The Costa Luminosa spent no less than nine days in and around Australia. We had two days in Sydney, one day in the sea going south to Melbourne, and after a short visit there it took us four days to travel the entire coast west to Fremantle on the opposite corner. The equivalent land journey would have been more than 4000 kilometres.
The four days along the south coast should actually have been only three, but we got a taste of what strong winds can do on the high seas. Two days of howling headwinds, 8 metre waves and a lot of rock and roll slowed us down by some 24 hours. We had a hard time walking the corridors without being sucked into the walls when the ship rattled and vibrated, and sitting at our dinner table at the aft windows was like sitting in a cable car being lifted up a mountain side!
In total, Australia is always a very good place to be. Sydney is exiting and full of world known sights, Melbourne was also a very pleasant acquaintance, and the Perth suburb of Fremantle turned out to be a gem of a town with low picturesque buildings and old fashioned shops and cafés. It looks like towns used to look before they were taken over by glass covered skyscrapers and huge shopping centres.
This is our photo album from Australia. We will sure be back!
Our route, From Sydney in the east via Melbourne in the south east to Fremantle in the far south west. Tasmania has been surgically removed from this map, because we never saw it!
Arriving Sydney, anchoring as central as possibly possible. The view from our restaurant table was no less than great!
The Sydney Harbour Bridge seen from our sun deck.
ES pointing more or less at the nearest of the bridge towers, where we ascended to have a proper look at town.
A look southward at town from the bridge tower…
… and a look north from the same spot.
The high flying seagulls were miles below us.
For the third time we met up with our cruising collegues from the Dutch Noordam, earlier seen also in San Diego and Samoa. We had the best parking spot though, they had to settle for a pier far away from town in the Sydney backwaters.
For a handsome bunch of dollars you can also climb the frame of the bridge. We skipped that, our view was more than good enough.
The Luminosa sun deck seen from the bridge.
Almost as well known as the Opera house are the green and yellow Sydney Harbour ferries.
We do not know what «Aussiemoji» is, but we were very much impressed by the pilot who wrote it in the sky with his plane.
The Opera and the Luminosa seen from the Zoo.
The most amazing feature of the Sydney Opera House is how it changes with every five metres you walk. You might walk around it or on it, there are always new angles, new curves, new features to see. The next few pictures will hopefully illustrate that.
The Luminosa seen from the Opera House.
The gardens behind the opera are 200 years old. That is very old, considering that the first Europeans came to the bay in 1770.
The English started using Australia as a prison colony in 1788.
Between the opera and the Harbour Bridge we find the Circular Quay. Nowadays, it is pretty much in a straight line.
It was however, circular once upon a time. In the pavement we can see the shoreline from 1844, illustrating just that.
On a ferry, travelling out the bay towards the zoo.
Animals pictured in a zoo does not count as proper animal photography, but it was our only chance of getting a picture of a kangaroo.
And who do you think this is?
…it is resident pelican of course!
Not everybody enjoys seeing animals in captivity, but zoos can have an important role to play in nature! We saw the Tasmanian Devil asleep, so the best picture we got was of this little figure. This is a species in need of a lot more than just dental surgery, the zoo is very important in the task of making this highly endangered animal survive in the wild.
We also met this one in the devils pen, but he is wild and free to climb the fences when he feels like!
Even against the Sydney skyline our ship is a towering sight to see.
ES at Luna Park, at the north side of the bridge.
After visiting the zoo we had another date with local wildlife. ES took Kangaroo-beef for dinner, while DHH’s meal (close to the camera) is a crocodile burger.
….and the next day, oysters for lunch.
After a bit of trial and error we managed to get ourselves, the opera and the bridge on the same selfie. The ship is not ours though, it is another cruiser that happened to be passing.
Some night views before leaving after a tree day stay in Sydney. The white spots above the bridge is not the digital image cracking up – they are all birds!
On the coast, heading south.
Welcome to Melbourne.
ES with her cap, bought in Ingøy, 71 North, in July. In the background the city of Melbourne on latitude 37 South. This means we have covered 108 degrees, 60 per cent of the distance from pole to pole, in four months.
A floating tankstelle, the Luminosa needed something to drink.
Melbourne City Hall.
The beautiful Flinders Street Railway Station by the banks of the Yarra River.
Mr Flinders himself watching over his own street. Matt Flinders was a 19th century navigator in the James Cook tradition.
The family web master at a cafeteria, putting out a blog post.
One of the excellent Australian volunteer tourist aides, making our lives easier.
Watch out for men in suites. In the post Ned-Kelly-era, they are the most likely bank robbers!
ES found a Banksy-exhibition in Melbourne, she has been a fan of the Bristol born graffiti-artist for a long time.
How to paint graffiti and get away with it.
Banksy predicting the coming of Donald Trump.
On the road again. We are leaving Melbourne…
…and our pilot is leaving us.
We are never alone in the sea, however. This little container vessel tried to keep up with us, but could not.
The shadow of the Luminosa travelling thru the foam from the bow. We did get a lot of foam on this part of the journey, bad weather turned the tree days between Melbourne and Fremantle into four.
In the port of Sydney our anchor got stuck on the bottom, and the Luminosa spent a full hour fighting to get loose. These are the scars of battle.
Beautiful Fremantle, one of the most delightful surprises of the trip so far.
A nice business idea.
DHH on the lookout for a new acquaintance. For an explanation, see the next two pictures.
Fremantle is the commercial harbour of the big city of Perth.
Saying goodbye to the maritime museum
…and saying goodbye to the whole of Australia for now.
Speeding thru the night, north towards Singapore. As for our neighbour’s towel… maybe it was still on the line in the morning…. and maybe not.
Workday done 