Fiji is an archipelago nation of 330 islands in the south Pacific, lying approximately 1300 miles north east of New Zealand. The total population is roughly 930,000, the majority of whom live on either Viti Levu or Vanua Levu. Today Queen Anne docked at the port of Suva on the…

Vanuatu is a country in the south Pacific Ocean consisting of approximately 83 islands spread over some 1300 km. Most of the islands are not close together and weather and sea conditions can make travel between them very difficult. This creates challenges for those members of the population who do…

This morning we walked around The Rocks neighbourhood of Sydney, which is right next to the ship. This attractive historic neighbourhood is home to lots of independent shops, restaurants and bars. We then walked around Circular Quay to the Opera House and stopped in a nearby restaurant for lunch, where…

Sydney is the capital city of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia, with a population of 5.5 million. Located on the east coast of Australia, Sydney is one of the most expensive cities in the world with an advanced market economy and a high standard of…

Australia Australia is the sixth largest country in the world with a land area of 2,968,464 square miles. It is the world’s flattest and driest inhabited continent and is also a mega-diverse country. Its territory encompasses a wide variety of landscapes and climates from tropical rainforest to barren deserts. The…

The Whitsunday Islands lie off the coast of Queensland and comprise of 74 islands. They were named by Captain Cook who sailed his ship HMB Endeavour around the islands on Whitsun (3June) 1770. The traditional owners of the area are the Ngaro and Gia peoples. Hamilton Island is the largest…

Wednesday 11 March, 2026 We don’t usually create diary entries for our sea days, as one day pretty much merges into the next. However there are a few things worthy of a mention today. Firstly, this morning at 7.40, we passed the Queen Mary 2 off the northeast coast of…

Darwin is the capital and largest city of the Northern Territory with a population of approximately 140,000. Perched right at the top of Australia, Darwin is 1648 miles from Perth, 1768 miles from Brisbane and 2324 miles from Melbourne. It has a tropical climate with a wet season and a…

Bali is an island in Indonesia situated just 2 miles east of Java. It is approximately 95 miles wide and 70 miles from north to South, with a land area of approximately 2158 square miles. Its mountainous interior rises to over 9000 feet and it has several active volcanoes. Rice…