travel – The Curry Apple Orchard

X for an eXcursion to Wellness Afloat

April 28, 2026April 28, 2026 lindamaycurry12 Comments

With my laparoscopic biopsy scheduled for the 21^st April I found out to my consternation that no swimming was allowed until the four incisions healed and that could take a month!

We had combined forces with my son to give Juliet a Wellness Sauna for her birthday. This involved jumping into Sydney Harbour between sessions of being slowly roasted so, as I was going too, we had to time it before the hospital visit.

Friday the 17^th April was forecast to be 29 Celsius which is very warm for the second month of Autumn. A rain storm was expected in the late afternoon and as our booking was for 2 o’clock I was a little apprehensive. Any fears about jumping in with sharks were allayed as there is a netted enclosure off the pontoon.

Then I worried that saunas may be off limits after chemo. I did a Google AI search which came up with mixed messages, but on the whole it seemed to say it was OK.

John waved me off on the train which was very crowded. People were coughing so I worried I might catch something which would prevent my biopsy on Tuesday.

Changing trains at Redfern I found I was on the same carriage as Juliet so we travelled on to Circular Quay in a happy mood.

Lunch at a café overlooking Sydney Cove lightened our spirits even more although we spent a few anxious minutes looking for a “small white boat with potplants on the roof” while we waited at Campbell’s Cove. We were pleased to find we were the only people on board and enjoyed a scenic boat ride where the driver stopped and took a photo of us with the bridge in the background.

In front of the Coathanger

Our sauna was situated on a floating pontoon somewhere off Berry’s Bay. There was a deck covered with artificial grass and everything was made from recycled products except the wood which was sustainable timber. Inside the sauna was a large picture window looking out over the harbour. A wood burning stove surrounded by hot rocks provided the heat and a bucket of water with a ladle was designed to add a bit of steam and increase the humidity.

I’m enjoying the heat

After ten minutes we were glad to get out into the cooler air and didn’t hesitate to jump in the water which was cold at first but not unpleasant. The only problem was my cap floated off when I first jumped in so I was left bald headed. Fortunately I was able to rescue it before it sank but should have learnt my lesson as next time it sank straight to the bottom. I had other caps so didn’t have to go home in the train with a bald head.

Cooling off after a toasty sauna

Sitting on the pleasantly scented timber seats looking at the passing boats and the coals of the fire we talked companionably about many things. I was so glad we were the only ones as it was possible to relax completely. Our guide sat in his boat to give us privacy but checked on us now and again to make sure we were all right. Then he announced herbal tea was coming up in a few minutes so we used the fresh water cold shower and changed in the dressing rooms before having our tea and fruit. This is “Wellness Afloat” so no alcohol is allowed and as the energy balls had nuts to which my daughter is allergic we had strawberries provided instead.

The boat with the pot plants on the roof

Our guide dropped us off at Barangaroo so we could catch the Metro to Central. He promised to fish out my cap but I told him not to worry as I’ve plenty more. I’ve got a feeling he is going to find it at the bottom of that net and we are going to have to work out a way to get it back. As a keen recycler he is not just going to throw it in the bin!

The trip home flew by as I read a book on my phone. It takes an hour and a half, travelling through the Royal National Park and coastal villages with the lights of Wollongong ahead, welcoming me home.

W for Wending our Way to the Highlands (again)

April 27, 2026 lindamaycurry18 Comments

After my last round of chemotherapy in January it took at least three weeks to start feeling well enough to go out into the world. My doctor suggested four weeks as a benchmark for restarting Aqua Fit and Gym classes so with this in mind I felt able to book a Mothers’ Day present given in May, 2025.

It was a Mystery Picnic. It could be booked for Sydney, Hunter Valley and various country locations but I chose the Southern Highlands because it was closer and we were beginning to feel the effects of the war in Iran on our fuel prices.

After consulting the weather forecast I booked a day which promised to be warm and sunny but not too hot. The first task was to determine where we were going. The website gave a series of clues once we had redeemed our gift.

The first clue sent us to Fitzroy Falls but as there was no food to be picked up and we had been there many times before, we gave it a miss, thereby saving 16 kilometres worth of fuel.

The next stop was Moss Vale so we elected to drive up Macquarie Pass. It is undergoing some maintenance at the moment so we waited at a stop sign for a long time while traffic snaked along the single lane beside us. Still, the sky was blue, the trees tall and magnificent and we were out on a mystery picnic so no time for complaining.

