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South Pacific Cruise - July 2013
We travelled by day on the train from Melbourne to Sydney and stayed overnight with our friends Jen & Keith that we had met on our "Darling Run" in 2010.
Time to board "Carnival Spirit" again, leaving from Sydney on 16 July 2013 and stopping at Isle of Pines in New Caledonia, Mystery Island, Vila, Santo and Wala in Vanuatu before returning 27 July 2013. Any cruise departing from Sydney is spectacular with its views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.
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| Travelling by train Melbourne to Sydney 15 July 2013. |
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| Jen & Keith took us to the wharf. |
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| About to depart Sydney. |
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Peter & Joy, Fred & Rose, Jo & Sandra. Table 155 in Empire Dining Room.
We often had a sunset view from our stern window. |
Dinner was always enjoyable. Sometimes we had breakfast & lunch in the dining room with silver service.
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Entree.
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| Mains. |
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| Sushi for lunch. |
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| Meeting Captain Adriano Binacchi. |
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Pharaoh's Palace with entry from Deck 2, 3 & 4.
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| Versailes Lounge for Adult comedy. |
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| Deco Walk Deck 2 to Deck 3. |
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| Spirit Atrium with Lifts. |
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Peter & Joy Spirit Atrium.
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| Joy & Peter Spirit Atrium Deck 2. |
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On the last day Peter & Joy took courage and gave "Green Thunder" and "Yellow Twister" a go. There were 50 steps to the top. The slide went out over the ship more than 12 decks above the water. |
After stepping into the capsule and the semi-circle perspex door shut around you, there was a 3,2,1 count and the floor of the capsule opened giving a 32 feet vertical drop before looping over the sea.
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| Yellow twister. |
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Mini golf on board.
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Tender boats take passengers to Isle of Pines.
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Kuto Beach, Isle of Pines.
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| Kanumera Bay, Isle of Pines. |
Isle of Pines was named by Captain James Cook in 1774 after seeing the tall pines on his second voyage to New Zealand.
In 1872 the isle became a French penal colony, home to 3000 political deportees from the Paris community.
Kuto Beach is known as "Jewel of the Pacific" 15x13km, population 3000, French speaking. Great snorkelling with tropical fish and corals seen in the transparent waters.
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School children singing "Father Abrahram had many sons"
and "This is the day the Lord has made". |
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| Old men singing & playing their guitars. Donations went to their Baptist Church. |
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The locals live across the waters on Tanna.
They come to sell shells, sarongs and other goods when cruise ships visit Mystery Island. |
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Rustic drop toilets are dotted around the island.
65,000 tourists flock here every year, 99% by cruise ships. |
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A tiny and picture perfect island with sandy pathways that lead to white beaches
edged with coconut trees and crystal clear waters. It was easy to walk around the island. |
I went snorkelling and enjoyed the fish and corals.
Our next port was Vila, the capital of Vanuatu (known as New Hebrides before independence in 1980). There are 83 islands, 67 are inhabited. Total population is 243,000. First Europeans arrived in 1606.
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| We took a water taxi into town. |
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| Grandmother, Mother, Auntie, Baby. |
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Our taxi driver took us in his 7 seater from town to Mele Cascade Water Falls.
A 20 minute drive and he came back two and half hours later. |
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| 5 young native men singing on our walk to the waterfalls. |
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| Peter successfully got a sound out of the shell - much to the surprise of the natives. |
We walked about 25 minutes through naturally eroded rock swimming ponds set amongst a jungle like rainforest. There were about 100 steps to navigate. We were prepared to get wet and this we did. The pathway was muddy and or slippery at times. It was quite an adventure!
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| Cascade Waterfalls. |
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| Cascade Waterfalls. |
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| Teenage girl abbsailing down the Cascade Falls. |
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| We enjoyed the natural beauty of jungle like forest at Mele Cascade Waterfalls. |
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| Our taxi driver took us through Mele Village. |
Our next Port stop was Santo, the 2nd largest town in Vanuatu and one of Vanuatu's largest Ports. Population of 13,167 and size 4.010km2. During WW11 40,000 US troops were stationed in Santo.
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"Carnival Spirit" berthed at Santo. The locals were there to greet us.
Their colourful stalls went for about 2kms into town. |
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| Santo Market - lots of happy smiling faces. |
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| Children at the market. |
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| "Carnival Spirit" in Wala, Vanautu. |
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| Peter chatting to two locals. |
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Peter was having fun with a Native.
Just one generation ago they were warriors and cannibals. |
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| Steve and Vicky showed us their home and the village of Wala. |
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Peter deep in conversation with Steve.
Later we sent him some of Peter's books. |
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| We enjoyed banana and grapefruit while sitting on the floor in Steve's house. |
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| Steve & Vicky's house in Wala. |
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Steve and Vicky's bedroom.
Mosquito net tied up and mat on floor. |
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| Presbyterian Church, Wala. |
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| Dug-out in Wala. |
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| It was hot! |
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| Joy snorkelling somewhere out there! |
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| Leaving Wale by tender boat. |
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Leaving Wala by tender boat.
On our return to Sydney, we were met by Jen & Keith. We stayed another 2 nights with them and spent a day in the Blue Mountains. |
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| "Carnival Spirit" docked in Sydney. |
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| The Charles Darwin walk arrives at the top of Wentworth Falls. |
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Cliff hanging views of Wentworth Falls.
Blue Mountains are 100 kms west of Sydney and were inscribed as a World Heritage are in 2000. |
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| Wentworth Falls. |
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| Peter & Joy at Echo Point near Katoomba, Blue Mountains. |
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The 3 Sisters in Jamieson Valley in Blue Mountains.
It stretches 12 kms long and 10km wide.
Renowned for its uniquely majestic scenery and tranquility. |
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The Skyway Scenic Cable Car is the largest and highest in Australia.
It transverses 270 metres above the ravine below. It has a glass floor for viewing.
The Cable Car plunges 545 metres into the Jamieson Valley.
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The Scenic Railway with a 52 degree incline - steepest passenger railway in the world.
The Railway descends 310 metres through a cliff side tunnel to Jamieson Valley floor. |
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Keith escorted us to Circular Quay for a ferry ride to Manly for sunset.
We travelled on a double decker train into Sydney. |
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| Our Country Link train left Sydney Central Station at 8.35pm. |
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| We had a 1st class sleeper and arrived in Melbourne at 7.40am the next morning. |
If you have any comments please email Joy Olney - joyolney@gmail.
