- Day D-2 Leaving Imperial Beach, California
- Day D-1 Arriving in Fort Lauderdale
- Day 1- The Grand Voyage Begins! 115 Days
- Day 2 – At Sea – Enroute Costa Rica
- Day 3 – Cruising the Carribean
- Day 4 – At Sea Enroute to Costa Rica
- Day 5 – Puerto Limon, Costa Rica
- Day 6- Cruising the Panama Canal
- Day 7 – Fuerte Amador, Panama
- Day 8 – At Sea enroute to Nuku Hiva
- Day 9 – At Sea enroute to Nuku Hiva
- Day 10, At Sea – Enroute Nuku Hiva
- Day 11 – Sailing towards Nuku Hiva
- Day 12 – Sailing towards Nuku Hiva
- Day 13, Sailing towards Nuku Hiva
- Day 14, Sailing towards Nuku Hiva
- Day 15, Sailing toward Nuku Hiva
- Day 16, Taiohae, Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia
- Day 17, Sailing toward Avatoru
- Day 18 – Avatoru, Rangiroa
- Day 19, Papeete, Tahiti and taking the ferry to Mo’orea
- Day 20, Moorea, French Polynesia
- Day 21, Sailing toward Avatiu, Rarotonga
- Day 22, Avatiu, Rarotonga
- Day 23, Sailing toward Waitangi, New Zealand
- Day 24, Sailing towards Waitangi
- Day 25, Sailing towards Waitangi
- Day 26, Sailing towards Waitangi
- Day 27, Waitangi (Bay of Islands) New Zealand
- Day 28, Auckland, New Zealand
- Day 29, Sailing toward Picton, New Zealand
- Day 30, Picton New Zealand
- Day 31, Sailing toward Melbourne, Australia
- Day 32, Sailing toward Melbourne
- Day 33, Sailing toward Melbourne
- Day 34, Melbourne, Australia
- Day 35, Sailing toward Sydney Australia
- Day 36, Sydney, Australia
- Day 37, Sydney, Australia
- Day 38, Sailing towards Townsville
- Day 39, Sailing towards Townsville
- Day 40, Sailing towards Townsville
- Day 41, Townsville, Australia
- Day 42, Cairns, Australia
- Day 43, Sailing towards Darwin, Australia
- Day 44, Sailing towards Darwin, Australia
- Day 45, Sailing towards Darwin, Australia
- Day 46, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
- Day 47, Sailing toward Benoa, Indonesia
- Day 48, Sailing toward Benoa, Indonesia
- Day 49, Benoa, Bali, Indonesia
- Day 50, Sailing towards Semarang, Indonesia
- Day 51, Semarang, Java, Indonesia
- Day 52, Jakarta, Indonesia
- Day 53, Sailing toward Hong Kong
- Day 54, Sailing toward Hong Kong
- Day 55, Sailing toward Hong Kong
- Day 56, Sailing toward Hong Kong
- Day 57, Hong Kong
- Day 58, Hong Kong
- Day 59, Hong Kong
- Day 60, Sailing toward Da Nang
- Day 61, Da Nang, Vietnam
- Day 62, Da Nang, Viet Nam
- Day 63, Sailing toward Phu My, Vietnam
- Day 64. Phu My, Vietnam
- Day 65, Siem Reap, Cambodia, Ms Amsterdam sailing toward Sihanoukville
- Day 66; Siem Reap to Sihanoukville – while Amsterdam is moored at Sihanoukville
- Day 67, Sailing toward Singapore
- Day 68, Singapore
- Day 69, Singapore
- Day 70, Singapore
- Day 71, Sailing toward Phuket, Thailand
- Day 72, Phuket, Thailand
- Day 73, Sailing toward Hambantota, Sri Lanka
- Day 74, Sailing toward Hambantota, Sri Lanka
- Day 75, Hambantota, Sri Lanka
- Day 76, Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Day 77, Colombo, Sri Lanka to New Delhi, India
- Day 78, Agra, India (Ship sailing toward Dubai)
- Day 79, Agra, India (Ship sailing toward Dubai)
- Day 80, New Delhi, India (Ship sailing toward Dubai)
- Day 81, New Delhi to Dubai
- Day 82, Dubai, UAE
- Day 83, Dubai, UAE
- Day 84, Sailing toward Muscat
- Day 85, Muscat, Oman
- Day 86, Sailing toward Salalah, Oman
- Day 87, Salalah, Oman
- Day 88, Sailing toward Al’Aqabah, Jordan
- Day 89, Sailing toward Al’Aqabah, Jordan
- Day 90, Sailing toward Al’Aqabah, Jordan
- Day 91, Sailing toward Al’Aqabah, Jordan