At Robertson we paused at Moonacres Kitchen, a favourite coffee shop, for a flat white and a pastry. Very nice but we should have waited until we reached the first stop of the mystery picnic which was the Moss Vale Post Office. Built in 1891, the same year as Keiraville Public School, it was a Post Office for 100 years. PO’s all over the country have been abandoned as they have moved into smaller, more modern premises. They have often been turned into character filled galleries, cafes and restaurants. The old Moss Vale PO underwent significant restoration in 2017 and now serves breakfast, lunch and beverages in a beautiful heritage setting. We were able to choose two sweet treats from the cake cabinet which we took away with us for our picnic.

I had worked out the clues the day before so we would know where we were going so the next destination was the town of Berrima, ten kilometres away. Our object was to find the Lolly Swagman, a shop selling fudge, as well as other lollies and sweets of all descriptions.. While I might try to avoid fudge as a general rule, it was free, so why not? In fact, it was very tasty, two thick slices of plain chocolate plus cherry ripe. Of course we didn’t eat it then. Might spoil our mystery lunch!

The next three destinations were all in Bowral, another ten kilometres away. I am very familiar with this town as I went to Bowral High School for six years. It has become a popular destination for day trippers from Sydney, especially at the weekend.

It was suggested we go and look at the Mary Poppins Statue but we skipped it this time. We have seen the one in Maryborough, QLD and it seems Bowral is claiming PL Travers as well as Don Bradman even though both of these Australian icons were born elsewhere.

The Bendooley Estate Larder in Bong Bong Street, Bowral had us salivating as we entered the door. John bought a pie for his dinner that night as I was going to book club. We picked up the mystery picnic wraps for our lunch and were on our way to Janek’s Café, a short walk down the street and around the corner on the Corbett Plaza. I only had to say my name and we were advised to take two soft drinks from the fridge.

Further down Bong Bong Street at the Raw and Wild Market Café we were handed a delicious looking antipasto platter.

Seven kilometres on was our picnic destination at Mittagong’s Lake Alexandra. We found a covered picnic table, hauled our esky and picnic basket down the hill and enjoyed our feast. There was far too much food to eat in one session so it ended up lasting us for a couple of days. A bus load of school children were noisily eating their lunches nearby (but not too close) making me think back to my first home prac which I completed in 1970 at Mittagong Public School, just behind the lake.

Lake Alexandra is man-made, created in 1875, and was used to supply water to steam engines carrying coal to the Fitzroy Iron Works. I was interested to read that the lake was formed accidentally when an embankment was built to transport coal and coke from the back of Mount Alexandra to the iron works. Since the 1890s it has been a public recreational park.

It was time to head home, this time along the Hume Highway and down to Wollongong via the Picton Road. What a great day and a great present from my family!

U for Under the Bridge

April 24, 2026April 24, 2026 lindamaycurry12 Comments

On Friday 13^th March we planned to meet our friends at King Street Wharf number 3 and board the MV Bennelong for a Naval Historical Society Cruise of Port Jackson, west of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. This was first discussed and booked well before my diagnosis but was to happen three weeks after my last chemo so I hoped I would be well enough to enjoy it.

Naval Cruise of Port Jackson west of the Sydney Harbour Bridge

Unfortunately, one of our friends was ill and his wife came alone, understandably disappointed with having to do so. We were soon settled in the main cabin with a huge crowd of people, a screen in front of us and a couple of volunteers narrating. I grew increasingly uncomfortable as I considered the stuffy air I was breathing, so when the announcement was made for morning coffee and masses of people headed for the tables, I escaped to the top deck. Here the air was fresh and the view was spectacular.

The tour visited four islands and HMAS Waterhen. After leaving Barangaroo we passed Goat Island. In 1831 a quarry was established here to supply sandstone for the Sydney settlement. Convicts were housed on the island to mine the sandstone. In 1839 storerooms were built on the island to house gunpowder.

*Specially vented store rooms were built by the convicts to house naval and general gunpowder Photo from Naval Historical Society of Australia*

As we approached Balls Head we were told the cliff face was once a quarry which was opened in 1940 to rebuild a graving dock at Garden Island. I couldn’t take a photo because I was still trapped on the downstairs deck.

