Darwin, Australia

            Wednesday, 13 Mar 2019 – At 8:00 AM, the ship was docked at Darwin, Australia, where we were booked on an excursion, “Darwin Harbor Cruise,” scheduled to depart at 10:00 AM.  First, we enjoyed breakfast with Phil and Flora.  It was 91 degrees and the heat was intense as we walked off the ship.  However, we only had to walk a short distance to board the tri-level “Charles Darwin” Catamaran for our 2-hour ride around the harbor.  We had the option of sitting in the air-conditioned area or on the top deck for better views and photos.  Of course, we chose the air-conditioned option!

Cruising the Darwin Harbor

            Darwin is the capital of the Northern Territory and is Australia’s only tropical city, which makes them feel somewhat removed from the rest of the country.  When we visited Darwin previously in 2014, we took a “Jumping Crocodile” excursion.  With a population of about 146,000, Darwin is the smallest and most northerly of the Australian capital cities.  Darwin has been almost entirely rebuilt four times, following devastation caused by the 1897 cyclone, the 1937 cyclone, the Japanese air raids during World War II, and Cyclone Tracy in 1974.

                Most of the time, we sat and talked with Ann, except for about an hour when she was on the top deck.  Coffee, tea, and water refreshments were available, as well as fruit, cookies and cake for snacks.  A guide talked into a microphone for 30 minutes or more about the harbor and history, but Sally found him difficult to understand and as usual, Jesse wasn’t listening. 

Charles Darwin Catamaran

            After re-boarding the ship, we went swimming and then hurried to lunch.  Since the Terrace Café was crowded, we joined Richard and Madeline at their table.  They live in St. Louis, but winter in Florida.  They told us about a problem that Madeline had with sciatica about three years ago while cruising the South Pacific, which included a hospital visit, a wheelchair, and very difficult flights returning home after the ship’s doctor told them that they had to leave the ship.  Even after suffering through that horrible ordeal, they are still cruising!

            After returning to our cabin, Sally napped for a little while, and then worked on her genealogy book.  Since Sally felt like she was getting Jesse’s cold, we skipped dancing and Sally took a dose of Nyquil before bed.