highplanesdrifters

We had Chef Pia for the first leg so our food was outstanding! Service impeccable. Aside from the usual Euro American fancy fare there was often a spicy ethnic dish or two . She treated us to a Sharma lunch and of course her signature sausage German lunch. The crowning glory was her schnitzel in all its crispy wonderfulness. We now have Chef Subhash. While not Chef Pia, he does a very good job. We are missing all the spicy Asian dishes, but I did have one the best Lobster dishes the other day. Slow poached, moist and tender. Very hard to do. Mmmmm, yum. On both legs we've had 'Invictus' lunches. A massive cold seafood spread. Delish. A little food porn below. Perhaps I'll pick up my game in that area. The famous Shnitzel Some double chocolate raspberry thing. Clams and scallops Don't remember, but isn't it pretty? Breakfast and lunch are buffet. The usual breakfast items can be ordered. While not large there is always more than enough. Lunch always has a pasta of the day, carving station, sushi, salad bar, cheese, soup, and the usual suspects. At the Grill outside there is a fish of the day and sometimes specials. Service has gotten a little slower now that we have a full ship and lots of newbies. But nothing terribly bad. We are not big fans of Hot Rocks. I will say that I wish they would pick up their vegetable game. I know, shocking! Dishes are pretty heavy on the animal protein. I've been trying to order double veges. Doesn't always work. Instead of one asparagus spear, I get two. 🤣 Ice cream sundae station.

For the Explorer lovers. A little video to tuck in your back pocket for a rainy day. VID-20230517-WA0048.mp4

UP NEXT Mornington Island, Australia Mornington Island is the largest of the Wellesley Islands and is around 1000 square kilometres wide. The entire island is mostly uninhabited except for the town of Gununa at the bottom end. In this town there are around 1200 people that call Gununa home, the vast majority indigenous Australians. Among the lasting creations was the Mirndiyan Gununa art centre with its Indigenous majority staff focused on locally relevant programs to produce internationally significant artwork. On the island there is only one local market. Around the town you can find semi-wild horses roaming around.

After our little excursion to Cape York, Silversea arranged a cocktail party on the grill deck with free drinks for everyone. 🤣 More significantly we got to finally meet @Port Power and @FauxNom. What a delight! We are the richer for it.

Cape York, Australia Even though she tossed us a bit, we sadly said goodbye to the Coral sea. Slipping through the Albany gap we made our way to Cape York and the Torres Straight. The Expedition Team skillfully landed us on the slippery shore of the northern most point of Continental Australia for a leg stretch and photo opp. Unlike so many of the places with signs that claim to be the most extreme geographic North, South, East, West of some island or continent it appears that this place actually is! While not the snorkel we had all hoped for on the GBR, a rather pleasant afternoon with some great rocks. The northernmost tip of continental Australia, sans sign.😉 York island Straight ahead. A zodiac lap around York Island.

You are so kind. Thanks for the encouragement.

UP NEXT Cape York Well, I guess it's something. It is the northernmost part of continental Australia. We are going to walk to the sign stating that. Then there will be a cocktail party to watch the sunset. I here there will be free booze.🤣 Cape York, located in the state of Queensland, is the northernmost point of the Australian continent. It is a 25 km long and 19 km wide peninsula that juts north-northeast from the mainland into Torres Strait, separating it from the island of New Guinea.

UP NEXT....or not? Little Boydong Reef CANCELED...crocodiles have take over. Major disappointment but understandable. We've been hearing more and more about salties on the reef and their population growth mainland. Will try and get more info from expedition team. Here's the Chronicle blurb anyway. Little Boydong Reef The sandy shores of Little Boydong Reef and Island lie off the far reaches of the Cape York Peninsula, some 700 kilometres (440 miles) north-west of Cairns. Falling under the Denham Group National Park, this is as remote as the Great Barrier Reef gets. Little Boydong Reef offers prime snorkelling opportunities to the limited few who make it this far. Take the plunge and enjoy the cast of colourful reef life - the Great Barrier Reef boasts of 1625 (and counting) species of fish as well as 600 species of corals. So, there’s more than enough to see wherever you are! Make sure to keep an eye out for both green and hawksbill turtles too, as these fascinating reptiles use the beaches in the region for breeding. The nearby Milman and Aplin Islets are closed to visitors for this reason. Above the surface, the area’s birdlife is no less diverse. While walking the island one can enjoy looking for some of the 10 species of tern and 39 species of waders that frequent the shores and beaches. A multitude of other island species including the rather noble-looking Pied Imperial-pigeon, ruler of Little Boydong Reef, call this small slice of paradise home.

Will track you down! See you at the cocktail party for sure. 😃

Part 2- Swim GH010596_ALTA576854578815981488.MP4

This group let me hang out with them. So fun to be part of their multi species school. Spent a good 20 minutes being swept along with them and the current. Pause, eat, swim, repeat. There is webbing growing in between my toes. Part 1, Pause and Eat GH010595_ALTA576854578815981488.MP4

Titan Triggerfish Undeterred by my presence this big bad boy was focused on ripping the clam to shreds. GH010584_ALTA576854578815981488.MP4

Lizard Island, Australia Great Barrier Reef Sharks, Rays, and Giant Clams.. OH MY! The Giant Clams stole the show. I've seen giant clams before. But, these were Ginormous Clams, so many, and the colors, wow. Prepare to be overloaded. A look Deep in. Release the Sharks. We had a few swimming about. Some much larger. Little stars Another favorite of the day. Titan Triggerfish, 2-3 feet long. Zoom in on those teeth.

