GETTING THERE
up, cream and gigantic strawberries, lunch of the freshest fish which was surely lifted from the ocean that morning, and a Thai vegetable curry scented with coconut and flavoured with aromatic spices that wouldn’t have been out of place on the menu of some of the world’s best Asian restaurants.
And you will never be thirsty — on arrival, your butler stocks your minibar with your personal favourites. Around the ship, most drinks (except premium brands) including branded champagne are complimentary.
Having arranged my own excursion in the up-and-coming city of Brisbane, I catch the boat from the Southbank for a leisurely 70-minute meander down the Brisbane River — in my opinion it’s the best way to get to Lone Pine Sanctuary, the biggest and oldest koala sanctuary in the world, founded in 1927.
In this shady wildlife enclave, you can view native species including wombats, dingos, kangaroos and of course koalas, sleepy creatures with an addiction to eucalyptus leaves. I wander the grounds, hold a koala and pet a kangaroo — who knew they were so tame? A few hours later, the Koala Express boat whisks me back to the Queensland capital in half the time.
Sea days — and there are eight on this segment — are lazy and low-key. I attend seminars by onboard lecturers, take part in exercise classes, indulge in afternoon tea and lie by the pool.
In cosmopolitan Cairns, a 10-minute bus ride takes me to Cairns Botanic Gardens. This sprawling park features lakes, a rainforest and exquisite gardens teaming with tropical flowers and plants. It’s so big it would take the best part of a day to get around, so I cool off at the city’s Lagoon Esplanade, a man-made pool with fountains, sand and shade, a scenic 10-minute walk from the cruise terminal.
An unexpected bonus for an ocean cruise is how close we are to land at times. Mirroring the coastline en route to Darwin, we pass Iron Range National
AN 18-day cruise from Australia to Singapore costs from £5,670 per person based on two sharing a Vista suite, departing March 31, 2020. silversea.com
Park, and spot snow-white sandbars in the distance.
Located in Australia’s Top End, sultry Darwin is equally wildlife-rich: I watch hungry pelicans being fed at the Territory Wildlife Park, and get up close to a black-headed snake and a possum. The young, colourful city even has its own man-made beach and wave pool in the waterfront quarter, which again is easily accessible from the cruise terminal — a welcome addition in the heat.
As we leave Australia’s cities behind, approaching approach the tiny island of Komodo for the Komodo National
Rebecca’s Brisbane excursion costs from £99 per person with cruisingexcursions.com
Park, I’m struck by the beauty of the Indonesian archipelago. Stretches of white sand catch the eye, and as I walk along the jetty from the ship’s tender, the crystal clear water below reveals fish and coral that I have only ever seen on Blue Planet — it’s a Unesco World Heritage Site and one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature for good reason.
With such undeniable good looks it’s hard to believe that the island’s most infamous inhabitants, the Komodo dragons, are aggressive carnivores capable of hunting down wild boar, water buffalo and deer, all of which roam freely in the park.
Searching for these prehistoric-looking reptiles in their natural habitat, we are accompanied by park guides with two pronged sticks — understandably, tourists are only allowed on the island when part of an arranged tour. We are rewarded with sightings of six large males at a watering hole, who thankfully seemed more interested in napping than snacking.
That afternoon, ensconced in my favourite chair at the stern of the ship, I look out to sea and relish the soporific calmness, as Silver Whisper heads towards Bali at a steady rate of 12 knots; upon arrival we will have covered 3,494 nautical miles since leaving Sydney.
The gentleman sitting opposite breaks the silence. “There’s nothing better than this you know,” he says. “I was just thinking the same,” I reply, “but sadly I’m leaving tomorrow.” He smiles knowingly: “Take it with you when you go.” “Oh I intend to,” I promise, as I reluctantly prepare to close the chapter on this extraordinary cruise.