SinbadThePorter

That's pretty much the opposite of what I said. There are three common names for Eudyptula novaehollandiae, Fairy Penguin, Little Penguin and Blue Penguin. The names have not changed, they just vary from place to place. You can use any one of them that you like. There is no one coming after anybody who uses the "wrong" name, because nobody cares which name you use. There is no "woke mob" of gay radicals demanding one name over the others. Nobody is that petty. The only people who care about this are the sort who ring up Talk Radio jocks because they heard something somewhere and need to complain about it.

Yes. It was brought over by US troops in WW2. The company changed the name when they realised that it was not a great idea to insult part of your customer base, however unintentionally. They don't. Name one gay person or organisation who cares what fairy penguins are called.

People can call it whatever they like. There is no-one coming after you if you call it a fairy penguin. Some people call it little penguin, some blue penguin. Nobody cares. It's one of those fantasies that shock jocks get worked up about that doesn't actually exist.

I'm pretty sure the "Woke mob" (whoever they are) have no problem with fairy floss. However if you wanted to call people "fairies", they they may object.

Was there someone at the back who got 20 out of 20? There always seemed to be when we played.

Did they still have those South America jackets for $15? They were good value.

I think the turning basin would not be wide enough. Voyager class ships are around 311 meters long. Celebrity Eclipse which has to anchor off Yorkey's Knob is 317 meters long. Coral Princess, which does dock, is 294 meters.

I believe that part of the 303 bus route is where you can flag the bus down. There are no designated stops. Always a risk at the moment. They have trouble with drivers getting covid. You can apply online for a Pensioner Go Card. It offers free bus and ferry travel M-F between 8:30am and 3:30pm and after 7pm. Although I've never yet seen anybody thrown off a bus for not having a Go Card. Well done!

I bit the bullet and booked the Nov 16th Pacific Encounter cruise from Brisbane to PNG. The price was too good to pass up. $75pp/day for inside is cheaper than a motel. 😲

That didn't last long. ☺️ It looks like New Caledonia have lifted their covid restrictions for tourists from today. Along with Tahiti and PNG.

When is this cruise? As far as I know New Caledonia and Vanuatu have not yet opened to cruising and I haven't heard of any opening date. All those ports except Noumea are small islands with very little development. It's not like the Caribbean with lots of tourist infrastructure. My personal favourite is Isle of Pines. Noumea is a small city and very French. There a few museums, an aquarium, nice beaches, lots of French eateries and some attractive islands nearby.

I see, I misunderstood. I still think the simpler option would be to store your luggage and go sightseeing for half a day.

Very much so. They are two different countries. You would need a NZeTA.

As said, it's food that is the main problem on P&O. The MDR and the buffet just don't quite cut it for me. Dragon Lady is better and Angelos better still. Apart from that, I think they are OK.

For Australia you need an ETA. Instructions are here. For New Zealand I believe you need an NZeTA. Instructions are here.

It's only a few miles from the OPT to the airport and there is not much of interest in between. If you are already in Sydney, why not just get the hotel you are in to hold your luggage for you and go sightseeing until you need to head to your cruise?

The airport train would be more expensive for two people than a taxi. If you can get a shuttle to the DFO (I don't know if they exist), there is a 590 bus from there to the Toombul Bus Interchange, from where there are several buses going to Roma Street.

I'm not saying that this is feasible, only that it exists. Walk to the corner of Dickson Road and Main Road. Catch the 303 bus to Doomben station. Catch the train from Doomben station direct to Roma Street station. Two problems. First you aren't supposed to walk out of the terminal grounds. Second the 303 bus timetable is very restricted (M-F early AM and late PM). So next option is to get a taxi from the cruise terminal to Doomben station, saving considerable dollars. The problem there is that the train doesn't run on Sundays. Basically, unless you want to go to a lot of trouble, the realistic option is taxi or uber.

They pop up in the buffet now and then.

There is a sports channel on the cabin TV. I think it is this one, but I'm not certain. At various times I recall seeing Union, NRL and soccer on it, but I didn't see any F1. Which is not to say there isn't any.

I would guess they are trying to avoid covid.

Yes it is, but it's on the opposite side of the runway to the airport terminals, so it's quite a long trip between. There is no public transport at the new terminal. To get to the DFO you would need either a shuttle bus (if there is one) or a taxi. Taxis can be quite scarce at the cruise terminal, so it could be a good idea to order one ahead to pick you up at a certain time. There shouldn't be any problem getting a taxi at the DFO to come back.

The PNG visa website currently says that Visa-on-arrival is "Forbidden". As far as I know that is how visas were arranged on previous cruises. Without it I don't see how any PNG cruises are possible.

A certain on-line cruise agent in Oz is offering 10 nights on Pacific Explorer from Sydney to Qld on the 5th Sep for $665pp Inside, $763 Obstructed Window and $984 for Balcony. If you believe that PNG will open up, they also have a 10 night cruise from Brisbane on the 19th Nov for $738 Inside, $935 Obstructed Window and $1378 for a Mini-suite.

You've never tipped me.