Saturday, April 30

It's Saturday morning and we're in the South Solomon Sea which is where a number of serious battles took place during WW2.  I'm surprised there haven't been more lectures about the war because there are some 140 veterans on board and many of them would have naval backgrounds even if they didn't actually take part.  Rob, our Trivia partner, was in the RAN and saw action in Vietnam.  Like me, he was born in 1943.  

We had to put our clocks forward an hour last night but, of course, we forgot.  We were wakened at what we thought was 7.45 by a plumber who wanted to fix our drains.  We didn't realise there was anything wrong but our cabin steward, George from Bulgaria, thought the water was getting away too slowly and reported it.

The work on board is non-stop.  They were laying new carpet yesterday in an empty cabin near us, apparently in readiness for the transfer of the ship to P&O.  It seems the Emerald Princess is coming to take the Dawn's place sailing out of Sydney.  The Emerald is half as big again with more facilities, so we'll look forward to sailing on it.  It's first voyage to Australia will be its arrival from Singapore in October this year.  Sadly, we'll be in the Philippines so it won't suit us.

It's the Captain's Cocktail Party tonight and it's been designated 'Formal'.  That will pose a problem for our more casual cousins from Queensland.  I suspect some didn't even bother to bring a pair of shoes, or long trousers.  

We had very good news this morning that our good friend, Brian from Calgary, will be visiting Tasmania in April next year.  I think we last saw him about 1990 so if will be a happy reunion.

Tuesday, April 26

It's Doini Island today and it's still raining.  I suppose it's what you should expect for the tropics but the passengers have all come for sunshine and blue seas.  Grey is not a holiday colour.  We're happy to stay on the ship and take part in whatever is organised:  Trivia (our team has won three so far), Scattegories, music and so on.  We have a couple of Ukranian girls on board playing violin and 'cello.  They're called the Inspiration String Duo and are absolutely brilliant.  Apart from their traditional instruments, they each have an electronic version - abstract design and a glorious sound.

Last night, the program listed another string duo; most people expected something similar to Inspiration so didn't bother to turn up.  Those of us who did were treated to a couple of Cook Islanders playing ukulele and keyboard.  What a delight!  They also had a couple of electronic instruments, with 8 strings as well as four and they had come a long way from The Maori Farewell.  Burl Ives would be turning in his grave.

Marilyn's having a massage while I sit in the Wheelhouse Bar with my book.  Happy Hour starts in 40 minutes, where we get a second drink for just a dollar.  It's always a bun rush and the customers use their sticks and walkers as weapons.  Best to be somewhere else.

Another island tomorrow, one the day after, then I think it's on to Rabaul.

Friday, April 29

The Sterling Steakhouse did a wonderful job looking after us last night.  We teamed up with our Trivia partners and we all had a wonderful meal.  Typically, the ship's photographer came around to take photos and, as we were leaving, he had a whole pack for us to look at.  There was a large one in a fancy frame, individual smaller ones in frames, lots of others in various sizes, and a novelty Princess USB drive with all the photos on it.  It was at a bargain price so we took the lot.

We offloaded 3.5 kg of excess baggage at Brisbane and we're well on the way to replacing it.

We're in Rabaul today and it's everybody's idea of a port on a tropical island.  A jetty with sheds, lots of discarded machinery, the harbour with rusty tramp steamers and lush vegetation right down to the shore. Again, we didn't get off but the passengers who did are complaining about the heat and humidity.  

We woke early this morning especially to watch a movie on the cabin TV.  It was Mr Holmes with Ian Kellan playing a 93 year old Sherlock. This afternoon they showed The Martian with Matt Damon.  We've never seen so many films in such a short period before.

The show tonight is Piano Man. Our plan is to have our meal in the Buffet and go on to the show from there.  Just another day in paradise

Thursday, April 28

We're at another island today and the passengers are being taken off by tender.  There's been some trouble with the choppy seas, so the captain is using the thrusters to calm the waves so the not-so-young passengers can step on to the tender without falling over.  

