World cruise (Australia)

"Rex Simpson’s Fine Clothing for Men" was a well-known men's fashion retailer that burst onto the Sydney fashion scene in the 1950s. The store operated out of a multi-story building from the post-World War II era. Today, Rex Simpson is heavily recognized by locals and historians for the famous vintage "ghost sign" painted on the brick facade of the Pitt Street building. The retro advertisement still stands out in the heart of Sydney's CBD and is a frequent subject for local street photographers and urban historians documenting the city's past.

Leisures in the Queen Victoria Building in the city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is just one of the many shop facades inside the Queen Victoria Building that are renowned for their highly preserved, late-19th-century Romanesque Revival architecture.

The storefronts feature deeply toned, polished wood frames crafted to match original Victorian-era designs. Most facades are nestled underneath grand Romanesque arches, creating an elegant visual rhythm along the multi-tiered galleries. Most are also nestled underneath grand Romanesque arches, creating an elegant visual rhythm along the multi-tiered galleries. Retail tenants adhere to strict heritage design guidelines, using gold-leaf lettering, uniform fonts, and classic hanging signs to maintain historical authenticity.

The Royal Clock is a magnificent, suspended mechanical timepiece located on the upper level of the southern half of the historic Queen Victoria Building (QVB) in the city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Installed in 1986 during a major restoration of the building, it serves as a captivating tribute to English heritage and British royal history.

We loved the stained glass windows in the Queen Victoria Building in the city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. They are among the city’s most prized architectural and cultural features. Designed in the Romanesque Revival style by architect George McRae and completed in 1898, these iconic, multi-colored windows filter natural light into the grand shopping arcade, defining its historical, old-world character.

We always visit the Secret World of a Starlight Ember in the city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's a permanent public sculpture by prominent Chinese-Australian artist Lindy Lee, located on the waterfront forecourt of the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia at Circular Quay. This dramatic, egg-shaped monument serves as a striking visual anchor overlooking Sydney Harbour and is especially beautiful at night.

The Sydney Opera House by night is a truly spectacular sight in the city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. There are quite a few places where an excellent view can be experienced. We were on Circular Quay, directly opposite from the building and this spot offered an unimpeded, direct view of the illuminated sails over the water.

Great view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge at night in the city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It offers some of the most spectacular illuminated night views in the world, framing the city's sparkling harbour and skyline.

The cruise ship Queen Mary 2 as seen from the other side of Circular Quay in the city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. When she visits Sydney, the towering ship creates a dramatic contrast with the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.

On our way to an excursion we passed the Monumental Steps of the Sydney Opera House in the city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

The steps are at the grand public entrance of one of the world's most celebrated architectural masterpieces. These vast, granite-clad stairs serve as both a dramatic approach to the performance halls and a massive open-air amphitheater for the public. The steps stretch nearly 100 meters wide. They were intentionally created to lift visitors out of the everyday world and transition them into a space of art and culture.

In order for us to get up to a scenic walkway and further to Echo Point we needed to use the Cableway system which was next to this mighty cliff in Scenic World near the town of Katoomba in New South Wales, Australia.

The mighty cliff is Orphan Rock and is a striking, isolated sandstone pillar prominently standing right beside the path of the Scenic Cableway.

Watching a Cableway car coming up while spending time at Scenic World near the town of Katoomba in New South Wales, Australia. The 510 meter journey gently climbs out of the Jamison Valley, passing iconic sandstone cliffs. It's the steepest cable car in the Southern Hemisphere. A little earlier we came up using one of those and ended up at the Scenic Walkway, allowing us to enjoy these views.

We loved this amazing view while looking over the Jamison Valley from The Lookout Echo Point near the town of Katoomba in New South Wales, Australia. This was actually on the outside terrace of the multi-level dining restaurant.

We finally got to see the Three Sisters at the Echo Point Lookout in the Blue Mountains near the town of Katoomba in New South Wales, Australia.

The iconic tri-peak sandstone rock formation stands on the northern escarpment of the Jamison Valley. The unique banded appearance of the pillars reveals distinct layers of sedimentary history. They are composed primarily of Hawkesbury sandstone, which forms horizontal layers of varying iron and clay content. As soft stone erodes faster, the harder capstones leave the iconic jagged, standalone peaks.

A detailed view of the Three Sisters at the Echo Point Lookout in the Blue Mountains near the town of Katoomba, in New South Wales, Australia.

The Three Sisters is an iconic tri-peak sandstone rock formation standing on the northern escarpment of the Jamison Valley. Formed by millions of years of wind, rain, and fractured erosion, these towering pillars loom over a vast expanse of eucalyptus wilderness.

Great view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge while walking along Circular Quay towards the Opera House in the city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The walk offers one of the most iconic, postcard-perfect views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the world. Strolling along the eastern promenade, the "Coathanger" spans majestically across the water, framing the bustling harbour traffic below.

Being on a cruise ship and especially during a world cruise means there are a lot of so called sea days, days where there isn't much to do except for exploring the ship. Here we were checking out deck 12 with the Queen Mary 2 sign while sailing along the coast of Queensland, Australia.

It was very cloudy while sailing through Tropical Low 29U and it meant the cruise ship Queen Mary 2 (QM2) had to navigate through deep, disorganized tropical moisture responsible for heavy rain and storm activity across the Queensland coast in Australia. We experienced cloudy, overcast conditions and rough seas at times.

The cruise ship Queen Mary 2 anchored at Yorkeys Knob, close to the city of Cairns in Queensland, Australia. Yorkeys Knob serves as a primary anchorage point for mega-ships, because the vessels are too large to enter Cairns harbour. Passengers are transported via tenders to shore, roughly 10 kilometers from Cairns and book organised tours to explore the nearby Daintree Rainforest, like the Kuranda Scenic Railway tour that we did.

