After our fairly strenuous day yesterdsy we slept very well and woke very refreshed at 7am. The weather was overcast, windy and around 20C as we made our way down to breakfast in the hotel. We had more or less what we ate yesterday and made sure we didn't overdo it. Kerrie and I are very well and looking forward to coming home but first we were to go around Perth with our old friend Eric who picked us up at nine o'clock. He was driving a Range Rover so we set off in comfort for our grand tour.

We drove around the northern beaches and had a look at some of the boats moored there and then it was over to the east to meet Eric's dog Sammy at his home. The dog is a bull mastiff with a little Great Dane and didn't like us at first but we soon became friends. After our visit to Eric and Sue's house we headed into more familiar territory with a run to Fremantle and some lunch. Yesterday I told you Fremantle was tiny but it isn't. In fact, after our delicious lunch of fish and chips we drove out to a millionaires estate where Eric's son Nicholas had bought a block of land. A very classy neighbourhood with stylish street lights and ultra modern architecture each house with it's own private boat pen. All very well if you can afford it but there wasn't a completed house with any sort of garden and it was eave to eave with no intervening fence. If you want a fence it has to be made of see through material so you'd have to be really good mates with your neighbour.

We continued our guided tour to Cottesloe Beach and back into Perth the long way round. I can't remember everything Eric told us or even many of the places we went to but even he was surprised at the new development going on around parts of the city he hardly went to. In fact we got lost a few times but the road system is not hard to work out so we were soon back on our way. The sun had come out after lunch but it was only about 25C when Eric dropped us off at three o'clock and we walked around the corner to our hotel. Unfortunately, the lifts were only working up to floor eight due to an electrical problem. Many apologies from the staff didn't help as we had to climb eight floors up the stairs to our room. Kerrie went really well and we only stopped to let younger guests fly past us on the narrow stairwell.

Never mind, we got to our room with minimal puffing and panting and had a few Pringles and Snakes to renew our energy levels. Then I did the last chapter of the blog for this trip and Kerrie read her book. Eric and Sue are picking us up at six o'clock this evening and we are having dinner together. Then it's pack the bags and fly out tomorrow for home. It's been a great holiday and a little disappointing that it's all over but we have a lot to look forward to and it'll be great to see everyone again.

We woke at 6.30am after a really good nights sleep. I don't really know why but the last few days have left us really tired but this morning we were more or less back to normal and ready for breakfast. The weather forecast was for clear, sunny skies with a maximum of 36C or maybe more. Breakfast was in the hotel and it was a buffet something like we had on the ship so we felt quite at home but didn't eat too much as we were going out in the heat for most of the day and that's best done on a light stomach. Kerrie had previously sussed out the free bus service so after breakfast we walked the short distance to the bus stop. we caught the bus and thanks to Kerrie's hard work we got off at the right place to visit a particular cafe.

Yesterday while we were driving around we noticed a place selling Toby's Estate coffee so we came back today for a great cup of coffee. It was great and even better as they were having a promotion special - all coffee was $2 until 9am. Kerrie loves a bargain so after drinking our coffee we walked down to the ferry terminal and got two tickets to Rottnest Island. The ferry took us down the Swan River to Fremantle where we boarded a bigger, sea going ferry to take us to the island. It was a very pleasant trip in very calm seas and after only thirty minutes we were there. What a place, green, clear water and sandy beaches with very good amenities including a restaurant on the beach which we went to for lunch. Kerrie had half a lobster and I had two big pieces of whiting which were so good Kerrie swapped me some of her lobster for some. Add a salad and really tasty chips and you have a great beginning to an island adventure. Most people get around here on bicycles but we just strolled about until we found a sort of mall where the shops were. You don't need me to tell you what happened next only this time I bought something, a bike magazine. We found a huge fig tree with a bench seat underneath it and happily read for a while enjoying the the cool sea breeze and the excellent shade.

The next step was to organise afternoon tea and after looking around we decided to return to the restaurant where we had lunch. It wasn't getting any cooler and we had an hour or so to go before our return ferry left so after tea we went for a paddle. The water was lovely, warmish but refreshing and we waded around for quite a while while the sea took some of the heat from us. As you well know, I can never understand where the time goes to but alas it was time to go back so off we went. We boarded the ferry at 3.55pm and arrived in Perth at 5.50pm, almost two hours but very enjoyable. We saw, amongst other things, millions of boats, some very expensive houses and surprisingly a couple of pods of very laid back dolphins. We walked back to our hotel where we had a rest then went out for some snack food at a local convenience store when the sun had gone down. They have millions of bats flying around here and their shrieking was deafening but the locals don't seem to mind. We have come to the conclusion that Perth is great and we love the place after only two days. It's a long way from anywhere but that's part of the charm and it's greatest asset. As the owner of this mornings coffee shop said, Perth is probably the last major city with a consistent climate, all modern conveniences and no traffic jams. He's right, the traffic is always moving and reminds me of Wollongong twenty years ago. This place is absolutely nothing like Sydney and for that reason it has my vote. We will probably come back here in the future, it's the best kept secret in Australia.

