Gallivanting Grandma

Saturday – November 3, 2018

The Majestic Princess crossed the Bass Straight last night between the island of Tasmania and mainland Australia.  It was the roughest seas we’ve had yet on this entire voyage.  The movement and creaking of our cabin kept waking me up.  The ship rolled from side to side in the wind and shuddered as the waves hit the sides.  The captain later said we had over six meter swells with sustained 60 knots of wind.  That’s 20 foot waves!

As soon as the ship passed through the narrow 110 meter wide inlet into Port Philip Bay, everything became calm.  It took Majestic three hours from the inlet to travel to the Port of Melbourne.  I think that’s when I finally fell asleep.

It was a 15 minute tram ride from the port to the center of the city.  We learned that Melbourne has more trams than any other city in the world. The CBD (Central Business District) is served by a “Free Tram” district including the City Circle Tram which takes passengers all around Melbourne.

We rode a modern tram to the Southern Cross Station on Collins Street and then walked to Queen Victoria Market.  Melbourne is full of very new modern skyscrapers, with lots of construction, and wide streets with an elaborate tram system running everywhere.

I can’t adequately describe the Queen Victoria Market, except to say it was HUGE with stalls selling everything imaginable in countless “Sheds.”  Clothing, household goods, and non-food stalls were followed by buildings full of  fresh fruits, vegetables.   The line of large sheds were identified by letters from “A” through “L.”  Additional old warehouse buildings surrounded the sheds providing more retail space.

Behind the ‘alphabet’ sheds were large enclosed buildings which housed other food items: cheeses, prepared meats, pies, breads, baked meat pies, pastries, etc.  Another large building housed stalls which sold fresh meat and fish.

I’ve visited many markets in a wide variety of countries and I really think this is the biggest market I’ve ever seen, selling such a wide assortment of food and goods.  There is nothing like this market anywhere. Queen Victoria Market was sooo much fun!  We bought meat pies and a soft drink called “Pub Squash” and ate lunch outside on tables set between the warehouse buildings.

Time at the market flew by and we wanted to return to downtown Melbourne so we found the City Circle Tram and rode about half way around town.  Old historic trams were preserved and used for this line.

Newer, larger and more modern trams are used in other parts of the city and go out to the suburbs.  Melbourne was a great surprise!  It seems like a vibrant fun city!

There were many sight to see and places to visit but unfortunately we had to return to the ship by 4:00 o’clock.  Too bad Melbourne isn’t closer to home!  I would like to return and spend more time exploring the city.  I bought a Bubble Tea to drink on the tram back to the Port of Melbourne and we returned to the ship in plenty of time for our “Sail Away.”  Tomorrow is our last Day at Sea and our last day aboard the magnificent Majestic Princess before we reach Sydney.

Thursday – November 1, 2018

The Tasman Sea lived up to its reputation as a windy & wild sea but we finally arrived at the Australian island of Tasmania early this morning.  The Majestic Princess steadily cruised up the Derwent River to the city of Hobart and quietly tied up at the dock.

I had read that Hobart gets only 40 days of sunshine a year so I was very surprised and elated to see a beautiful sunny day from our balcony.  It was a cool 43 degrees but crystal clear!  Mount Wellington towered over the capital city:

Since this was our first stop in the country of Australia, all the passengers had to disembark and be screened by the Australian Immigration Service.  The process was well organized with many inspectors so we passed through quickly and easily.  We had obtained on-line Visas which were electronically connected to our passports, before we left home.

Hobart is the capital city of the island state of Tasmania.  The Parliament Building overlooks the port and the CBD (Central Business District) had many law offices.  The port is designated an historic district of renovated warehouses. Salamanca Street has many boutiques and cafes.

We went to the Hobart Museum and Art Gallery to see their eclectic collection of historic and modern artifacts.  There were many well designed interactive exhibits.  The museum described the plight of the original aboriginal people and the waves of European immigrants.  There was an excellent exhibit on early expeditions to the Antarctic.  We also saw displays of plants and animals which are unique to Tasmania, including the Tasmanian Devil.

The weather was fantastic today and warmed up to 77 degrees.  We considered ourselves very lucky.  Our time ashore passed quickly and we returned to the ship well before our 4:30 “Sail Away.”

Two tugboats were tied up at an adjacent dock waiting to assist the Majestic Princess later.

Clouds began to form over Mount Wellington before we cast off and by the time of our departure, there was a gray mist over Hobart and it began to rain lightly.  We were so lucky to enjoy a gorgeous sunny day in Tasmania.  Tonight we travel north toward the continent of Australia.  We will arrive in Melbourne on Saturday.