2/25-26 - Fremantle, Australia

Off the beaten track is the port of Fremantle or 'Freo' to the locals. It has a strong local identity, but has nonetheless been absorbed into Perth's urban sprawl. In 1987, the port was the site of the unsuccessful defense of what was, for a brief period, one of Australia's most prized possessions - the America's Cup yachting trophy. Fremantle has been substantially revamped and is now filled with outdoor cafes, old buildings, lively markets, and is imbued with a laid-back artsy ambience.¹

Last time we were here we went on the Caversham Wildlife Park tour, which was awesome. However, we really hadn't had the opportunity to experience the town of Fremantle so that's what we did this time. The first night, we had a wonderful dinner at a little Mexican restaurant where the locals were hanging out. The next day, we wandered around town, did some shopping, collected our sand and enjoyed out last few hours in Australia.

Harbor

Basilica of St. Patrick

Chess set in town square

Rodney & Sculptor's Statue

Maritime Museum

Sheryl & Sculptor's Statue

¹ Holland America Explorer

2/24 - Albany, Australia

Albany was founded in January 1827 as a military outpost of New South Wales as part of a plan to slow and stop French ambitions in the region. Today the town is important as a tourist destination and base where visitors can explore the south-west of the state. It is well regarded for its natural beauty and preservation of heritage. The main industries of Albany consist of tourism, fishing and agriculture, although before the 1950s whaling was one of the major sources of income and employment for the population.¹

We had a great time wandering around the shops of this little town. Stopped and had a local beer and glass of wine in the oldest pub in the city. And, of course, scooped up some sand and shells for our collection on our way back to the ship.

Albany Entertainment Centre

Albany Hotel Pub

Classic Cars

ms Amsterdam in Port

Albany Port

Rodney in Albany Square

¹ Holland America Explorer

2/21 – Penneshaw, Kangaroo Island, Australia

Penneshaw is a small picturesque country town on Kangaroo Island with a population of about 1500 people, and is on the northwest coast of the Dudley Peninsula overlooking Backstairs Passage, with the mainland of South Australia a mere 9 miles (6 km) away. Kangaroo Island is Australia’s third largest island after Tasmania and Melville.¹

We wandered around the little town and collected our jug of sand & shells here. Then we hopped on a tour bus to Kingscorte, about 60 km away. There we had one of the best lunches we have had on this trip. It was a little Italian restaurant called Bella where the locals appeared to hang out. We were so glad we tried it! Rodney said it was the best lasagna he has ever eaten!

Beach Houses in Penneshaw

Beach in Penneshaw

Port in Penneshaw

Rodney @ Beach in Penneshaw

Sheryl @ Port in Penneshaw

War Memorial

¹ Holland America Explorer

2/20 – Adelaide, Australia

We did a tour set up by our travel agents at AAA in this port. It included a lovely lunch at Mount Lofty Summit which overlooks the city of Adelaide. Unfortunately, due to the first just east of Adelaide, we couldn’t really see much. We then went to a little German town called Hahndorf where we were able to wander around for an hour or so. We stopped at a local pub there and enjoyed a beer and glass of hard cider while the really hard core shoppers were busy buying out the town. :-)

Our return trip to the ship included a wine tasting tour at Penfolds Winery, circa 1890. The perfect end to a wonderful day!

Rodney @ Penfolds Winery

Rodney @ Mount Lofty Summit

Crocodile Dundee statue in Hahndorf

Panda on skateboard statue in Hahndorf

Rodney @ German cafe in Hahndorf

Wine Barrels @ Penfolds

2/18 - Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

Hobart is the capital of Tasmania and Australia’s second oldest city after Sydney. Hobart looks far older because it has so many elegant, albeit convict built, 19th-century buildings. The city is situated on the Derwent River and at the foot of Mount Wellington.¹

This was our second visit to Hobart. Last time we visited the Bonorong Wildlife Park, which was awesome, but we didn’t really have time to see much of the city. This time we wandered around the city’s shops and parks, and tried some local beer and hard cider, along with a great lunch at a local restaurant. Lovely little harbor!

Fountain outside our lunch spot

Harbor statues

Rodney & harbor statues

Harbor statues



Bike rack



Apparently our grandson Beau has a cafe here!

¹ Holland America Explorer

2/15-16 – Sydney, Australia

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia with a metropolitan area population of over 4.2 million people. It is the state capital of New South Wales and is located on the country’s southeast coast. The first European colony in Australia, Sydney was established in 1788 at Sydney Cove by Arthur Phillip who led the first Fleet from Britain. Built around Port Jackson, which includes Sydney Harbour, the city of Sydney has been nicknamed the “Harbour City.” Sydney is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, the Blue Mountains to the west, the Hawkesbury River to the north and the Woronora Plateau to the south.¹

This is the third time we have had the wonderful opportunity to visit Sydney; it is one of our favorite cities in the world. On previous trips, we have seen the Opera House, climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, wandered around The Rocks and all over the city. This time, we chose to take a “Discover the Blue Mountains” tour. The Blue Mountains are a UNESCO World Heritage Site – an area of breathtaking views, rugged tablelands, sheer cliffs and deep, inaccessible valleys covering more than 2.5 million acres.

En route to the Blue Mountains, we had lunch at a lovely B & B called The Mountain Heritage. Then we visited Featherdale Wildlife Park, which contains a variety of Australian wildlife including kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, reptiles, Tasmanian devils (they were hiding in their logs as they are nocturnal animals), wombats, and various species of Australian birds.

The Koomurri Aboriginal Centre is located at Echo Point, our stop to view the Blue Mountains. We enjoyed listening to the Aboriginal staff explain a little bit about their culture and a live high-energy traditional dance and didgeridoo performance.

Featherdale Wildlife Park - Wombat

Featherdale Wildlife Park - Koala

Featherdale Wildlife Park - Rodney & Kangaroo

Featherdale Wildlife Park - Penguins

Featherdale Wildlife Park - Koala

Featherdale Wildlife Park - Kangaroo

Featherdale Wildlife Park - Emu

Featherdale Wildlife Park - Koala

Featherdale Wildlife Park - Dingo

Featherdale Wildlife Park - Alligator

Us @ The Mountain Heritage (where we ate lunch)

Blue Mountains – Three Sisters

Rodney @ Echo Point

Blue Mountains - Echo Point view

Blue Mountains - Echo Point view

Blue Mountains - Echo Point view

Koomurri Aboriginal Dancers

Koomurri Aboriginal Dancers

¹ Holland America Explorer

2/11 – Picton, New Zealand

Picton is a lovely port at the head of Queen Charlotte Sound.  It is a busy little town when the ferry is in during the peak summer months, and a rather slow, sleepy town most other times.  We had a great time just wandering around the outdoor market and shops in the town.

View from our verandah

Entering Picton Harbor

Peace Arch at town entrance

Statue outside a cafe

Rodney & statues @ a cafe

Duck