- Day 92, Al’Aqabah, Jordan
- Day 93, Sailing toward the Suez Canal
- Day 94, Transiting the Suez Canal
- Day 95, Haifa, Israel
- Day 96, Ashdod, Israel
- Day 97, Sailing toward Piraeus, Greece
- Day 98, Piraeus (Athens,) Greece
- Day 99, Katakolon, Greece
- Day 100, Sailing toward Civitavecchia, Italy
- Day 101, Civitavecchia, Italy
- Menus and On Locations updated…more posts coming soon
- Day 102, Livorno, Italy
- Day 103, Monte Carlo, Monaco
- Day 104, Barcelona, Spain
- Day 105, Sailing toward Cadiz
- Day 106, Cadiz, Spain
- Day 107, Sailing toward Funchal, Portugal
- Day 108, Funchal, Portugal
- Day 109, Sailing toward Fort Lauderdale
- Day 110, Sailing toward Fort Lauderdale
- Day 111, Sailing toward Fort Lauderdale
- Day 112, April 26, Sailing toward Fort Lauderdale
- Day 113, Sailing toward Fort Lauderdale
- Day 114, April 28, Sailing toward Fort Lauderdale
- Day 115, April 29, Sailing toward Fort Lauderdale
- Day 116, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Day 117, Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
- Day 118, Sailing towards Cartagena
- Day 119, Sailing towards Cartagena
- Day 120, Cartagena, Colombia
- Day 121, Transiting the Panama Canal
- Day 122, Sailing toward Puntarenas, Costa Rica
- Day 123, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
- Day 124, Corinto, Nicaragua
- Day 125, Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala
- Day 126, Puerto Chiapas, Mexico
- Subscribe to this blog! – Check box at bottom of this page
- Day 127, Huatulco, Mexico
- Day 128, Sailing toward Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Day 129, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Day 130, Sailing toward San Diego, California
- Day 131, Sailing toward San Diego, California
- Day 132, San Diego, California
- Opening the Package! What is inside?
- That’s Entertainment!
- PACKING FOR A WORLD CRUISE
- How much does it cost to go on a world cruise? Part 1
- Amazing end of cruise video!
- How much does it cost to go on a world cruise? Part 2 – Pre and Post Cruise Expenses
- Holland America SELLS OUT 2017 World Cruise Inside Cabins – Segments still avail for less the $5,000 per cabin!
- How Much Does it Cost to Go on a World Cruise? Part 3 – Onboard Spending and Calculator
TOWNSVILLE – The Friendliest town in Queensland! – (and possibly the entire country!)
The approach to Townsville is straight in and doesn’t require much maneuvering, unlike some other harbors. Once inside the harbor, and quite close to the pier, we begin to spin 180 degrees and backed in, mooring alongside the pier facing out the sea. This is a working port not used to serving passenger vessels so there isn’t any cruise terminal or passenger facilities right on the pier and we will have to take a shuttle bus to the downtown Visitors Information Center. Once moored our cabin was facing toward town, which was fairly close as the crow flies, but we would have to drive around a small inlet, about 2 KM, to get to the central business district. We were able to easily see one of the towns casinos and entertainment centers from our cabin. There are only a few buildings more than a few stories tall.
Around 8:30 AM, we were cleared by local authorities and the initial wave of guests and excursions left the ship, heading down the pier toward the shuttle busses. The ship managed to put together 3 shore excursions on short notice which were all variations of a city drive followed by a visit to a National Park or Animal Sanctuary.
