Well the glorious weather we were hoping for certainly arrived today and it was probably just a little more glorious than we really needed. We got up at 6.30am and were up at breakfast before 7 as we had to be ready to go by 7.45. The temperature outside was already 23C with a very slight breeze as we sailed into Adelaide. As usual we are very well and had plenty of energy and were really ready for our big day out in the Barossa Valley and it wasn't long before we were at the theatre to register for our trip. Despite all our efforts to get there on time we faced a thirty minute delay owing to problems with the gangplank. Normally that wouldn't have been a problem but we were on a full day trip with no margin for delays.

Never mind, we are used to this sort of thing and didn't get upset like some of our fellow passengers. Eventually we got on the bus and away we went on a revised schedule that just reduced our sightseeing time in Adelaide but didn'f affect our wine tasting so we were very happy about that. So we drove straight up the freeway towards the Barossa for about 40 minutes while we listened to our rather absent minded and hesitant guide. She was a volunteer who was a little nervous but eventually became very amusing and sometimes interesting as we got to know her limitations and found ourselves helping her out as we sped on our way.

Our first stop was at Soltrams Winery, I'd never heard of it but apparently they are world famous and export much of what they produce. The winery compkex was very tasteful and oozed money so they must be successful but their wines we tasted were difficult to appreciate at 10.30am and being part of a large group pf 40 people. Anyway, we were very happy to be there with the air conditioninbg cranked up as it was now 30C outside. We walked around the grounds for a little while before jumping back on the bus to visit Maggie Beer's place just down the road.

It was well over 30C when we got off the bus and walked over to the shop as we were a little early for lunch. The place was packed but we amused ourselves by wandering around trying out the samples of everything in the Maggie Beer food products line. Just as we were about to head off Maggie appeared and before she knew it she was posing for a picture with Kerrie. Maggie was very gracious and was quite happy to stop for a minute with her very shocked but delighted fan. The photo wasn't the best but I think you can see a very bright and breezy Maggie with a slightly overwhelmed Kerrie. After that experience we moved on to another as lunch was served in in the very cool dining room. On these all day excursions nobody really expects much for lunch but this time we were very pleasantly surprised by the fine food.They had gone to a lot of trouble. and everything was of the highest quality and tasted great. Not only that but we were jouned at our table by six Scots from the same family who were delightful company and made our meal that much more enjoyable.

All around Maggie's property there were signs warning us abour brown snakes which caused some of our friends a few problems but we didn't see any. So having had a brilliant meal and succeeded in avoiding the snakes we boarded the bus to go the Chateau Yaldarra winery just up the road. Here again we found a very stylish property complete with a fake French Chateau which looked very realistic. Again, we went deep into cellars among the barrels and tasted some very fine wines. We were careful not to get carried away and only had seconds of the wines we really liked. It was a very pleasant way of spending the day and we were a little disappointed when it was time to go. However our next stop was at Jacob's Creek so we didn't get too upset. Jacob's Creek turned out to be the best of the day as they immediately split our group into two which made everything we did there so much easier. The wines were excellent, some were new to the market and they were very interested in our feedback. No cellars this time but a short walk over to a 'demo' vineyard where every type of grape they use their wines was growing in neat, labelled rows. Kerrie and I tasted them all and were surprised by their small size and their intense flavour. Pinot Noir was my favourite but Kerrie liked the Merlot. While that was going on we were shown how to select a grape and test it for sugar content with a refractometer. Great stuff, not something you can get to do every day.

We had been in and around wines and wineries most of the day and I must admit that we learned a lot about wines and really enjoyed everything we did as well as meeting some great fellow passengers. Of course we were not finished yet and for something different we went to the whispering wall at the local dam. After a ten minute drive we arrived at the place and we split into two groups, one at each end of the dam wall. We were in the group nearest the bus. Anyway, the further group started whispering and we heard everything clearly although we were fifty metres away. It was interesting but we were getting concerned about the time, we had to be back by 5.45pm, it was 4.15pm and we were a long way from the ship. To cut a long story short we took off at warp speed towards Adelaide but when we got there we hit the traffic and the time was ticking away. We eventually arrived at the port at 6pm only a little late but late all the same. Kerrie and I never rush to get off any bus we go on even if we are late, so I am proud to announce for the first time in our cruising history I was officially the last person to board ship on that day.