A graving dock is a permanent, reinforced concrete basin built at the edge of a waterway used to construct, repair, or maintain ships below the waterline. It operates by flooding the dock to float a vessel in, sealing it with a watertight gate, and pumping out the water to leave the ship supported on keel blocks.

We sailed on to HMAS Waterhen which had once been the name of a ship but in 1962 was established as a support base for six mine sweepers. Waterhen is now the Navy’s lead establishment for mine warfare. The base is occupied by professional sailors and home to mine countermeasure equipment and technology.

We circumnavigated Cockatoo Island which became a convict prison in 1839. The Fitzroy Dock was built by convicts and completed in 1857. The dockyards were the home of ship building, with the last ship, HMAS Success, completed in 1984. It closed in 1992, the last project being the refit of the submarine HMAS Orion.

Aeroplanes were also designed and built here between 1929 and 1934, including for Charles Kingsford Smith, who is famous for completing the first transatlantic flight from the USA to Australia in 1928. Two of the cranes on Cockatoo Island have been restored and operate for public viewing. The rest have disappeared or are unused.

*A working crane with glamping tents on the left hand side*

Rows of Glamping Tents overlooked the water. We had planned to stay here with friends a little over a year ago but contracted Covid the day before we were to go. At least today’s excursion on the water was happening and nothing prevented us from enjoying it.

A small island named Dawes Island and renamed Spectacle because of its similarity to a pair of opera glasses captured our imaginations as it is for sale by the Navy. A number of historic buildings cover the small densely built island where spoil from the old Balmain Coalmine enlarged it considerably. Buildings include the magazine, built 1856, cooperage, barracks, residence and a railway line. The island is the oldest naval explosives manufacturing and storage complex in Australia. Originally built to store gunpowder, the complex was converted to store naval munitions in 1893. It was used for shell filling in WW1, making small calibre ammunition in WW2 but has not been active since then except for storage. Until recently it housed the Naval Repository, a collection of relics and artefacts and was open for inspection but we were told that everything has been moved to another location and the island is waiting for a new owner.

A friend of mine suggested that a number of us from our aqua group should buy it and turn it into a retirement resort for ourselves.

“Only if it has a helicopter for hospital visits,” said I, thinking of all those trips to hospital I have made in the last few months.

The smallest harbour island is Snapper Island. As it was so small it was rarely visited although in WW1 it was used to store ship’s parts. In the 1930s the island was levelled and made into a ship shape with mining spoil. It became a base for training sea cadets but in WW2 it was used by the US Military and the Royal Navy. It returned to the Sea Cadets until the 1960s. A friend of mine told me she went there to a Scout Camp with her son in the 1980s and would prefer to forget the experience.

As we returned to Barangaroo we passed Mort Bay where Sydney’s first graving dock was built in 1855. During WW2 14 Bathurst Class Minesweepers and 4 River Class Frigates were built here. There were shipyards at what is now Pyrmont, Barangaroo and Darling Harbour. These places are now home to offices, restaurants and high-rise accommodation.

So ended our day on western Sydney Harbour. We considered visiting the Maritime Museum at Darling Harbour but I was flagging and looking forward to a rest at the hotel so we walked the 1.5 kilometres back.

We thought we would eat at one of the many restaurants near the hotel but forgot it was a Friday night. At 6.30 pm there were long queues of people outside most of the eateries. Still very conscious of people and germs I wasn’t keen to join them. Just near our hotel we found two spare seats in an Indonesian Restaurant called D’Penyetz & D’Cendol (a chain with over 100 outlets worldwide) where we were relieved to sit and eat tasty food.

Just so you can see how the other half lives here is a fantastical waterfront house.

T for Travelling Onwards

April 23, 2026April 23, 2026 lindamaycurry15 Comments

The Sydney Harbour Cruise had been planned for six months, well before my diagnosis, so I had wondered if I would actually make it. My granddaughter Cordelia* was having a birthday the day before and I was keen to give her the bracelet and book of stories on the actual day so it combined nicely with our other plans.

Fortunately, I felt better on Thursday, March 12 than I had previously so I was excited at the prospect of staying in a hotel, eating out, meeting up with family and going on a harbour cruise with friends. I had waited a long time to escape from my prison so when the Uber arrived at my front door I couldn’t believe it was really happening. As a precaution on the train I wore my super-efficient mask which was suffocating to say the least. The hour and a half train trip flew by, we changed at Central for Town Hall and then wheeled our luggage to Rydges, Darling Square.

