December 28, 2025
Christmas Eve we explored this magical place underwater. It was a little drizzly in the morning, so we only had the Plouard Family from Normandy, France to share our Viator snorkeling excursion. We saw so much wild life - it was a fabulous day! We saw Manta Ray Momma, Blacktip Reef Sharks, Stingray, Spotted Eagle Rays, Long Nose Emperor Fish and so many more!
Below photos from our guide's family Motu (small coral/ volcanic island). It was our lunch spot and one side is ocean other lagoon. Our Guides ( cousins) made it a fun excursion. Would highly recommend them. Their family on the Motucooked a delicious lunch for us and then we toured their hydroponic green house gardens, (they grow & sell to hotels) greens, veggies, herbs and flowers.
Easter turned out to be a travel day for Bosco and I as we were extremely limited in when we could be seen by the Australian Border Control to disembark from the Ship, for a scuba diving adventure in Raja Ampat that I have had reserved, for over 18 months! We flew from Perth to Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia on Easter afternoon.
I have been really excited to get to Fremantle / Perth for my first time. I have had a few friends live here over the years and I have a second cousin, James Murphy, who I have only ever spoken too briefly, over the last 35 years and that I would love to meet in person. Jim is the older brother of Paul who I met up with in Melbourne a few weeks ago.
Greetings from FREMANTLE or FREO as the locals call it! Getting here took a long week at Sea, as we hid out and dodged wave surges from two cyclone systems. Our departure from Adelaide was timed to carefully avoid the path of Cyclone Narelle and we hugged the southern coastline of Australia, in the shallow waters of the Great Australian Bight . Later in the week we sheltered near Point Culver, before taking the turn and heading North along the western coastline.