Nautical Neighbour

When I looked out into the backyard this morning I saw some chaps working on a mooring and another fellow in a kayak chatting with them. I thought they were working on the mooring for a little boat named "Pearl" that has been absent for a while.

Man in kayak having a chat with the mooring workers

I went around my business for the rest of the day and didn't venture outside until the late afternoon light created some nice reflections on the Lake. Phone in hand I started taking a few photos and, when I looked right, spotted something that wasn't there this morning.

Something new in the backyard

I spotted something new in the backyard. I realised that the mooring I saw getting attention this morning was a new one, a bit closer to our home than "Pearl's". Attached to the mooring was a new little sailing boat. Perhaps it belongs to the man I saw in the kayak this morning. 

 

Lovely afternoon reflection of our new nautical neighbour

I love watching the comings and goings in our quiet corner of Lake Macquarie. There is something new that attracts my interest each day.

In Anno Itinerantur - W is for Workers

In the past year since  travel opened up for Australians Robert and I have taken several journeys at home and overseas. While I posted many photos of these adventures on Facebook I want to leave a more permanent record of some of our adventures. This challenge provides me with opportunities to share my photos and stories while recording some personal history. 

I plan to share photos and stories from our travels between April 2022 and March 2023.  My theme this year is In Anno Itinerantur. 

Without the enormous team of people that work in the travel industry we wouldn't be possible to organise and undertake our journeys. Today's post is a salute to the Workers supported our travel habit over the past year.  

Top of the pops is the laundry team who work on the lower decks of the Regent Seven Seas Ships on which we regularly sail. All passengers on board Regent have free laundry so these chaps have a huge workload. When we board the ship we find a large box of posh chocolates in our suite that we do not need. On a recent cruise we gave them to Annie the Chief Housekeeper on board to pass on the laundry team. 

The laundry team with the posh chocolates (Photo - Courtesy Housekeeper Theresa)

The laundry team together with a huge team of invisible workers like the engineers, deck hands, chefs and galley staff have a huge impact on the success of our cruises. 

Deck hands and Security Officers who see us safely
on an off the tenders on Regent ships

A Tour Guide can make or break a tour. We have had our share of good, bad and indifferent. The women in the next two images were both passionate about the sites they showed us and extremely knowledgeable. I admired their fitness over some tricky terrain. 

Tour guide at Akrotiri, Santorini, Greece

Tour Guide at Phillipi, Greece

Mick, the Tour Leader on our Back-Roads "Italian Indulgence" tour of Northern Italy was caring, funny, adaptable and suave plus he knew his stuff. 

The admin staff at Club Med in Tomamu braved the cold to stand outside and farewell our buses as we left the resort. All of the staff members we encountered at the site were most helpful. As I sat inside watching the ski instructors teaching the beginners I was impressed by their patience. 

Au Revoir from Club Med, Tomamu

Ski Instructor (in red) giving encouragement to our granddaughter

It was not only the younger generation who learnt new skills on their travels. On our February cruise we had an opportunity to improve our photographic skills. See my post- Sea Days. 

Safety and security are major concerns for travellers and tour operators, it is comforting to see many people working to maintain our safety.

Railway staff at Werris Creek Station connecting trains from
Narrabri and Armidale for the journey to Sydney

Safety demonstration on board Coral Adventurer in Darwin. 

Security Check at St Paul's Cathedral, London

Security Officers at Luganville, Vanuatu

Lifeguards at the ready - Palm Cove, Queensland

While not a Lifeguard this pedicab driver was a Lifesaver on a hot day in Split, Croatia when he gave us a Five Euro ride back to our ship.

A Lifesaver in Split, Croatia

This strong Rower captained our boat and also acted as photographer on our ride in the underground caves at Melissani Lake, Greece. 

He row, row, rowed our boat at Melissani Cave or Melissani Lake, Kefalonia, Greece

Wherever we dock there are workers on the dock to help the deck crew dock and leave the port safely. On the way into port local pilots often board the ship to help guide us safely into port. Immigration and Customs Officials may also board the ship outside a port so that they can complete formalities before passengers set off for their tours in port. 

Casting off in Liverpool, England

Officials in Papua New Guinea board the ship via a rope ladder

Being able to forget about cooking, catering and housework is an element of travel that I relish. I have very few photos of the enormous number of workers who have seen to our comfort, cleanliness and sustenance.

This cook in a tent in a park near Shinjuku, Japan had a hot job

This waiter served coconut juice from a wheelbarrow in Navua, Fiji

And the hand of the waiter on Seven Seas Explorer poured the soup

Kitchen hand in Pizza Shop - London, England

One of the army of Cleaners who maintain the
pristine environment at Disney Tokyo

We would not get to experience the work of these amazing people above without the help and guidance of our fabulous travel agent, Adam Pearson, and his team at Travel Associates, Toronto, NSW. 

Adam and the team from Travel Associates, Toronto

Sunday Brunch

Reporting in from Sunday Brunch on Regent Seven Seas Mariner.. while cruising the Coral Sea.

What a spread!

The Breakfast Club - we breakfasted with these folk most days 

Ryan, one of our servers

Crepes to order

First World Problem

Although the internet antenna on our ship is broken we have a (mostly non-existent) internet connection until we pick up a spare part that is being flown to Fiji in a few days Meanwhile we are having a fab time in the Pacific. 

Tonight we dined with Captain Aivo.

Big Night Out

When some family members were unable to attend a local venue Lizottes they offered us their tickets for dinner and a show with The Whitlams. We accepted readily as I wanted to check out the venue and I'm always up for a night out.

One of our cheeky offspring asked if we had heard of  The Whitlams, and I said I'd heard of our former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and his wife Margaret but didn't know much about this rock band.

On Tuesday evening we donned our glad rags and headed to Lizotte's, which is set up in an old theatre in Lambton, a suburb of Newcastle, NSW. It was a good venue for a live gig as it's small and most tables would afford a good view of the act up on stage. A much better option for seeing the Whitlams than a huge entertainment centre. We did feel a trifle overdressed as most of our fellow audience members were casually attired. Shorts and a tshirt for a dinner and show - really?

Lizottes - A former theatre

Music themed decor at Lizottes

Apparently our included dinner could be taken between 6pm and 8pm with the show starting at 9pm. We opted for a 7pm dinner; next time we will go later as we didn't need two hours for dinner. I was expecting rather ordinary fare so was delighted with the quality and presentation of our included main course and our shared entree (purchased), the wine we had was a decent drop and wasn't drastically overpriced.

Calamari Entree

Scotch Fillet Main course

We enjoyed the two hour show although we weren't familiar with most of the music and we couldn't understand the words due to poor diction (or sound quality). I was most, impressed with the vocalist/keyboard chap who appeared to be le leader of the band, I loved the energy, enthusiasm and energy of the drummer who put his heart and soul into every number. 

Keyboard/Vocalist

Drummer

I wouldn't know if the guitarists were good or not but the long-haired one was totally engaged and appeared to be enjoying himself. The other chap was a physical presence who just stood and played; I got the impression that this was just a job to him, there was no evidence of any passion or feeling.

Guitarist

Guitarist

And the verdict. We will be following the offerings from Lizottes and look forward to returning for future events. While we enjoyed The Whitlams they are not high on our list for a return gig.

Insufficient postage

Robert is currently tidying his stamp collection that has been sitting unloved in the garage for twenty plus years. In among the jumble he found a treasure he had saved from his working days as Town Clerk at Waverley.

One of the ratepayers had a unique approach to insufficient postage on a letter sent to council.