We had no time to shower and change for dinner in the dining riom so we just dropped our stuff off at the cabin and went for a snack in the cafe. Being out in the sun and drinking wine on and off had made us a little dry so we didn't eat much but did drink quite a bit of fruit juice and I had two cups of tea as well. We didn't do too much after that and I went to sleep around 9pm while Kerrie read for a while. It was a really great day, despite the heat and a few other hings it will be one of our favourites and tomorrow we have a relaxing sea day and a fine dining experience at the Murano Restaurant...Life can be very sweet.

Just as we were going in for dinner last night I saw a hint of red sky as the sun was starting to set. That usually means a day of fine weather coming up and as it turned out it was just brilliant. The clocks went on to Adelaide time last night so we got an extra half hour of sleep but we still woke at 8.30am so we must have been tired from our walk into Melbourne yesterday. The sky was a little cloudy at that time and a coolish 18C but there was plenty of blue sky up ahead and the temperature soon climbed into the thirties and the cloud disappeared completely by ten o'clock.

As you may remember we ate quite a lot yesterday and a fair bit more at dinner last night so we decided to give breakfast a miss and do some washing, reading and relaxing in the cabin and out on the balcony. It was great and the weather extraordinary with very little breeze and a sea as calm as a lake with no white horses and a gorgeous indigo blue in colour. So we sat there on our reclining chairs after doing our chores until 11am when we decided we'd been a bit rash about no breakfast so off we went to have a drink and maybe some fruit. We had that and few other things including the best hash browns ever. It's a mystery to us how they can produce such great food but can't make any kind of cake, particularly a doughnut. Yesterday we found a Krispy Kreme outlet in Melbourne and enjoyed real doughnuts so that will keep us happy for a few days at least.

As it's a sea day we were in no hurry to do anything so we strolled through the shops to see what was on special today, nothing much so we went for a coffee, an espresso for me and a chocolate frappe for you know who. It was very enjoyable but the weather was so good we didn't want to waste it so we went back to our balcony and put our swimmers on. It was perfect just out of the direct sunlight unlike most of the passengers getting sunburnt around the pool, there will be some very sore Americans tonight. I don't blame them though, apart from our day in Sydney this was the first really sunny and warm day we've had since the cruise began.

After an hour or so on the balcony our thoughts turned to lunch, a very enjoyable time of the day. Today we departed from our usual trip to the cafe and went to the Mast Bar for a change and luckily got a table in the sun. Kerrie had a hot dog and I had a hamburger, both delicious with lots of crispy fries and very tasty tomato sauce. Add a cold fruit cocktail and you have the perfect light lunch, next time we'll add onion, bacon and mushroons to see what that tastes like. I've finished my book and so we went down to the library where people mostly go to fall asleep. We found one each and headed back to our cabin for some reading, blogging and Kerrie had a movie she wanted to watch. Afternoon teatime came around very quickly so we paused Kerrie's movie and went up for tea and scones with cream and jam. Back at the cabin we watched a video describing our Barossa Valley trip tomorrow and that took care of the half hour or so before we got ready for dinner.

Kerrie has just discovered that we have an Optus signal as we are quite close to the South Australian shore so I might upload the blog for today. We are really looking forward to tomorrow so let's hope this glorious weather continues.

We woke as the ship was almost ready to dock at Port Melbourne right on time at 8am. The overcast coolish weather of yesterday followed us into Melbourne with a forecast of a slight chance of showers but no hotter than 23C during the day. That suited us as we have been very lazy lately and it was time for some exercise so after a light breakfast we packed a bag and set out to walk into the cbd.

The walk into town took a little over one hour at a steady pace with a stop at Coles, a chemist and St Vinnies for a great set of cuff links at $2 each. I nearly forgot to mention a charming young man we asked for directions after we got a little lost when we had almost got there. One thing we know about Melbourne people is that they are extremely friendly and very happy to give directions which is just as well for us. Our first job was to get something to drink and maybe a little snack. Once in the city we knew where to go and we walked for a few more minutes to the Andiamo Cafe just off Collins Street. The cafe is situated with many others in a narrow lane with everyone squashed in together and all talking at once. It was quite a racket but enjoyable because everyone was eating and drinking and the atmosphere was very relaxed. When in Melbourne we always eat here and it brought back a lot of happy memories for us both. The coffee was great and Kerrie had Pasta Neapolitano and I had the best focaccia with chicken, ham and a few other things that tasted yummy.

