Serenity 10

Many different elements to our day – first stop in the morning – was at a memorial “Erected by comrades and the governments of Australia and New Zealand in memory of the members of the Australian Light Horse, the New Zealand Mounted Rifles, the Imperial Camel Corps and the Australian Flying Corps who lost their lives in Egypt, Palestine and Syria 1916-1918”.
The first Australian and New Zealand convoy left from Albany to fight in World War One on November 1, 1914.

Next, a walk in the wild to view “The Gap”, a cliff formation – from a cantilevered platform!

Vegetation here is similar to that in the Antarctic.

Looking way, way down under our feet

In the same area – an amazing Natural Bridge

A short drive and a long walk later – we hoped to see Blowholes if the sea was right

It was tricky walking – and no sightings today, but we sure heard the blows!

Another stop: The Whaling Museum. Whaling stopped here in 1978 – the museum is very well done, describing the hunt and eventual processing here of every bit of the whale.

Ahoy!

The whales were winched ashore on these rocks.

In an animal park nearby – a cuddly Koala …..

An Albino Wallaby…….

And a Bush-Stone-curlew

Our final stop – the beautiful white sands and walking trail of Middleton Beach. It was a wonderful day spent with good friends and amazing sights!

Here we are in the back of beyond, so to speak! Almost the very southwest tip of Australia in the Margaret River region. The little train is a symbol of the town – it runs along their mile-long wooden pier, the famous Busselton Jetty.

Farther south along the coast are numerous caves that are open to the public. We walked down many, many steps

More down (remember – what goes down….)

Our young guide was passionate

In the Lake Cave is a very, very slow-moving river that eventually empties into the ocean.

Crystal “straws” – the hollow beginnings of stalactites

Columns formed eons ago and the rock beneath eventually broke up and drifted away – leaving them “floating” in air!

The Lake Dragon 😊

These formations are “shawls”.

Magical, yes?

Nearing the top (puff, puff) and the magnificent Karri trees

Nearby a drive in the Karri forest

The Margaret River region is famous for its wines, but look what else we found!

We’re taking our time posting about our final port in Australia since we have seven consecutive sea days to cross the Indian Ocean! This final port was also the first in the 3rd segment on the World Cruise.

Ed and I both escorted tours in the afternoon which started by taking a ferry up the Swan River from the port city of Freemantle to Perth, the capital of Western Australia.

King’s Park in Perth is almost 1,000 acres of protected land and Botanical Gardens.

It is also the site of the State War Memorial.

In the park gallery/gift shop we were introduced to the Gum Nut Babies – a series of children’s books by May Gibbs.

Driving along the river through the affluent suburbs

And back to Freemantle

Freemantle’s beautiful colonial buildings are well preserved.

Land! After seven days at sea! We drove to an animal park as soon as the ship was cleared by local authorities.

The park’s grassland safari area is home to Blue Wildebeest, Cape Eland, Waterbock and Blisbok, among others.

Their two white rhinos are named Ella and Benjie.

The zebra had something on his mind

The jagged peaks in Mauritius are spectacular!

We stopped at beautiful Flic en Flac Beach

And the Albion Lighthouse, still functioning since 1910

Oo La La! Nous sommes arrivé á Réunion! Sorry – it’s so much fun to use my college French – even if it’s not quite right! The map shows the island and the route of our amazing helicopter tour!

We flew for almost a full hour over the volcanic interior of the island

I sat up front next to Vincent, our handsome young French pilot 😊

Ed was photographing from the seats in the second row while I was lucky to be watching the beauty beneath my feet and all around!

Piton de la Fournaise (Furnace Peak!) is among the world’s most active volcanoes.

Today, it is active!

Oui – were very close!

Vincent checking on his passengers – okay?

The cirques (calderas) are the sheer walls of collapsed volcanoes.

Yes, people do live in some of them. Isolated and without roads.

Time to return to the home base

The lovely lagoon below, closing out our most excellent adventure!

Our port is on the southeast coast of Madagascar. We drove inland on Sunday morning. The road was full of families going to church……..

And to the markets. Imagine balancing loads of charcoal on a bicycle!

Our 1 ½ drive to Andohahela National Park was like a thrill ride as our driver navigated the crater-like holes and avoided the foot and bike traffic.

Heading toward the highlands -

Across bridges,

Through villages,

And around livestock

We’re here!

Our hour-long trek in the hot, humid forest was not nearly as exciting as the drive here!

We did see the Triangle Palm trees (only growing here, and endangered, according to our guide).

Thank goodness this was not our transportation back to the port!

