be patted down and x-rayed at the very least! In fact I’m a little disappointed, 😜 but they are probably all busy searching those Asian visitors who roll up with suitcases full of bird’s nests and home cooked chicken. Don’t they realise that there’s plenty of food available in the shops?

 

We have directions for getting our transport and it’s a bit of a mission. We walk up and down looking for the right place and after a very frustrating half an hour we reach what we hope is the right desk, but there is a lady having a very long conversation and booking transport for tomorrow so it’s really frustrating.

 

 

We’re very tired and just want to get to our hotel. Eventually the guy behind the desk manages to contact our driver who has been waiting for us outside. He gives us very minimal and rather confusing instructions, and we head outside to find our car. I am, at this point, very grumpy, and it is with relief we find our driver, a charming gentleman with a lovely comfortable Mercedes, who stows our luggage and sets off for the city.

 

It’s a beautiful morning, with the sun shining brightly, quite different from last time we were here, when we had rain, rain and more rain. We even needed coats despite it being the Oz summer. In fact the day before we arrived temperatures had hit the 40s but the minute we arrived temperatures dropped. So maybe this time we will see the Sydney Opera house in sunshine.

 

We sit back and enjoy the drive, which takes about half an hour as it’s rush hour. We pass familiar landmarks and then we see the canopy outside our hotel, together with the red carpet.

 

I resist the urge to get my trusty vacuum out of my luggage....

🎶   Dude (Looks Like a Lady!) 🎶 😉

 

We’re here at last and it’s good to be back.

 

Edited July 4, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

I had emailed ahead and requested the room we had the last time we visited, but it’s not available today, so they direct us to a room which is ready. It is on the side of the hotel, overlooking the Botanical Gardens.

 

 

 

 

The bed looks SOO inviting, so we shower and sink gratefully into the wonderfully comfortable mattress, and before you can say ‘kangaroo’ we are in the land of nod. We recognise that if we have a short nap we will be refreshed and able to explore. Maybe if we were 30 years younger we would be out and about immediately, but we aren’t, so it’s time to give in gracefully and have a rest.

 

 

 

 

We have nothing planned today, After a short nap we will go and explore and maybe try an iconic eatery....

 

The alarm goes off and we drag ourselves from slumber. It’s not easy but it has to be done.

 

We decide that we will walk across the Botanical Gardens, which we've never found time to visit before, and onwards to eat one of the famous pies from Harry’s Cafe de Wheels. (Well, I didn’t say it was going to be a gourmet meal now did I?) 

 

We had a meal from here last time, after recommendations from CC, and it was really quite good, so we feel ready for the long walk, although little do we realise quite how long the walk would be.

Edited July 4, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

Royal Botanic Gardens...and a gourmet meal....

 

 

Monday, October 14th

 

Did your luggage arrive?

Are your rooms comfortable?

 

Refreshed by a cup of tea we set off from the hotel, and cross the road to the entrance to the Gardens. It’s late afternoon by now and warm and sunny, so we use google maps on my phone which gives us directions, not always accurately.

 

Mr Google takes great pleasure in directing us down several dead ends, but eventually we find our way.

 

 

Gorgeous foxgloves, full of vibrant colour

 

The gardens are beautiful with lots of different areas and plenty of opportunities for photos.

 

 

 

They have a trail for children to follow where they must search for various koala bears.

 

The garden is the oldest scientific institution in Australia and it houses over 22,000 plants. It’s divided into four sections, the Lower Gardens, the Middle Gardens, the Palace Gardens and the Bennelong precinct.

 

Amazing tree with buttress roots.

 

There are beautiful lawned area, ponds, a tropical rainforest, and flowers galore.

 

 

 

 

It’s really beautiful and well worth a visit if you have time. It’s an oasis of calm amidst the hustle and bustle of Sydney.

[ellie1145]

Royal Botanic Gardens .. continued

 

This bird seems unwilling to share his seat with us, and we’re certainly not going to ask him to move.

 

Preening completed he fixes a beady eye on us as if to say, sit if you dare.......we don’t...

 

 

 

 

It’s amazing to find such a beautiful garden in the heart of a city, and it’s free, too.

 

The tropical rainforest area, complete with bananas

 

 

 

Edited July 4, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.......Barbara Johnson

 

 

 

 

 

We eventually reach the Lions’ Gate near the rear of the park, and make our way out to Mrs MacQuarie Rd, before crossing over and following a circuitous route along elevated walkways, until we finally reach our destination, a little caravan parked in Wooloomooloo, down by the wharf.

 

 

It’s authentic Australian tucker and has been around for 80 years. We first learned about it from Cruise Critic, the source of all knowledge, and so we felt we must return this time.

 

 

We order pie, mash and gravy and retire to a bench to eat them.

 

We are soon joined by a bevvy of hungry seagulls who eye us jealously as we dig into our pies. More join them and they march about giving us knowing looks as we try to protect our meal from their hungry beaks.

 

 

Fully replete we make our weary way back to the hotel, and after a relaxing bath we fall into our gloriously comfortable bed, and are swiftly asleep.