The program is fairly light because the ship is deserted but there are still the twice-a-day trivias and plenty of music. We have one couple as regular partners in the trivia and others join us from time to time.  It's pretty heated competition but we've won three times and usually only one or two behind the winners on the other occasions.  We're booked in to the Steakhouse tonight, for a change.  We're told the servings are enormous and neither of us enjoys big meals so we'll see what transpires.  Normally, they charge $25 per head surcharge but we managed to get a deal when we booked: some on-board credit, a discount on shore excursions and one night's access to the specialty restaurant.

We're past the half-way point now with eight nights under our belt and only seven to go.  Time has flown and it has been a great cruise so far.  Princess really does it well and there's a generosity of spirit which we appreciate.  So different to Royal Caribbean who are always trying to sell you something.

Some people were talking today about this ship, saying it will be transferred to P&O in May next year.  P&O Australia seems to be where all the old ships go to die.  And it means Princess will get another ship allocated to Australia full-time.  I hope it is something bigger and newer.

Wednesday, April 27

It's only 18km in a straight line between Doini Island and our next stop so the ship sailed around in circles all night before our arrival in the morning.  We couldn't just stay at anchor because the ship would move too much and we dear passengers might not sleep well.  So the cruise line burns tons of fuel in a meaningless way so that the stabilisers will ensure a soothing sleep.

Kiriwini Island is a clone of Doini.  When a cruise ship comes in, the school,closes so the kids can gang around the jetty hoping for some lollies or a few coins.  All the locals sell their handcrafts, all of which are identical and look like machine-made junk from China.  We didn't bother going ashore but some of the passengers were very sunburnt when they came back.

The main show was Soul Music which we can't stand so we gave that a miss.  Instead, we watched a terrific movie, Bridge of Spies, were enthralled by the violinist and cellist from Ukraine and thoroughly enjoyed the guitarist from Perth in Scotland.  All-in-all, a great day.

Monday, April 25 - Anzac Day

The ship arranged a very Impressive Anzac Day service this morning.  There were about 140 ex-servicemen and women who marched along the Promenade deck and into the Vista Lounge where the Captain conducted a traditional service.  This was followed by the throwing of a wreath into the sea.  The oldest participant was 92.

It's vey quiet on the ship this morning as most passengers have gone ashore so we're enjoying the quietness. We tried last night to enjoy the incidental entertainment in the various lounges but we've decided that conversation is incompatible with performance.  Wherever we sat there was at least one group of people, usually in prime seats, who wanted to have a loud conversation.  What's wrong with these people?  Have they never been taught manners?  I blame the schools (everybody else does, so I might as well.)

There's not much on the program today.  We might watch a movie with Will Smith after lunch or we might have a swim.  We're in Alotau on Milne Bay, so it's warm, but it's raining so the scenery is a bit grey.

Sunday, April 24

While we were sitting at the pool last night, the deck crew were getting set up for a Movie Under the Stars on the big screen.  A quick look at the program showed it was the latest Star Wars, starting at 6.00.  We were surprised that there were very few people taking their chairs but by 6.10 we realised we were at the wrong venue!  We should have been in the Vista Lounge.  If we had stayed, we would have seen the new Rocky movie, so we hurriedly moved on.  

It was Formal Night but we weren't in the mood to be fussed so we had a very quick meal in the bistro and had an early night.  We brought our media player so were able to watch a couple of episodes of Hustle before we turned out the light.

We had a late start this morning but won Trivia again.   There were three teams on the same score but we picked the tie-breaker again:  what is the combined age of the 6 members of the Entertainment staff.  The answer was 202 and we were closest with 215.  

We've just finished a rehearsal for the Pop Choir, which will be the last for five days, as we will be in port each day until Friday.  Earlier we heard from the Pilot who is on board while we travel through the Great Barrier Reef.  He talked about the movement of ships in this part of the world during WW2, and some of the pilots who navigated through the reefs and minefields.  It was fascinating.  

The show tonight is Shimmy, celebrating Rock 'n' Roll and we might go the 9.45 performance if we can stay awake that long.

Saturday, April 23

We didn't bother going to the shows last night; one was a fellow telling stories with patterns in sand (!), the other was a comic juggler.  As Jamie often says, it's another nail in the coffin of variety.  Instead we sat in the Crooner Bar and let the entertainment come to us. First a piano player, the sort who mucks up good melodies by playing lots of frills paradiddles, the second artist was very good singer/guitarist with an unvarnished Scottish accent, and the third was another piano player who mucked up his act by singing and telling off-colour stories.