It didn't rain all day but Kerrie got wet twice, once when she sat on a park bench on the walk in and then when the waitress knocked a glass of water all over her lap as we were leaving. It got a lot worse for her when she jumped up and trod on some discarded chewing gum which was ultra gooey. Kerrie took everything in her stride as she always does and we soon found a spot for her to sit down (David Jones) and I cleaned the chewing gum off for her. We took advantage of the situation to do some shopping there and over at Myers. Kerrie bought a couple of new outfits and I got a new shirt and tie for the fine dining experience coming up soon. However, time was slipping away and we hadn't had a tram ride yet, something we like to do when in Melbourne. Despite all our efforts we couldn't find a tram stop with info on how to get back to the cruise terminal. So we just gave up and walked over to the Young and Jacksons hotel and had one of their boutique ales. That was very refreshing and the view was great so I put it on today's blog.

We are experienced enough nowadays to know that you must get back to the ship at least an hour before everyone else to avoid massive queues and endless frustration. To make matters worse there was another huge cruise ship berthed next to us so that made a total of around 6000 people to be processed sooner or later, so we after our beer we just caught a cab back to the ship. We even got to drive right up to the ship thanks to a very savvy cab driver. Anyway we got on board in ten minutes and after Kerrie beeped the walk through security scanner (she always does) they checked her out got the all clear and we were relaxing in our cabin a few minutes later.

The relaxation lasted for only a few minutes, just long enough for Kerrie to watch the end of a movie she'd been watching yesterday then despite all we'd eaten and drank today we went up for afternoon tea. Cool fruit juice and a few scones were all we could manage especially as dinner was only an hour or so away. That's what cruising can do to you but it's Ok once in a while to have the odd scone or two so we do. Our friends went for a river cruise on the Yarra this afternoon and we'll see how they went at dinner. Well it's my turn for the shower so I'll have to get on with it as one mustn't be late for dinner. Tomorrow is a sea day then the much anticipated trip to the Barossa Valley when we get to Adelaide on Friday. We are both very well and having a great time even when things don't quite go to plan but whatever happens travelling with Kerrie is always an unforgettable and sometimes hilarious experience.

This morning I slept in until 8.15am. but Kerrie was still snoring away so I showered and read my book on the balcony for an hour or so. The weather was looking good early on with only a few clouds, a balmy 19C with a low swell and light breeze. Eventually Kerrie woke and got going and as the clouds gathered we went up for breakfast at the same time as everyone else on the ship. There are 3000 passengers aboard and sometimes we all have the same idea at the same time but luckily it's not often. So we decided to do a few laps and go back later.

We weren't having much luck as the grey clouds rolled in and it started to rain lightly. It's was warm and dry inside so that's were we went and checked out the bargains in the shopping centre for a while. Kerrie was still a bit tired but we went back to the cafe and got a table, had a quick breakfast and went to our cabin. While I did the blog, Kerrie lay down and quickly fell asleep. She woke up an hour later when we hit a thunderstorm with wild winds and very loud thunder. The driving rain completely flattened the waves, it was spectacular but Kerrie didn't enjoy it very much. This trip we have some binoculars and when the rainstorm eased off out of the murk appeared several oil rigs which came up quite clearly through the glasses.

We had planned to do a few things after lunch but we weren't hungry and the weather was still wet and cool outside so we didn't bother doing much other than reading, blogging and Kerrie watched a movie until afternoon tea time when we were getting hungry so up we went for scones and jam. This time there was hardly anyone up there and we got our tea and were munching away quite happily when a couple of dolphins burst out of the water close to the ship. That got our attention and more and more of them appeared until there must have been at least a hundred all around the ship. For the next half hour we were treated to display of frolicking, jumping and surfing by these beautiful creatures. We had a window seat and could see them clearly even as they swam under water. That made our day and Kerrie was particularly excited and was now wide awake for the first time all day.

Thankfully it's a smart casual dining night tonight so we got ready at the last minute and enjoyed a great dinner with our friends. We had Chateaubriand amongst other things and you can see from the photo above how much Kerrie enjoys a good dinner. It's Melbourne tomorrow and we both love it there but we're not sure what we'll do yet. We have a few possible destinations but it really depends what the weather is going to do. Anyway, we'll wait and see but one thing is for sure you can read all about it right here sooner or later.