 

Join us for tomorrow’s adventure, a tour of the Sydney Opera House.

 

We are having breakfast at the hotel before our appointed tour, which we’re very much looking forward to, as we didn't have time for it last time.

 

So see you in the morning........if there’s anyone else left that is!

 

Edited July 4, 2020 by ellie1145

[AF-1]

ellie1145;  glad to see you made is safely to Sydney.  Thanks for stopping at Starbucks to pick me up.  I didn't want to miss the flight to Sydney.  Cheers

[ellie1145]

14 minutes ago, AF-1 said:

ellie1145;  glad to see you made is safely to Sydney.  Thanks for stopping at Starbucks to pick me up.  I didn't want to miss the flight to Sydney.  Cheers

 

Glad we noticed you! Would have hated you to have missed the flight. But at least now we know exactly where to find you when you go AWOL......🙂

Edited July 4, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY TO ALL OUR AMERICAN FRIENDS!  🍾

[AF-1]

THANKS ellie1145

[rmf11699]

8 minutes ago, ellie1145 said:

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY TO ALL OUR AMERICAN FRIENDS!  🍾

Thank you. Most fire works displays will be virtual thanks to the wonderful pandemic but we live in a rural area of Texas and fireworks are not banned so we'll watch our neighbors light up the sky!

[AF-1]

rmf11699;  we had a good fireworks show last night.  We live on Ohio River and the local amusement park did a bang up job last night

[PaulS]

I just want to tell you how much I am enjoying your travelogue. I have always wanted to visit Singapore and Australia. Unfortunately, the virus, the long plane ride, and my ever advancing age is putting a damper on the plan. However, your pictures and descriptions are the next best thing.

I don’t think I caught the name of your hotel in Sydney. Would you mind telling us.

Thanks.

[ellie1145]

1 hour ago, rmf11699 said:

Thank you. Most fire works displays will be virtual thanks to the wonderful pandemic but we live in a rural area of Texas and fireworks are not banned so we'll watch our neighbors light up the sky!

Hope you have a great time and enjoy the fireworks! 

 

We can’t wait to return to the USA, it always feels like home.

[ellie1145]

1 hour ago, PaulS said:

I just want to tell you how much I am enjoying your travelogue. I have always wanted to visit Singapore and Australia. Unfortunately, the virus, the long plane ride, and my ever advancing age is putting a damper on the plan. However, your pictures and descriptions are the next best thing.

I don’t think I caught the name of your hotel in Sydney. Would you mind telling us.

Thanks.

So glad to hear that you are enjoying my travelogue. I’m having a lot of fun writing it and meeting all you lovely people.
 

I hope you will enjoy our time in Sydney, glad to have you along. Just remember, it’s a virtual tour so you can do all the things you never thought you could.

 

As for the name of the hotel, I’ll do better than that, I’ll give you a tour. 

[ellie1145]

Our Hotel

(Just for you, PaulS)

 

This is the second time we have stayed here. Last time we were bowled over by it, as we loved our room with a Juliet balcony and a view of our ship when she arrived at Circular Quay, and we enjoyed that just as much this time.

 

 

 

 

We love the location as we can walk to the Opera  House in a couple of minutes, or The Rocks, or Circular Quay, and we also walked from one end of Sydney to the other.

 

It’s a quirky hotel, as it really is like stepping back in time, with antiques everywhere (and I don't just mean the guests). It’s nothing like the new and glitzy hotels which abound in Sydney and elsewhere.

 

The rooms are huge (or ours were) and the bathrooms luxurious. It was spotlessly clean too, which is very important for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But the downside, as we found this time, is that it seems to be resting on it’s laurels, and it’s faintly pretentious. The internet was awful, and dropped off repeatedly, and each time you left it you had to log back on, it was really frustrating. As for the television, it was difficult to navigate and consisted of an incredibly small number of channels. Now, whilst it’s sometimes nice to leave modernity behind, internet is a necessity and a fact of life, and after a hugely busy and active day it would have been nice to be able to watch a TV programme.

 

The Business Centre was also a bit of a pain, as it was very difficult to log onto the computers, which seemed to be locked down, and I ended up having to ask concierge to help me several times.

 

Edited July 4, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

There is a small gym and a roof top pool with a seating area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Dining Room

 

 

The breakfast was also a disappointment, as last time it was superb with a huge range of items to choose from. This time it had been dramatically reduced, and the service was really poor. 

 

But having said all that, we had a wonderful time there. There were just a few ‘niggles.’  It was always nice to return to after a busy day, and we really loved our room and the view over Circular Quay.

 

Edited July 4, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

Sydney Opera House

 

When we returned last night we had a nice surprise....

 

 

 

 

Today we are going to the famous Sydney Opera House.

 

 

We booked our tour online directly with the Sydney Opera House. It was $73 AUD for two people. We were asked to meet in the Welcome Centre located on the lower concourse at least 10 mins prior to the tour departure time. They do not allow large bags on this tour, and encourage you to leave bags at home where possible. Bags larger than A4 size must be put in the cloakroom on arrival and may be searched at that point. They suggest arriving 15 mins early if you have bags to be stored.

