Wednesday 23 March

Awake and up at 0530, dressed for my now obligatory walk but took my camera with me, out at 0545 and three turns around the deck. Met up with my walking companion and fouond he also knows the president of the school council from where I last worked. Took quite a few sunrise shots over the Perth skyline, then back to the cabin, had a shower and dressed. Up for breakfast. Met up with more for breakfast and Fran arrived while I was still eating. Finished and went down to check email, then packed ready for today. Went down to the Wheelhouse lounge and called Val, then met up with Fran and Pat. Velma not well and sent back to bed. We all went off the ship and waited on the roadway footpath and just after 0900 Val turned up. We all got in, introduced Pat and were soon off and at Val’s place. Val left us and we headed up to see Jean. I rang Daphne and arranged to meet and Kingsway at 1030. We arrived at Jean’s at 1000 and had to enter through Maddie’s. I saw Bev and arranged to get a new access card, then we walked around (after saying hello to Merle). I waved to Jack and Dorothy, then we caught up with Jean. She has lost a lot of weight and is far harder of hearing than when we saw her at new year. Bev arrived with the card at 1025, I signed for that and we were off to Kingsway. We soon met Daphne and Ian, had some morning tea (posted puzzle entry forms as we won’t be at another Australian port until it’s too late) and then went down to the AQWA at Hillary’s. We met up again there, went in and spent a very agreeable hour and a half, but could have stayed far longer. Heartily recommended to all. Then it was down to Scarborough for lunch, which we had on the foreshore. After a little walk along the beach, we parted and headed to print off some photos for Fran to use as postcards – and the Officeworks we called into had problems and couldn’t print photos today. We headed off to Elizabeth’s and had afternoon tea there, then went and cruised St George’s Terrace and stopped at King’s Park. All out for a walk, ran into some people from the ship, and then drove around the tracks to show Pat the park. We exited near UWA, then drove along beside the Swan, over the Causeway and to Burswood. Then we refuelled, looked for another Officeworks (unsuccessfully) and returned to Val’s place. After meeting another grandchild, John and Val drove us back to the ship. Velma was at work, but sounded terrible. Pat went off and we had tea. Fran went off to a show and I did my computer work, shrinking and uploading photos and trying to update my diary. Sat on Deck 14 under the stars trying to work.

Tuesday 22 March

Awake and up at 0600, dressed for my now obligatory walk, out at 0610 and four turns around the deck. Met up with my walking companion after a few jogs to catch up. Then back to the cabin, had a shower and dressed and up for breakfast. Met up with more for breakfast, then we docked at Bunbury. Velma was able to get off after 0900 and we took the shuttle down into the town. Fran booked a foot appointment and then we went to the pharmacy in the shopping centre to get some other things. Fran then went off to her appointment and Velma, Pat and I went to the Dolphin Discovery Centre. While it was good, it wasn’t what any of us had expected. We took the bus back into town and Velma took the shuttle to go to work. Pat and I strolled around and looked at the town, then called Fran when we thought she should have been out. She met us and we had lunch in the shopping centre. We walked up to the lookout and saw quite a few crew and passengers on the way. They piked out of climbing up, but I took some shots from the top of the lookout. Then we walked back to the shuttle and took it to the ship. Took photos as we left, but missed getting the dolphins we saw – they wouldn’t sty out long enough! Had tea and Fran went off to watch a show while I went to the cabin. Did the rest of the puzzles, started to watch Gidget on TV but couldn’t concentrate so went to sleep. Found the elephant, whose eyes we had eaten, now was wearing sunglasses!

Monday 21 March

Awake and up at 0600, dressed for my now obligatory walk, out at 0610 and four turns around the deck. Met up with my walking companion. Then back to the cabin, had a shower and dressed and up for breakfast. Met up with more for breakfast, Fran now regularly arriving as I’m finishing. Down tot the cabin and got everything ready and Fran rang Peter. He arranged to meet us just outside the secure area in his car about 0900, but Dorothy wasn’t the best and wouldn’t come. I checked some emails and then we went down and waited outside. Peter arrived soon after, picked us up and took us to Denmark via and scenic route. When we arrived at their place, Dorothy was up and we had morning tea. We then drove around Denmark and to Williams Bay and Green Pool. Excellent scenery. We had lunch, then headed into Albany. Fran and Dorothy looked around the market set up for the cruise passengers while I posted puzzle competition entries and got papers. Back onto the boat and we were out at 1700. Very good run out to sea and then off to tea, Fran went to a show and I went off to bed. Found an elephant in the cabin.

Sunday 20 March

Awake and up at 0600, dressed for my now obligatory walk, out at 0610 and four turns around the deck. Didn’t meet up with the chap who had been a plumber as he about fifty metres in front of me. Then back to the cabin, had a shower and dressed and up for breakfast. Met up with more for breakfast, then went back down and got a copy of my book to give to Ron and Connie (caught up with him in the Florentine Room at 1000). Met up with Pat outside Velma’s office, then finished the puzzles, cut them out and enveloped them, then started on the next lot. Caught up with Fran for lunch and sat with Kathy, Jean, June and John, and Denise and Karen. Then down to try to catch up with diary and finally did so, with the Art Auction going in the background. Also updated the pictures.