We had big day today and it all started at 5.30am as we got up and rushed up to Deck 14 to see the ship sail into Sydney Harbour, a most wonderful experience as the sun was just coming up. It's very hard not to be moved by the Opera House and the bridge and although it's not new to us it's still the best harbour we've ever seen and it made us proud to be back home again. Of course the weather was perfect with 18C, a slight breeze and hardly a cloud in the sky and it got better as the day rolled on.

As we were up there we had breakfast a little earlier than usual because we had a busy day planned and needed an early start to fit everything in. Our first job was to contact members of the family and check to see if everything was all right and catch up with the latest news. Now we're back in Australia our texts etc. should go through without any problems. Next we got our paperwork sorted and went ashore to do some shopping and try do something about my phone. It's great to be able to catch a train and go here and there without getting lost for a change. As it turned out I got a new phone, we did all our shopping and even had time to check out the 40% off sale at Myers. Back at the ship, we went up to see Mike and Christine and decided to have a drink and some lunch at Darling Harbour. We all got off the ship and walked the short distance to the nearest water taxi stop. Mike chartered the boat to take us for a ride around the harbour then drop us off at Darling Harbour.

That started us off on a wonderful afternoon, one that was to produce a big surprise for us a few hours later. Anyway, we zoomed away across the harbour and our driver, Kevin provided an interesting commentary on the various places we came across on our tour. The weather was gorgeous and we only got a little wet from the wash of the occasional ferry. We were all smiles as we finally got to Darling Harbour and got off the taxi. We soon found a restaurant with a good view and relaxed with a drink as they made our lunch. Although we've been eating very well on board we all enjoyed our lunch ashore and after chatting for a while it was time to go shopping. We were mainly looking for a sweet, juicy, soft doughnut and despite trying our best we never found anywhere that had them. We had fond memories of the last time we cruised in an American ship of the huge, chewy doughnuts that we had every day. The Celebrity Solstice is an American ship but the doughnuts are awful, too dry like stale bread. It's not a big deal but we'd hoped for better and because we did no good at Darling Harbour we will continue our search in Melbourne.

While all this was going on Kerrie's phone rang and it was Amy who was in Sydney for a conference and was wondering where we were. It didn't take long to organise a meeting at Circular Quay as Amy was only ten minutes away. So we all rushed off and jumped on the first water taxi we saw and arrived at the ship just as Amy did. It was great to see someone from the family even though we have been away for only just over a week. Mike and Christine got a preview of what awaits them in a few weeks time when they meet all our family. Amy was very charming and we all enjoyed a drink at Rossini's while we chatted away for an hour or so. All good things have to end sooner or later so as Amy went back to get her car and go home we went aboard the ship for a relaxing evening and a 10pm. sailaway from Sydney Harbour.

It had been a fabulous day but a bit tiring and as we planned to stay up quite late to experience sailing out of the Heads we had a light dinner in the cafe and went back to our cabin. Kerrie watched a movie on our big tv and I read my book and fiddled with my phone until around 9.30pm. when things started happening and the ship prepared to leave. We backed out of our berth and swung around and in few minutes we were sailing past the Opera House and on our way south to Melbourne. We stayed up until we were well south of the city and then the ship headed further out to sea so we called it a day at midnight and as it's a sea day tomorrow we hope to sleep in.

Last night was calm and quiet and as we woke at 7.30am we immediately put our watches back an hour again so we are now on Sydney time and the same time as everyone else on this ship. The sky was clear as we did our daily weather check from our balcony and the sun was shining. Good old Aussie weather at last as we breathed in the balmy 19C sea air. After chatting about this and that for a while we went up for breakfast as usual. After writing about breakfast in yesterday's blog I felt a little guilty and after the fruit I just had eggs on toast with an English Breakfast tea.