 

Our tickets are delivered on the morning of our tour by email and via a PDF, so you will need access to a computer and a printer, as they require you to print out the tickets and bring them with you. Perhaps with the advent of Covid-19 they will introduce a non-contact option.

 

 

We wake early and make our way downstairs to the dining room where we are shown to a table. It’s an elegant dining room, but very old fashioned, which fits the sort of hotel it is. Since our last stay they have changed the breakfast menu and instead of being able to choose what you have there are a couple of set options only, which is disappointing as the breakfast is not cheap. There is no porridge (oatmeal) and a much smaller buffet than we had last time. Service is patchy, and requests for more tea etc are largely ignored by the rather elderly servers. We certainly won’t bother with breakfast here again.

 

We are moving rooms today but we don’t need to do anything until we return from our tour. We haven’t unpacked much anyway so it shouldn’t be too difficult.

 

 

After breakfast I try to print our tour vouchers which only arrive on the morning by email.  It’s a bit of a mission but eventually the concierge manages to sort it out.

 

 

We get ready to walk down to the Opera House which is a very short distance away. It’s a beautiful sunny day and it’s good to feel the warmth of the sun as we walk down the road.

 

 

[JF - retired RRT]

20 minutes ago, ellie1145 said:

 

 

 

 

Two people to share 5 pieces?!! What's up with that?

DH & I would come to blows.

[ellie1145]

1 hour ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Two people to share 5 pieces?!! What's up with that?

DH & I would come to blows.

 

LOL!  What if I’d already eaten the one in the middle BEFORE I remembered to take a photo?    😉

 

i agree, 5 is rubbish! 
 

So I guess it had to be 2 for DH, 3 for me? 😊. (Working on the premise that, what’s his is mine, what’s mine’s my own...........)

[ellie1145]

 

‘The human spirit must sometimes take wings or sails and create something that is not just utilitarian or commonplace.’  Queen Elizabeth II

 

We check in at the Welcome Centre, and are told that our guide will arrive to take the group nearer the time, and she will wait by the stand which contains the headphone sets.

 

We have half an hour to wait so we sit outside in the sunshine, watching the busy harbour traffic as ferries speed backwards and forwards.

 

There is every sort of boat in the harbour, and opposite, at the Cruise Terminal, is the beautiful Celebrity Solstice, a ship we travelled on 8 years ago.

 

She looks stunning in the sunshine.

 

 

 

The time passes quickly and soon it’s time for our tour. We gather our headsets and follow our French guide to where they are doing photographs. We don’t want one, and they aren’t too pleased when we decline.

 

 

Then it’s off into the Opera House itself. It is a truly stunning building, all the more impressive from the inside. You need to wear comfortable shoes as there is a lot of walking, and around 200 steps. Although you are not allowed to video, you can take photos, and there are plenty of opportunities to do so. However, there may be some places where you cannot take photos, such as in some of the theatres.

 

This purple carpeted foyer is stunning. It’s huge and airy.

 

 

I guess there can’t be many people in the world who do not recognise this iconic building, but learning about its history is fascinating.

 

We are taken to a movie theatre where we are shown a video about the building of this amazing structure. It was way back in 1957, when a little known Danish architect won the international competition to design a national opera house, on Sydney’s Bennelong Point. His vision was ahead of its time, and his design was one of over 200 entries.

 

It was a design that was extraordinarily complex, and required a team of experts to work out how to build the Opera House’s shell shaped roof. His unbelievably complex design had not actually been planned into the building stage. It was completely unknown at that stage how his plans could actually be realised.

 

 

After much investigation they eventually realised that the shells could be derived from the surface of a sphere. It was an extraordinary feat of engineering and it caused many headaches, as well as adding to the spiralling cost. It wasn’t until January 1962 that Utzon submitted the plans which would finally lead to the realisation of his dream.

 

The tiles which cover the sweeping sail shapes of the roof needed to be gloss, but not so reflective that they would cause glare. Utzon found what he wanted in Japanese ceramic bowls, which had a granular texture. It took 3 years to produce the tiles, which were 120m square. Each of the shells would be covered in over 400 tiles, and a total of over a million tiles would be needed to cover the roof.

 

 

 

The sad part about this wonderful story is that as costs spiralled, and governments came and went, Utzon’s relationship with all those involved became strained. Costs had risen from £3.5 million in 1959 to nearly £14 million by 1962, and in February 1966 he resigned.

 

By April, Utzon and his family had left Australia for Europe. He thought they would invite him back but they never did.  In fact, he never saw how his building had been completed by others, as he refused to see his vision compromised.

 

I had not realised that our Queen Elizabeth opened the Sydney Opera House on 20 October, 1973.

 

In a speech, she talked about it having captured the imagination of the world, and went on to say ‘The human spirit must sometimes take wings or sails and create something that is not just utilitarian or commonplace.’ The Opera House certainly cannot be described as either utilitarian or commonplace.

[PaulS]

Thanks so much for the personal tour of your hotel!