We left the ship around 10:30 and once again, avoided any encounter with Australian agriculture inspectors. After a short walk down the pier, we watched as local news reporters interview Orlando Ashford, President of HAL, and took a few pictures. A report of our trip was also featured in the local paper – The Townsville Bulletin. Here is a link to the story. Another story HERE. We discovered later that the town was very pleased to have us visit and the local visitors bureau distributed flyers announcing our visit and requesting that everyone join them in giving us a warm welcome. A copy of that flyer is HERE. We boarded the shuttle bus and after a few minutes we were on our way for the 10 minute drive to the central business district. A very nice local tourist bureau official was on shuttle bus and she provided a wealth of information and recommendations. After we arrived at the Visitors Information Center, we immediately boarded another shuttle bus that ran on a continuous loop around town and down “The Strand”, their major street running along the beach.
We looped around the marina, the entertainment center and the casino, before heading down The Strand toward the Jezzine Barracks. Unfortunately we had noticed a large number of jelly fish from the ship earlier and heard reports that this wasn’t the time of year to go into the water. We did notice that parts of the beach were partitioned off with some sort of barrier to create a safe swimming space and keep out the jelly fish.
Jezzine Barracks, home to a local museum, was the turnaround spot for the shuttle bus and we elected to get off here with the plan to walk back on The Strand to the Central Business District. The ships doctor and her husband cruised by on their folding bicycles and we observed them heading into a local Fish and Chips restaurant up the road. A sign giving directions to the “Kissing Point” caught our eye and we were off to investigate.
Two options were offered to get to the Kissing Point – one way was marked as handicap accessible and the other way pointed to some stone steps. We chose the steps and started our short hike. After 126 uneven steps and 289 feet of climbing we reached the summit of this little knoll called Kissing Point with a spectacular view of the Coral Sea and nearby Magnetic Island. We learned later that Magnetic Island earned its name when it was thought to contain material that was causing Captain Cook’s compasses to go haywire back in 1770. Subsequent investigations proved this to be unfounded, but the name stuck anyway.
I was surprised to see the USA flag flying alongside the Australian flag at the top of Kissing Point. We learned that the Kissing Point is also home to a memorial commemorating the WWII Battle of Coral Sea – which was the first time in the history of naval warfare that the opposing ships never saw each other directly but only thru the eyes of their pilots launched from the various aircraft carriers involved. Early in my career, I would serve on the USN aircraft carrier named after that battle – the USS Coral Sea (CV 43).
It was starting to heat up and we chose to walk down to the Army Museum along the path that we avoided on the way up. As long as you were in the shade, it was quite pleasant, but once you were exposed to direct sun, it got hot – quickly. Fortunately the humidity was low so every breeze and spot of shade provided welcome relief.
Unfortunately after we arrived at the museum entrance we learned that it was closed – open only a few days a week and today wasn’t one of them so we headed off to The Strand to start our walk back to the central business district. Before we got started, the air-conditioning of the nearby Fish Inn looked inviting and we decided to continue our quest for the best Fish and Chips in the world here.
The restaurant is informal and you order from a counter where they give you a number on a small stand you place on your table and servers bring you your food when ready. Only the back part of the restaurant was cooled so we chose a table next to a large group of folks having a wonderful time. While waiting for our food we overheard the group discussing the cruise ship that was visible a couple miles away. A little later one of the guests got our attention and told us that we should take a look at the cruise ship that was visible out the window. After we remarked that we were passengers off that very cruise ship we became minor celebrities and they inquired about the usual items of itinerary, schedule and where we were from. Once they learned we were on a world cruise, that opened another wave of questions and commentary. Their group was celebrating a birthday of one of their family members who was turning 88 today. Another member of the group, Diana, approached us and said she was a taxi driver and this was her day off, but she would like to drive us around in her personal car and take us to the top of Castle Hill so we could see the view from there. We cleared up that this was something she was offering on her own time (she did mention being a taxi driver) and we were soon off, accompanied by another family member, Dennis.
What a joy! We enjoyed their interesting commentary about Townsville and the local area as we made our way up to the top of Castle Hill. The road to the top (about 1000 feet above the Coral Sea) was very curvy with signs warning pedestrians to not walk more than two abreast and to keep left. Apparently walking to the summit is quite popular and big crowds on weekends can swarm the road and impede traffic. On the way down later, we noticed that on the other side of the signs warning about pedestrians going up, were signs warning cyclists to not go fast downhill and give warning to pedestrians before passing.
