Cruise U66EV
on the Spirit of Adventure
around Australia & New Zealand

(Please scroll down to see my photographs and read my report)


Date: Port: Flag: Tour escort: Comment:
17
Dec
2011
Sydney - Afternoon
sightseeing
18
Dec
2011
Eden Wildlife Park &
Orca Museum
Two
interesting
places
20
Dec
2011
Geelong Narana
Aboriginal
Experience
Glorious day!
21
Dec
2011
Melbourne Puffing Billy &
Aussie Home
Sheep &
steam!
23
Dec
2011
Burnie - One horse
town
24
Dec
2011
Hobart Historic Richmond
& Wildlife
Sunshine &
rain!
Date: Port: Flag: Tour escort: Comment:
27
Dec
2011
Milford
Sound
(Cruise only) Very scenic
fjord
28
Dec
2011
Doubtful
Sound
(Cruise only) Wet fjord
29
Dec
2011
Dunedin Taieri Gorge
Railway
Very scenic
31
Dec
2011
Akaroa Akaroa &
Banks Peninsula
Hot!
2
Jan
2012
Wellington Te Papa Museum
& Highlights
Fascinating
4
Jan
2012
Tauranga Paparoa Marae I responded
to the Chief!
5
Jan
2012
Auckland City Tour Aquarium &
Museum
Date: Port: Flag: Tour escort: Comment:


Martin & Michael

Martin & Michael



Michael Brooks and Professor & Mrs Drewry at the Paparoa Marae

Michael Brooks and Professor & Mrs Drewry at the Paparoa Marae



Spirit of Adventure (SofA)

Spirit of Adventure (SofA)


Here's my report on the cruise:

   This was a super cruise for my first and last time on the lovely Spirit of Adventure (SofA). I drove up to town and parked my car on Brian's drive in Ealing before flying out from Heathrow (Deathrow?) on Malaysian Airlines. We had a couple of hours to change planes in Kuala Lumpur. The Jungle Boardwalk at KLIA was interesting if somewhat hot and humid. I watched the pre-quel film "Marley and Me: the Puppy Years" and the labrador puppies were indeed enchanting until they started to speak! Not a patch on the original film, I'm afraid. They served me 6 meals across the two flights in total!


   I arrived at the ship at 11 am having effectively lost a day flying out. I showered, had lunch at 12:30 and then caught the one o'clock shuttle bus into Sydney. I headed for the famous row of historic buildings: Hyde Park Barracks, the Mint, the Hospital, Parliament House, NSW State Library, the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Conservatorium of Music, Government House and the iconic Sydney Opera House. I hurried round Sydney Cove and the Rocks Market to the famous Harbour Bridge before getting back to the ship at Miller's Point at 4 pm for the Cruise Director's welcome meeting.


   The next morning we had our introductory walk-on before we arrived in Eden. My first outing as a SofA tour escort was to the Potoroo Palace wildlife park with the obligatory kangaroos, dingoes and koalas (they're not bears they're marsupials!). We then visited the interesting Killer Whale (or Orca) Museum.


   The first full sea day saw me lead a ballroom waltz class.


   At Geelong I toured a rather disappointing Aboriginal "Experience", but the food and drinks were good! The only animals here were Emus.

Me at the Naranga Aboriginal Experience

Me at the Naranga Aboriginal Experience

   In the afternoon I walked around Port Melbourne.


   The next day saw an all-day trip to an authentic period homestead to watch sheep shearing and sheep dog herding. I saw my first lovable wombat but declined to feed the 'rooes. After an excellent lunch we drove to the start of the Puffing Billy steam railway. The ride through the tree fern forest in the open cars was exciting, particularly if you sat on the side of the carriage with your feet hanging out!

Me with Puffing Billy

Me with Puffing Billy

   The second morning in Melbourne allowed me to buy a pass for the excellent tram system. I photographed most of the important sights in this beautiful garden city ready for a future port talk.

Captain Cook's Cottage

Captain Cook's Cottage

   In the afternoon I led a social foxtrot class.


   In Burnie on Tasmania I had no tour allocated so I took the shuttle bus into this disappointing town. I heard the famous Little Penguins scuttling through the sand dunes but didn't actually see one. The one horse town did have a McDonalds so I was at least able to update my FaceBook status!


   The next day I ran the first of my line dancing classes. That afternoon, in the lovely city of Hobart, I flew around town taking my photographs before escorting a tour to the historic, pretty village of Richmond in the sun. Unfortunately the heavens opened on the way to another wildlife park but I did manage to see some bedraggled Tasmanian Devils and pet another koala.


   After an enormous lunch on Christmas day at sea I was able to give my well-received lecture on "The Story of the Tasman Sea". As a result I also got to have my potted biography published in the daily programme for the first time.


   Two more sea days saw us across the Ditch as they call it in "strine" the australian slang. We cruised through the spectacular Milford Sound fjord in the dry but the next day in Doubtful Sound the circumnavigation of Secretary Island was rather wet. That afternoon saw another of my line dancing classes too.

Me in Milford Sound fjord

Me in Milford Sound fjord


   On the first day in Dunedin I took the shuttle bus into the city from Port (Judith?) Chalmers. I photographed all the main sights including the impressive railway station. On the second day in Dunedin I was an escort on the Taieri Gorge scenic railway. Each railway carriage had two volunteers on board who provided an extraordinary level of service as we climed up through the spectacular gorge. The final sun-lit uplands were however disappointing - not a single sheep in sight! The Cruise Director, Neil Horrocks, got to ride on the footplate of one of the locomotives hauling the long train, much to his pleasure.

Michael Buerk at the Taieri Gorge Railway

Michael Buerk at the Taieri Gorge Railway


   The next day saw us moored in the enormous flooded caldera of the Banks Peninsula. We tendered into the charming French colony of Akaroa. Another sheep dog demonstration ensued, followed by inspection of the earthquake damage in the suburbs, but not the centre, of Christchurch.


   New Year's Eve was a lively deck party with unlimited bubbly and a sumptuous midnight buffet. New Year's Day meanwhile was a subdued affair with my third line dancing class.


   The next day saw us in New Zealand's capital, Windy Wellington. The tour of the impressive Te Papa Museum included some interesting ethnic food and drink. I walked into and out of the town during the afternoon including a trip on the famous cable car up to the extensive Botanic Gardens.


   The final sea day saw my last line dancing class and the final cocktail party. In Tauranga I escorted a tour to an interesting Maori village where I had to accept the warrior's peace offering and give a short speech of thanks. After lunch back on the ship I walked around the attractive sea-side resort of Mount Maunganui.


   In Auckland I was a passenger, not an escort, on the complimentary city tour. The aquarium included penguins, sharks and rays amongst other fish. The reconstruction of Captain Scott's Antarctic base was very atmospheric. The war memorial museum was very moving and a sombre end to a fantastic cruise. In the afternoon I photographed all the important sights in the city for a future port lecture.


   The flight home was with Air New Zealand via Hong Kong, but this time I only got to eat 5 meals in 24 hours! I arrived back at Heathrow in the early afternoon and then travelled back to Brian's where we partook of a lovely Greek meal in the local restaurant. After a restless night in Ealing I finally drove home after a truly memorable cruise!


Good points were:

  1. Giving my lecture on "The Story of the Tasman Sea".
  2. Getting my potted biography in the daily programme.
  3. Open seating dining in the main dining room.
  4. Leading two ballroom dance classes.
  5. Taking four line dance classes.

Bad points were:

  1. Limited numbers of dancing ladies.

Usual evening programme:


For the record ...