A Day of Contrasts!

This is a day of contrasts...

We woke in anticipation of an announcement from Regent regarding the future of this world cruise. Everyone seems anxious, from the guests to the crew, and each with their own set of concerns. Fremantle/Perth marks the end of our Australian segment and we dock there, with an overnight stay, on March 18. If the cruise is going to come to an end, this port would be the logical place to stop. We could all find flights home, albeit very long, but it would be do-able.

After Perth, many ports are closed to cruise ships and we have no idea where we will go or how many sea days are required to get there. Realistically, we could be steaming through the Indian Ocean and beyond for 15 days or more, trying to find a place to land. Guests are pouring over maps, charting suggested routes. There's a camp hoping our new route takes us to Africa before crossing the Atlantic to North America...while others want to back track our way to San Francisco. 

In this very remote place in the world, we feel far from the coronavirus, toilet paper hoarding and political ads. That's both good and bad, because we know we must go home. The question of how and when is an unanswered question that nags us. Coupled with the nightmare of the US stock market, we're anxious. We had two choices today: allow the angst to fester or get on the tender and take our tour on Kangaroo Island. I am very happy to say, we made a great decision. 

Kangaroo Island is a magical place off the coast of mainland Australia. It's probably inhabited by more kangaroos and wombats than people and it's beautiful! Today's weather was perfect with the sun shimmering on the clear, turquoise blue water. 

For a child who was raised in Detroit, in a house that was locked down in fear, it was quite an achievement for me to don a life jacket, step into a pontoon boat and straddle a bench like a cowgirl before zooming off to see dolphins and sea lions. It was exhilarating! We were rewarded with curious sea life that stared at us and teased us with their acrobatics. We marveled...we laughed...we let the sun shine on us!

A day that began waking in anxiety, is closing in peace. Kangaroo Island had never been on our itinerary until the coronavirus changed our course. However, today was the epitome of my late Mother's often used saying... “Everything works out for the best.”  As her words echo in my head, she was right again! 

Bottlenose Dolphins!

Where's "Waldo"?  Can you find the four sea lions in this photo?

Worm Moon after sunset

Worm Moon at sunrise!

First sign I've ever seen with a snake warning!