\nI\u2019d thought about the crew show overnight and decided that honestly I could do a bellydance. I\u2019d carefully tested my mind for nerves and felt none so was happy to volunteer and did so to Jason before breakfast.<\/p>\n
We began today by cruising downstream to Murray Bridge, the southern-most point of our trip and were given a map of the town and told about points of interest that we may like to see.\u00a0 It was still overcast and a few people took umbrellas ashore but didn\u2019t need them.\u00a0 Just as well as the few older people we had aboard were very dependent on walking aids so they couldn\u2019t have scurried back if they\u2019d needed to.<\/p>\n
We happily teamed up with Donna and set off for the Round House which was only a few metres away from where we\u2019d berthed.<\/p>\n
![\"Stained](\"http:\/\/mayl.id.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/Stained-Glass-Window-Quilt-Round-House-Murray-Bridge.jpg\" "\\"Stained")
Stained Glass Window Quilt - Round House Murray Bridge<\/p><\/div>\n
Inside was a quilting display and there truly were some magnificent and beautiful works in this historic house.\u00a0 The original house had been built by the labourers who\u2019d been hauled off of bridge construction to make this for the boss \u2013 why am I not surprised? I took 7 photos of the extra special quilts but will only squeeze a couple in here I truly have been much too wordy\/pagey already.<\/p>\n
From here we walked into the town to find the chocolate shop and were offered a little taste of a couple of options.\u00a0 It would have been Chocolate Heaven for the fans but truly it wasn\u2019t my taste.\u00a0 I bought some chocolate coated fudge in the hope that the fudge would be yummy and David bought some Turkish delight and some liquorice.<\/p>\n
![\"Murray](\"http:\/\/mayl.id.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/Murray-River-Pelican-Quilt-Murray-Bridge.jpg\" "\\"Murray")
Murray River Pelican Quilt - Murray Bridge<\/p><\/div>\n
Everything<\/span> in here was choc coated, (other than the serving lady!) even jelly snake and banana lollies!\u00a0 Then it did start to drizzle very lightly as we walked to the old train station but there was nothing of interest and Donna had gone her own way by now so we walked to the big bridge over the river.\u00a0 Exercise had been a rare thing this past week so after a short distance of walking I decided I\u2019d rather run.\u00a0 David followed behind as the footpath section was very narrow indeed and we ran all the way across to the other side, well over a kilometre by the time the bridge had spanned what was at times swamp land.\u00a0 We had a breather here and a drink of water and then turned to come back.\u00a0 I suggested another run but David was not going to play so I ran a distance then waited for him, ran more and waited, so that I crossed the bridge in about 4 hits of run\/wait.\u00a0 Then we decided to get back on the Princess even though we did have a bit of time still.<\/p>\n 12.30 was lunch and all had to be aboard by noon for us to depart.\u00a0 During lunch we mentioned to our tablemates that we\u2019d missed out on chocolates 2 nights in a row now and when Jason passed by Donna told him.\u00a0 He said \u201cOh no!\u201d and was soon back and gave us 6 of them to make up for it, telling us that he would sort out the girls.\u00a0 We told him firmly we didn\u2019t want anyone to get in trouble and it didn\u2019t matter!<\/p>\n The boat was incredibly quiet with the reduced passenger and crew numbers.\u00a0 We\u2019d often walk around and see nobody at all.\u00a0 After lunch we decided to play a board game \u2013 one I\u2019d invented and made myself years ago and taken with us for the trip.\u00a0 Because it was so quiet we decided to play in the bar rather than the aft lounge and found Donna in there.\u00a0 She said she was happy to play as well so we ordered drinks because Ben was the barman.\u00a0 I\u2019d actually learned to wait for him to be on duty as the other fellow was so light-handed with the alcohol in the cocktails that they weren\u2019t worth drinking!<\/p>\n And we\u2019d sprung Donna.\u00a0 Every time we saw her after 11am each day she was always clutching her souvenir mug and we had presumed she was drinking coffee or tea.\u00a0 Not so!!!\u00a0 A peek inside revealed Baileys with ice.\u00a0 Canny girl \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 It began to be a competition as to who would spend the most at the bar, her or us two!<\/p>\n Well, we were the only ones in the bar so we asked Ben if he would like to join us in our board game and he said yes.\u00a0 It\u2019s a whacky game and we were all in whacky moods so we had a great time, sometimes in stitches of laughter.\u00a0 Ben only had to go twice during the entire game to serve someone at the bar and it was always timed just after he\u2019d had his turn so couldn\u2019t have worked better.