![\"Murray](\"http:\/\/mayl.id.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/Murray-Princess-Amazing-Crew.jpg\" "\\"Murray")
Murray Princess' Amazing Crew<\/p><\/div>\n
Brett the lovely engineer back left.\u00a0 1st<\/sup> Mate then Captain, Gorgeous Jason in the black jacket.\u00a0 Alex on his right and boo hiss Andrew the weak cocktail maker on the absolute right.<\/p>\n Left Emma who was gorgeous \u2013 one minute she sounded Irish and the next Scottish \u2013 usually I can pick accents but she had me confused.\u00a0 Next to her the totally adorable, wonderful, gorgeous Joan who David and I both wanted to bring home and next to her Ben the top-notch barman.\u00a0 Then Nikki and Annie, both of whom we didn’t get to know so well.<\/p>\n We had the captain on our table again.\u00a0 We\u2019d had this one for a lunch as well.\u00a0 What can I say?\u00a0 He had good taste! \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n Here\u2019s Donna, Ben and myself and the note Ben wrote for us both hehehe\u00a0 He\u2019d sent it to us along with the delicious PP drinks and it says<\/p>\n Donna & May with Ben the Barman<\/p><\/div>\n \u2018Made with love for my 2 favourite sexy passengers ? Ben\u2019<\/p>\n What can I say?\u00a0 He had taste too LOL\u00a0 And Donna asked for, and got, a copy of the recipe for the drinks \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n We spent the evening chatting at the table and the captain spent a lot of time with us.\u00a0 I selfishly would have preferred if he hadn\u2019t and we could have spent our last night with our friends but never mind.\u00a0 He was a really nice man and not only interesting but humorous too so he’s well forgiven.\u00a0 Poor Donna, who hated dancing, got asked by the engineer, Jason and the captain and I took photos just to add to the stir.<\/p>\n I had definitely put on weight and went and changed into something I could breathe in before long.\u00a0 That dress had been loose on me before we went away!<\/p>\n Alex started to play a slow dance so I dragged David up to the dance floor but he was being all unwilling and I had bare feet and was worried for my toes so I stood on his feet, as children do, for him to do the moving but we nearly toppled over.\u00a0 Then we were both being silly and were laughing so hard I could barely breathe.\u00a0 In the end he was moving backwards while I had my arms clasped around his neck with my body on an angle and my feet dragging behind me.\u00a0 We were the only ones on the dance floor so I guess we were rather noticeable tee hee!\u00a0 What the heck, we were enjoying ourselves.<\/p>\n David and Donna went up together to pay their bar tab for the week and it was very close indeed.\u00a0 We\u2019d outspent her by about $30, but both of our bills were over $300.<\/p>\n People began to drift to bed after this but we didn\u2019t want to close the door on our last night and went to the small bar where all the staff were having their nightcap.\u00a0 They welcomed us with open arms and we talked and laughed with them until about 11 pm.\u00a0 It was a very good time.<\/p>\n When we eventually went to our room there was a note on our pillow with the chocolates which said \u2018Thanks for everything guys and have a safe journey back.\u00a0 Joan\u2019.\u00a0 How lovely!\u00a0 This had been her first trip as a staff member so we\u2019d been new to the boat together and managed to make it special for each other!<\/p>\n Before I start my report about Monday I should say that we pretty much packed our cases before going to bed on Sunday night so that we could be relaxed and at peace in the morning.\u00a0 Nobody wants to rush on holidays!<\/p>\n Mon 23rd<\/sup> We awoke with a sense of loss.\u00a0 We began as usual with our cups of tea and some biscuits to tide us over to breakfast and then showered, sadly packing the last of our things.\u00a0 We had to leave our cases outside our cabin door before breakfast but could leave our hand luggage in the cabin.\u00a0 Even so we got back to find the room made up for the next people.\u00a0 In a strange way this made it easier as we knew it was someone else\u2019s turn to be spoiled.\u00a0 Even the toilet had its little \u2018hygienically sealed\u2019 piece of paper over it so we needed to use the \u2018public\u2019 one on the dining room level.\u00a0 We left one cabin key on the dressing table and the other in the outside lock of the door as instructed.<\/p>\n When we got to Mannum we could see one of Heather and Ray\u2019s daughters at the wharf waiting for them.\u00a0 They seemed like a very loving family indeed.\u00a0 And then of course it was time to disembark for the last time.\u00a0 We had a red carpet to walk along and the senior officers were lined up along it to say farewell.<\/p>\n We shook hands and exchanged polite words with Brett the engineer, Keith the second officer, the Captain\u2026 and Alex \u2013 oh gosh, what do you say to the man David had poked fun at for the past 7 days?\u00a0 And then came Jason who gave us both almighty hugs.\u00a0 I squeezed him tight and said \u201cIf I hold really tight then you\u2019ll have to come with me!\u201d and did little sideways steps dragging him along.\u00a0 But then we both laughed and David dragged me away to the waiting bus.<\/p>\n There were more of us going home on the bus than had arrived on it \u2013 about 20 of us I think.\u00a0 We had a different driver who I much preferred to the outward bound one.\u00a0 This guy was younger and his commentary sounded more for our interest and benefit where I\u2019d felt the outward bound driver was just trying to impress.\u00a0 OK, show off is a more truthful term.\u00a0 Anyway, that\u2019s just my impression.\u00a0 I also felt safer with this man\u2019s driving yet I couldn\u2019t specifically tell you what was wrong with the other, just that I knew I was glad to get off.\u00a0 This driver told us roughly the route we\u2019d be taking, which was different to the way we\u2019d come.\u00a0 Lovely, new scenery!