Tag:sailing
Today we planned to go to Seaworld and enjoy a whale-watching cruise. Another epiphany we came across in Queensland is morning comes SOOOO early. Like around 4.30 am. We’d wake up in bright daylight thinking OMG slept in, check the watch, nope, it’s 4.45 am! Queenslanders say they don’t need daylight saving. It would help! Mornings would start a little later, and daylight would last past 6 pm. Everyone is up with the sparrows. Sitting on the balcony at 5 am with a coffee, the roads are starting to build with traffic. People are walking to bus stops.
Whale Cruise
We left the apartment around 8.30 am (virtually mid-afternoon to a Queenslander) and headed to Seaworld, which was only about 13mins away. Massive queue when we got there after queueing for about 20mins we found we were in the wrong queue and were sent to a smaller building for Whale watching/Seaworld tickets. You can’t buy a combo ticket for that at Seaworld. You have to buy it from the Marina. I know. It makes no sense to me either. Queenslanders defy logic. We wandered over, bought our tickets, and boarded the whale watching vessel. Very nice, new, and comfy.
Just as we were heading out, we came across a mother and calf in the estuary, which is unusual, so the boat took on the task of herding them back out to sea.
Once out on, we went hunting for whales in earnest and had quite a successful day of sightings. Sadly, whales turned out to be as hard to shoot as birds. They’d be breaching and have a grand old time; the boat would race over, and nothing, nada. Whales gone. Then we’d see them off in the distance again and repeat the process. Another pod would swim past us a few times as we floated there, waiting for the original show-offs to emerge. Overall we saw three breachings and many tail flips. Quite a few mothers and calves. And a mother and calf being escorted by a ‘bodyguard’ whale.
Seaworld
At the end of our cruise, we headed into Seaworld, grabbed lunch and went for a wander around. The Dolphin and Seal shows were later in the afternoon. And by now, it was hot, and we’d had enough of lugging the massive lenses around, so we headed straight for the polar bear enclosure.
Seaworld had been on our list to visit once we heard that a baby polar bear had been born, and the timing of our holiday coincided with him going on display. Unfortunately, I think he was asleep in the cave cause we only saw Mumma Bear, and she kept going back to the cave, possibly checking on the cub. Who remained a no-show sigh But we did see Mumma Bear. Seaworld is the only place in Australia that still has a polar bear display.
Passing the Dolphin enclosure on the way out, we added a few more tails to our day haul of Tails. It was now 30C in the shade, and we headed back to the car and our apartment for a shower and cold wines.
I had a birthday coming up and chose the Steamrail Victoria excursion to Geelong as my day out. So our sail and rail day started early. We sailed to Geelong aboard the Victoria Star and came home via rail on the R711 Steam locomotive.
Sailing
We left Victoria Harbour in the Docklands at 9.30 sharp and cruised down the river, under the Bolte and Westgate Bridges, past Williamstown, Newport, and down to Corio Bay.
It was grey and cloudy as we left, but the weather promised to improve. The Victoria Star is a refurbished Manly ferry, quite roomy though seats were at a premium. We availed ourselves of the refreshments and enjoyed a Devonshire tea as we sailed past Williamstown. Mid-morning, the sun came out, so we got two glasses of chilled white wine, found a nice sheltered from the wind spot, and enjoyed the sunshine and scenery.
Geelong
She arrived in Geelong 20 mins late, around 2 pm, and we headed off looking for lunch. I lucked out when we chose the Customs House restaurant and bar. The food and service were amazing. Calamari was tender, the salad was delicious, and the chips were excellent. We followed that up with Belgian waffles, ice cream and berries, lubricated with a couple of glasses of Sauvignon and then waddled off to Geelong Station in search of our train.
Steam Rail
Seating on the train was reserved, so we had a comfy seat all the w home. Carriages had beautiful ornate tin ceilings, windows between each ‘room’ that sat six people, and the air conditioning was open a window. Which we did so we could stick our heads out and see the train:)
One carriage was set up as a buffet car, so we lurched, rocked and rolled our way down there to check ut it. It made me think back to the old movies with Cary Grant etc., walking down the narrow corridor with people in tiny rooms to the side. How did the heroine walk down those corridors in heels? Is that why she always fell into the hero’s arms? 🙂
I must say I didn’t realise steam trains went so fast… we flew along from Geelong to Southern Cross Station in about 90 mins with the driver pulling the whistle just about all the way home. We spotted loads of photographers lining the tracks with tripods set up taking photos. Everyone watching and waving the train go past had a big smile on their face. There is just something about steam trains and steam whistles that brings out the kid in everyone.