The room was ready so we gratefully dropped off our bags and examined the view. It was of a plain, walled courtyard with a table and two chairs, not over inviting but very private.

After coffee and chicken burritos at a nearby cafe we began a long walk to Darling Harbour. The area has changed so much over the last few years with new high-rise buildings promising expensive accommodation for the lucky ones. My legs were protesting trying to keep up with John.

A rest and nap back in the room was essential, followed by a shower and dressing for dinner. We decided to walk again so my legs have really had a workout. It was about 1.5 kilometres down Sussex Street and then along the waterfront before we reached the Lotus restaurant.

Juliet and Sebastian arrived first, followed by Duncan*, Juliet’s husband, who, because he had a cold, sat at the other end of the table from me. Cordelia was late from her drama class but arrived in time to open her present before the food arrived. The instructions were as follows.

Open the card
Open the large parcel
Open the small parcel
Continue the tradition

Juliet promised to keep watch over the bracelet and Cordelia eagerly scanned the book, promising to read it properly later. The meal was a banquet so no thinking was required and it was quite delicious. Feeling decadent I ordered a mocktail which was small and expensive but what did it matter. I was free!

Enjoying a mocktail wearing a wig

Always ready for a new experience I followed the others next door to Yo Chi where the formula is to choose ice cream and toppings (fresh fruit and/or lollies) and then have whole thing weighed. In the interests of economy and good health, John and I shared a dish. We were surprised to hear Cordelia and Sebastian singing a song together at the piano. Apparently on Thursday anyone who is brave enough to sing for their icecream gets it for free!

As we strolled to the Barangaroo Metro Station we passed an amazing sight. Rows of people were lying on mattresses watching an outdoor movie. It was the premises of “Move’in Bed”.

Set on 280 tonnes of pristine white sand, this one‑of‑a‑kind event lets you watch hit movies from the cosy comfort of 150 cloud‑like queen-sized beds, all positioned in front of Australia’s largest outdoor cinema screen.

It was my first trip on the new Metro but after only two stops we bid farewell to the family and left the train at Gadigal. A short walk and we were back at the hotel. So far so good. Everything was running like clockwork and I was tired but feeling almost normal.

Not his real name

B for Blue Lagoon Cruise

April 2, 2026April 9, 2026 lindamaycurry13 Comments

Today at 10 o’clock I get to do a full CT scan, head to toe, to find the cancer. I have an appointment at 3.30 pm on Thursday to be given the news. Can’t wait. At this stage I feel I can’t tell the family because I don’t know exactly what is wrong with me but I should know by then.

The major concern is how quickly I go downhill and how John will manage without me. I will have to make sure he has all the information about banking, paying bills, passwords etc. as that has become my job in the last few years.

We decided against Aqua Fit today. There was just too much to process. I imagine as soon as the cancer is found I will go to a specialist and then be in hospital for surgery if it is not too far gone. Then I suppose there will be chemotherapy and or radiation. I most probably will have to cancel the trip to Fiji (Blue Lagoon Cruise next April). I booked it to coincide with my 75^th birthday. We were to fly out from Sydney on April 1^st, board the Fiji Princess on the 3^rd, visit a different island every day with snorkelling off the boat, exploring tropical beaches and visiting villages. John would also celebrate his 81^st birthday on the cruise. I even took out insurance to cover all his medical problems. It didn’t occur to me I would have any of my own!

Then should we sell the house? Maybe we should begin by selling the caravan as I can’t imagine John going off travelling on his own. Maybe I should start reading about “Swedish Death Cleaning” while I still have the energy. One thing is for sure, if I’m seriously ill I’m getting a house cleaner!

I was awake most of last night just thinking so hopefully will have a full night’s sleep tonight.

I had to finish eating before 8 am and then drink 750 ml of water. Finally, 9.45 am dragged around and John drove me to PPG Imaging. They injected iodine dye into my vein and I had a head, neck, shoulder to pelvis CT scan which is:

Computed Tomography Scan, using specialised X-rays and computer technology to produce detailed, cross sectional 2D or 3D images of bones, organs and tissues.

I wonder what they will find?

Apparently, my doctor is booking me in to see a Neurosurgeon (a specialist who diagnoses, treats and manages disorders of brain, spinal cord, spinal column and peripheral nerves). Maybe this is all a bad dream and it is just some benign tumour on the spine. One can hope!

