Nothing much happens (Darwin and into the sea)

Today's title is courtesy of Ben Lee from the late '90s and is a nod to yesterday as much as it reflects Sunday in Darwin. After a terminally long travel day we slept very well. I am uncertain as to whether that was a reflection of travel exhaustion or the ice cold Kirin I had prior to bed. Regardless I woke very much refreshed and ready for the excitement of the day. Except it's Sunday morning in Darwin, a city better known for starting late and kicking on.

We stayed here at the Novotel in 2008 when we attended a conference. Not much has changed. It is looking a little tired, like the tropical heat has beaten it into submission and could probably do with a make-over. At the very least a gardener is required to bring the Devil's Ivy back to life. It is flourishing in some areas, in others, like outside our room, it is struggling for life against the ravages of scale.

It was time for breakfast, something we enjoyed in the Smith Street Mall last time we were here. It is a 5 minute stroll and it is a beautiful cloudless day, around 25˚ and breezy. Not quite like Sydney yesterday, but strong enough to send café billboards careering through the al fresco areas of the mall to the amusement of the breakfast crowd

Fresh juice and good coffee. Yum. Simple and yet difficult to find in the one place in Sydney. After breakfast we wandered through the few shops that were open. I am after a new Aboriginal flag T-shirt, one without writing on it. I purchased my current shirt hereon the last trip but it was not going to be replaced today. The search continues. There were plenty of the CU in the NT shirts and I was tempted, but no.

Mid-morning I decided I needed to have my hair cut before the cruise. I popped down to the Hair Dude. No appointment, sit and wait your turn. Remember those days dear reader? Checking out the girls in the Pix and People magazines? No? You're too young ... oh, sorry. You've missed an experience and a significant right of passage for Australian males. Not to mention the mirror into mirror experience, mis en abyme. My barber was a young 20 something from, wait for it, Cherrybrook, New South Wales. I know. I travel all that way to let a girl from the Hills area cut my hair.

Anyway, she's been on a cruise and, you know, like, you'll love it. It's like a floating RSL club. The food is great. They had the best mashed potato. And a casino. It was so cool. Hmmm. Hoping my experience will be somewhat different.

Prior to exploring the wilds of Darwin we met a fellow traveller in the hotel. We traded our Ponant cruise information for his knowledge of the Ghan. Another of my bucket list Australian experiences.

Goodbye Darwin

We had a few hours to kill prior to embarkation so we walked down to the Teddy Bears' Picnic. Happily the festivities had concluded and the children were all heading home with their parents. We continued our walk around past parliament and Government House where we caught our first glimpse of Le Laperouse through the trees. It was almost lunch time so we meandered up to the Smith Street Social for a cleansing ale or two and a light lunch then back to the hotel to collect our bags.




Boarding the ship was a relatively simple process and Darwin was soon fading into the distance. Those with cruise experience were easy to identify, they introduced themselves immediately. The first onboard activity was the safety briefing and by the time we headed to dinner, we already knew half a dozen people.

The cabin, sorry, prestige stateroom, was much more spacious than I thought. We have a lounge, a small balcony, queen size bed and an accessible bathroom. There is plenty of storage for our clothes. There is also a colour TV, not that I imagine that will get any use at all.

At dinner we sat with a couple that we met as we made our way onto the ship. Jayne had stopped to take their photo for them. Dinner was low key on level 3, buffet as opposed to the a la carté on level 4 and the alcohol flowed freely. Mind you, we could order from the a la carté menu as well - and did. Champagne, champagne and more champagne. This is my kind of cruise.

The concern I had over the formalities of suits and dress shirts were unfounded. It appears that everything is far more relaxed than the brochure outlines. The first of the galah evenings, sorry, I believe it is spelled gala, is tonight and there is no need to suit up. I am going to though - I brought the bloody thing so it shall be worn.

You would know my avid reader that it is always my intention to write one blog post per day. However, I fear I will not be able to meet that exacting standard on this holiday. Wifi access is via satellite and is, as they say in the classics, dodgy at best. A pathetic excuse, I know, but couple that with the fact that this is an expedition and time is strictly limited. We are off the ship every day except today. And some days commence at 6:30am! Zut alors!

