MMDown Under

What a great view!

Thank you. I don't play golf nor drink but I do like wineries, Last visit to Napier I bought wine at a shop in town. Which is better for wine and what type to take home for my daughters. I I'll ask them type of wine, BTW I like the little half bottles of botrytis wine. Brown Bros Patricia is a favourite. I love birds and wildlife and coastal scenery.

Looking for personal recommendations for excursions to - Napier (15/1) Cape Kidnappers (Gannets) or similar) Have visited the art decor town. Picton (16/1) First visit (Drove through from ferry down West Coast South Island ?)

"the little wheel of death spinning" - now that is a good name for it. My first instinct is "how do i escape"? whereas my daughters just turn it off and start again.

Yes isn't it the same family as cold sores which I used to get from stress. And still do!

That is very young for both.

The Govt must have got a shock when people stopped travelling during Covid. The prices have increased a lot in recent years. When I travelled with my elder daughter she was included on my passport photo for one passport cost. I shudder to think what families pay now. Air fares used to be half price. Children were free in accommodation if they used existing bedding. Most accomodation had two double beds. I'm glad we travelled a lot with the children when they were young.

I knew they had a beach house up there, but not where.

I use matching colour pegs on washing but don't match peg colour to colour of clothing. My girls certainly didn't learn to hang clothes from me. One peg only wherever it fits. And they have no idea how to load a dishwasher. It makes it so much easier to empty the dishwasher when like items are together. But they both love to vacuum, which they didn't get from me. I just don't see the dirt!

Wow sounds wonderful. I knew there were spectacular views at Sunshine Beach. We used to tour there and check out the new architect houses when the suburb opened up. We often ate at the Surf Lifesavers.

It seems a long time since i used a passport so i'll have to triple check also i did leave it home one time and had to drive home to get it. i only got a five year one and was starting to worry i wouldn't get to use it.

DO YOU HAVE A BEAUTIFUL VIEW LAST TIME I WAS AT LIFESAVERS I NOTICED A COUNCIL BUS INTO NOOSA WHICH WOULD BE CONVENIENT IN PEAK SEASON. OURS IS A 3 BEDROOM COTTAGE BUT DOES SLEEP 8 AS THEY DID IN THE OLDEN DAYS.

I knew your family holidayed together but got location wrong. Our family holidays annually in May at a holiday house at Moffats Beach Caloundra, Dogs welcome.

What a wonderful experience for your grand daughters. I hope they join in with some of the children's activities. Sometimes they are too shy. Are they the grand daughters who holidayed with you in Nth Qld?

When is your cruise? My cruise departs Auckland on 12/1 for Tauranga (13-14/1), Napier, Picton, Wellington, Sydney (2), Melbourne. It arrives on Auckland on 12/1 on a reversal of that cruise.

In Antartica there were a number of small cruise ships cruising at the same time. However, they kept out of view as much as possible to not spoil the isolated wilderness experience. I wonder who enforces these rules. Your son would know if it was enforced or just an honour system, Les.

I knew there were too many cruise ships in the Kimberley. I had no idea that the crowding was spoiling the unique wilderness. Overdue for regulation. When I cruised from Cairns to Darwin with Coral Expeditions it was magical, as we didn't see another cruise ship.

When we cruised from Hawaii to Aust., we went to the local Op Shop to see whether they had any hawaiian shirts and muumuus. I was surprised to see a lot of Canadian passengers in the Op Shop also buying Hawaiian clothes for the cruise.

Australia has been long overdue of having its own Strategic Fleet. Australia is an island. When I think of countries like Norway which has ferries continuously cruising along its coastline, I'm amazed that Aust has left itself so vulnerable Optus is a recent example of leaving vital infrastructure to private enterprise. The foreign cruise ships, which come and go to Australian shores, can leave at any time. Are there any commercial Aust owned shipping in Aust.?

I read it as limiting the number of cruise ships touring the Kimberleys at the one time. There has been a large increase in the number of overseas cruise ships in the Kimberleys. Coral Expeditions is a small shipping coy based in Cairns. I was lucky to be able to cruise with them, as a solo, from Cairns to Darwin, when the ship was redeployed when cruising was banned in WA during Covid.

Yes you need special skills!

Thinking of you sweating in Bangkok. Forgot to mention, don't laugh if you take a tuk tuk ride, because you will burn your throat like I did.

No doubt there would have been a lot of confused Sydney people about Ovation's brief visit back in Sydney.

The things you discover when you read all the correspondence from cruise lines. Coral Expeditions Managing Director has recently been in Canberra discussing plans for Australian Strategic Fleet and the Review of the Coastal Trading Act, The WA Govt is going to implement Marine Booking and Capacity Systems for the Kimberley. Discover News Coral Expeditions This is good news long overdue.

One rule I follow - I don't eat those yummy bread rolls they bring around in a basket. Do they do that on Virgin?