Day 4: All aboard the Splendor

Here we go - sail away was spectacular

What a smooth boarding process! Augers well for a great trip. The UBER arrived on time and with plenty of room for passengers and luggage. Had no traffic holdups and had a mature Aussie driver with loads of stories, who kept us entertained for the trip.

Farewell Norther Beaches, hello Carnival Splendour

He delivered us right alongside the Carnival Splendor and the port authority and ship staff combined to make the all-aboard seamless and pleasant. Basically we strolled through - answered a few questions, had a photo taken, had passes scanned, put our carryon through the scanner - and we were on within 10 minutes. Reported to our Muster Station and were early for lunch!!! Of course we were.

Barely a pause in the on-boarding ... zipped through

Welcome aboard

Can't believe we scored a perfect covered deck table with views of the Opera House for our first meal on board. Plenty of food and drink choices and in absolutely no hurry to move on.

Farewell to Sydney

The staterooms opened right on time at 1.30 and our balcony cabin was spacious and conveniently located near the lifts. The luggage hadn't arrived but that didn't matter, we knew it would eventually. 

Our team of six ready to tick off bucket list adventures

Ventured back to join the throngs outside - listened to some music, took up some space on the dance floor in the lobby and used the afternoon to explore lots of nooks and crannies. First impressions- lots of people, very wide age range, not many children (think we have spotted three), definite queues for everything , very noisy.

We joined the majority of the passengers on board for the #Sail Away. And yes, perched high up on Deck 10 we had sweeping views of the absolutely stunning backdrop provided by Sydney Harbour and The Heads. Even had a couple of spouting whales to join the flotilla that was making up the farewell party. 

Predictably... the man and his map

Plenty to see and do! Not the least of which was to get the HUB app working and finesse the booking, planning and account access and to connect to the ship's WiFi. Had some housekeeping to do in picking up the wine vouchers. There is no alcohol package on offer on this ship - just a wine bundle offer.

Sampling the grand staircase in The Lobby

We were in the hunt for a drink and found what we thought was a quiet spot in the Alchemy Bar. Soon realised we were at a mixers event for singles ..... moved next door to the Piano Bar ... only to discover an LGBTQ event was scheduled for there. Think we might need to read the fine print a little more carefully in order to find our tribe. 

Spot the dancers hitting the floor

I did put in a call to @Mum to describe the scene in the Harbour and to get her tip for the Cup. She had just drawn number 14, #Half Yours in the sweep at the nursing home. Her advice verbatim was "Don't back it. It's the only Australian bred horse in the race. Even if it started now, it wouldn't beat another runner home." As a predictably defiant child, I told @Mac - "That means it is a sure thing and I am going to be on it."

Met up for champagne toasts to a successful #Sail Away hosted by @LoRi and somehow, wrangled the bookings to get a table for 6 in the #Black Pearl. We were right in the mix of things adjacent to the serving station. It was noisy and rushed but we did have front row seats for the entertainment which was accompanied by extremely vigorous napkin waving.

Cheers to courses AND horses

Had a little laugh because there were platform pillars all through the restaurant. Our waiters, who morphed into the entertainment by donning "carnivale jackets," jumped up on these tables to do their thing. I really think she has only done it once in public at the comedy show in Vegas, but it did make me think of the #Fab5's very own @NaughyOne - made me laugh!

Had nothing on @TheNaughtyOne

Headed out to the multi level theatre, #TheSpectacular for what we thought was a first 9 pm show. Um.No. it was an introduction by the very enthusiastic cruise director @Lizzie to her team and some of the upcoming events. Our group of 6 were walkouts. 

Definitely had some unpacking and stateroom organisation to complete and retired for the evening with absolutely no plans or structure for our first day at sea tomorrow. With one exception ...  i did have early morning NFL to tune into. 

Doof, doof doof ... hmmm. There is a vibration of sound from music from somewhere on the ship that was the hypnotic background for sleep. 

PS Empathy shot. A girl's got to do a little unpacking.

