Though we liked the idea of Viking’s “included tours” at each destination, meaning you don’t have to spring for the generally pricy optional excursions, it must be said that some were better than others.
#1 Hobart, Tasmania
Our Hobart tour started off abysmally with a young guide who was perhaps paralysed by nerves. Fortunately, driver Lindsay quickly picked up on the simmering discontent and took over the microphone from her after the first stop.
After three months with the family in Perth WA, how comes it that Roy and I are indulging in such an extravagantly long cruise?
Well, my Chief Planner of Travel & Leisure found a ship that could take us from Australia to South Africa – the Viking Sun would be docking in Fremantle port during the 28-night Sydney-to-Durban leg of her Miami-to-London world tour.
Ha! Roy was finally prevailed upon to visit Rottnest Island – or Rotto, as it’s more generally known here in Western Australia. (Click here for my 2018 day trip with Susan.)
As regular readers of this blog will know, my husband is the epitome of a Taurean: he loves his creature comforts. He detests anything akin to camping, hates the heat, and is anything but a beach bunny. No doubt he was hoping to continue to dodge the issue as he had successfully done thus far.
Famous for its world-class wine, cheese, chocolate and surfing beaches – almost everything that makes life worth living – the Margaret River region, around three hours south of Perth, WA, is a place to visit and revisit whenever the opportunity arises.
This time, it arose from my inbox in the form of an irresistibly priced Groupon for three nights at a hotel called Stay Margaret River. ($429 for three nights in one of their big Deluxe Rooms, and that included a $75 F&B voucher and a bottle of local wine.)
Full to bursting with stuff to say, it was high time for me to meet up for a chat with my friend Susan in Perth CBD.
Festive season family catch-up; outing to Armadale
We’ve been in Perth WA since 20 December, having come here as usual to join the family for Christmas: son Carl, his wife Carrie and our granddaughters Mia and Holly; daughter Wendy, who’s visiting from France; and younger daughter Blaire, who now lives just up the road with her husband Colin and their delightful new baby, Samuel John Cartwright.
Here are some festive season photos to introduce the cast for my next few blogposts, so to speak:
After almost three lovely months with the family in Perth WA, Roy and I were ready for our 15-28 March getaway – a 13-night cruise on the HAL (Holland America Line) Noordam, round trip from Sydney to the South Pacific and back.
My Roy can be hard to pin down when he doesn’t want to do something. The mouth says: yes, sure, let’s do that sometime. But the eyes – and sometimes a slight twitch in the right eyebrow – say: no, I don’t think so, probably never.
That’s how it’s been about Rottnest Island, located just off Perth, WA. I’d been trying to get there for the past four years, and it just wasn’t happening.
From my South African perspective, Australia in general – and perhaps Perth WA in particular – is a wonderfully child-friendly country, just the kind of place you’d want your children or grandchildren to grow up in.
On yet another blue-sky-perfect Western Australia morning, and Australia Day to boot, it would be distinctly non-Aussie to do anything but head for the beach. The long curve of sand – barely a ten-minute drive from where we are in Burns Beach, Iluka – is a firm family favourite.