There had been a change of dinner arrangements so we are now on a table of 6 at 5.30.  The other two couples are from Brisbane, travelling together and very pleasant.  Again, the food was great:  my choice was Blueberry Soup followed by Seared Scallops.

Today started well with a win at Trivia.  6 teams got the same score but we won the tie-breaker: how old was Martin Luther King when he won the Nobel Peace Prize?

It's now time to sit at the pool enjoying the warmth.

Friday, April 22

This blog episode was written on Thursday evening as we waited for the start of the big production show, Save the Last Dance.  We saw another show earlier: a comedian called Ivor Richards, the King of the One-liners.  A good name and a good act.  We've seen him before and some of his jokes had a familiar ring to them.  It's probably a comedian's dream: a totally new audience every couple of weeks. You could use the same jokes for years.

We had fronted up to the Dinîng Room ready to check out our table-mates but they're re-arranging the tables tomorrow so it was open seating. We found ourselves at a table for 2 which is our preference anyway.  The food was outstanding and that's always a bonus.

The second Trivia was held this afternoon and again we missed out on a first place by one point.  I hope it's not a pattern developing.  There's certainly lots to do on the ship and we find ourselves having to make a choice from time to time.  Sometimes, we split up to follow our personal choice. Marilyn wanted to go to an Art Auction but I felt like seeing a movie about Steve Jobs, one of the founders of Apple computers.  I didn't get to see the end of it but that was probably a good thing.  He was not a nice man and, if I had stayed longer, I might have started to shout at the screen (or maybe not.). I would probably have bottled it up and let it eat away at me inside.  There's no justice in the world when the least deserving people get all the talent, and opportunities, and money!!  Maybe the rest of us will get our rewards in heaven.

Thursday, April 21

 It's good to be back on a Princess ship although it's the usual over-70s demographic.  I always worry about the occasional child who's dragged aboard; how do they cope with the Nursing Home atmosphere?  Anyway, we feel comfortable with people of our own age and they're always keen to chat.  Everyone is here to enjoy themselves and there's no posing or point-scoring.  Where we're sitting now, in the Crooners Bar, we're surrounded by laughter.

There have been a few changes since we were last on this ship.  Happily, they've tidied up the buffet.  More food is behind glass and there's always an attendant to serve you from the trays.  The old cafeteria was a haven for germs and it's no wonder cruise ships had a reputation for being vomit factories.

We've been booked in for 7.45pm dinner but it's a bit late for us, especially if we then go to the late show at 9.45.  Yesterday we had a snack at about 6, went to the 7.45 show and finished off with supper.  We'll probably end up having our main meal at lunchtime, so we can get to bed at a reasonable hour.

At Trivia this morning we teamed up with a couple from Brisbane and a woman from Newcastle on her way to Brisbane to see the Rabbitohs play.  She has a gang with her and they're also going to see a show with Anthony Warlow (maybe it's Annie). What a great way to go to a football match!  By the way, we scored 17 out of 20 and came second.  No doubt we'll do better next time.

This afternoon, were signing up to join the choir.  We did this on the Diamond Princess once and it was terrific fun. 

Saturday, April 16th

Today is my late mum's birthday and we find ourselves back in Wollongong getting prepared for our cruise on Wednesday.  We made the mistake of booking a 2.40pm flight from Launceston today.  It meant that I did one last mow and Marilyn squeezed in 4 loads of washing.  We were exhausted when we finally got on the 'plane.

It will be great to get away but I wonder how I'll cope on the high seas without my daily fix of politics.  Will Donald finally implode and will Bronwyn gain pre-selection?  (Breaking News: Bronwyn has been ditched!  Maybe she should have moved to Tasmania where dinosaurs still rule the world.)

I note that the Tasmanian dinosaurs have once again put Eric Abetz in the #1 Senate position, their other five candidates are all male and they have again failed to find a woman worthy of their trust.  To compound their amazing lack of sensitivity, they have demoted a Government minister to #5, because he is a supporter of Mr Turnbull.  Aren't they supposed to be on the same team?

