Tag: Sydney

THE RETIREES SAIL TO MELBOURNE FOR THE CUP – NOVEMBER 2025

Melbourne Cup 2025

I don’t have great fondness for horse racing generally. My Dad on the other hand enjoyed the mental exercise (he did not place a bet other than on the Melbourne Cup) that racing gave him to try to pick winners and he dedicated a lot of time to finding the formula to pick the winners. Now if he had found the formula and shared it with me, I might have had a different view about horse racing. As he did not find the secret my hunger to follow the “Neddies” has become limited to buying sweep tickets in the Cup.

2025 was going to be different.

With an “all clear” from my doctors, we booked plane tickets to Sydney, and tickets to sail to Melbourne with Carnival Cruises on the SS Carnival Adventure for the race day and then return. The thought even invigorated Kerry to make a new dress. By November she had sold the business leaving her with time to draft the pattern, find the fabric amongst the stockpile she had collected in 40 years of manufacturing dance costumes and produce the race day dress. Little did we know the challenges that would come with the planned adventure and beyond.

The flight to Sydney went smoothly, and we found our ship at dock awaiting the weighing of the anchor. On Board we had a large cabin with its own deck. The cabin was very pleasant in fact as the picture below demonstrates. Even the design with the bathroom tucked away behind the hanging space and cupboards was practical and comfortable. The ship departed Sydney Harbour as my photos below show providing us with a grand view of the Opera House, Naval docks, and the Sydney Heads. Outside of the heads, ocean as far as the eye could see. There were two days at sea and then we found ourselves in Port Phillip tying up at a terminal showing its age.

Photos – Departing Sydney, the Ship, farewell Sydney, our cabin and the terminal in Melbourne.

Carnival Cruises have the reputation of being a party ship. Well, there were not a lot of young people on board and the playgrounds on the upper decks were not filled with screaming children. That suited us. We walked the length and breadth of the ship and following are photos giving you an idea of the facilities aboard ship.

Photos – the Pool deck, Restaurant entertainment, the Night Club, the onboard Mare

We spent two days in Melbourne – one for the Cup and the other roaming around Melbourne. Race day started with a bus trip to Flemington Racecourse and the first indication of the massive crowd I would have to contend with all day. First of all we had to find the seats we had booked under cover and a clear view of the winning post. The throng of people was getting to me but I knew I was here for the day. Kerry had sewn a special frock for the event. Some might say it does not look special but she cut it out, sewed it up and looked very sweet in my view. We both had success with our bets which for us was rather unusual but lifted my mood from the maddening crowd. The pictures of the stands don’t tell the story of the crowds. This is very early on in the day.

Photos – Kerry’s frock, the Stands at Flemington, and some of the runners in the big race.

We returned to the ship again by bus so the bucket list was ticked off for the Melbourne Cup. All in all, the cruise and their organisation to get us to and from the course worked well.

We spent two days in Melbourne – one for the Cup and the other roaming around Melbourne. We went to the Crown Casino (professional interest only as a director of a Licenced Club in Brisbane). On the way we discovered a Chocolate Shop and sat down in the arcade to enjoy a delicious hot chocolate. One of the missing things on board the ship was a good hot choclate. Once the time ashore ended, we sailed back to Sydney. Aside from the entertainments on board ship we occupied our selves by reading. Fortunately we had brought books as the ships library was pathetic. Sailing back to Sydney did seem a waste of time, but it gave us time to relax, read and our return to Melbourne for the Formula 1 race in March. Little did we know that fate would dash those plans. It all started with preparations for Christmas – you need to read about it in THE RETIREES PREPARE FOR CHRISTMAS 2025. .

The Retirees travelling in Australia – New Year 2019 in Sydney

After seeing in the New Year our son and family arrived for brunch. This was the farewell and hand over of the car. The kids particularly Francis made me cringe at the thought of their forthcoming flight overseas. Francis can be boisterous and the confines of a plane – eek! Brunch passed relatively smoothly and after, I took possession of the car parking it in the Parking Station behind the Apartment.

Later that day after the kids had left we decided to take a trip by ferry to Manly perhaps to swim and cool off. We walked to the Pyrmont ferry past the Maritime Museum and boarded the ferry for Circular Quay. It was far more pleasant on the harbour than the previous evening (the humidity had dropped) and we enjoyed the sights at each stop. However we were not the only ones going to Manly that public holiday. Hundreds of other people had the same idea and we found ourselves sweating in queue for the ferry to Manly. On a good day it is always pleasant to cross the harbour to Manly and this was one such day. It brought back memories of my 50th birthday at Doyles on the Beach and our visit to Manly on NRL Grand final day a few years back.