To keep my myself busy I advertised the kayaks and the roof racks on Facebook Marketplace. Might as well start decluttering.

Some time later: I was able to cancel the Blue Lagoon Cruise and the flights with Fiji Air. I lost the deposit and a portion of the air fares but the travel insurance covered the lost money. A big thank you to the Registrar in Haematology for his supportive letter to the insurance company.

Even later:

On the 4th April we heard that the Fiji Princess ran aground near Castaway Island (of Tom Hanks fame). All passengers were taken by boat to Port Denarau. There were no injuries. It was the second day of the cruise so alternative arrangements were made with hotels and day trips. The bad weather caused the ship’s anchor to move and the ship was washed onto a reef. I don’t feel so bad about missing the cruise.

G for Getting Older (turning 22)

April 8, 2025April 8, 2025 lindamaycurry9 Comments

This is the story of Will and his two friends who sailed to England in 1967 to see the world. Aerogrammes. letters, diaries and postcards help to tell of their adventures in this A to Z.

“Birthday” Beatles 1968
They say it’s your birthday
It’s my birthday too, yeah
They say it’s your birthday
We’re gonna have a good time
I’m glad it’s your birthday
Happy birthday to you

52 Weltje Road, Hammersmith, London 6th April 1967

I had to meet a couple of girls (Michelle and Norma) from the Fairsea, at Victoria Station as they have just arrived from Europe and are staying here for a week. It’s good to have some female cooked food for a change as somehow it tastes better.

Meanwhile school was a bit hard to take after two and a half weeks Easter hols but we get a week’s holiday in eight weeks time (mid term) and besides, the kids are beginning to learn that “What Mr Price says, goes”.

You asked about the flat and food. Well, it has worked very well in shifts for the cooking and there has been so much heckling, particularly if a crook meal is served, the meals have been reasonably good but the place gets a bit dirty now and then. Anyway the girls will probably clean it up this week as they won’t start teaching for a week or so and won’t get their flat immediately.

The hot meal at school is great. Today, for example, we had shepherds pie plus four vegs plus apple/blackberry crumble with custard for two shillings and fourpence.

Extract from Diary April 9^th 1967

Birthday song for brekkie, coffee in bed. Up for brunch. Tube to Piccadilly Circus to show the girls London.

To Buckingham Palace, St James Park, Horse Guards, 10 Downing Street, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Bridge, River Thames, Pavement Artist, Scott’s Discovery, Strand, St Clement’s Church (chimes), Trafalgar Square. Tube back to Hammer. Dinner, coffee, talked, discussed news from Home. Bed 12.30am

School tomorrow! How depressing after 2 ½ week’s hols.

21^st April, 1967

Hi! Received your letter. This is just a card we bought in Stratford. Michelle, Norma and I hired a blue Austin Mini for three days and we had a “delightful” weekend getting behind the wheel again and touring. Left London Friday night and stayed at a pub at Cambridge the first night. The university is quite impressive. Then to Bedford, Northampton and Coventry where we saw the walls and steeple of Coventry Cathedral, built 1300 and destroyed by bombing in 1941. Stayed with Michelle’s friends at Rugby and saw the field where the boy picked up the soccer ball, started to run and rugby began. Stratford is really beautiful and they fancy “Old Bill” quite a bit. Many, many old buildings and his statue and name are everywhere.

*Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon Postcard John Hinds Studios Photo E. Ludwig*

Extract from Diary Sunday, 23^rd April

After 10 am breakfast 6 of us, Michelle, Norma, Keith, Phil, Ted and I caught the tube to Baker Street where we visited Mde Tussauds Waxworks. Quite fascinating and very lifelike. Australia was well represented in sports section with Brabham, Bradman, Marg Smith and Laver. Sir Robert (Menzies) was there. Lady sitting on seat and train robbers reading newspapers. Battle of Trafalgar was quite realistic.

We thought it funny when Michelle asked a wax lady at the canteen did she sell chocolates. Spent the rest of the day in Hyde Park at Speakers Corner watching the Yanks heckling anti-Vietnam speakers.

I hear there’s a new pay rise for schoolies backdated to October (more brass for me). Had a haircut. First in four months. Food costs £2 a week. Meat fairly expensive but I’ve put on over half a stone so am eating well. Thank the club for singing Happy Birthday. Regards to all.