\u00a0 And the best news of all was that we\u2019d be going through Gumeracha.\u00a0 I had wanted to visit Gumeracha as there was a toy factory there where they made wooden toys and they had a giant rocking horse out the front that it would have been fun to see but there had been no way of getting there via public transport during our week in Adelaide.\u00a0 I really hoped that we\u2019d pass the rocking horse and be able to get a glimpse!<\/p>\n The driver told us a little about the history of each town we drove through but as we rocked along I felt so very tired.\u00a0 Too many late nights, early mornings, and the hard bed caught up with me all in a rush and I leaned onto David\u2019s shoulder and shut my eyes.\u00a0 Just for a tiny minute!\u00a0 And then I suddenly heard someone snore and sat up.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t me!!!\u00a0 David must have been playing a joke hehehe.\u00a0 OK, it was me!\u00a0 He said I\u2019d been asleep for quite some time and though I felt better I\u2019d have sworn I was only resting my eyes.\u00a0 But he says I went limp for ages and I guess you trust the one with open eyes \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n After we\u2019d been in the bus for about an hour I was just starting to wonder how long it would be until we got to Adelaide and a loo when the driver told us that we would soon be stopping for a quick rest break and time for a cuppa if we wished at\u2026 The Toy Factory in Gumeracha!!!\u00a0 How wonderful.\u00a0 I was so pleased.\u00a0 Gumeracha is pronounced gum-mer-akka if you even care.<\/p>\n Toy Factory's Table Settings<\/p><\/div>\n Everyone bolted for the loo but David found the original 2 outhouses a few steps away and we went to those.\u00a0 We were then first in the queue!!!\u00a0 And then we went to the caf\u00e9 for a cup of tea each.\u00a0 The table numbers were children\u2019s wooden painted building blocks and the little condiment holders on the tables were miniature pine rocking horses but the best one was the view from the window.<\/p>\n Gumeracha's Giant Rocking Horse<\/p><\/div>\n If you doubt the size of this fellow you can see how the front of the rocker compares to the normal sized one the man is riding in the second picture!<\/p>\n Gumeracha's Two Rocking Horses<\/p><\/div>\n Apparently this is the biggest rocking horse in the world.\u00a0 You could climb up 2 lots of stairs to a viewing platform on its back but had to pay for the privilege.\u00a0 You can see the doorway to the second flight of stairs in the front right leg of the horse.<\/p>\n We managed to drink our tea and still have a few moments to look around the toy shop.\u00a0 There was no sign of being able to look at the working factory as I\u2019m sure I\u2019d read that you could.\u00a0 There was everything you could think of made of wood, and more!\u00a0 It was interesting to look around and we knew we were OK for time as the driver was still in there as well.<\/p>\n We didn\u2019t buy anything but it was interesting to see and then David noticed the driver had gone so dragged me, almost literally, quickly out to the bus.\u00a0 We got \u2018the look\u2019 from those already seated but, truly, we knew the driver had only been on there himself for moments.<\/p>\n On we drove, through the beautiful green of the trees, the narrowish (but safe feeling!) roads meandering through the hills and the sporadic towns, listening to the driver\u2019s comments on each.<\/p>\n The scenery was beautiful and we went through the Chain of Ponds National Park and saw the reservoir where, the driver told us, there was a small town, complete with church, at the bottom!\u00a0 The top of the church spire was even under water.\u00a0 I had known of the National Park here because I\u2019d been asked for it at directories so was very happy to have seen yet another place I knew of.<\/p>\n After a while the roads got wider, busier and the houses more frequent.\u00a0 And then the shops and businesses started to appear and we were back in the suburbs once more.\u00a0 Even here the driver continued to tell us interesting things and he even pulled onto a bridge and stopped, telling us about the O-bahn below us, and waited until a couple of buses had passed underneath so that those who had not come across it before could see how it worked.<\/p>\n I kept a track of which suburb we were in by carefully reading the business names, again so I knew I\u2019d been to places I\u2019d been asked for at directories.<\/p>\n We dropped off one couple at a hotel nearer to the Casino than ours and then went around to the Rockford where everybody got off.\u00a0 I won\u2019t tell you about my behaviour in the queue to be given a room, David thinks I behaved badly, I know I was just not letting a man push in ahead when I\u2019d been there first [May whistles skywards].\u00a0 It\u2019s my \u2018thing\u2019.\u00a0 I\u2019m a loveable, gentle, kind person, but don\u2019t push in front of me in a queue!\u00a0 I didn\u2019t say anything, just protected my position LOL<\/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":" Before we knew it, it was time for the Captain\u2019s Dinner (the one for the 3 day cruise, we’d already had one for the 4 day cruise) and we went to get showered and changed.\u00a0 Here\u2019s a photo of the … Continue reading ![\"Donna](\"http:\/\/mayl.id.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/Donna-May-with-Ben-the-Barman.jpg\" "\\"Donna")
\n(I don\u2019t even want to write this part because it\u2019s as if it will be over yet again \ud83d\ude41 )<\/p>\n![\"Toy](\"http:\/\/mayl.id.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/Toy-Factorys-Table-Settings.jpg\" "\\"Toy")
![\"Gumeracha's](\"http:\/\/mayl.id.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/Gumerachas-Giant-Rocking-Horse.jpg\" "\\"Gumeracha's")
![\"Gumeracha's](\"http:\/\/mayl.id.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/Gumerachas-Two-Rocking-Horses.jpg\" "\\"Gumeracha's")