We've had quite a time since we left three weeks ago but we only really have one more day in Perth then we fly out on Saturday and shoulkd land in Sydney around 6.30pm. Eric is showing us around tonorrow so we're not sure what he has in mind but we're happy whatever happens. We've just turned the TV on and they forecast only twenty seven tomorrow so it will be a little cooler than today which is great.Once again we are feeling good and looking forward to tomorrow.

Where do I start...maybe last night. So after dinner we were sitting in the lounge having a quiet drink with our friends when we smelt something burning then the alarm went off and immediately about twenty crew members including a full medical team with a hospital type stretcher came flying past us. The band played on despite the mayhem then a lady at the table next to us got to her feet and promptly fainted. More mayhem and frantic phone calls for another doctor. Our waitress began resuscitation until the doc arrived. The band kept going until order was restored and thankfully the lady eventually hobbled off under her own steam. We said our farewells after a very boozy evening, got back to the cabin and put our cases out and went straight to sleep. Next morning, after a good night's rest we awoke in Fremantle to a very sunny, clear morning, light breezes and a warmish 23C at 7.30am. We went up for our last breakfast and ran into quite a few of the people we had met on the cruise and particularly Jean the lumberjack's son who I spoke about at the beginning of our cruise.

Anyway, all we had to do was wait our turn to get off the ship and collect our bags which we did at 9.30am and we were off to find the Avis office not far away from the port. Kerrie went really well pulling her case along without complaint for twenty minutes or so as we trudged along in 32C heat. We did stop and ask directions once but got sent the wrong way for a while but eventually we got there and picked up our Holden Cruze. Once we'd worked out how to start it we got the GPS going and away we went towards Perth. We had planned to look around Fremantle but it's a tiny place and we'd seen a lot of it on the walk over from the ship. We may come back because it's a good spot for catching a ferry to various places but we haven't really decided on our itinerary just yet.

We arrived in Perth a little early to check in so we thought we'd park the car and get a coffee. Parking in Perth is difficult and expensive as we found out when we went into a parking station near the cbd. We got our ticket and drove in but most of the parking was reserved or taken so we drove around and around then decided not to bother. Well we couldn't find our way out and in this car park many of the areas were dead ends, it was like a rabbit warren. It was lucky for us we were in a little car as we did a few twenty point turns that morning. Finally we found the exit and got to the boom gate but we couldn't find the ticket and the security person came over and wanted our credit card. We were tired, hot and bothered and our much anticipated trip to Perth was begining to lose it's appeal.Kerrie got a bit fed up but eventually we got out and just drove around until we found a parking spot away from everywhere but we were happy anyway. So just as we were buying our ticket a bloke stopped next to us and started asking for directions then a Mercedes 4X4 ran straight into the back of his Commodore. Kerrie jumped about ten metres and although it didn't involve us our hearts were thumping away anyway.

So we left them to sort it out and walked up the road towards the centre of town but only made it to a Coffee Club where we sat down, ordered lunch and took a few deep breaths. The food and coffee were surprisingly good and we felt much better as we continued our search for a shopping centre or if we were really lucky a Myers store. Much to Kerrie's delight we found a Myers, a bookshop and a Woolies and bought a few necessities including a bottle of Argentinian red wine for $9 much less than what was charged on the ship. We got back to our car and had to drive around for a while as our room wasn't ready yet. We'd rung them well past the check in time and they were very sorry but we did get a free drink to compensate us. Well, these things happen but we were starting to become quite familiar with central part of Perth as we drove here and there. Eventually, we checked in and went to our room after the lift stopped on level 12 and it was a little while before we got going again to the16th floor where we are. The room is lovely, spacious and has an iron as well as a good view of the Swan River. Kerrie is very happy so I am too.