Saturday 19 March

Awake and up at 0600, dressed for my now obligatory walk, out at 0610 and four turns around the deck. Still dark, but quite a few other vessels out at sea. Met up with the chap who had been a plumber and we chatted about what we did in Adelaide while we walked. Then back to the cabin, had a shower and dressed and up for breakfast. Fran arrived while I was talking to a chap from Sunshine. After, I went down to the Wheelhouse Lounge and waited with Pat until Fran turned up at 0820. Velma had already begun her work day. At 0825 she took us up to deck 12 and we made our way through to the bridge. Here the Third Officer and Navigation Officer walked and talked through the operation of the ship and the instruments. It was most interesting and while the ship had automatic and computer controls, all could be taken over manually if necessary. Then we went to the wing bridge and had a look along the side of the ship and under our feet through a glass deck. Velma left and then we took some photos and left. Fran booked a tour at Bali and the ones at Broome were all booked out. We met up with Fay who had her meeting with her granddaughter Taylor, 6’3”) go off well. Then I walked around Deck 12 and spoke with people from Sydney (near Bankstown) and a couple from the Yorke Peninsular. Went up to the Wheelhouse Lounge and started writing up my diary and then met a couple from Adelaide (Chas and Anna) who had daughters in the crowd who gathered to farewell us from Adelaide. Put the computer away and went up for lunch, which we had outside with a family from New Zealand. I went down into the lounge on the port side on Deck 7 to do the puzzles, and did some but ended up trying to help some women with a crossword solution. Finally down to the cabin about 1700 and changed for dinner. Entered the dining room (Venetian) at 1745and we were the first. Ended up with Chris and Keith, Mille and Chris, Maxxie and Manuel and Brian and Maxine (separated). Nice dinner, pleasant companionship, but I think I prefer Horizons because of a greater variety – also, more informal. After, we changed and walked four times around the deck (for me, 640 paces [1920 per mile, 1200 per kilometre] and for Fran 892 [2676 per mile, 1670 per kilometre]). Then Fran got ready for bed and to watch Mao’s Last Dancer – I got some cups of tea and had those with Teddy Bears in the cabin. Off to bed and watches back an hour.

Friday 18 March

Awake and up at 0600, dressed for my now obligatory walk, out at 0610 and four turns around the deck. Still dark, but quite a few other vessels out at sea. Didn’t meet up with the chap who had been a plumber as he was half a deck length in front of me. Then back to the cabin, had a shower and dressed and up for breakfast. Did some Internet work from the port side and then met up with Fran and we joined the line to leave the ship. We were off fairly quickly and got on a shuttle into the city. The commentary was good but a bit too much to take in at once. We were off in the city not long after 9 and went to walk down to Ashley’s, but he called use as he was on his way to Elizabeth. We changed direction and went down to pick Fran’s car up. It was ready so we just got in and Fran drove home via the newsagents. I got the papers, then at home heard water running. I went to look at the hot water system, but found water everywhere. I turned the cold water off, then opened the cover to look at the pilot light and found it was corroded. I gave Fran the bad news and she rang a plumber, but no answer. I left a message. I packed my suit into the car and then Pat rang. We arranged to meet him outside Target. Fran paid her bills, then we drove into the city and were early, but Pat was ready already. We picked him up and then drove on a scenic route to Glenelg. We had a look at the museum and along the beach and then got some lunch. We ran into quite a few others from the cruise there too. Then Fran drove us back around north Adelaide, dropping us off at the station. We got a train back to the ship and met quite a few from the ship on the journey. We walked onto the ship and Fran got back an hour or so later. We had tea, then after a bit of a stroll I went to bed and Fran went out to watch a show.

Wednesday 16 March 2011

Awake and up at 0600, dressed for my now obligatory walk, out at 0610 and three turns around the deck. Met up again with the chap who had been a plumber. Then back to the cabin, had a shower and dressed and up for breakfast. Had breakfast and then down, got the computer, back to the Wheelhouse Bar and set up for Internet access. Checked email and such and uploaded photos and blogs. Found out that most of the photos didn’t upload, so decided I’d fix them up this evening. Got off the ship, got a Seniors’ Metcard and then took the tram in to Clarendon St. Off and walked down to City Road and up to Clarke St and into the Blood Bank. In and on the machine for platelets fairly quickly (149 Hb and only 305 platelet count, so I was on the machine for 53 minutes, my longest yet). I was off just after 1100, so after sausage rolls and cheese, I was onto a tram in Kingsway by 1133. I got off at La Trobe and William, walked past Flagstaff Gardens and then through the Queen Vic markets. Then I went down Elizabeth St and got a call from Pat – they were in Collins and walking down to Elizabeth. We met at the corner and took the tram back to Port Melbourne and had lunch at D’Lishe Fish and Chips. Velma went back on the ship and Pat and I went back to the city. I took him to the Mall, down various arcades to Flinders St, saw Fed Square and Chloe (in Young and Jacksons), walked up to and through Chinatown and to Parliament House. WE took a tram up to Collingwood, then back to Victoria Parade, and then did the City Circle along Spring, Flinders and through Docklands. We got off in Swanston St (saw the Shrine along the street) and then caught the tram back to the ship. I carried on some beer for Pat, then I finished the Internet business. Fran and I had tea, then Fran went to phone the boys (we were still in the bay, just north of Sorrento) and I photographed the setting sun. Chatted to Denise, then caught up with her and showed her Graphic Converter and sunsets from other places. Gave her a copy of my book (it may lead to sales in Tamworth) and then headed off to bed.