From our bedroom window we could see the top of San Cristóbal Hill and the white statue. Our friends from the UK had arrive while we were sight seeing via the Hop on Hop off bus, so during ‘Happy Hour’ in the Club Lounge we all decided to visit San Cristóbal Hill, the following day. The […]
I asked this lady’s permission to take her photograph. It was during a ‘formal’ evening on the Diamond Princess when a number of Japanese ladies dressed in the national dress of Japan. Our next port of call was Akita, which would be the last for Maureen & I, because we would leave the ship in […]
Yesterday I noticed the above coloured banner across the top of the main page of my blog. I didn’t order it to be placed there, nor did I have anything to do with its appearance and have written to WordPress requesting its removal. I am colour blind as far as race, sexual orientation, religion and […]
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 […]
By 1946 over 500 Japanese had died in Australia. This number included those who died in the breakout of August 1944. The Japanese who died in attempting to escape were buried in a plot next to the Australian War Cemetery in Cowra. The war ended and the RSL (Returned and Services League) of Australia would […]
Yesterday I noticed the above coloured banner across the top of the main page of my blog. I didn’t order it to be placed there, nor did I have anything to do with its appearance and have written to WordPress requesting its removal. I am colour blind as far as race, sexual orientation, religion and […]
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 […]
Sunrise as we approached the island. Dravuni Island is part of the Kadavu Group of islands, which are part of Fiji. It is a small island of about 0.8 sq km (0.3 sq miles) and the population is about 200 living in one village. It is one of the smallest populated islands in the Fijian […]
Our next port was Lyttleton, the gateway to Christchurch. Part of Lyttleton harbour We had visited Christchurch on our last trip via Akaroa, because Lyttleton port was still out of action due to the earthquake. When we booked this cruise we were hoping that we would visit Christchurch via Akaroa again because during our last […]
The first European to see what we now call the Fiji Is. was Abel Janszzon Tasman during his 1642/43 voyage. He had already visited Tasmania, New Zealand, and Tonga. Later Captain Cook passed close to the island during his last voyage in 1774. The islands had been part of the Tongan empire and the local […]
Who gets tired of visiting Sydney Harbour? Leaving Circular Quay, Sydney. Not a cloud in the sky Full ahead! Iconic scenery The city at work and the Botanical Gardens – a link with the past. An older ferry, which we are catching . . . Water views worth millions as we approach Rose Bay. A […]
Where ever we went in Southampton we came a cross history, whether from a few years ago to over a thousand years ago. He still guards Bargate, and watches over the peace of the town. The town has been in existences from the Stone age, through the Bronze and the Iron age. It was called […]
Australian Wooden Boat Festival. This boat festival is held every two years (except during Covid) in Hobart, Tasmania and this year it was held from the 10th to the 13th February. Our cruise ship arrived in Hobart of the morning of the 14th February and I was hoping to see various older sailing vessels leaving […]
The first train arrived in Parramatta on the 26th September 1855. The first steam train in Australia ran in 1854 from Melbourne to Port Melbourne and by the time of federation in 1901 the network had grown to over 20,000 kms (12,500 miles). Today in Thirlmere, about a thirty-minute drive from Mittagong is the largest […]