There is an Irish pub just across the road so after our free drink at the hotel we had our tea there. We both had a hamburger with the lot and I had a Guinness while Kerrie stuck to her Sav Blanc, it was great but we were getting tired so around 8pm we went back across the road to our room where Kerrie got in touch with our friends Eric and Sue who live here. Eric is going to show us around on Friday then when Sue finishes work we're all going out for dinner. So we've decided to have a coffee in town tomorrow by catching the free bus and then head off on the ferry for a day on Rottnest Island.

When we woke we were relieved to see the ship powering along with all our tenders back aboard. As usual, the weather was cool and cloudy and at 7.20pm the temperature was 16C with a strong southerly wind. We were looking forward to a relaxing last day and it turned out to be just that with a bonus of clear, sunny skies and a maximum temperature of 28C just after lunch. Breakfast was very enjoyable and after that we went down to the coffee lounge while our steward Melvin made up our room.

Around ten o'clock we were back in our cabin to do some blogging while Kerrie finished off her library book and got all our disembarkation paperwork sorted. There is a lot going on around the ship today as it's the end of the cruise for two thirds of us but we didn't bother with any of that. The time went quickly and at 11.50am we made our way to the cafe for lunch. The staff had set up a chocolate fountain and quite a few other things including Kerrie's favourite an ice kangaroo. During lunch we were joined by a couple of people from Perth who got stranded yesterday and while they felt that these things happen sometimes there were others who behaved very badly. I suppose these sort of situations bring out the worst in people.

On a brighter note we had a very tasty, creamy ice cream cone for sweets but it's a pity we hadn't come across this particular section of the cafe before. Anyway, better late than never and feeling very full we went back to our cabin. The sun on the balcony was lovely and as Kerrie watched a movie, I read my book then did some blogging. We made sure that we left plenty of time for packing and sorting out what to wear tomorrow and make sure it didn't end up in the suitcase by accident as they take them away tonight and that's that. So how did we rate this cruise? Well it was pretty good in all areas except for a non existant internet service and the terrible doughnuts. The ship is superb, clean, fast and most of all smooth and quiet. The bars and lounges are great but the drink prices are extortionate. The crew are very professional and more outgoing than on British ships we've been on. Would we cruise Celebrity again? Maybe but our overall good impressions were spoilt by those few negatives mentioned earlier so time will tell.

I might sign off here as it's my turn for the shower which flows like Niagara Falls and then we'll be off for our last dinner on board. Our friends have organised a pre dinner champagne party for us to wish us farewell until we meet again in a fortnight. Christine and Mike have been a real bonus and wished we were staying on but we're busting to see everyone back home and are looking forward to our short stay in Perth. Tomorrow should be fairly chaotic as two thousand people get off the ship in about one hour but once through that we will be fine, I hope. Once again we are both feeling great after a trouble free run healthwise and should be in great condition in a few days time for mowing lawns, washing, cleaning etc. which we haven't done since we left.

We woke at around 6.30am to find a cloudy, overcast morning with a large ocean swell. The ship was moving around a little and we could feel the strong, cool breeze when we ventured out onto the balcony. The ship's weather channel was reporting 16C but it felt a bit cooler than that and we even turned the air con up a bit to keep warm as we gor ready for breakfast. The weather overall has been mild at best and we feel sorry for the people who have travelled from everywhere for some sunshine and a tan.

Never mind, we went up for breakfast as we were anchoring in the pretty little harbour town of Esperance. Our ship was too big to go into the port so we were to be taken into town by tender. Little did we know of what was to happen later in the day as we enjoyed our breakfast in the Oceanview Cafe. As we weren't in a hurry to go ashore and we hadn't booked an excursion we did a bit of reading, got the blog uploaded then went for a coffee. Ahhh this is the life we thought as we watched everyone rush off to get on a tender before anyone else. Once the panic had eased a bit we packed a bag and after a ten minute wait it was our turn to be taken to the shore two kilometres away. By this time the sun was shining but a fairly strong wind had come up blowing towards the shore. The tender was rocking and rolling quite a bit as the swell increased even though we were being sheltered by the ship. So off we went and we had quite a ride as the little craft bounced up and down in the choppy sea but we made it Ok and went exploring for half an hour or so.

Esperance is a small town of 14000 people and it reminded us a lot of places like Huskisson only a little bigger. We were approached by a local volunteer who gave us a map and directed us to a bus stop where we could get a one hour tour of the best sightseeing spots in the area. Incidently, she was from West Wollongong and was keen to know how things were going back at home. So we caught the bbus, which was tbe local school bus and off we went. It seems that when 3000 tourists arrive all at once, this little town hasn't got enough buses to go around so anything with wheels and seats gets a run. It was a hop on hop off tour but we were warned to get to the harbour by 2.15pm as he had to pick the kids up from school.