Castle Hill offered beautiful vistas in all directions, but each view required a short walk. We spent about 30 minutes here walking from view point to view point, learning more about the local area from Diana and Dennis in the process. There is a large university nearby as well as one of the largest army barracks in the country. The Townsville airport was clearly visible to the north and is shared by commercial airlines as well as the Royal Australian Air Force.
On the way back down the hill and back into town, Dennis and Diana pointed out a large painting of a stick figure saint on a local hill. Apparently this was done by local University students to show support for one of their sporting teams years ago, but it remains today as a minor local attraction. Along the way we learned that Diana spent several months in the USA a while back and drove from Los Angeles to New York City and back in a rental car. They enjoyed visiting the small USA towns in “the outback” where the local USA residents were often surprised that they were all the way from Australia.
Diana and Dennis dropped us off very near the visitors information center where we would catch the shuttle bus back to the ship. We really enjoyed meeting them and they made our visit extra special. They get to the USA from time to time and the next time they are in Southern California we hope they look us up so we can return the favor. Townsville is truly the friendliest town in Queensland!
NOTE: Townsville also had free Wi-Fi hotspots in many places around the city – always worthwhile to check once in a while as you move around. There were also paid mobile hotpots called Testra Air that offered fast service for $5 an hour or $10 a day. I think they are part of T-Mobile and may be free if you are already on their system.
As we arrived back on the ship we welcomed the rush of cool air as we stepped onto the ship and off the gangplank. Henk, the Hotel Director, was right in front of us, in civilian clothes, as we all waited to go thru security screening. While we were all enjoying cool air in contrast to the hot air outside, we joked that soon enough we would start to complain about the ship being too cold – in reference to some remarks at yesterday’s Q and A. Henk smiled but we knew that he was probably thinking that our little joke would become all too true once he got back to his office.
Once we let go our lines, the ship rocketed out to sea as it was a straight shot to open ocean and we reached full cruising speed almost immediately. The pilot boat chased behind and would soon retrieve their pilot once we were clear of local waters.
Sail Away was lightly attending and very low energy. The selection of music was more suited for the Ocean Bar before early seating than creating a lively atmosphere for an exciting sail away. We learned thru later conversations that many people were drained by the heat and a long day of sightseeing and spent the Sail Away napping in their cabins.
Dinner continues to be phenomenal, and just when I think it can’t get any better or sustain this level of quality, they produce another memorable meal. Our waiters have picked up a few more guests in our section – not sure if they are on fixed or are just passing thru on open dining.
Patrick McMahon, was the entertainer tonight and produced a high energy show singing like Neil Diamond, Johnny Cash, Kenny Rogers and others. His rendition of Neil Diamond was amazing and he wowed the house.
We had a wonderful day in Townsville and look forward to our visit to Cairns tomorrow.
This entry was posted in 2016 Grand World Voyage, Austrailia, Oceania, Townsville
It was wonderfull having your vessel visit us yesterday and special thanks to Dennis and Dianna for being such excellent ambassodors for Townsville.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about your adventures and hope that you may visit again one day. There is so much more for us to show you, such as ReefHQ, the largest living coral aquarium in the world (I happen to be one of the volunteer staff and committee member).
Cheers and calm seas ???
I was not familiar with your fine city till our visit. I will be sure to tell my friends and visit once more next time we are in Queensland
Glad you enjoyed Townsville, if youre ever over this way again dont forget to visit magnetuc island☺
Hi Pete, just read your blog bof your visit to Townsville vas I was one of the family members at the Fish Inn. So glad you enjoyed our city. Helen and I have just returned bfrom a cruise from Brisbane to Nouméa on Royal Carribean ship for 8 days. We were in the vicinity of the massive cyclone Winston but our captain avoided any rough seas and amended our itinerary to be safe. Many thanks. Gail Matthews, Diana’s cousin.
Thanks for your comment. We enjoyed meeting you all very much and had a wonderful day!