Tag: australia

A Slow Start

Ok, that was a bust. We get on the ship and have our orientation and then…..nothing. An announcement  comes on the intercom that we are delayed by a day because supplies were late getting to the ship. Unfortunate but we are certainly not uncomfortable and the itinerary will change slightly. Moving on, there is nothing that can be done so sit back and enjoy the day.

The next day, as promised we are off on the and leave the harbour for the start of the cruise north through the Timor Sea to the Island of New Guinea in Indonesia. It’s a long trip that will take a full day. There is enough to do on the ship, including getting rid of jet lag and everyone is in good spirits.

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A Long Voyage

 

Australia is a very long way away from Calgary. Big news I know, but until you have been 15 hours in the air you don’t really get it. This is the start of a trip around New Guinea on an expedition ship that will take us to some of the most inaccessible places on the planet. Snorkeling is the big attraction but seeing this part of the world has been high on my wish list for a long long time.

A few days in Sydney to get our feet on the ground and do the touristy stuff in the city before a flight to Darwin. We will have some more time in Sydney on the way back.

Darwin, and our group has gathered for the cruise. We wander around the city and for me the big attraction is the amount of Aboriginal art available. There are galleries and museums everywhere and the quality of the work is really very good. It doesn’t hurt that they are air conditioned and it is 37 outside and this Canadian is melting. A couple of hours in the galleries and it is time to board the Silversea’s Silver Explorer ship for the start of the cruise.

 
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Lake Argyle and Surrounds

Today was a full-day cultural experience! We went on the ‘jaliwang journey’ while taking a scenic flight to the aboriginal town of Warmun, took a tour around Argyle pink diamond mine, had lunch in the bush, cruised the waters of Lake Argyle and ended the day with a ‘dip’ in the water to cool off while watching the sunset on the bright red rock cliffs of the Kimberly region. Lake Argyle is Australia’s largest freshwater lake and is set among some of the most spectacular scenery on earth. A picture hardly does it justice.

Today was a jam packed day and my first real ‘taste’ of the Kimberly region. It certainly did not disappoint with its beautiful landscapes, colours, wildlife and history.

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Kununurra: the Heart of the Kimberly

After a day of travel with 2 flights via Broome we flew over the beautiful Cable Beach to join our flight to Kununurra with Airnorth, the major aviation operator in Northern Australia.
This flight was our first taste of the vast distances the Kimberly region has to offer. While flying from the west to the East of the Kimberly region you see just how rugged this land really is. After arriving at Kununurra country club resort, it was time to go straight to dinner. The night falls quickly in this part of Australia. We headed to the ‘pumphouse’ restaurant, built in 1963 and originally used as a pump station, it is located right by the picturesque Lake Kununurra.

Kununurra and the East Kimberly region is filled with some of western Australia’s most prized natural attractions, which I am super excited to share with you 😊

 

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Australian Tourism Exchange 2019

Tourism Australia really knows how to put on a successful event!

The Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) is Australia’s largest annual travel and tourism business-to-business event and brings together Australian tourism businesses, and tourism wholesalers and retailers from around the world through a combination of scheduled business appointments and networking events.

Around 1,500 Australian seller delegates from approximately 550 companies, 650 key buyer delegates from over 30 countries, and 70 international and Australian media outlet representatives attended this global event April 8-12. Organised by Tourism Australia in partnership with Tourism Western Australia, ATE19 took place at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre and Karen was in attendance.

After a week of meeting over 100 people, the week ended off with a party downtown watching the sunset over the city.

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