Day 3: Sydney or bust

Preparing for next year

A leisurely start to the morning that included a 9:30 checkout and a little deviation to Stocklands Forster to jump on some Halloween bargain costumes so we could be prepared for "next" year.

Only made one wrong turn on our three and a half hour journey and that was at #Tuncurry because we were chatting on the phone. Meant that the GPS instructions didn't come through the speaker and we just whizzed past the turn off. Other than that, it was smooth sailing with a stop at a Service Centre for lunch, along with a bus load of students.

Just one stop ... for lunch

Dropped a location pin for our final run into the Northern Beaches so @Loraine and @Richard could keep track of our progress. Even got a phone call when they thought we had veered off track.

Arrived at last

Warmly welcomed under cloudy skies and a sprinkle of rain and only time for short catch up before getting into the car to join the family for a celebration of @Richard's 70th. Great food, lots of talk and laughter all with the background buzz of their 5 grandchildren. As the evening progressed, we received written invitations to attend their children's "show" - so beautiful. Two 6 year olds,  two 3 year olds and a toddler- already building family traditions. There was cake, candles, singing, statements of gratitude from everyone (very moving) and even party bags for the little uns.

Nothing like a party bag to celebrate 70

No lingering late night. We were home, packed and organised by 10 pm ready for tomorrow. Excited.

PS Empathy shot. Feels like I've been couped up in the seat all day.

PPS meanwhile at home ... seems every day there is another wild outbreak of storms.

Day 5: All at Sea

Standing room only for the Lobby

We still love a day at sea and this was no exception. This was tine explore the #Carnival Splendour and try and get our sea legs. Definitely had the sea bands on because the ship was a little wobbly and we had to hold onto the rails in the corridors amd on the stairs. Confessing that after a few laps of the ship I still had absolutely no idea if I was forward or aft or up or down. 

In confession mode, i have to admit that I was a little distracted for most of the day. I was glued to ESPN watching the NFL. Just had my earbuds in and wandered around as part of the group. I didn't really get to be "in the moment" until after 3 and KC's loss was confirmed.

Crowds in the Lobby for Trivia ... and all day in fact

My sketchy recollection is that we fronted up to the  Golden Pearl for brekkie, joined a trivia comp for the Melbourne Cup (extremely obscure questions and @Loraine and @Mac only scored in single digits), attended a lesson in the Theatre to learn "How to bet on the Melbourne Cup" and tuned into the phantom race call (not sure this was an essential lesson for our punters), tried a jigsaw in the relative quiet if the Library,  easily spotted the lunch venue and the Red Frog for cocktail choices.

Found a seat

Definitely confined to indoor options - blowing a gale outside, overcast and occasionally very wet.

Made our way to participate in the entertainment in the Lobby for a few sessions during the day but it really was so constantly crowded. This is the central hub of the ship and it is bordered by Guest Services and the shopping precinct. It is always buzzing - but with seating for about 80, it is really standing room only or a lean over the rails view from the deck above. A little tricky to find space here - and a shame really because lots of fun on offer.

Easily find food!

This ship does seem a little more crowded that we have previously experienced. It is sort of reminiscent of Expo queues - you need to line up for everything. The coffee queue was crazy - we have only found three outlets so far for the 3000 passengers on board!!

Mind you, there is a system to avoid delays for meal sittings. You can't pre book a time days ahead, however when your party is ready you can "check in" on the APP and all members of the group are notified when the table is ready. You get 10 minutes to report to claim the table ... and all members of the group have to report at the same time. Hmm. Bit tricky scampering from one end of the ship to the other,  but with shortcuts and lucky timing in the lifts - we did make it.

Cracked another bottle of champers as pre dinner indulgence, had repeat seating for dinner and took in a "real" show in the #Spectacular. High energy cast of 8 with elaborate staging, lighting and costuming.

Show ready

Definitely need the sea bands as the #Splendour continues to make its way south - not turbulent -  but a noticeable roiling and rocking!