Thanks @TLCOhiofor bringing all you fabulous photos and information to the thread. The more the merrier. @drron29 What a great story about the waterfall. Makes me wonder if they released the sharks just before we snorkeled yesterday.😃

@MrsWaldo wrote I have only ever seen 2 in 20 years of return visits...... both last November Mumma croc whad obviously found a friend Thanks for the heads up! Crikey! We did not see any at Lizard. But our Boydong reef has been canceled due to the presence of Salties. Yikes! And thanks for the snorkel tips. In general Silversea set us up in a spot with bouy markers to contain us and a Zodiac lookout. For the most part they have been large areas so we're not constantly going bumpy bumpy. But I have been rammed by those who choose not to pay attention.

Fantastic @TLCOhio Keep em coming! Weather was too iffy for a flyover for us. I bet your trip was fabulous. We've just arrived at Lizard and conditions are looking. Thanks for the preview.

We did circles inside the reef today. Rather enjoyable considering. Winds died down and glasses stayed put. Had some good chats with the expedition team. Even sat on the veranda. We'll see if Lizard happens. Feeling positive.

UP NEXT Lizard Island, Australia The Lizard Island National Park consists of six islands some 33 kilometers off Cape Flattery and 93 kilometers northeast of Cooktown, of which Lizard Island is the largest. This is the only continental group of islands found near the outer barrier reef and Lizard has a height of 359 meters. Acacia and eucalypt, grassland as well as mangroves contrast with sparkling blue waters and rich reefs surrounding the island. Watson’s Bay on Lizard Island’s northwestern side has a beautiful beach and easy access to snorkel areas, as well as the possibility to start on trails leading to the top of the island and Cooks Look or to Mangrove Beach on the south side for views of the lagoon and surrounding reefs. Before Captain Cook came on the Endeavour exploring Australia’s east coast in 1770 and stepping ashore on Lizard Island to gain a bird’s-eye view of the reefs, the Dingaal Aboriginal people had used the island for ceremonial purposes and to collect shellfish, while later European and Asian visitors were looking for sea cucumbers. The name of the island goes back to Captain Cook remarking on the amount of yellow-spotted monitors seen ashore. Slightly more than 100 species of birds have been recorded, for some of which the neighboring Seabird Islets, Osprey, South and Palfrey are important. There is an airstrip with the northernmost resort on the Great Barrier Reef at the northwestern end and a world-renowned tropical marine research station at the southwestern side.

I envy your familiarity with these spectacular reefs. If you have any pics feel free to post. I'm sure everyone would love to see them. We are now circling Ribbons Reef in hope that the winds die down. Chances of that happening are slim and none. So...Sea Day it is.🫤

For those that haven't read Terry's post, do so! He does a much better job than I do!

Thanks for your kind wishes! We had a nice day in Cairns. But I can see how one could run out of things to do if not focused on the reef. We did think of going on the jet ski crocodile tour but ran out of time. 😃 Thinks were still rocking and rolling last night. Cabin contents flying around, including us. 🫨 Except for being docked at Cairns its been this way for the past few days. Lots of sea sick passengers. Things have calmed a bit this a.m., we have a following sea. Our briefing for this afternoons Ribbon Reef snorkel starts shortly. Stay tuned!😃

Cairns, Australia Lovely little tourist town. Jumping off point for the Great Barrier Reef and Rainforest. Having seen a lot of rainforest lately we took a pass on the excursion and explored the town. The day started out quite soggy but we donned our brellys and headed out to explore. The ship is docked in town and you spill out on to a well designed esplanade. It is lined with art, restaurants, shopping mall, and synthetic beach. I want to take these home! Ducking out of the rain we hit the Cairns museum. Great history lesson. getting hungry. Tha Fish - DENIED😬 The ships internet blocked their web site so we could not make a rez. Arrived when it opened only to find it booked. Very popular with large groups. Don't worry, our stop loss next door was delicious pizza. The ship was undergoing a massive inspection and hull scraping. Silversea set up a way station at a nearby hotel and we grabbed a nap by the pool. Refreshed off we went again. The rain had cleared, humidity gone. Just Heavenly! Silversea also offered dinner off the ship as kitchens were not set up yet. After our big lunch we chose something simpler. A massive brew pub next to the ship called Hemingways. A hip and groovy place. They let us in anyway.😃

UP NEXT Cairns, Australia Warmly welcoming you to the natural wonders of the Great Barrier Reef, Cairns is a treasure trove of rich tropical beauty and incredible sea life. Swathes of rainforest spread out to the north, where you can soar over the canopy in a cable car, before looking down over narrow channels of water plummeting down gorges and crocodile-filled waterways. The diverse lands of the Atherton Tableland lie to the west, but it's the crystal-clear waters - and life-filled reefs - of Cairns' remarkable underwater world that draws universal adulation. Priding itself as the Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, explore Cairns' constellation of colour, as you dive into the world's largest and most spectacular underwater universe. Cairns is huddled in amongst abundant swathes of rainforests, which give way to glorious crescents of golden beach. Kuranda - with its scenic railway and heritage market stalls - waits to be discovered, cloaked within the depths of the rainforest. Learn of the indigenous people of North Queensland during cultural performances, and hear the throaty reverberations of digeridoos, as you hear eternal stories handed down through time, from generation to generation. Back in Cairns, there's always time for a coffee or a beer, or a feast on fresh oysters with glasses of Cairns' white wines - boldly flavoured with mango and banana notes.

Red feet, blue beaks. Quite the flying aerobatic squadron. 😃

@TLCOhio Here ya go Terry. We had a show all afternoon outside our window from these red footed boobies. Word is they were hunting flying fish. Here's an immature taken a few years ago at Bird Island, Tikehau Tahiti VID_22360721_021113_092.mp4