March 18, 2026
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA on Saturday March 14th was a bonus day for us due to port adjustments we had to make with our New Zealand itinerary. It turned into a cousin reunion for me. I got to spend the day catching up with my 2nd cousins Joan and Paul Murphy. Paul's mom Sarah Murphy was my grandmother Anne Timothy's sister. I met Joan and Paul last time I was in Melbourne, in 2016. Joan and Paul have had some rough times with health lately and they recently downsized their large family home down to a compact 2 bedroom cottage, within a mile from their son Paul's home.
Paul & Joan picked Bosco and I up at the Port at 8 am. The entire ship had to be processed by Australian Customs bright and early and they offered to come and get us and take us to breakfast and then come up with a plan for the rest of the day. We headed out to their new neighborhood and tried a new cafe for them as they get to know their new surroundings. It was yummy! I think they will return !
After breakfast we went to see their new home. The home is the third in a subdivided lot, with a shared driveway access. You would not know the 2nd and 3rd homes were there, from the street view. The home fills the entire lot, with an attached garage and enclosed side yard. We met their cherished pets Lacey, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Lucky the parrot, a whiite tailed Budgie, native to Australia. We caught up on all the family news and got to see first hand how simplified they are trying to make their lives now. They showed Bosco, an irish cartoon they had grown up with that stars a red haired puppet, also named Bosco, that lived in a box and learned about the World through trips with the use of his magic door! This year's Halloween costume idea?!?
Next they kindly took us to run two errards: trying to get Covid booster shots at a Pharmacy and returns I needed to do at a Bunnings Home Improvement store. Then we headed back into town to the Botanical Gardens and the War Memorial or the Shrine of Remembrance for a great panoramic view of the downtown skyline.
The city skyline has changed so much in the last 10 years! These web images give a greater overview, then my photos and the tower in the center is the Australia 108 a residential skyscraper which is the tallest residential tower in the Southern hemisphere. The yellow starburst element at the 70 and 71st floors is inspired by the commonwealth star on the Austrailia flag. It extends out to 8 meters from the building fascade. Sadly after this brief stop we had to head back to the ship to re- embark for sail away.
It was a nice visit and we wish Joan and Paul much better health and happiness in their new home.