Extract from Diary Sunday, 24th April

Flat was a hopeless mess. Bods sleeping everywhere, clothes thick all over the floor. Girls moved out to OVC (Overseas Visitors Centre). Met Fred at OVC and he moved in too. 9 for dinner!

52 Weltje Road, Hammersmith, London 26th April 1967

Hope the shock isn’t too great receiving a letter from me just after a card but I figured I’d better write a letter though yours and this one will probably pass in transit. I had quite a good birthday. The girls sang “Happy Birthday” and bought me a cake.

When the other blokes arrived back from Scotland they bought me a half pint of Bitters. Thanks for the $6. I haven’t bought anything yet but will eventually have a splurge on clothes and will get myself a Harris Tweed coat for £5 and trousers are pretty cheap. Sweaters look OK and are reasonably priced so will get one of these too.

Keith and Phil have bought a Morris 1000, 1961 van in good condition for £70 and are off to tour England, Scotland and Wales for two weeks and then to Europe as they are going to Canada for the start of the school year in September. Graeme and Neil have jobs in holiday camps so are moving as well, so Ted, a Canadian guy and Fred (went to college with him) have moved in and we’ll get a couple of others to share expenses. The girls have got a flat but were cooking our meals for a few weeks before that.

Spent a good weekend checking out more of London. Did a conducted tour of the Tower by Beefeaters, saw monument to the Great Fire, built 1671 and walked 311 steps to the top.

View from the top of “The Monument” to the Great Fire of 1066. 311 steps high. Built by Wren 1671

Walked past Mansion House (Lord Mayor). Bank of England, the Old Bailey and through St Paul’s Cathedral and down Fleet Street. Also had a ferry trip down the Thames.

I’ve decided to stay teaching in London until end of term at least. The boss wants me to stay for any number of years after that but no chance. However, I might tour Europe for only the five week hols (summer vacation) and get back to London for two terms til following May, then to Europe and then to Canada in the following August. But I haven’t yet decided. I’m going to play it by ear.

Cheers (as the Poms say) and Cor Blimey, it ain’t ‘alf time to go.

E for England Swings Like a Pendulum Do

April 5, 2025April 5, 2025 lindamaycurry13 Comments

This is the story of Will and his two friends who sailed to England in 1967 to see the world. Aerogrammes. letters, diaries and postcards help to tell of their adventures in this A to Z.

"England Swings Like a Pendulum Do"   Roger Miller •  1965
England Swings Like a Pendulum Do
Bobbies on bicycles, two by two
Westminster Abbey, the Tower of Big Ben
The rosy-red cheeks of the little children

52 Weltje Rd, Hammersmith, London, England 30-3-67

I received your letter with the clippings, photos and it gives me nostalgic feelings to see those bleary-eyed people who obviously have been drinking real beer. Don’t waste a drop of it.

We are only 50 yards from the Thames River, where there is a sailing club (Enterprises, Fireflys, OKs and 14s) but you have never seen a worse place to sail. They started a race at 6.00 pm the other night (winter) just on the turn of the tide and half the fleet went A over Z in the freezing water within minutes. I met an Aussie from Speers Point who knew the 16ft mob and sailed skates etc.

First flat close to the Thames and the Hammersmith Bridge

The Oxford-Cambridge boat race went practically by our door and all the Poms get very excited about this. I saw the race on TV in Monmouth, Wales as Jan (a schoolie from NZ) and I, Graeme (one of the blokes in our flat) and Raewyn (schoolie from NZ too) hitched for a five day tour which started on Good Friday and took us about 500 miles through Oxford, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Monmouth, Swansea and Cardiff (capital of Wales), across the Severn Suspension Bridge (4^th largest bridge in the world) and back to London.

We stayed in Youth Hostels which are very good and cheap and one night in a little pub in the Welsh village of Brynmawr where the hospitality of the people and their liking for Aussies and Kiwis was amazing. They sang us Welsh songs and shouted us pints of beer. In the middle of one Welsh song they came out with “Up the Wallabies” and we all finished up singing “Waltzing Matilda” and “The Maori Farewell’. The night with supper and breakfast cost 7/6d each.

We passed by Aberfan where the 240 children died in a landslide disaster that flattened the school. Over the whole trip we got about 20 lifts in cars, trucks and even an ambulance. The people were very friendly and quite interested in Aussie.