 

We had thoughts that we would have a swim, but the surf was disappointing and the sun by lunchtime was stinging hot. Kerry found a table under the trees which we shared with a Jewish couple visiting Sydney on a ship. They had viewed the New Years Fireworks from on board – probably one of the ships tied up across the harbour from Pirrama Park. Others from their ship were seated around. Rod and I purchased the fish and chips whilst the girls enjoyed chatting with the visitors. Well maybe I did more than chat with the visitors and eat fish and chips.

Autumn colours
bush walk
bush walk
view from the end of Wellingtonia Ave
greens
yellows reds and browns
The Pyriamid
the god protecting the tunnel
Autumn colours
Cheshire cottage

Having abandoned the idea of swimming, we thought of an air-conditioned pub with views where we might pay a few hands of cards. On the corner of the esplanade and the mall we found the perfect spot and it has a rooftop Gin Bar meaning the girls were happy too. A few hands of cards a couple of drinks finishing with a tasting plate of ice creams in air-conditioned comfort. Tough life. I tried my hand at taking some more shots of the locals enjoying the beach from on high. I did not have the same success as earlier.

ferns in the glen
Wal of stumps
the Stumpery
along the Watchtower

Photos

The trip back to Sydney was arduous after an afternoon in the pub and waiting for the ferry to arrive. once on board and sailing it was again refreshing with cooling sea air blowing through the cabin. Back at the Apartment it was days end and we were rewarded with a brilliant sunset. We looked from our balcony across the roof top gardens on the building beside us (the carpark with apartments on the roof ) and with the sun setting the sting of the sun was now bearable. A gentle breeze caressed our languid bodies slumped with exhaustion in the balcony chairs. A perfect setting to end the day.

to the Glen
the temple
bridge to China
the lake
another deity
crossing to the temple

Next day we farewelled our fellow travellers checked out of the apartment and went to find the car in the adjoining carpark. Age must be wearying my memory. Although I could remember perfectly where I had left the car, I was very unclear about which floor that was.

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

 

 

The Retirees travelling in Australia – New Year 2019 in Sydney

It all started with doing a favour. Our son has been posted overseas. This meant a partial rearrangement of things here in Aus but this all changed when the posting went from 1 year to 4 years. We offered to garage one of their cars picking it up in Sydney just before they flew overseas. We would stay in Sydney for the New Year tick off the New Year Fireworks from the bucket list and then drive to the Southern Highlands and the Hunter Valley.

With the change in the posting the vehicle was sold to one of our daughter-in-law’s family who would fly to Brisbane to pick up the car. This forced a change to our plans. We arranged to meet the Buyer at the Newcastle Airport and we return to Brisbane from Newcastle.

So, having set the scene we arrived in Sydney on 30th December having met up with our co-travellers in Brisbane. We were staying at Pyrmont at the Oaks Goldsborough. This is the old Goldsborough Mort building transformed from a Wool Store to apartment accommodation. Pyrmont is an old area of Sydney and very interesting to walk around. We visited Pirrama Park where we expected to spend New Years Eve to view the fireworks over the harbour and judging by the tables and chairs so were a lot of other people.

part of the garden
entombed warriors
another entombed warrior
viewing the Remembrance Day history
a grotesque
Entry to the church
the cupola

31 December and we made certain of our spot by arriving early at Pirrama Park. It was a hot afternoon and even the harbour did not seem to cool it off. Two cruise ships docked getting ready for the fireworks. By sunset the crowds had shuffled in and we were thankful for our planning. One thing we did not plan adequately for was the deluge of rain that bucketed down around 7.30 pm. Our umbrella was saturated and leaking rain onto us. We were drenched so we returned to our apartment to change into dry clothes and returned just as the 9.00 pm fireworks commenced.

The weather held off but provided the perfect darkened sky to illuminate the fireworks at midnight and the change of the year. As usual the fireworks were spectacular, but a picture paints a thousand words so here are the photos.

Tea room
Looking out from the entrance at the garden
A beautiful lady under the mistletoe
the nine private apartments
view back to the gift shop from the Araucaria Parterre

We walked back to the apartment along with all the other revellers and made it to bed well after the new year had begun.

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