Golden Princess, a sixteen-year-old ship, which has managed to maintain her grace. The Golden Princess is registered in London. The above photo clearly illustrates the historical link between Australia and the UK. The flag on the left is the Princess company flag. We did notice a few things different from the more modern vessels. The […]
The first commercial wet dock in the world was opened in Liverpool in 1715. It was known originally by the engineer’s name Thomas Steer’s Dock, but later, as other docks were built it became known as the Old Dock. This Old Dock was infilled in 1826. When Liverpool One was being created they found the Old […]
While in Lisbon we had a day out to Estoril, a beautiful area on the Atlantic coast, which is a forty-minute local train ride from Lisbon. This was my second visit having been to Estoril in 1965, and I was keen to see any changes. I didn’t, the overall feel of the place was just as […]
During school assembly in March of 1959 when I was still fourteen, the headmaster of my school asked if anyone wished to take an examination to enter a merchant navy officer-training establishment called HMS Conway. I discussed this opportunity with my parents, because I planned to stay another year to gain nationally recognised educational certificates in […]
Uniform button from a BISNC uniform – we still wore the Company’s uniform even though the ship was sailing to Japan to be scrapped. Of course, we wore our caps when required, mainly in port when we were duty officer. I did sail with captains that required the officer of the watch to wear his […]
About an hour and a half from Cowra is Parkes, so name after Henry Parkes in 1873 later Sir Henry Parkes. Sir Henry in the town centre of Parkes. Parkes is now famous for the radio telescope that is located just outside of the town. It was built in 1961, but only the basic structure […]
From the beginning the ship attracted a certain type of boy. 1860 Mathew Webb went on to be the first man to swim the English Channel. 1861 Warrington Baden Powell later in life was the founder of the Sea Scouts. 1868 Admiral Sir Sackville Carden Carden KCMG RN was asked by Churchill, who was First Lord of the Admiralty, […]
Port Vila the capital of Vanuatu, which used to be called New Hebrides. The first Europeans to visit these islands were the Spanish, who arrived in 1606. They thought that they had found La Austrialia del Espiritu Santo or “The Southern Land of the Holy Spirit”. The largest island was named Espiritu Santo, which has […]
I thought I’d just post a collage of photographs of Buenos Aires, without too much ‘chat’. The yellow bus is a Hop on Hop off bus, worth the money even if it is only used to get around from one photo opportunity to another. Part of the main square of the city – Plaza de […]
I knew that I had made an impression with this fellow – as soon as he saw me, he turned his back . . . We were visiting the Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie, which is free to enter and all they ask is a donation to the work of looking after sick or injured […]
Life can get crowded as the Arcadia arrives just behind us. Of course our old favourite had to join us Sapphire Princess A short time later Queen Victoria arrived and to top it all Marco Polo slips in . . . Fortunately we were the first to arrive, so had clearance quickly. But to be […]
Traveled a great deal – about 80 countries – first foreign country I suppose was Wales, which was only 80 miles away from where I was born. Visited each Continent, except Antarctica, and I doubt that it is on my bucket list – too cold. I love Asian food, Australian wine & British beer & […]
Tomorrow (Monday) we board our cruise ship the ‘Pacific Jewel’, older than the other cruise ships in which we’ve sailed, so it’ll be an education. She might be ‘old’ (launched 1989), but she does look more like a ship than a block of flats. Maureen & I sail, with our daughter, son in law and three grandchildren, for a family […]
Majestic Princess Reg. London, 144,216 gt, 3,560 passengers maximum. (will it feel crowded?) There comes a time when winter is all too much as one grows older . . . and older. A few months ago I started to check where to go or what to do, for part of our Sydney winter. Being a wimp, I […]
