Today, the city of Brisbane and its suburbs, are home to four million people. It is a thriving, multi-cultural metropolis, bursting at the seems with the arts, theatre, an amazing food and drinks scene and, let’s not dismiss, serious shopping!

Turn the clock back and Brisbane, originally called Edenglassie, was a place of secondary punishment for convicts who committed serious offenses in Sydney. In 1842, the city was declared open for settlement and it became known as Brisbane.

Sitting on the edge of the Brisbane river, some 2 1/2 miles from the centre of the city, is the Brisbane Powerhouse; today a performing arts and cultural centre which is housed within a former power station. It offers an array of live performances, visual art displays, festivals and a who’s who of culinary food trucks. 

Opposite the Powerhouse, and along the southbank, are a line of magnificent contemporary apartments and randomly sitting in the middle is an original home with its grass lawns in front!

Brisbane today, taken from Mount Coot-tha Lookout (the highest point in Brisbane).

Enjoying an adult beverage at the Felons brewing company!

Welcome to Brisbane in the state of Queensland, Australia. We arrived on Sunday morning to a perfect blue sky and a temperature of 88 F (31 C)! 

Running through the centre of the city is the Brisbane River serviced by a fleet of catamarans known as the CityCat and the KittyCat. Commuters and tourists pay to hop-on-and-off these boats which run from early in the morning to late at night. 

Jutting out over the city’s waterway, is the Brisbane Riverwalk which is divided into separate walking and cycling lanes extending for over five miles along the river. These lanes are also popular with runners and renters of electric bikes and scooters! Fortunately, the locals are very adept at manoeuvring around pesky tourists who stop in the middle of the wrong lane to take their photos!! 

For me, the real beauty of the city is that you can walk everywhere. And, if that’s not your thing, there is an extensive bus service and a rail network connecting the surrounding suburbs.

November 1 2024: Fly Houston to San Francisco and San Francisco to Brisbane, Australia

November 3: Arrive Brisbane

November 7: Board Silversea ship The Silver Muse

November 8: At Sea

November 9: At Sea

November 10: At Sea

November 11: Bay of Islands, New Zealand (NZ)

November 12: Auckland, NZ

November 13: Tauranga, NZ

November 14: Gisborne, NZ

November 15: Napier, NZ

November 16: Wellington, NZ

November 17: Picton, NZ

November 18: Nelson, NZ

November 19: At Sea

November 20: At Sea

November 21: At Sea

November 22: Arrive Sydney, Australia and fly to Adelaide

November 23: Adelaide

November 24: Adelaide

November 25: Adelaide

November 26: Fly to Sydney

November 27: Sydney

November 28: Sydney

November 29: Fly direct from Sydney to Houston

All good things come to an end and this is the final blog for our current adventure! Thank you for being part of this journey and I look forward to having you along for our next adventure!

We are in Adelaide to re-connect with the Krywanio-clan and what a wonderful time we had with this amazing family.

Oldest & youngest brothers – Chuck and Mike.

Front row, from left, Chuck & Mike Krywanio. Back row, from left, Brian & David Krywanio.

Tough View! This is what Chuck and Hawrie have to put up with every day of the week!

Hawrie, Mo-Mo and Me enjoying the sunshine!

Over and out.

Greetings from the Krywanio klan stronghold in Adelaide, Australia.

We are enjoying the wonderful hospitality and company of Michael’s nephews – David and his wife Shannon and Brian.

First stop, The Cube for a little culture attending a Salvador Dali art exhibition followed by wine tasting. And, then off to lunch at the Star of Greece restaurant in Port Willunga, South Australia. Above, from left, David and Brian Krywanio.

Boasting magnificent views of the sea and beach and the venue of David and Shannon’s wedding last year, we enjoyed stonking food and wine! Above, from left, Brian, David and Mike Krywanio.

Above, from left, Mike, Amanda, Brian and Shannon Krywanio.

We have now disembarked from our ship and are enjoying the last day in Singapore before heading down under!

The country’s national icon is that of a mythical Merlion. The fish-like body symbolizes Singapore’s origins as a fishing village and its head represents the city’s original name of Singapura (lion city in Sanskrit).

I had to make do with photographing Baby Merlion (including a pesky pigeon on its head that would not move!) as the full-sized version which stands 28-feet tall and weighs 70 tonnes is being renovated! 

En route to Adelaide, there is a Lego Merlion for sale in Singapore airport!

Sorry for not blogging yesterday but we experienced a travel malfunction! More on that in a few …!

Our ship has arrived in Singapore where we began our adventures a month ago! We had yet another glorious day exploring the culture and sights of this amazing country.

Mike and I enjoying a boat ride on the Singapore River.

Although we are doing well ticking the “must see and do” boxes, we were able to visit the Sky Park of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. At a height of 650 feet from the ground, the views are spectacular!

The infinity pool of The Marina Bay Sands Hotel.

Singapore’s financial district.

Our final tour in Nha Trang, took us to the Po Nagar Cham Towers which is a special architectural complex of great cultural and historical value.

A collection of Cham artifacts dating from the seventh to the 13th century can be found within the towers. The Cham Kingdom was thriving at this period and Hinduism was practiced. 

The word Po Nagar means “The Mother of Vietnam” in the Cham language.

A tour guide in traditional Vietnamese dress.

A view of Nha Trang’s fishing village from the top of the Cham Towers.

Coming alive around 4 a.m., Cho Dam market is the largest and best known in Nha Trang city. Local people usually start shopping around 6 a.m. before the heat kicks-in, buying their seafood and necessities of life from a wide range of stalls.

There is also an extensive section of the market dedicated to souvenirs and local gifts ready for savvy tourists to barter for the best price. Warning, nearly all the branded goods sold in the markets are fakes!

Our tour guide took us to where her Mum sells betel nuts and leaves. Once used as a stimulant and antiseptic, it is now believed that chewing betel leaves may cause oral cancer and can permanently stain teeth black!

Fresh fruit stall.

Flower stall.

This is our final stop in Vietnam before our ship heads to Singapore.

Nha Trang is on the south-central coast of Vietnam. It is known for its beaches and scuba diving and has developed into a popular destination for international tourists, attracting large numbers of backpackers as well as more affluent travelers on the south-east Asia circuit. It is already very popular with Chinese and Korean tourists, and has, what many say, as one the world’s most beautiful bays.

The Lotus flower is the national flower of Vietnam and represents purity, commitment and optimism for the future. Likely this metal depiction on a round-about helps the scooter drivers as they take their lives in their hands, daily!