Following a boardwalk through the Daintree rainforest is a core part of the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway journey in Barron Gorge National Park Queensland, Australia. After gliding over the canopy, we got out at a mid-station to explore the prehistoric forest floor on elevated, accessible walking trails. We loved the rainforest boardwalk winding through the mid-canopy, surrounded by giant ferns, towering 400-year-old Kauri Pines, and tangled wait-a-while palms.

We had an amazing ride on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway towards the village of Kuranda in Queensland, Australia. Floating in a gondola just meters above the 180 million-year-old Daintree rainforest canopy gave us a panoramic, birds-eye perspective of the waterfall cutting through the massive, steep-sided gorge. The first impression of Barron Falls (Din Din) was truly breathtaking with the tiny trees dotted against the slopes and a thunderous curtain of water.

We loved this huge rock standing strong at Barron Falls near the village of Kuranda in Queensland, Australia. We truly enjoyed the ride on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway to get here. During a stop at the Barron Falls Skyrail Station we had access to a sustainable lookout with a platform suspended above the valley. Great views of the 250 meters tall majestic, granite-faced cascade. A true thundering natural spectacle.

The Kuranda Railway Station is a world-renowned, heritage-listed passenger station located in the tropical rainforest village of Kuranda, Queensland, Australia. Built between 1913 and 1915, it serves as the upper terminus for the famous Kuranda Scenic Railway. It is celebrated as one of the most photographed railway stations in the world due to its lush, hand-cultivated tropical gardens and unique historical architecture.

At the historic ticket office getting tickets for the Scenic Railway in the village of Kuranda, Queensland, Australia. The historic railway winds through the ancient tropical rainforest from Cairns and Freshwater to Kuranda and back, but we just did the trip from Kuranda to Freshwater which is the most scenic part.

While travelling on the Kuranda Scenic Railway we had a 10 minute stop at Barron Falls Station near the village of Kuranda in Queensland, Australia.

The station (known locally as Din Din) offers panoramic views of the Barron Gorge and waterfall.

We got a great side view of Barron Falls during the dedicated 10-minute stop at the Barron Falls Station while on the Kuranda Scenic Railway journey in Queensland, Australia. We stepped off the heritage train directly into Barron Gorge National Park, walking a short path to suspended boardwalks that offered spectacular, sweeping side views down into the steep gorge and across to the opposite rainforest wall.

Crossing the Stoney Creek Falls Bridge is the most iconic highlight of the Kuranda Scenic Railway journey near the city of Cairns in Queensland, Australia. As the historic train went over the curved lattice bridge, we were treated to breathtaking, cinematic views of the cascading waterfall and Barron Gorge just outside the windows. The train slowed down considerably while crossing the bridge, allowing us to snap perfect photos of the locomotive rounding the curve with the waterfall roaring in the background.

Passing Stoney Creek Falls while on the Kuranda Scenic Railway journey in Queensland, Australia. It's a picturesque, multi-tiered waterfall in Barron Gorge National Park, just north of Cairns. Famous for its curved lattice railway bridge, the cascades are a major visual highlight during the train ride.

It sure looked like it was going to rain while sailing on the cruise ship Queen Mary 2 in Queensland, Australia. The sky transitioned from bright and clear to overcast, with dark, heavy, and low-hanging clouds. We also noticed a shift from wispy, high-altitude veils to dense, gray blankets of clouds blocking the sun.

En route to the city of Darwin we experienced some dramatic skies while sailing on the cruise ship Queen mary 2 in Queensland, Australia. We loved the intense colours, contrasting light and striking cloud formations an hour or so before sunset.

Entrance to the NT Parliament House in the city of Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in State Square, overlooking Darwin Harbour. Affectionately nicknamed "the Wedding Cake" due to its bright, tiered tropical architecture, it serves as the administrative center for the NT's legislature and welcomes visitors to explore its public spaces.

The "To serve and protect" sign in Bicentennial Park in the city of Darwin, Northern Territory refers to the engraved front inscription on the Northern Territory Police, Fire & Emergency Services memorial. Located on the Esplanade, this monument is dedicated to the brave men and women who died in the line of duty while serving and protecting the people of the Northern Territory.

The Defence of Darwin memorial, formally known as the Darwin Cenotaph, is a major war memorial located in Bicentennial Park along The Esplanade in the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. It serves as the focal point for all war commemorations in the Northern Territory.

Looking up from under the palm trees while walking in Bicentennial Park in the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. The park is a sprawling, 40 hectare coastal parkland running the length of the Darwin city waterfront along The Esplanade. Renowned for its lush green lawns and breathtaking harbour sunset views, it serves as a central green space for both locals and tourists.

While walking around we got this beautiful view of the mangrove trees in the city of Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia.

Darwin is a globally significant mangrove hotspot, hosting roughly 36 of the world's 50 mangrove species. Covering expansive tidal zones, this largely intact ecosystem provides critical storm buffers, prevents soil erosion and offers crucial breeding habitats for marine life and specialized wildlife.

Sailing away from the city of Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia gave us a bit of a nostalgic feeling as we simply adore Australia. We went to the observation deck on the cruise ship Queen Mary 2 and witnessed this gorgeous pre-sunset glow over the water.

Looking up towards the bridge of the cruise ship Queen Mary 2 while sailing away from the city of Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia. It sure is an impressive sight.

After having spent a great day in the city of Darwin in the Northern Territory, it was time to leave Australia behind us. Soon after leaving the harbour we headed straight into the sunset en route to Indonesia on the cruise ship Queen Mary 2.