Ute and I embarked on the Carnival Encounter at the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal on Wednesday 19 August 2026 to join the other 2600 passengers aboard. The weather was perfect and luckily for us held that way for the whole 10 days of the cruise. We needed a refresher about the country as a whole and ChatGPT generated:
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Brisbane River
The Glasshouse Mountains visible in the evening glow as we crossed Moreton Bay
Heading north in the Coral Sea
Enjoying sea days from our balcony
We docked in Alotau on Saturday 22 August in slightly gloomy but very hot and humid conditions. Large convoys of buses waited to take us on our tours.
The locals welcome us ashore at Alotau dock
Milne Bay War Memorial built by Australia
With our guide, high-ranking administrator in his village, and knew his stuff
Central markets with the ever-present betel nuts
Bibiko Village
The locals
Dancing and cooking demos
Sampling the staple foods, great bananas
Chatting to the arranger of the beautiful flowers
Looking down on Alotau and Milne Bay with The Encounter at the port