Tomorrow I’m taking off again for a week in Scotland, mostly Glasgow and Edinburgh and hope to get a tour of a whisky distillery (free samples) as the Scotch in Scotland is dearer than in Australia. I’m off by myself this time for a change. I should be more mobile and I have to be back in London by Saturday to meet one of the girls from the Fairsea who disembarked in Naples and has been in Europe (Michelle).

We are living very well and the financial position is fair. I think I’ve put on about half a stone, my hair is long (I haven’t had a haircut since Wollongong, over three months ago) but everyone’s hair is long in Pommie land anyway.

You should see some of these clothes! Talk about being way out gear! We are very keen on the mini, mini skirts though. They’re nearly up to the neck!

I have seen quite a lot of the sights of London, but there’s so much to see it should take ages. Think I told you we visited St Clements (Oranges and Lemons) built 1066 but destroyed, all but walls and steeple in 1941 and rebuilt. Also went aboard the Cutty Sark – she could do 17 knots under 32,000 square feet of sail – that’s faster than the old Fairsea.

Will, Keith and Phil in Greenwich in front of the Cutty Sark

I stood on the 0 degrees Meridian, one leg in east longitude and one foot in west longitude at the Greenwich Observatory. Also have visited Carnaby Street (way out clobber), Soho (sort of a Kings Cross) where the strippers take off the lot, one after another but with no finesse at all! Portobello Road is interesting with all its street stalls selling all sorts of junk very cheaply. Antiques are also very moderately priced and you should see all these shops selling old uniforms. It’s the new craze in MOD gear.

I have been to London Zoo. Pretty fair but wouldn’t say it was any better than Taronga Park. We found a wallaby but didn’t see one kangaroo! London’s biggest building is the GPO tower – 36 storeys. We kill that with Australia Square of 50 storeys. Oh well, the Poms will find out one day what a great place “Down Under” is. Meantime we are having a great time looking at their country but we don’t knock the place to them. Well, I’ll send you a card from Scotland. Write and let’s know how things are. It’s good to get mail from home and hear all the news.

Saw my first colour TV yesterday. Only fair but slight improvement on black and white.

PPS

Snowed here at Hammersmith yesterday but only lightly.

B for Bargaining in Singapore

April 2, 2025April 2, 2025 lindamaycurry19 Comments

This is the story of a young man and his two friends who sailed to England in 1967 to see the world. Aerogrammes. letters, diaries and postcards help to tell the adventures of “Will” and his friends in this A to Z.

“World”   Bee Gees   •   1967
Now, I found that the world is round
And of course it rains everyday
Living tomorrow, where in the world will I be tomorrow?
How far am I able to see?
Or am I needed here?

Fairsea, Colombo, Wednesday, 25^th January 1967

I am now seated on the fore lounge, and we are 100 miles South East of Ceylon at 12 noon. We will arrive in Colombo at 5 am where this letter will be posted. We have a conducted tour arranged for $3 and should get a good chance to see the place.

Since I last wrote we have been to Singapore. Although life on board is tremendous, excitement was running high as we entered Singapore Straits with our first chance to walk ashore in a fortnight. We were running a day behind schedule due to gale force headwinds and engine trouble and as we entered the harbour at 5 pm Saturday the rain was teeming down in a typical afternoon tropical storm. But it cleared quickly and we had a good view of the harbour, the world’s 4^th largest – ships everywhere. We docked at 6.30 pm and walked ashore at 7 pm.

Taj, our Malaysian mate, had a guide arranged and six of us boarded a Chev Impala for a good look at Singapore. What a fascinating place! We could have spent a couple of weeks there! Two million people are living on an island 285 square miles in size. The atmosphere is so exciting and it is different to anything we have ever experienced. The people are about 76% Chinese, 20% Malay and 3% Indian.

We went shopping and you, Mum, would love it. The bargaining is hectic. You tell them you’ll take about half their price and even a third in some things. I bought a National 10 radio (bigger and better model than I had) for $10, a watch, Swiss brand Titus for $5, an Instamatic 104 Camera (they didn’t have any 304s) for $11.00, Sunaroid sunglasses for $2. We were shown through many sights and ate at the food stalls where food is cooked in the streets. There were sautés and cuttlefish, chop suey and sweet and sour pork. Delicious. People everywhere kept trying to sell us everything and are they persistent! “You want to see blue movie?”