Madagascar is a beautiful but very poor country. The rice fields are for local consumption only.

The new president has promised to repair this essential thoroughfare.

Now back to the Serenity to lead the Sunday Protestant service at 5:15pm.

Scenes from Maputo Craft Market

Recycled tires garden art

This one is live

Me and George

The Maputo Train Station – voted 3rd most beautiful in the world by somebody

Home again, home again, jiggity jog

This is the first of our stops in South Africa. Please enjoy a few favorite pictures from our game drive in scenic Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve, a 90-minute drive from Richards Bay in Zululand.

Thanks to conservation efforts that began with Operation Rhino in the 1950’s, the Reserve now has the largest population of White Rhino in the world. Brought back from the brink of extinction (there were only 20 in 1900) there are 10,000 today!

Nests of the peculiar Weaver birds, entrance at the bottom of the nest!

A Cape Buffalo and feathered friends

We had had only a glimpse of a sleeping lion but there was no problem finding the Warthogs!

Durban is reinventing itself as a resort city, with amazing beaches, great weather and beautiful landscapes.

My assignment: “Durban Coastal Drive”, with Hästa as my mascot.

South Africa’s often violent history is the topic of many of the lectures onboard the Serenity as we travel these waters. The haggard pose of Dick King recalls his epic ride from Durban (then Port Natal) to round up reinforcements for the British Army in 1842.

Waiting for passengers along Durban’s “Golden Mile”

We left the city behind and drove north toward the “new city center”, passing suburban villages.

Most businesses have relocated here, away from the crumbling city and its problems.

Communities have sprung up, touting beauty and safety.

Back in the city our guide on the coach warned us not to walk here.

The unused former Tourist Information Center

This 36-foot-high Cenotaph with two angels raising the soul of a dead soldier is a memorial for the soldiers who died in World War One.

In past visits to Port Elizabeth, we have had excellent game drives but have never seen the city. Today we planned to walk from the port …….

To the old city center and the Donkin Reserve, shown here.

Ship’s agents, however, warned us about recent muggings and strongly advised against it.

Instead, for safety’s sake, we took the ship’s shuttle bus to the Boardwalk resort complex.

The good news was that we could walk by the beautiful beach.

Lifeguard training

Love this 😊

What an amazing sight! Cape Town and Table Mountain appeared out of the clouds as we sailed in Monday evening after hours of clouds and rain!

On Tuesday we drove toward Chapman’s Peak, a scenic drive that would take us along the Atlantic coastline.

The curvy Chapman’s Peak road was carved out of the sandstone cliffs, and atop the granite below.

Coming back to Cape Town

Near the port – a Brass Foundry displays their art – in the form of a little Warthog family’

Our stay in Cape Town extends over 3 nights and 4 days! What a treat, since there is so much to do in and around this great city! Tuesday evening the setting sun turned the “tablecloth” on Table Top Mountain golden!

Our evening entertainment was extraordinary! Precision flag twirling by the Hottentot High School majorettes ……

And……more than 20 bagpipes and drums, all on stage!

It was a wonderful blending of peoples and talents and ages – the future for which South Africa is striving.

Today is the start of the 4th and final segment of the 2019 World Cruise.

We joined friends for a day that would find us far from Cape Town, at Aquila Private Game Reserve. Our guide and driver, Maximillian

Narrow tracks for the people-transporters also make easy paths for elephants!

We slowly followed this guy until he decided to move off for some breakfast.

Pretty close, we were!

The reserve is huge, but it is still only large enough to support two juvenile males.

A White Rhino family urges baby to wake from his nap.

Another baby – about 2 ½ months old

Lions were sunning themselves and resting in their own secure part of the reserve.

A gathering place

Cheers!

A beautiful Springbok

Hästa and I emerging from a “dinosaur egg” in Aquila’s educational project, Eco-Synergy.

Two young lions are almost set to be released from the animal rescue center.

Our final day in Cape Town, time for Ruth to get a haircut on land and one last time to wander around the Waterfront

In the harbor fur seals were hanging out.

Water birds were lazy, too.

After leaving South Africa we came to this small port town in Southern Namibia.

The town was founded by Germans in 1883 and became very wealthy due to fishing, whale and seal hunting, guano harvesting and eventually diamond mining.

We drove into the Namib Desert to see a “Ghost Town”.

The discovery of diamonds in 1908 caused a “Diamond Rush” and an extravagant village arose providing homes and many amenities for the miners.

Those Germans, they even had a bowling alley!

Cooking for a crowd

Within forty years, this town in the desert flourished and then disappeared when diamonds were discovered elsewhere.