Bali

We arrived in port in Bali this morning before 11, to the busiest waterfront of any stop we know.  We met our tour group at noon, for a drive through the city of Bali and the countryside, with stops at Ulun Danu Beratan on Danu Beratan Lake, and the Secret Garden for a snack and coffee.  We passed through the very busy religious city (full of Hindu temples), and countryside of agricultural fields and rice terraces.  It was a long day for us and not at all how we imagined.  Bali’s income is 70-80% from tourism, but 80% of the people work in agriculture.  The average monthly wage in 2024 was $160-320.  It seems that a large number of tourists stay exclusively in resorts, without much interaction with the locals.  Our tour was very informative.

Komodo Island

We arrived in the Komodo Islands this morning during breakfast, to calm seas and spectacular views.  Komodo Island - the largest in the national park is a UNESCO world heritage site, famous as the sole natural habitat of the Komodo dragon, the largest lizard in the world.  The steep hillsides of the Komodo Islands are covered in green, many fringed in pink sand beaches.  They are beautiful!

We took a tour of Komodo Island with three guides, walking on well worn paths over 1.5 miles.  We saw 7 or 8 Komodo dragons.  Male Komodo dragons can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh over 200 pounds, and females are slightly smaller.  They live 20-40 years in the wild.  They are carnivores and eat wild pigs and deer found on the island.  They are quite intimidating.  We enjoyed our visit to Komodo.

Cocktail Party

We were at sea yesterday, and arrived in Kupang, West Timor this morning.  Kupang is a rather poor city of over 400,000 people, with its port playing an important role in trade for the island.  Fishing is also important.  The ship provided a shuttle bus from the cruise terminal into town, and we took it round trip, without stopping.  

This evening, we attended a cocktail party for guests that have cruised multiple times with Oceania.  The ship’s captain talked for a bit and complimented the crew of 780, from 54 countries.  The Oceania Vista ship carries 1200 passengers, from dozens of countries.  The two cruises we have taken in the past month have been the most international we’ve ever taken.  On both ships, the language of the ship has been English.  

Darwin

We cruised into Darwin mid-morning today, under partly cloudy skies.  Soon after our ship was docked, we joined the tour, “Darwin’s Military Past.”  We traveled by bus through Darwin National Park, to view several bunkers from WWII.  We visited Darwin Aviation Museum, housing one of Australia’s largest collections of military and civil aircraft.  

We visited the East Point Military Museum, filled with photos and artifacts of Darwin’s wartime history, plus a small holocaust museum.  On February 19, 1942, Japanese forces launched two air raids on Darwin.  At 9:55 am, 188 planes were launched from aircraft carriers in the Timor Sea, targeting ships in the port, and the town center.  A second raid by 54 land based bombers followed at 11:55 am, targeting the RAAF base.  At least 235-250 people were killed and 300-400 wounded, including Australian military, US personnel, and civilians.  Eight ships were sun in the harbor, and the town’s infrastructure was severely damaged.  It was the first and largest foreign attack on Australian soil during WWII.  There were 96 more air attacks on Northern Australia, lasting until November 1943.  

We saw wallabies playing in a park along the way, a beautiful beach - Mindil Beach, and we stopped at Darwin’s Esplanade to visit the Cenotaph, the primary site of remembrance for the victims of WWII bombing in Darwin, with a flame sculpture reminding us “Lest We Forget,” as we arrived.

We also learned of Cyclone Tracy’s devastation of Darwin in December 1974.  It hit on December 24 after 10 pm, with winds over 135 mph for hours.  Residents were celebrating Christmas and didn’t immediately acknowledge the emergency.  Sixty six people died, 70% of Darwin’s buildings were destroyed, including 80% of houses.  Over 30,000 people were evacuated after landfall, of whom many never returned.  Darwin suffered two devastating events within 30 years - bombing and a cyclone.  Darwin is remote from the rest of Australia and an interesting place, with a beautiful location on the sea.

We saw our ship from the Esplanade, with a storm brewing.  We arrived back at the ship just as rain started to fall.

Two Days at Sea

After leaving Cairns, we are making our way to Darwin, over 1200 nautical miles.  The weather is nice and warm, the sea is calm.  The sky is dotted with puffy clouds.  It is beautiful! 

Rainy Day in Cairns

We arrived in Cairns under rainy skies, our first full rainy day of the last month.  With umbrella in hand, we left the ship and went for a walk.  Papa stopped for a haircut along the way, and I continued walking for five miles, along Cairns Esplanade.  The waterfront of Cairns is absolutely beautiful, with old growth trees in a long grassy landscaped garden lining the boardwalk.  It has wide bike paths and walking trails, playgrounds, exercise areas, picnic tables and benches, and a salt-water lagoon.  It is lined with restaurants and shops and is the heart of the city.  Cairns is home to 170,000 people.  It is a major tourist destination in Australia, with access to two UNESCO world heritage sites, the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef.  Cairns is beautiful, even in the rain!

Billabong Sanctuary and Townsville

After arriving in Townsville Harbor this morning, Papa and I took a ship excursion to the Billabong Sanctuary, with animals of Australia.  We enjoyed seeing dingos, kangaroos, wallabies, crocodiles, meerkats, wombats, koalas, cassowary, turtles, birds, and more.  We had fun!

After seeing the Billabong Sanctuary, we took a ride through the town of Townsville, with over 200,000 people, and the largest Australian military base in the country.  Downtown was scattered with historic buildings, and there was a military fort built in the 1800’s and used during WWII.  Castle Hill, a pink granite monolith overlooks the whole town.  We hiked up to Kissing Point - site of a military fort built in 1891 and rebuilt through the years, then used during WWII in defense of Australia, along with the Americans help, against the Japanese.  We hiked down the other side of Kissing Point and around the Strand Rockpool.  Rockpools are built into coastal rock shelves, offering calm, saltwater swimming year round.  We’ve seen them everywhere we’ve visited along the coast and they are quite popular.  Townsville is Australia’s largest copper, lead and zinc port.  Townsville was a substantial, very nice city!