Our trip down under was with Princess cruises. We opted for a fully escorted land tour before the cruise. Our airlines were selected by Princess and we took advantage of their very reasonable return flight fares from our regional airport.
These were with British Airways to Heathrow and then Heathrow to Sydney. We had plenty of time to kill once we got to Heathrow for our overnight flight to Sydney. We did in fact have two nights on the plane because of time differences and crossing the date line. Britsh Airways get the booking details from Princess far enough in advance for a seat request to be and we got bulkhead seats for the long haul flight which made a difference as we were in economy and this gave us extra legroom. Even so the flight and service was very good.
The only stop was for 90 minutes at Bangkok for refuelling, cleaning and re-stocking. The only tip I can give for coping with such a long flight is to eat regularly, drink plenty of water, wear good quality flight socks and sleep when it is dark on the flight irrespective of the time locally. This meant I avoided jet lag and was straight into Aussie time on arrival. I think it also depends on how each individual adapts physiologically.
We got to our Sydney hotel at about 7.45 am and the rooms were all ready. After a freshen up and change of clothes it was time to explore. The Intercontinental hotel in Sydney is 5 minutes from the Opera House and the harbour. We were warned that there is no ozone layer in Oz and even if it is cloudy you burn without sunscreen if you cast a shadow . We used factor 60 to be safe and didn't have any problems. A sun hat and water are essential too as the heat is incredible. There are plenty of eating paces at the harbour and the Rock area but the Australians eat bigger portions than we were used to! The heat knocked my appetite off and I found myself struggling to eat but did enjoy our brunch when our energy levels started to flag. If by the afternoon you find a sleep is necessary, set and alarm clock and only have an hour as a pick me up or else you won't sleep at night. the Botanical Garden is opposite the Intercontinental and we explored this is the afternoon. Look out for the fruit bats fanning themselves to keep cool by the cafe in the gardens. We went to bed at 9.00 pm once it was dark and slept well though it took Steve a few days to get over his jet lag. Note that the voltage is 240v as in the UK.
This took us on an included tour round Sydney to places like Mrs McQuarrie's chair (good views of the bridge and opera house) and Bondi beach. We also saw the houses of Nicole Kidman and Russel Crowe. This day was the hottest February day on record in Sydney and we found ourselves wilting. At lunch we borded a catamaran for our trip round the habour and had a nice lunch. The trip finished mid afternoon and we took a walk up Pitt street where all the shops are. There is jeweller called Altman and Cherny on lower Pitt street near the harbour that has a $1,000,000 opal on display and this is worth looking at. The opals in Sydney are expensive and we were told that Cairns is the place to buy. Everywhere is air conditioned so you can escape from the heat. Eating places we tried were a pasta place opposite the cruise ship terminal (up some stairs) and the Sailor's Thai but go donwstairs for this restaurant (upstairs is a quick serve place which is part of the restaurant but more limited menu). This restaurant is accessed by a corner entrance opposite the cruise ship terminal. The QE11 was in dock whilst we were in Sydney so we got some good night shots of the ship, opera house and bridge. If you eat inside in any restaurant it is no smoking but people can smoke if eating out doors.
The flight to Cairns is 3 hours from Sydney! Princess had things arranged so we never had to handle our main luggage and it all arrived at the hotel. We only had to identify it to go on the coaches. Be warned that Cairns is very hot and humid being tropical. There were several optional excursions planned for the rest of that day but we chose to have it at leisure and wander round to get our bearings. Again sunscreen, hats and water are the order of the day to cope with the temperatures. The shop keepers are fine if you just have a wander into a shop to keep cool. Even they found it very hot whilst we were there! The Cairns Hilton has an open plan garden in the middle which is very tropical and interesting. It is conveniently located for the town which is built on blocks of streets that intersect so you need a map.
This is the place for opals. If you spend more than Au $300 (2005) in one transaction you can claim the tax back on the ship at the last Australian port of call. The times that customs were on the ship meant I missed the chance as we were on an excursion. There is the possibility of seeing a salt water crocodile (one of the largest species of crocodile the world) if lucky, as they do sometimes come to the edge of the town. They don't fear sharks in Cairns just the crocodiles! In the rainforest there is also the Taipan which is one of the most venemous snakes in the world. Wandring alone by the mango swamps or in the rain forest is not recommended for these reasons.
We took a catamaran out to the Great barrier reef which was included in the tour. The sea had a good swell on it and we were lucky to get moored to the pontoon. I paid $20 to go on an organised snorkel as I hadn't snorkelled before and it was good value as we got explanations of the various fish etc. The lunch was disappointing and geared round the Chinese who had a big contingent on this trip
You would be advised to wear swimming atire under your clothes/beachwear as the changing facilities on the boat are limited despite what the tour escort said. There is also the chance to go in a submersible but we didn't as the swell caused many to be sea sick not what you want under water) and there was limited visibility as result of the swell causing sediment to rise. As a result of the winds the helicopter flights were cancelled but they were expensive for 10 minutes and you can see the reef as you take off from Cairns airport.
Flight back to Sydney. The luggage only had to be identified at Cairns airport and then appeared outside the cabin door. The embarkation on the ship was smooth as most people had embarked by the time we got there. Sailing was during second sitting dinner at 10.00 pm so we missed this but it is possible to eat outside on deck to see the sights. The first sight of Sapphire Princess was a case of wow as she is the biggest ship to cruise Australian waters and is taller than the Opera House. She is bigger than any P&O ship at 116,000 tons and 2,600 passengers. Once on board though she has an intimate feel and it never felt like there were so many people on board. It wasn't possible to get a picture of the ship docked as we didn't have any tender ports and she filled the whole berth.
A massive display decorated the atrium for valentine's day. We had booked a special occasion package and re-newed our vows with our own private ceremony in the chapel officiated by the Captain. Well we were already married so this was the next best thing. We invited some people we got to know on our pre cruise trip and this made their cruise special.A British couple did in fact get married on the ship.
The Tasman Sea behaved and we did get berthed in Hobart. We took a trip that visited Bonorong wildlife park to see Kangeroos, Koala and the infamous Tasmin devil. Their ferocious reputation is justified as one of the keepers fed a devil and was able to lift it up as it gripped on fiercely to the offering. There was also a visit to a vinyard and a wine tasting.We had a wonderful lunch included in this tour which was at a little community centre provided by the ladies of Modena. After lunch we headed for a sheep farm and a shearing demonstration as well as seeing a working sheep dog rounding up a herd of sheep. Part of the tour took us into Mount Field National park with a stop for Russel Falls.
The seasons down under are the opposite of ours so visiting during their summer you leave our winter behind. Our trip in February 2005 was towards the end of summer but it was still hot. In fact whilst in Sydney the hottest February day on record was noted. There is no ozone layer in Australia or New Zealand and the golden rule is if you cast a shadow you will burn. Water is a scarce commodity and it is common to find a duel flush system on toilets in public places and hotels. I won't explain this one! Australia has a high rate of skin cancers including melanoma so it makes sense to take sensible sun precautions. Musts are high protection factor sunscreen, a hat, water and good sunglasses. Photographers may find the use of a filter allows for better pictures but I got away with using my camera hood most of the time. Either that or take a picture from the shade as I did on occasions.
Cairns in particular is tropical and rain storms are known but they clear up quickly. There were cyclone alerts not long before we arrived though! The humidity is something else but everywhere is air conditioned and you can literally pop into a shop to cool down. The locals don't mind you doing this as even they find it too much sometimes and they are friendly.( Thanks to Caroline Morrell)
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