<\/p>\n Soon it was time to go and get ready for my bellydance and for some unknown reason the nerves hit.\u00a0 I have no idea why as I was not worried about getting it wrong or anything; though I would have felt more comfortable if the audience was to be the people we\u2019d spent 4 days with rather than these new folk who seemed so quiet and reserved by comparison.<\/p>\n I was dressed in my fancy outfit, heaps of eyeliner, and wearing sparkles on my face when we went to the bar for a drink and one of the new couples were chatting to us.\u00a0 They\u2019d dressed nicely for dinner and the lady really was looking sideways at me.\u00a0 I found it really amusing and didn\u2019t enlighten her as to why I was so strangely dressed.\u00a0 Naughty May!<\/p>\n Before dinner a few of the crew were setting the mood for the Aussie Show to come and dramatised the Jolly Swagman.\u00a0 This involved Ben in fancy dress and towards the end of the song he had 2 jugs of water tipped over him.\u00a0 What he hadn\u2019t known was that they used ice water!!!\u00a0 Usually they use room temperature.\u00a0 Poor Ben!!!\u00a0 And I couldn\u2019t believe that they would tip this on the dance floor, but they did!<\/p>\n When it came to dinner time I felt so nervous and I couldn\u2019t even eat a mouthful, in fact the smell of the meaty meals around me made me feel quite sick so I spent most of the time out on the deck.<\/p>\n I was so touched by Jason who made time to come out and talk to me!\u00a0 Firstly he said I didn\u2019t have to do it at all but I knew I had to for my own sake and then he told me how nervous he had first been when he\u2019d got this job.\u00a0 He really was beautifully kind.<\/p>\n My nerves built and built until I\u2019d even got the dry mouth feeling that you get seconds before you throw up and by now even David was saying I didn\u2019t have to do it.\u00a0 In fact we came back into the dining room to tell Jason but he was busy with the Murray River Cup, a massive board game style horse race using humans as playing pieces.\u00a0 The passengers all came alive, got some enthusiasm about them and were laughing and relaxed and suddenly everything was fine and I knew I could dance for them.\u00a0 Such a relief!<\/p>\n The crew show was really wonderful and incredibly professional.\u00a0 Everyone was a star, I won\u2019t pick out anyone in particular as they were all great.\u00a0 Lots of laughs anyway.\u00a0 I was to be the second act thankfully \u2013 perfect spot so that I wasn\u2019t first but could get it over so I could enjoy the rest of the show a free woman LOL\u00a0 When Jason caught my eye I stood, completely calmly, and as soon as the music played it was not only remote control (I know that Shakira number very well) but I thoroughly enjoyed myself.\u00a0 David said that staff came scurrying from everywhere to watch.\u00a0 I guess they\u2019d heard the unfamiliar music and raced out to see what was going on.\u00a0 The audience were lovely and very appreciative too.<\/p>\n May's Bellydance<\/p><\/div>\n Donna told me afterwards she\u2019d given me a standing ovation and it made me laugh as I realised that I\u2019d bolted and sat down the moment I finished.\u00a0 It never occurred to me to bow.\u00a0 Oh well, for the first time in my life I\u2019d been on a stage alone and performed something!\u00a0 And it went really well.<\/p>\n Our favourite waitress\/cabin girl came past and I chose the opportunity to get a photo of her with David.\u00a0 Her name was Joan and she was totally gorgeous, character and looks!\u00a0 She was apologising profusely and said it was her fault we hadn\u2019t had our chocolates and we assured her it was OK and that Jason had given us some to make up for it.<\/p>\n \n David & Joan<\/p><\/div>\n I also decided to grab the chance of the Five Friends being together to get a photo of us all.\u00a0 And Ben the Barman hopped in and did rabbit ears for Donna and I without us knowing it ROFL<\/p>\n Seated Ray & Heather, Standing Donna, Ben, David & May<\/p><\/div>\n And then off we went to bed to find\u2026<\/p>\n Three chocolates on each pillow.\u00a0 We did laugh!<\/p>\n Sun 22nd<\/sup> Back to the main topic, after we\u2019d awoken and had a cuppa David and I went for a walk in the bush where we\u2019d moored.\u00a0 It was nice and peaceful out there until we heard a noise behind us and along came the biggest roo I\u2019ve ever been close to!<\/p>\n Big 'Roo<\/p><\/div>\n I got my camera out in a hurry and do have a photo but by the time you zoom in to show him clearly you don\u2019t have enough surrounding photo to really tell his size.\u00a0 Well, maybe it’s not so bad…<\/p>\n Once back on the boat and showered, the announcement for breakfast started and we wondered what the chef\u2019s special for today would be.\u00a0 We\u2019d had pancakes with maple syrup on 2 occasions, sweet French toast once and savoury French toast once and were all eager to see what we\u2019d get for a Sunday.