The casual dining area on level 3

Last night we headed out towards Indonesia to go into their national waters for some bureaucratic reason that I will attempt to understand and explain at a later date. Then we turned around and headed straight back to Australian territorial waters and for Wyndham. We arrive there at 4am on Tuesday. All of Monday is on board and it is the only day we don't disembark.

We encountered some swell last night that has continued into today. It is not that big, but it certainly makes navigating the corridors interesting. I'm not sure that it rocked me to sleep either and it is certainly noticeable compared with the calmer water around Darwin.

Today we had a briefing in the theatre around the access and use of the Zodiacs that will be deployed getting us to and from our destinations. The next pier we see will be in Broome. So the Zodiacs are a life line. Then later in the day we had a lecture on the geology of the Kimberley.  This afternoon we have a briefing on our shore excursion tomorrow. We are are heading up the Ord River. Before that I have had a massage. I know, my envious reader, it is a tough life, but someone has to do it.

Lunch today was a buffet. More champagne and a nice little French rosé. The menu was predominantly seafood but there were other options for the Philistines. We commenced with a cheese plate and then Coffin Bay oysters and prawns. Delightful. In the interesting category I would place the sea snail - my first and possibly my last attempt. Interesting smokey flavour, chewy, and not for me. There was a huge array of desserts and breads. Oh my, the bread and the croissant and pain au chocolat. heaven, I'm in heaven.

The demographic on board, you ask? Well, we are not the youngest, but there would only be  handful younger than us and they are most certainly not Australian. My hair colour seems to be quite the fashion among the men, although our mobility and agility is superior to many. It is quite an international mix and there are more Australians than I thought I would see. France, Japan, the US and New Zealand are also well represented. There is a smattering of South Africans too. Many, it would appear, are repeat customers for Ponant. That speaks volumes for the experience.

Until next time.

The longest time (even longer than I imagined)

Well hello my dear reader, it is lovely to be communicating with you again. The title? Read on, all will become clear. Sadly you can't join me on the cruise it is fully booked. Yes, cruise. Surprised? Well, so am I. Still, and I booked this trip about a year ago. I know, I know, a cruise. Me captive on board a ship. Not a pretty picture. To be fair it's not a floating block of flats or a houseboat. Intrigued? This is the same cruise offered in May 2020: https://au.ponant.com/cruises/pacific-and-oceania-australia-s-iconic-kimberley-r080520-db145-5

I had recurring nightmares following the houseboat holiday and that was so long ago I can't remember the year. Trapped. I couldn't get off. This time is different, but, uncharacteristically, let's begin at the beginning.

We packed last evening. Packing for a trip is never fun but this bordered on cruel and unusual punishment. The on-board activities and the fact that is an 'up-market' cruise meant that we packed more clothes than we would for a lengthy European sojourn. Day wear, evening wear, casual clothes, elegant clothes, clothes for scrambling over rocks, a white outfit. A white outfit? I own one white T-shirt courtesy of being marooned in LA on a flight back from Canada. I'm pretty certain that won't meet their exacting dress standards. Then there are two formal dinners. A dark suit is required with a tie or bow-tie. I don't own a dark suit and I don't wear ties anymore. That should be an interesting night. This is a holiday. Allegedly. I was majorly pissed with the pretentious people on Hamilton Island for their 'dress standards'. I know this is next level, but still ... a holiday? 

The taxi ride to the airport was most entertaining in an old school way. The driver was Australian, in his 60s and not pleased with the performance of the NSW Government. We talked politics, we talked about the crisis befalling Sydney apartment dwellers (hopefully not including us), the gridlock that has been created around the international airport, the demise of Kings Cross, the lock-out laws and their impact on Sydney's international reputation as a tourist destination, his dislike for Gladys Berejiklian and his disappointment in the previous leader of the Opposition. Actually, mostly he talked and we listened...Good times.