The tour was great and we visited the iron ore loading area of the port, went to a lookout for a panoramic vista of the sea, coasline and interior. You could see for miles as the ever iuncreasing wind blew the clouds away. Our driver gave a good commentary as we drove along the coast to the best beach in Australia. Kerrie just had to get off and paddle in the Indian Ocean so she's really only got the Antarctic to go now but I believe she's waiting for it to warm up a bit first. We learned a lot about the area but an hour soon passes and there we were back at the harbour. The wind was almost a gale by now but the strong sunshine kept us warm as we decided to go back to the ship.It was 2.30 pm as we took our place in the queue to get the next tender. We were only waiting about 15 minutes and one came in but it was bobbing and rolling in the swell more than it should be. A little experience can sometimes go a long way so we quickly grabbed our seats near the exit where there was plenty of leg room and a hand rail. We set off and almost immediately ran into massive waves which at first caused some laughter among the passengers but soon quite a few were clearly terrified. It was the most exciting and dangerous tender ride we'd ever experienced and even though I quite enjoyed it, Kerrie was not impressed but remained as brave as a lion throughout the whole ordeal.

That return trip seemed never ending as wave after wave hit causing massive amounts of water to stream over our boat and when the doors started leaking it was too much for some people. The lady next to us was counting life jackets and reckoned there weren't enough to go around, it was as bad as that. These boats are tough and the crew extremely professional but one of them helpfully, told us it was the worst he'd ever seen. Somehow we got back to the ship after a nightmare 45 minutes fighting the wind and waves but it couldn't go on. Only two more tenders after us made it then the captain stopped the whole process strandiing over a thousand passengers and crew on the shore.

Unbelievably we didn't get seasick although many others did, so we dropped our bag off and went up to the cafe for a cup of tea, a snack and a good view of the drama as it unfolded below us. We walked straight into Mike and Christine and sat down together to compare notes. They had got back about twenty minutes before us but had the same experience and no one was surprised at the captain's decision but everyone wanted to know what would they do about the people ashore. As it turned out they just left them there and waited for the wind to drop and the swell to ease. The cruise line commandeered the local pub and put on a party for those marooned and we heard from a passenger who was there that they literally drank the pub dry by 10 pm.

Meanwhile we got ready and went for dinner where there were whole tables with no one there and as we were ordering a huge catamaran came up and tried to tie on to the ship but had to keep moving away. The captain had chartered the big cat to see if it could bring the people back but they couldn't do it so they had to wait until midnight before the stranded passengers and crew could be tendered back in the relatively calm sea. What a day but these things happen at sea and eventually everything was back to normal and we'll still reach Fremantle on time. We are very well and looking forward to our stay in Perth. It's a sea day tomorrow which will give us a chance to relax for one more day.

Greetings from the centre of the Great Australian Bight as we make our way to Esperance in the south of Western Australia. We slept well last night and contrary to our usual habit we actually got up early again and went outside to check the weather. It was overcast, 15C with hardly a breath of wind and an almost flat sea. The weather is a real talking point aboard ship as most people thought it would be hot in Australia in summer. Well it was in Adelaide and Sydney but everywhere else has been mild at best. We weren't worried about that as we ate our breakfast in the cafe where we were joined by an English couple and there we stayed for the next hour.

They were great and another reason we like cruising so much,, sometines it's fun to compare notes with others and we've hardly ever got stuck with obnoxious people. There was a sale on in the shopping area so we went down to that and called in at the library on the way back. The ship's library is very small with only a few books that appealed to us but we both had a book we'd bought earlier. Unfortunately, we had both finished ours and were looking without much hope for something to read over the next few days. Luckily, Kerrie found one straight away that had just been returned. I had to try harder but eventually found one. You may remember I bought a book in NZ which I really enjoyed but there was one other there that I wanted but thought was too expensive. That book was the one I picked up, it had the same shop label as my book and someone had obviously donated it. So I did the same thing and replaced it with the book I had just finished. That's a lot about books but it's very strange how sometimes things in this life work out.