\u00a0 \u201cAnd the chef\u2019s special is\u2026. Porridge!\u201d\u00a0 It was audible, the entire boat repeated incredulously \u201cPorridge???\u201d\u00a0 But there was still the rest of the buffet to enjoy, so we did!<\/p>\n 9 am brought a guided nature walk with the First Officer which was very interesting and he told us about salt bush which you can eat the leaves of and we had a taste.\u00a0 And then at 10 am we cast off to go upstream again.\u00a0 Getting ahead of myself but we were very surprised this day to cruise right on past Mannum.\u00a0 We really reached the point where we didn\u2019t know what was upstream and what was down.\u00a0 Even Heather and Ray, the locals, lost track!<\/p>\n After this we went back to our room to find that we\u2019d been given chocolates as well as biscuits by the maid!\u00a0 And they were in all 3 cups (we had 3 cups because there was sleeping room for 3 in our room – the double plus a single).<\/p>\n At 11 am was a Murray River Area Food and Wine Tasting in the dining room and, having nothing better to do, we went along.\u00a0 David tasted the wine and I tasted the food \u2013 perfect arrangement \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 There were cheeses and crackers, dried fruits and olives, dips and spreads which were all very nice.\u00a0 There was also a notepad to tell the chef which things you liked so that he could order them in for the gift shop.\u00a0 I took that opportunity as the only chance I would probably get to say thank you for the care they\u2019d taken of me so wrote a note of thanks in it.<\/p>\n Lunch was cold chicken and some salads on a small table in the middle of the dance floor and I can\u2019t remember there being a dessert though I\u2019m sure there would have been.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t quite the Sunday Roast or spread anyway.<\/p>\n The afternoon brought a talk by the new captain about the river but we\u2019d already heard the one at the beginning of our trip so went and played a game in the aft lounge instead.<\/p>\n The following activity was a small boat trip from another company that took us out in 2 lots for an \u2018up close look at nature\u2019.\u00a0 The most interesting part of this was that he explained to us about the Murray River Flag and that there is an Upper Murray and a Lower Murray flag.\u00a0 And the most entertaining part was when the 1st Mate’s hat blew off and we had to go back for it \ud83d\ude09\u00a0 It was very<\/span> cold on this boat, despite the fact that I\u2019d taken a jumper and when we got off David and I looked at each other and said in unison \u201cWell, that was a waste of time wasn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n The other bit of excitement we\u2019d have seen from the Princess anyway and that was somebody\u2019s lovely boat that had sunk!\u00a0 They had apparently been told repeatedly not to tie it so tightly to the shore but they did and when the water level went down the boat got on an angle so that water went in the back and weighed it down so the back 3\/4s of it was under water!<\/p>\n Next page\/…<\/a><\/p>\n Please feel free to leave a comment in the fields below before leaving this page. Email addresses will not be used in any way, nor displayed for anyone to see.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Jason came to David and I at one point and said that the crew were putting on a bit of a show tomorrow night and did we have any talents to share so we said a hasty no. Soon after … Continue reading ![\"May's](\"http:\/\/mayl.id.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/Mays-Bellydance.jpg\" "\\"May's")
![\"David](\"http:\/\/mayl.id.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/David-Joan.jpg\" "\\"David")
![\"Seated](\"http:\/\/mayl.id.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/Seated-Ray-Heather-Standing-Donna-Ben-David-May.jpg\" "\\"Seated")
\nWell we really<\/span> didn\u2019t want this day to come.\u00a0 Our last full day on the boat but I wouldn\u2019t be telling the full story if I didn\u2019t say that the 3 day cruise was not as good as the 4.\u00a0 The food had gone downhill significantly \u2013 certainly nothing to complain about, but a far cry from the very high standards of the days before.\u00a0 And the entertainment felt sparse and \u2018cheap\u2019 in many ways too.\u00a0 Yes I know, I was part of it LOL\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to complain as the whole cruise was a fabulous and wonderful experience which we would do again at a moment\u2019s notice but if we couldn\u2019t do a full week it would be a no-brainer that we\u2019d choose the 4 day part!\u00a0 And if we were to do a week again we’d have the weekend part first.<\/p>\n![\"Big](\"http:\/\/mayl.id.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/Big-Roo.jpg\" "\\"Big")