The Beautiful Cruise Ships of Sydney Harbour
This entry was posted on 2/4/2007 4:40 PM and is filed under Australia.
We just learned that the QE2 and the QM2 are both coming
in to the Sydney docks in 15 days. There's a special web site
that counts down the days to the great event:
http://www.queenmary2.com.au/html/ or click: www.queenmary2.com.au
The QM2 - the longest, tallest and widest ship in the world, sails into
the harbour docking just near us at 6:30 am. The QE2 - the
fastest cruise liner in the world, comes in to dock right across from
us at 7:15 pm, - and you can bet we'll be out there to greet her
arrival. Then at 8:30 pm the whole of Sydney Harbour will be
filled with FIREWORKS to welcome both regal Queens, accompanied by the
exciting sound of cannons firing from Fort Denison. This magical
display will be seen from all around the Sydney Harbour Foreshore right
through to the Sydney Heads.
The massive 151,400-ton Queen Mary 2 will smash the record as the
biggest ship of any type ever to visit Australia when she arrives in
Sydney at 6.30am on Tuesday February 20, 2007. She will be led by
fireboats shooting fountains of seawater high into the air from their
water cannons, and escorted by an entourage of smaller ships, yachts
and boats of all types. Larger than 132 Manly ferries and too big to
dock at Circular Quay, the A$1 billion Queen Mary 2 will tie dock at
Woolloomooloo.
The last time the Queens past each other at Sydney Harbour was during
World War II, when they had both been commissioned to be troop
transports and painted grey. The two great Queens will greet each other
for this historic first meeting with a “whistle salute” using their
2,000 pound, 7-foot long signaling horns that can be heard over 10
miles away.
The QE2 is on a 108-day global voyage - her 25th journey around the
world. But this is the first time the QM2 is going around the
world, so it's her maiden global voyage, a 81-day journey.
Last night we walked over to bid adieu to the beautiful Sapphire
Princess Cruise Liner that was here for the day. They are
on their way to a 12 day cruise of Australia and New Zealand. We
had such fun waving to everyone as they took off - pretending that we
knew each person and yelling "Bon Voyage" "Don't eat too much",
and other important bits of advice.
Here's the view we took from our balcony...
and as we walked around to see it front on....
and a few days before we saw the Holland America Statendam at OUR dock...
Also in the picture above - do you see the rainbow flags? These
are now filling the city, as it is Mardi Gras all month, which is
mostly a gay pride event, but has also grown to be events for everyone,
culminating in a giant parade on March 3rd. Did someone
say..... "Parade"....?!?!?! More on Mardi Gras in separate
blogs. And more boats later...
