Michael was late back to Darwin but Marian had assembled a cold collation including an NZ bubbly for our reunion feast. This we enjoyed outdoors in the relative cool of the evening outside the laundry waiting for our washing to finish!

The next morning we moved to the Hilton Darwin to start the delights of our cruise. We took the opportunity to use the Hop on Hop off bus to visit the Art Gallery and the East Point military museum. With our tickets still valid the next morning we did another circuit and spotted our cruise ship, The Silver Cloud, at the port.

Bleak mud flats at East Point

Harbour anchorages near East Point

Cullen Cove marina, the place to live in Darwin

Silver Cloud seen docked from the bus

Commercial harbour protected by a lock

Silver Cloud from the Hilton executive club, docking from her previous voyage

We boarded our ship through security and customs at lunch time the next day.