We arrived at Airlie Beach at Whitsunday Islands, Australia, on November 30, 2023, beginning our last week on this Pacific Rim cruise. We were anxious to get home, but sad at the same time to be leaving this incredible continent too soon. These islands are popular tourist destinations, especially for those visiting the Great Barrier Reef. Airlie Beach has beautiful views of the other islands and the Coral Sea. I took a small boat tour through some of the 74 islands of the Whitsunday Islands that dot the pristine blue waters with views of white sand, tourist resorts, and homes of the rich and famous tucked away behind palm and mangrove trees. Captain James Cook ‘discovered’ these islands on June 3, 1770, on what the English typically call Whitsunday (Pentecost), the 7th Sunday after Easter. It was a beautiful day and I can certainly understand its popularity.

We sailed the Australian sea for one day and arrived at Mooloolaba on December 2. We booked an excursion to the Australian Zoo and what a day of discovery it was. I think about everyone on the ship decided to go to the zoo for the day. No one wanted to miss this fantastic place. I’ve been to a few zoos, but I’ve never seen anything that can match this. The Steve Irwin family has developed a 700-acre wonderland of native and Asian wildlife. Their mission is conservation and they take it seriously. We wandered beautifully laid out trails that let us to multiple habitats and attractions. The first one we entered was a large grassy park with trees scattered about . As we walked along the path, there they were! Three varieties of kangaroos! It was fascinating to see them lounging about, looking at us as if we were the wild ones. I was able to get quite close for pictures. The zoo has an African section, one for crocodiles and reptiles you wouldn’t want to run into anywhere but here. There were Sumatran tigers, grassland cheetahs, red pandas, koalas, meerkats, a huge variety of birds, Sumatran elephants and an infinite variety of frogs. You name, it may be here at this zoo. We even saw a Gila Monster. Many of the habitats offer walk-through experiences and even the dangerous animals have large areas to roam in safety. It was a fabulous, fun place.

After another sea day (Australia is a continent), we arrived at Newcastle on December 4, 2023. This was another friendly, scenic ocean front city. We needed to do some shopping, so took a shuttle to where we could hop on an electric train into the city. Larry and I and another roving passenger tried to figure out how to get a ticket for the train. The train went up and down the main street all day long. A cruise guide told us what train stop to look for, but we expected a human-run ticket counter. How silly! In many ways, Australia seems to run at a slower pace than the US and we make the mistake of thinking that they are not only relaxed and happy people, but that they are also living in the past. Nope. Not one bit. We faced a kiosk placed on the island between the train tracks. Of course, we didn’t have a transportation pass, so we had to buy our ride for the day by swiping a credit card. Again, we thought a ticket of some kind would spit out. Nope! Somehow the train powers that be know electronically if we have paid for our ride. Or not. I don’t know to this day. I could have checked my card statement, but I forgot all about it later. The train arrived, people got off and we got on, travelled to our stop and found our shopping area. I don’t remember now what we needed, but it was a fun time all the same. The shop keepers recognized we were Americans immediatly (ya think?) and were so helpful and friendly. Great folks!

The next day, December 5, it was time to disembark at our final stop, Sydney. I was upset with myself for sleeping through our arrival and missing the sight of the fabulous Opera House in the harbor. I don’t know if I’ll ever be back, but I hope someday, we may be able to see more of this wonderful country. Skimming along the Eastern coast wasn’t nearly enough. But we’re grateful for everything we saw and experienced. Here’s a bit more of Newcastle before I sign off for now. There were two fisherman waving goodbye as we sailed away as the sun set behind us. Take care and I’ll see you next time!

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