We were taken for a tour of the red-light area. There are dozens in Singapore but don’t worry we didn’t go in. We saw a short performance of Chinese Opera and then moved on to a cabaret where Archipelago beer was a $1 a bottle. What you could do in Singapore with $500 to spend! Everything is generally very cheap and apart from the goods I bought it only cost $5 for the car, the food and the beer.

Keith and Phil both bought Canonet cameras for $26 each. I’m clicking away while they are still reading the instructions. We returned to the ship at 4 am. Singapore was still seething with life. The ship sailed at 6 am and since then the weather has been fabulous.

Will seated next to Phil who is trying out his new camera

We could see Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula as we passed through the Malacca Straits with hundreds of ships going by. We saw our first Chinese junk under full sail and lots of fishing boats quite close, visited the bridge and have put the camera to good use.

On my radio yesterday I heard “Over the Rainbow” sung in Chinese! The ship is now making excellent time. Yesterday we had a run of 407 miles and 405 miles today which is the best yet. The sun is still warm to hot even considering it’s winter in the Northern Hemisphere. We are meeting lots of people on board and now I have a girlfriend from Tasmania who is a French teacher (Michelle). Will close hoping you are all well and will hear from you at Naples if not before. All the best. Having a ball.

Monday, 30^th January, 1967, Arabian Sea

Hello again! I hope you are getting all my mail and I am looking forward to seeing a letter from home sometime (Naples or Southampton or Overseas Visitors Club, 180 Earls Court Road, London). This letter will be posted tomorrow night in Aden, South Arabia. There is a 7 pm curfew there because of all the people getting killed in the streets with grenades etc. so we won’t be allowed off the ship as we arrive at 8 pm. A bit of bad luck but I’d rather be alive than see Aden. All the cheap buys will be available however as the boats come out to the ship and the bargaining is on again. I intend to buy a chess set with case (magnetised) for $3 or less but that’s all.

Ship life is as good as ever with lots of food, sleep, beer, parties, entertainment, girls, sport, table tennis, swimming, water polo, deck tennis and the sun has us all very tanned. Today the rest of the cabin is flaked at 3 pm (although we got up for lunch at 11.30 am) after a hectic “Roaring Twenties Night” in which six of us played Can-Can girls and really brought the house down. The ship shouted us free beer afterwards.

Since I last wrote, the day before Colombo, Ceylon, we have visited our second foreign port. The ship moved in the harbour at 5 am and I was up to see her tie up. After 6 am breakfast we headed ashore at 7.30 am by launch and to a bus for a conducted tour of Colombo. The streets were swarming with people wearing not so clean saris (including the men). Colombo is very poor with old buildings and very smelly. It was completely different to Singapore, much poorer with fewer cars and fewer good buildings. Red London buses are jammed with people who wait patiently in long queues. There were a lot of ox-carts around.

We visited a Buddhist temple, removed our shoes and took some photos. We visited a museum and since it was Australia Day we raced over to the Embassy and shouted “Cooee Cobber”. Two girls (Australian) came out and said it was good to hear Australian accents again. They were having a party with 700 guests to celebrate the occasion but we were leaving so we couldn’t go. I took a photo of a snake charmer with a live cobra in the streets.

*View from Hotel Colombo, Mt Lavinia. We lunched here.*

The bus took us to Mount Lavinia where there is a grand English hotel. I ate hot, hot curry and rice and pineapple etc plus beer. The pineapples are very juicy and very sweet. It was the only thing that put out the heat of the curry. Souvenirs were mostly quite expensive except for jewellery for which Ceylon is quite famous. Michelle bought a cat’s eye moonstone for £10 sterling. Boats were alongside the ship selling all sorts of artefacts like bongo drums and carved elephants and one even wanted to swap my Singapore sunglasses for one. “No dice”, said I. I spent very little here (a change after Singapore) but lost a little money changing into rupees as the people wanted Australian money.

*Boats coming to ship in Colombo Harbour*

We passed the Cannibal Islands (off the coast of India) a few days ago where 3,500 people live. There is a leper settlement one mile from the town.

Today is Resignation Day. We officially are unemployed schoolies at 12 pm. Tonight, is another party. It was the fastest six-week holiday I ever had. Glad there’s no school for us tomorrow.

Last night a baby boy (Adam) was born in the ship’s hospital.

(Editors note: This baby and the ship’s captain were photographed on arrival in Southampton and appeared on the front page of a London newspaper.)