After breakfast we got the Aussie newsletter and went for a stroll on deck in the sunshine and ended up on the lawn. Yes, a real grass lawn where some people were playing bowls while others were gathering around the glass blowing pavilion. We had a look and sure enough there was a mini glassworks complete with three furnaces and all the tools and gadgets to make very intricate glass items like bowls, vases and more arty stuff. We hope to get my phone fixed in Sydney so we can put this sort of thing on the blog. Anyway, there was a lot of heat coming off the furnaces and the place was pretty crowded so we'll go back another day. We found a sort of observation lounge with very comfortable seats and sat there for a while looking for wildlife on the ocean. We often see albatrosses skimming over the waves but may have to wait for Sydney Heads for some dolphins.

Mike and Christine are a sentimental couple and they reminded us at dinner a few days ago that February the 21st was the anniversary of our first meeting on the Arcadia in 2009. On such a special day we have to have a celebration so the girls decided on dinner in the Murano Fine Dining Restaurant. Kerrie can't wait but I'm inclined to think it might be a big plate little food establishment but we'll have to wait and see. One place we get a good deal is at the Cafe al Bacio where the espressos are great and the chocolate frappes are Kerrie's favourite. Today we went in there for afternoon tea for a change and had a lovely chat with some people from Perth which makes us eager to see the place for ourselves.

We are just going to dinner after a very relaxing afternoon and I bet we'll be off somewhere with our friends for a few drinks afterwards. We will get a good Internet signal in Sydney so I plan to upload the last few days blog all at once. So from now on we are in Australia and looking forward to phoning and texting everyone soon.

It was a noisy and rough night as the swell crashed against the ship and made it roll and rise then fall. It was fun for a little while but all kinds of creaking and crashing noises kept waking us throughout the night . However, when we woke at 7.30am the sea had eased off although it was still a bit tricky moving around the cabin. The weather was a coolish 15C with a strong wind, a little disappointing after our recent sunshine. No amount of bad weather will prevent us from having our breakfast and we had the works today starting with our favourite Hawaiin pineapple. As well as that we had water melon, rock melon and berries and I also have a red grapefruit every morning. I suppose you might be thinking how good we are but we normally add to that combinations of eggs of various types, bacon, fried tomatoes, hash browns, potatoes ham off the bone, sausages, toast, jam, honey and many other delicious things I can't think of. It's a joy to eat aboard this ship and I'm hoping we're not putting on too much weight.

After breakfast we went for a stroll around the ship and got the Aussie newsletter and found the place we had to go to later to be vetted for Australian Immigration. On the way around we stopped off at the coffee bar for a lovely double esspresso and a sit down in very comfortable lounge chairs. It's a sea day so a quick look at the sale items in the shopping centre was almost compulsory. As you all know I love to do a bit of shopping when on board but on this trip Kerrie hasn't shown much interest even when some things have 60% off. We got back to our cabin and as the sun was shining now we grabbed our books and sat on the balcony for a while before heading off for dinner at 12.30pm but when we got there it was only serving snacks. Kerrie wanted to know what was going on and they very politely told madam that the clocks went back an hour last night and if madam would like to adjust the time on her watch she would realise it was 11.30am and lunch will be served in 30 minutes. On other cruise lines they go to great lenghths to make sure passengers are made aware of things like that, never mind we had a great lunch then went to see the Immigration people.

That was all done in about ten minutes and we are now allowed back into Australia which is very reassuring. The rest of the afternoon was devoted to blogging, reading and Kerrie trying on various combinations of evening wear for tonight's formal dinner. For the first time this cruise I borrowed Kerrie's iPhone and got some music going and did some laps on Deck 14 for half an hour or so. Deck 14 is the official walking area but also the location of the Mast Grill where they make those burgers and hot dogs. It was a real battle not to stop and have a snack each time I walked past. I didn't, but it's a strange place to put such temptation.

Kerrie finally got an outfit together and she looked fantastic, we have a few photos but can't get them on the blog. Anyway, it's easy for me to get dressed in my tux although I've not got any cuff links and can't buy any onboard. This happened on our last cruise but P and O gave me some but not this time. This didn't stop us having a great dinner with every girl getting a single red rose which Kerrie immediately put between her teeth as she usually does with single roses. Mike doesn't mind having a drink and after polishing off a bottle of quality Aussie Shiraz we went to the Ensemble Lounge and had a few Gin and Tonics, the music was great and another first for this cruise was that Kerrie and I went dancing together. Another relaxing and very enjoyable day. We are both very well and as the sea is quite calm we should get a good night's sleep before tomorrow's final sea day before we arrive back in Australia.