And so to the Qantas Business Lounge for breakfast. It's not the level of the International Lounge but it is a step up from the Qantas Club and nowhere near as crowded. At least at this hour. My chilled mood evaporated when we received a text to say the flight was delayed. Now my patient reader you may recall the drama I had travelling last year, when almost every flight I had was delayed. Some, in fact were cancelled and I was stranded in LA and Shanghai at varying times. Work colleagues would not book the same flights in case my curse afflicted them too. Today's flight you ask? Delayed by 5 hours. Count them. 5. Why? Operational requirements. Read - the flight crew has to have sufficient down time before flying again. Presumably this would have been a known issue and we might have been notified last night instead of finding out this morning after we arrived.

Not something any traveller wants to see.

I am, however, looking at this as an opportunity not a problem. I now have time to complete a couple of things I've been working on for a while. The down side is the group of three people sitting 10 metres away who don't seem to understand the concept of an inside voice. To add insult to injury they are discussing schools and their failings. Specifically the school system's failure to produce resilient young people.  This balding, loud-voiced, opinionated wanker knows where the problem lies: teachers. Well, he did attend school and compared it to what he believes it to be like today. He is wrong. I am fervently hoping that he is not on our plane because that will mean another 6 hours of this ignorant drivel.

Oh joy! He is leaving and we discover his riveted audience was not actually accompanying him - they depart separately.  We are better off than them - they had to appear interested in what he was saying...

Time passes very slowly. I lap the room for something to break the monotony. The bar does not open until 12 and that seems like a life time away. People come and go, the ebb and flow of a tide of travellers. The loud, who seem to be oblivious to those around them. Or perhaps they believe their conversation is worthwhile for everyone to hear. The quiet men who sit and read the newspaper, flicking from page to page with a passive-aggressive crack that draws my attention each time. The toddlers, unaware of their surroundings who wander happily singing and humming to themselves. The mobile phone users who take the word mobile literally and walk and talk a little too loudly. The bored, the tired, the disinterested, the coughing and sneezing germ spreaders. We are all here. Sadly for Jayne and me we are here for the longest time. Yes, a Billy Joel song from circa 1983.

The bar is open! Sadly, the sparkling white wine is as described and not champagne. Time for a Yarra Valley chardy to break the monotony. And then some butter chicken and jasmine rice to soak up the alcohol. A few laps of the lounge. You can sense my dedicated reader that I don't do sitting still very well. Hence my concern about the cruise. Less than an hour to our alleged boarding time and no gate has been allocated. As a result of my laps of the lounge, I am fairly certain I can identify a dozen or so fellow travellers that are Darwin bound.

The delay is annoying because we are only in Darwin overnight. However, this would have been compensated for had we been flying international. They have champagne in the international first lounge and table service and I have access. Sad face with tears.

New notifications. Confusing and conflicting. We are now going to be boarding or departing at 3:20pm, that's only 6 hours later than scheduled. Not a lot of sorry action going on. Not impressed. Time for more wine ... for the longest time. And some assorted nuts. I'm sure they have extra salt to make me drink more. Like that's ever required.

Pretty sunset as we approached Darwin.

Oh, oh, oh, they just thanked us for our patience. Clearly that does not apply to me. Apparently the plane has just departed from wherever and will be landing in Sydney at 3pm. Boarding shortly thereafter. Excited ... not ... over it.

Flight: uneventful - although extremely beautiful. Refer to picture.

Taxi to hotel: same. There seems to be more high rise than when we last here (2008 according to Jayne) but the drive into town happened in darkness.

It's hot up here. We were thirsty

It was a very long day. Over 14 hours in transit. Cheers to Qantas who knew our flight was going to be delayed before we arrived at the the airport. The date stamp on the original text was dated before 11pm the day before we were to fly. We could have had most of the day at home! Instead we were at the airport by 7am. Cheers Qantas. No, I'm still not over it.

Staring up at the ceiling

We are in Darwin, finally. We have had food and beer at the hotel. Not quite what I had planned for the evening, but refreshing nonetheless. The squid is perfection as you would expect here. It is now time for sleep.

Until tomorrow, or as I would write if I was in France (and I wish I was),
a demain.