I made a sad discovery in the yard this week: a dead baby wallaby.  It was perfectly formed, about 25cm long, and completely hairless.  There was not a mark on it.  

Last night we went out for dinner to celebrate Nera's birthday.  One of her friends was having her birthday in the same week so it was a joint party with, maybe, 20 people, at a new restaurant which has only been open for a couple of weeks.  There were a few hitches with an inexperienced team but the food was excellent.  

Thursday, April 14th

Marilyn and I had our 'flu injections this morning.  The doctor's surgery has been renovated and I noticed that a new sign had been put up, saying 'Unisex Ambulant Toilet'.  What an extraordinary sign!  What are they trying to communicate?  Especially as the sign had two stick figures on crutches.  Is it restricted to thin people on crutches? Or can anyone, who is not in a wheelchair, use it?  I suspect it is one of those signs, intended to give information, but instead gives confusion.

Last night, we popped in to the supermarket at about 5.45pm.  While Marilyn hurried around the shelves I wandered along to the toilet to be confronted by a sign: 'These toilets close at 5.30pm each day, owing to Health Regulations.'  What?  What Health Regulations would insist that toilets be locked in a supermarket which is open until 10pm?  I'll bet that some of the local yobs have been making a mess and some jumped up assistant manager has decided to take the easy way out. What about the poor old blokes who need to go in a hurry?  

Years ago, Marilyn and I were in New Zealand and needed a toilet.  We arrived in a pretty little town and headed for the information centre.  The Jobsworth behind the counter wanted 50c before he would give us the key.  I only had $50 notes and he had no change.  Stalemate!  He wouldn't budge so we had to go across the road to MacDonalds.  Welcome to New Zealand.

It just goes to show: the world is becoming too complicated and it's about time to get off.

Monday, April 11 (2)

Gardening is not my great joy but I do have a sense of triumph when some task is finished.  This afternoon I completed the second stage of my Great Wall Project and there is no question there is an improvement in technique.  They say that a wood fire warms you three times: when you collect the wood, when you chop it, and when you burn it.  Building a stone wall does something similar and you get stiff joints and a bad back as a bonus.

Monday, April 11

It's Monday and we're suffering a blackout.  Everything went off at about 10 this morning just as I was heading into town and it was still off when I got back an hour or two later.  Being at the end of the line here, we have the occasional drop out but they don't usually last long.  This one is a bit longer so we contacted Aurora who assured us there was no problem at our address.  Clearly there is but Aurora didn't seem to accept responsibility.

We were just about to ring an electrician when Aurora rang back, full of apologies and surprised to discover that we, in fact, belonged to the Windermere sub-station and were in the midst of a scheduled outage for upgrade work.  It's not very reassuring to discover that the electrical supplier doesn't know where his customers are connected.

Anyway, we've been told it will all be back to normal by 3 o'clock.  It's a bit too hot to be outside in the garden so I'm enjoying a read while Marilyn is playing Canasta on her ipod.  I planned to attach a couple more photos of Madi's Baby Shower but I'm having trouble connecting to the internet to download from Facebook.  Maybe Telstra has a blackout too.

Later .... success at last.  The power is back on and photos have been dowloaded.  These were all taken with Jamie and Nera's new toy: a youbeaut Gopro camera.

Sunday, April 10

 It was a great day yesterday at Madeleine's Baby Shower.  Nera and Marilyn went overboard as expected and everyone had a fantastic time.  Pink was the colour of the day; it's just as well the expected child is female.  The ladies played the usual appalling games (Pin the Sperm on the Egg!!) while the men kept out of the way.  One of the games involved guessing the baby's name.  Madeleine had already announced that it would start with M, followed by Elizabeth, so there was Mika and Mia and Madison and Mae.  We've been choosing a 'name of the week' for a while and we've looked at Marian and Molly and, even, Mabel.  Jamie suggested Maggot but that's in retaliation for the fact that my Dad always called him Wullie before he was born.  

There was much filipino food as well as the compulsory sausage rolls, cocktail frankfurts and cup cakes.  Madeleine was like a child herself opening the presents.  And, of course, that's the point of the tradition: to give the parents a hand with putting together the necessities for the baby in the first few months.  Most of the guests stayed on into the evening and it wasn't long before the karaoke machine was out.  

