On Board , Off of Kangaroo Island...

Friday February 27.  Sunny. 24 C.

A reasonably calm night and very pleasant out today. Fellette and I decided to stay aboard today because this is a Tender Port. The ship idled a few hundred yards off the Island and they just keep that distance without an anchor. Kangaroo Island has an interesting history.

10,000 years ago  it was connected to Australia, but the the Ice Age ice melted and it is now an island. Fellette and I were here some time prior to 2007 while touring Australia. We came here from Adelaide where were staying at a hotel. We took a side trip to Kangaroo island from Adelaide via a Tour that offered the Ferry ride to Kangaroo Island and accommodation on the island and a thorough tour of it three days total I believe. We were also here three years ago, almost to the day.

There has been a problem keeping the island viable as a stand alone community for many, many years. After WW l, they offered the returning veterans free sizeable plots of land to encourage the expansion of population, same after WW ll. However, there is no meaningful way to keep the island going, other than tourism. So, they do their best to make things interesting here, but in reality, what is unique about this place, in my humble opinion, is that here you can just witness, first hand, an Island dying because there is nothing here to keep it going. The odd cruise ship and some tours from Adelaide will not make it, again, this is my humble opinion!

Today, for the first time ever, I am going to post some pictures taken on Kangaroo Island, but not today, but taken February 17, 2023, when we were here last with good friends, Jim and Gail. You will then, possibly, understand why we stayed in the comfort of the ship today.

Tonight we move our clocks forward another one half hour, [thankfully]. That means we will be an even four hours behind west coast time, but that damn day ahead! [I think!]

A Good Day.

Remember, all these photos are from three years ago !

This Park was put in many years ago to create something of interest in the barren scrub environment, that tourists may find interesting. Obviously it worked.

Art In The Bush.

A Metal Owl.

Giant Metal Eggs. And Fellette's lunch!

The Park extends across a ravine.

Part of the Park and surrounds.

I remember Jim and Gail taking a long walk down that beach three years ago. It was hot then as it was today, very hot on land.

This Sky-Link Ferry runs to Kangaroo Island  from Adelaide and possibly from other places along the South Coast of Australia.

This is my new Friend Frank. I met him in the Neptune Lounge today. He was sitting in there, alone, and I asked him why he did not go ashore today. It turns out and he is 92. [I am only 90!] He has also been here before. So, our age led to a lengthy chat about all sorts of things. We did so much comparing and laughing, it was just crazy. Wow, that was great for me I tell you.

A Fantastic Day in Adelaide

Thursday, February 26. Warm. 32 C.

We had a bit of a bumpy night but as we got closer to Adelaide it became smooth as glass. We had a light breakfast in the Neptune Lounge and next thing we knew we were on a coach tour compliments of our Travel Agents group. 

It was six hours, which is a bit long for us, but was very interesting and broken into three main components. The first was a visit to The Aboriginal exhibit in the museum of Adelaide. My initial response was Oh no, here we go with the Aboriginal thing! However, the exhibits were exceptionally well done, as good or better than The UBC Museum of Anthropology. Australia, as I mentioned earlier, has gone through what Canada has in trying to make amends to its native population for the earlier mistreatment of its Natives. Well done indeed.

Next we went to the National Wine Institute of Australia, at the University of Adelaide. There we had a rather intensive session, in detail, of more than the average person needs to know about wine. Then we went and had a detailed sampling of sizeable portions of four wines., two white and two reds. Following that we had a substantial smattering of cheeses and other nibbles, and wine, and called it lunch.

Filled with that, we made the quick transition to the Adelaide Botanical Gardens where we wandered through some interesting areas including the Palm Greenhouse. We have been there before, without the wine beforehand, and spent much more time there. It is beautiful.

We then went back to the ship, rested and got cleaned up, went to dinner in the dining room, then to bed somewhat later. The ship sailed from Adelaide at 10:30 by which time we were sound asleep.

A Wonderful Day!

This is where we are!

Exactly where we are!

Aboriginal Art. Large form!

Typical Australian older architecture style. I love it.

War Memorial in the area.

Yup, wine, big business here!

Hard to figure it out, but racks of wine, seen from above.

Nibbles.

Quince, remember that?

I didn't need that!

A fascinating green-house called The Palm House.

Adelaide Tomorrow...

Wednesday, February 25. A bit bumpy but ok. Blue sky.  Cool. 17 C.

Not much change since yesterday. Same ocean, same blue sky. Excellent sleep for both of us for some strange reasons. We updated our monthly calendar this morning. I consider February over, in my mind. This Sunday marks the beginning of March to us here. That is when we will meet up with Lyn in Melbourne. Lyn will take us to see my 1960 friend Keith and his wife Jenny. Lyn has met the Stafford's several years ago. 

I spent some time on my computer earlier today trying to find out when that was. I did not know this 'til today, but I only started to do a Travel Blog in 2007. Prior to that it was the old fashioned way... a photo album with stuck on photos with bits and pieces of Memorabilia and paper, like tickets and napkins as well. [I am going to get them digitized and printed when I get home].

After we updated the calendar today it became evident that 'The End is Nearer Than You Think' is true. After our visit this Sunday with Lyn, Keith and Jenny, we have a busy March. A couple of days in Tasmania, two days in Sydney, eight days in New Zealand and then the journey North East to San Diego after going through French Polynesia to San Diego.

Interestingly, we are at sea all of April, from the 1st to 7th. 

Our clocks move forward again 1/2 hour tonight. That means we will be 5 1/2 hours behind West Coast Time, and a day ahead. We do away with that Dateline Thing on March 22nd.

A Good Day.

Too much relaxing time and, too chilly to walk. This too shall end.

Across The Great Australian Bight...

Tuesday, February 24. Beauty weather and seas. 19 C.

Yup, that's what it is called, The Great Australian Bight. The Bight is the indent in the underside of the Australia continent in its coastline, [in this case between Albany, just visited, and Adelaide, some 1174 miles.] This is NOT the official Great Australian Bight distance, the ship is taking a straight line approach of 1174 miles, even though it takes us some distance from the shore, and, apparently it can get a bit rough out there, but so far, so good. The next piece of land South of us on this 1174 miles is Antarctica and  that is why it is a bit chilly for most passengers to walk the deck. Actually, Adelaide, is 4070 miles away, from Antarctica with nothing in between, so it will be chilly. We tried to walk the deck a bit but it was too much for us, dressed as we were.

Tonight is a Formal Night on the ship. This is to keep the Party Lovers happy on the ship, the reason for the formal night is a Masquerade Party and contest, later in the evening. Some apparently will kick it up a notch by wearing Masks to dinner. We will go to dinner in the dining room, without masks.

We have sort of decided, from now on, we will try and have a later breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill, it is nice and quiet in there but takes longer, however the service is great. We also would like to have dinner in the main dining room more often, for the same reasons. By eating in those places that means that we have less 'Boring Time' in our very nice cabin. With the clocks beginning to move forward now, it all works out just fine for us. It is not unusual for me to get a bit tired of my fellow passengers on a long trip. At home, things are different. We have a very nice mix of neighbours that we see, once in a while. Here, on this ship of Old Folks, I find it a bit depressing to be with them too much. Even though we are one of 'Them!'

Clocks go ahead here another hour tonight.That makes us six hours ahead of west coat time. [Plus that day ahead!].

A Good day.

Calm Seas, Bright Sun.

Ready to order breakfast.

Good company as well!

Before Dinner.

My Masked Companion. The waiter gave us masks.