The real punters needed time to study the form in preparation for the big race - I was more concerned with fluffing some life into the feathers on my fascinator and checking the weather predictions every hour!

PS Empathy shot.  Making time to study the form

Day 2: “Throw the rope and jump on board, Love”

 

A magic day -land and sea

That had to be my favourite line of the day. No, we are not on the big boat on the way to Melbourne, that was @Peter directing First Mate @Linda in our successful launch of KkeSaam for our perfect start to a day of getting to know the highlights of Forster. It certainly was an advantage to tap into the knowledge of @Linda and @Peter who are 30 year locals here.

Tucked away in coastal Northern NSW it certainly is a gem and the fact that we dropped the “r” and pronounced it correctly as FOSTER … we were almost locals after just 12 hours.

Getting there early for a spin around Wallis Lake

Started the day with the pelicans next to the boat ramp at the breakwater and had our expert introduction to Forster by water. We travelled for two hours into and around the smooth, clear reflective waters of Wallis Bay, circling islands, exploring keys and canals, negotiating shallows, keeping our eye on the channel markers and salivating over the oysters beds. Thousands and thousands of oysters just doing their thing in the endless chain of farms. @Linda and @Peter had a constant stream of stories around the indigenous heritage, the natural landscape, the businesses, growth and development of the region. Lots of boats - plenty of successful fisherman and no shortage of bobbing milk bottles marking the crab pots luring the next mud crab.

All aboard

Take up your viewing spots

Perfect reflections 

Of course, our locals somehow summoned nesting eagles and a pod of dolphins for our viewing pleasure as well. Loved our morning on the water and with the boat expertly manoeuvred onto the trailer and winched into position (we were useless extras in this carefully orchestrated team of two activity … they have it down pat, complete with hand gestures and words of encouragement) we headed straight for the sheds of Barclays Oysters to pick up our feed of the Wallis Bay produce. 

What a team

@Peter had to dash off to work, but @Linda met us for a coffee shop breakfast before loading us up in the Cruiser for the “land” tour. Reflected and commented out loud often during this day how beautiful Australian beaches are! So many shades of blue, white sand, curving coastline, nudged by gentle rolling hills, lush vegetation, clear skies and sunshine and warmth. We had it all today.

Up, down and around - thanks for the day @Linda
Crossed the dual hump of the bridge to check out #Tuncurry, the ocean bathes and the sister cub at #Sporties before hitting the coastline. Had vantage point and beach views of Main Beach, Pebbly Beach, The Tanks, One Mile Beach, Cape Hawke, Seven Mile Beach, inland through Booti Booti National Park to eventually pop out to one of those breath taking gasping prelude views of Seal Rocks. Oh my, was worth the drive and we scored the paragliders putting on a show for us - complete with the added bonus of whales spouting in tthe background.

Blues above and below

And because we hadn’t already had enough of those sweeping views of this coastline, ventured a little higher to the #Sugarloaf Lighthouse. A 700 metre serious climb (@Linda and @Mac took in the sights at height while I managed the lower areas and was focussed on defending the area from the dingoes.) Cascading waterfalls, heritage cottages and the lighthouse were the backdrop to another picturesque view of the coastline and hinterland and you guessed it - more whales but thos time putting I n an acrobatic show of breeching. 

The goal - Sugarloaf Lighthouse 

Got three heart rate going - a steep climb

A big day rounded out with a BBQ hosted by @Linda and @Peter in their beautiful home - cathedral ceilings, floor to ceiling glass and open plan living meant we had magic views of their kingdom! The streets were buzzing with streams of children in Halloween costumes, we could look left to the ocean, straight ahead to suburbia and right to the sunset. Munched our way through three courses (yep, oysters hit the spot) solved absolutely no problems of the world - simply soaked in the company. 

Chilling ... because we can

Said our goodbyes with the hope that our travel paths will cross again and no doubt, as we headed out the door, they were scrambling to their suitcases to do their packing prep for their departure to #India on Wednesday. Um, maybe not, @Peter is a @Mac soulmate … throws a few things in the bag the day before. 

