Awake at after 0700 as I had killed the alarms on both mobiles. Uploaded all photos to Flickr and finished other downloads. Started to pack everything up. Fran slow to get up, but I had a shower and dressed. Checked that I could borrow a stapler and about taxis (could book one, but they were down the street fairly often). I went down the street and got papers to read and some scrolls and rolls to eat. I came back, we finished everything in the room and booked out at 1000. Sat out the front and read the papers. About 1130 I looked out and found a taxi fairly soon. Loaded everything up and we were to the terminal by 1155. Put luggage in, then went into the terminal and got paperwork, filled it all out and had to wait until the boarding number (7) was called. Then I remembered that I had my Stanley knife and screwdriver with me and I saw the security screening. We got called and went through Customs/Immigration and then through screening. I set everything off and found it was the coins and torch in my pockets. They didn’t pick up the screwdriver or knife, so I can’t understand why they were so worried about me setting the detector off.
We were on board fairly quickly and found our cabin and … it had been set up with a double bed, not two singles! Off to the purser and, after a wait, we were assured it would be fixed up. Then we had some lunch and went off to find cousin Velma. I found her office, but she wasn’t there. Then while chatting to another staff member, Velma and Pat literally ran into us. After quick intros, we then had a quick drink together and caught up with some news. Velma went to work while we went off to our muster drill. After, we went up and watched the ship pull out of port. We were surrounded by New Zealanders (and were at lunch too). After the ship left the dock just after 1600, the stern was turned around (the bow remained stationary) and we slowly sailed out with a Sydney Harbour escort vessel. At around 1700 we cleared the heads (with a P&O ship ahead, which turned north while we headed off to the south). Fran read up on what’s on while I went up to Level 7 and wrote up part of my diary. At 1800 I finished up and ran into Pat waiting for Velma. He had flown in from the US, Denver to LA, LA to Sydney and was very tired, as was Velma. I’m a bit tired now, as once on the ship now I don’t have to worry about anything (except what and when to eat, and to pick up my suit in Adelaide. They headed off and I got Fran and we had tea in Horizons (buffet dining area). Then we had a quick look around, Fran headed off to the cinema and I went back to my cabin (via a chat with Diane and her granddaughter from Wollongong, about touring, shopping and skiing [her niece is a ski instructor at St Moritz and Perisher], so I must ask her about Nancy, who I met three times in Innsbruck on 11 May, 2008). I wrote up my diary, watched some TV and tried to get to sleep early.
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