By this time the sun had come out and it was a little over 20C so we read our new books on the balcony, occasionaly looking for a dolphin or even a bird but there is nothing out here and we haven't seen anything for quite a while now. The sun disappeared at 11.30 am and so did we, down to the coffee lounge for an espresso and a frappe. It's usually very busy in the mornings but we got a table straight away and relaxed for half an or so before going up for lunch. While anything we eat for a while is never going to be as tasty as our Murano meal, I must admit the prawn rolls we had came fairly close, very tasty especially as we'd only had fruit and hash browns for breakfast. On the way back to the cabin we witnessed the ship's egg dropping competition. Contestants drop a number of eggs from our deck 7 and try to land them in a bucket four decks down. Kerrie absolutely loved it but I thought it was stupid as all it did was make a mess, however most of the ship was watching it but I don't know why. Back at the cabin Kerrie fell asleep on our balcony while I did some blogging.

Things happen quickly at sea, I woke Kerrie before she got too sunburnt as it was around 28C now and a few minutes later it starting raining lightly. Then the cloud came over and the temperature dropped to around 18C with a howling wind. The ship started rocking and rolling for about ten minutes before the wind dropped and the fog descended. This lasted for half an hour or so then the sun camne back out, it got hot and we were back where we started. All this didn't stop us from getting our formnal stuff on and going down to dinner with our friends.just before six o'clock for another sumptuous dinner, some fine wine, pleasant conversation and great live music to follow. I think we are going to miss all that when we come back to reality in a few days time

Last night we slept like logs and unusually for a sea day we jumped up full of life at 7am and went up for breakfast. On the way we were a little surprised at the overcast sky and coolness in the air after the heat of yesterday. It was 17C but felt lower with quite a strong southerly blowing. Luckily that didn't affect our appetites as we feasted in the near empty cafe. As we were chatting about cruising around Australia, we realised that exactly fifty years ago in late February the Faulkner family were going the other way in this same part of the Indian Ocean. I remember we were expecting a storm in the Great Australian Bight in 1965 but the sea was as calm as it is today.

In a vain effort to counteract the effects of the amount of food we've been eating lately we took a walk around the deck. We did one lap and went inside and after checking out the library we returned to our cosy cabin for reading and blogging. How time flies, in no time it was morning tea time so up to the cafe we went and were soon joined by our friend Michael who had just dropped Christine off at the beauty parlour. So we had a few laughs and good chat and after an hour he went to get Christine and we went for a coffee. Kerrie is very keen on these chocolate frappes so I had a double espresso to be sociable.

No sooner had we finished our drinks when we were joined by a very friendly Aussie woman from Perth who in fifteen minutes succeeded in giving us a run down on her two previous cruises. Not only that but also a fairly detailed account of her family members and their current activities and a description of what she was going to do when a painting she was after came up for auction at the ship's art auction later in the day. She was very relaxed and confident and all we could do was nod and shake our heads at the appropriate time. Don't get me wrong, we enjoyed the experience mainly because she was a very interesting and engaging person but also because she only cruised with Celebrity and gave us a few insights into the hidden benefits of being a Celebrity cruiser.

We went down to get an Aussie newsletter to find out what was going on with the cyclones and the weather in general. Thankfully, the weather here is very stable and the ship hardly moves at all. In fact apart from one night, most of the time you wouldn't think you are on a ship at all. On the other hand, the shipboard life increases the pangs of hunger so at 2pm we couldn't stand it any longer and went up for some lunch.This time we were very good keeping in mind we have our fine dining experience at the Murano tonight. We thought it was tomorrow but Mike set us straight when we saw him earlier. After that we ventured up on Deck 15 to watch people playing bowls on the lawn then it was over to the glass blowing to watch them make glass cakes to place on a cake tray they had made earlier. It was short and sweet but they knew what they were doing and it was quite entertaining. That's something else you don't see every day and a first for any cruise we've done

Yet again time had flown and we had to get ready for our great night out so it was back to the cabin as fast as we could go and while Kerrie showered I watched some cricket on ESPN for a while. We were cleaned and dressed and outside the Murano Restaurant right on 5.30pm but Mike and Christine took a little longer but right on 6 we all went in.I suppose I could go on for ages about this and that but I'm sure Kerrie will be happy to describe our fine dining experience to anyone who is interested when we get home. Just let me say it was extraordinary to say the least with superb meals some of which were cooked at the table, unbelievable combinations of the most unlikely ingredients with a very expensive wine left us very glad we came. It was a fitting way to celebrate the anniversary of our 2009 meeting with Mike and Christine and the outward bound trip to Australia all those years ago. We all finished up drinking gin and tonics in the lounge listening to the Ray Brown jazz quartet and by 10.30pm it was time to go. The clocks go back another hour tonight so tomorrow we'll be on Perth time, a sure sign that our cruise is coming to an end but we have a sea day tomorrow and we love those