Big big thank you @Linda and @Peter - definitely “doing it with locals” was the best. 

PS Empathy shot. Not sure if this is Little Red Riding Hood or Dracula's Toothy Assistant - but a definite party girl for Halloween  

Day 1: Giddyup road trip start for the Cup

 

First leg of the trip - arrived in Forster

Without a doubt - the hero of the day was @Mac. Daisy Hill to Forster - left at 7.20 and arrived at the QLD time of 2.40. Only needed one stop at Ballina for brekkie (rookie mistake - ordered McDonalds) and “comfort.” The word from the driver’s seat is that I had 5 nanna naps (I am legal now )  but was awake enough to take in the two little showers of rain and the endless green countryside that flanked the dual highway all the way. Seems a little rude that the non driving passenger gets to comment that “It was an easy drive” -  but the divided highway, two lanes, no towns (except Coffs) did seem to suit be a dream run.

McDonalds vs Wild Bean - very sad

The only hold up was the drive from Daisy Hill to just south of Nerang. It was bumper to bumper all the way - what a nightmare daily commute for those impacted - and the traffic north was equally stacked up. No worries, I was able to introduce @Mac to his first listen of tracks 1-12, without pause or skips, of “The Life of a Showgirl.”  For the other 6 hours 50 minutes of it was his eclectic playlist which, amongst its highs and lows for my ears, strongly features his favs from Led Zeppelin.

Destination today was Forster the home town of fellow travellers @Linda and @Peter. We didn’t even know this little gem existed. Left the highway to head to the coast and have to admit that the bridge, coastal sand and the squillion variations of turquoise of the lake was absolutely stunning. 

Rewarding the driver

Welcome to our home for 2 nights - water everywhere and so beautiful

We are staying in a “cabin” in the Holiday Village and it was beautifully presented - immaculately clean, spacious and comfy couches and beds.  Just a short walk to the river and we took the opportunity to stretch our legs after a day in the KIA. Had a chat with a few locals - she had a crochet hook making earrings so it was the perfect point of connection - and we were able to glean some heads up on local highlights.

Not that we needed them because @Linda and @Peter had us covered. They collected us for a night out at #Club Forster. What a venue. A massive community club that wraps around the edges of a golf course - it had everything - including the biggest children’s play area I had ever seen in a licenced venue. The usual climbing frames and slides, but also crazy swings, a flying fox, mini basketball court and even a purpose built hill for the children to roll down! I know, not the reason that you seek out a club … but was so impressive. As was the entire venue - massive ceilings, glorious glass windows in some area, stone and wood panelling, spiral staircases, sports bar, pokies rooms, stunning tiles, carpet and lighting, nooks and crannies hosting lots of regulars and EVERY staff member operated with a smile and as appropriate a warm, familiar engagement with the “community members” who made up the regular clientele.

An intro to #ClubFoster - a big hit

We settled into a bar area, were joined by fellow travellers from the same Japan trip @Lynne and @Steve and as a group of 6 we revisited our past trip and caught up on the latest news and planned travel options. All with background hubbub of a buzzing community centre and accompanied by a walk down memory lane of music delivered superbly by the blind pianist!

Dinner was special - @Mac’s pork knuckle fell off the bone and he was so focussed on getting every last morsel he didn’t even notice that he was surrounded by the Asian delights of chilli prawns, soft shell crab and a pad Thai. Generous servings, very reasonable prices and mouth-wateringly delicious - all whipped up and delivered with smiles and a warm inclusive sense of “welcome” by the #ClubForster team.

More drinks and conversation in another bar (resisted the pokies) and as a close to the evening we hatched plans for tomorrow. The daylight savings time snatched away an hour on the clock, but after an early on the road start this morning, we were happy to fall into the comfort of our “boutique” holiday accommodation and call it a night as the clock showed it was already tomorrow.

PS Empathy shot - how we felt at the end of the day.