Not surprisingly, we slept late this morning and I didn't get my chores done until after lunch.  Oh, well, they'll still be there tomorrow.

Friday, April 8th (2)

On the way back from Hobart yesterday, we stopped at Lake Dulverton at Oatlands.  Years ago, when Jamie was rowing, the lake was a popular venue for competitions.  I think the locals fielded crews and there was thriving club in the town.  There is even a clubhouse on the shores of the lake.  I imagine that the sons and daughters of the landed gentry in the area were sent to private schools in Hobart and Launceston and were introduced to rowing so it was natural that they carried it on when they returned to the farms.

Sadly, the lake is now covered with weed and even a hovercraft would have trouble travelling from one side to the other.  The local kids have had to fall back on more appropriate Australian pastimes like drinking themselves stupid and hooning up and down in hot cars.

Marilyn and I parked our caravan near the lake on one occasion and enjoyed a few days in the area, visiting the local working windmill and geo-caching.  The town is off the highway so most people never see it, unless they need a visit to the toilet which was our excuse this time.  In the Gents, I found this wonderful contraption. Marilyn says there is a similar one in the Ladies but the toilet roll tails there are all the same length.  Says it all, really!

Friday, April 8th

We're back from Hobart and I'm hard at work, making sure all the grass is mowed before we get away next weekend.  The mower was in for service and only came back last night.  Forgetting about Easter, I booked it in ages ago and then had to do without it during the long weekend.  

While in  Hobart, we took Nera to the top of Mt Wellington to see the panorama of Hobart.  It was a beautiful day and Nera couldn't believe how cold it was at the top of the mountain. It was surprising how many people were on the summit, all shivering in the freezing wind.  I parked between two other cars similar to mine, and there were another four or five in the carpark.  Is it a Mitsubishi Owners' Rally, I wondered, then realised they were all hire cars.  Apparently, we're in the midst of a tourist boom here in Tassie, driven by an influx from China.  Of course, all tourist providers are making hay while the sun shines and the Mitsubishi ASX is the hire car of choice.  (Good choice, too).

There was a tiny ship tied up at Macquarie Wharf and, as we drove down the narrow winding road from the mountain, it gradually got bigger and bigger and we realised it was a cruise ship.  The big red funnel identified it as the Carnival Legend on one of its last voyages before its return to the US in a few days.  Later, we saw a bus load of passengers from the ship wandering around Richmond, desperately buying Made in China Tasmanian souvenirs.

Great news from Nera.  She has passed her English Language pre-requisite for gaining Australian Nursing registration.  This whole process is a con.  Instead of sitting the test at the local University, Nera had to travel to Melbourne, pay accommodation and a stiff fee with no guarantee she would pass.  She met people there who were sitting for the third or fourth time, having to pay the full fee each time.  The system has been privatised and there is a built-in incentive for the providers to fail the candidate the first time around, knowing that they will have to come back with another few hundred dollars if they want to work in Australia.  This whole system of private colleges with contracts to 'train' overseas workers needs a shake-up.  The fees are exorbitant and students are being ripped off all over the country.  

Nera is now looking at her options and I think she will choose to study full-time for a better recognised qualification.  That will mean a move to Hobart or Melbourne and good luck to them.

Thursday, April 7th

We're in Hobart this morning, getting ready for a trip in to the city for a wander around the shops.  There's no question we feel as much at home here as anywhere and there are so many things we like about the place.  One of them is the State Cinema in North Hobart and we saw a great movie there yesterday: Eye in the Sky with Helen Mirren as a British Army Colonel dealing with terrorists in Kenya.

It was a riveting movie with some challenging questions about the morality of drone warfare and the so-called collateral damage.  Well worth a look.  If we can find time today, we'd like to see The Lady in the Van with Maggie Smith. She's one of the grande dames of cinema and we enjoy everything she is in.

It's  less than a fortnight now until we sail to PNG.  We checked out the Shore Excursions but they were pretty disappointing.  I suppose it's because that part of the world is not yet set up for tourism.  Anyway, we've decided not to fork out $130 each to see the War Memorial in Rabaul.  There's an historian on board who will give lectures on the WW2 battles, and that will be much more interesting.