Round about

Friday. Our last full day of the cruise – at sea and in Chinese waters so internet problematic with some websites blocked. Agenda today is to pack and sort out tipping. Last night we had dinner with the NZ couple we met and it turns out they are in a Royal Suite so we’re hoping…

Day 10 of our cruise and we’re at sea heading up to Halong bay. The majority of people on the boat seem to be Brit’s and Americans escaping their respective winters. There are 2 outdoor and one undercover pool on our deck with plenty of lounges which are always packed with sun bakers. I imagine…

Day 6 and at sea as we sail from Thailand up to Vietnam. This morning we went on a 2.5 hour tour of the working parts of the ship. Stops included the kitchen, loading bay, engine room, staff messes and bars, laundry and finally the bridge. The engine room was pretty tedious with all the…

Day 4 of our cruise and we’re currently sitting in the 14th floor observation lounge overlooking the port of Phu My. This is the gateway port into Bangkok, but while it’s only about 100 kms a way, the local traffic means it’s a 3 hour bus trip. Given my previous underwhelming experience of Bangkok we’ve…

Yesterday, between breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner at our lounge, we managed a tour of historical sites in Singapore on the ‘big bus’ and 6 kms of wandering round the local shopping centres. Luckily I decided to sort out my suitcase, as I discovered I hadn’t packed any decent pants. All fixed by a quick…

After a couple of minor hiccups, we arrived at our hotel just after 4pm yesterday in time for a cold drink beside the pool followed by dinner at our club lounge. My bus trip to Sydney took a bit longer than expected as we were pulled over for a log book check at Lake George…

My last days at the Gold Coast were perfect. The weather warmed up to the high 20s so on Saturday I spent a couple of hours out on the water on the hop on/ hop off ferry. Jumped off at Southport for one last feed of fish and chips. I also enjoyed some nice flat…

Meet Wee Jamie. She’s an 8 week old West Highland White Terrier. This morning she passed all her vet checks so I’ve just confirmed purchase with the breeder, Jeanette in Bathurst. I’m planning to collect her next Saturday from Bathurst and then return to Canberra. I was a bit concerned about arranging the purchase on…

After 3 weeks staying with Val, Anthony, Janine, Lester and patsy in currumbin, I’m now back in my van at the park in Main Beach. Quite a tight park, so I’m currently being entertained by all the early arrivals trying to reverse into their sites. After a handful of overcast days, the weather is back…

The great thing about caravan parks is that Mr Whippy vans still do the rounds. Particularly nice when they do it early afternoon when you’re looking for a sugar hit. My park at Caloundra is another great one. Coffee/breakfast van, pizza and wine van serving to an alfresco dining area and live music Friday. The…