Adieu to Glorious Australia

Storm Clouds Hovering on the Horizon

Since we have just docked in the beautiful (and quite busy) harbor of Bali, Indonesia, I realized as far as you knew, I was still Down Under! It was with a very heavy heart that I left Darwin Harbor, our last Australian port. But first there was Cairns, something of a washout, literally. Much of the trip north from Sydney has been "wetter than usual" with talk of typhoons. Cairn's weather was relatively calm with only scattered showers and heavy winds. Undaunted, I grabbed my rain gear acquired in Greece (BTW I don't think I ever thanked you, Rocky) and headed out. First stop, Cairns Botanical Gardens where I took these photos after first purchasing a glass of orange juice which seemed to taste as much like coconut as orange - good but different. Much to my surprise, many of the plants were not native to Australia but imported. The most striking of these was the Princess Lara, native to Columbia and Panama, whose bright orange and yellow flowers grow down to the ground.

Garden Coffee Shop, utilizing the Princess Lara in their decor

Next stop Palm Cove for a stroll along the beach, or maybe not. It is, after all, still the rainy season here and not yet the end of shark season. Who knew there was a shark season??? My analysis: Palm Cove was as pretty as some of the French Polynesian Islands in its own way. A hardy shipmate, the bus driver and I braved the elements for some conversation, photos and fresh air. The driver, of course, took this opportunity to take a smoke (a nasty habit that almost everyone here has). My shipmate and I drilled him with questions learning that he happily came FROM Darwin; he even apologized when he learned that was to be our next stop. To each his own, I very much enjoyed Darwin.

Darwin's excursion of choice was "Darwin Harbor Cruise". Right - like I'm not getting enough of cruising already. Just the same, I was pleased with my choice even if it was cut short due to treacherous looking clouds. Before its abbreviated duration, the Captain shared much of the history of Darwin. Seems Japan did not take out all of its wrath on Pearl Harbor alone, but also attacked Darwin numerous times over a three month period in 1942. Considerable damage was done and at least three hundred lives were lost in those attacks. A wide swath though the heart of Darwin was leveled only saving the Governor's Mansion, presumably for their headquarters, once the locals were displaced. Thankfully, that never happened and Darwin's iconic Governor's Mansion remains intact and in use. The largest industry in Darwin is now and has been for many years, cultured pearls. These are white as opposed to those grown in Tahiti. Same process, just fresh water versus saltwater. I asked how important tourism was to their economy, to which he replied, ". . . about 40% of our income is from tourism. Most of that from within Australia, but with the rising fuel prices, we won't reach that this year. We survived COVID, we'll survive this!" A hearty bunch, these Darwinians! Besides, at least our guide likened himself and his peers to Texans! What's not to like?

Today is Someday! See Australia!