Time to leave Melbourne.....

And loving my tidy pantry – No food = No Cooking


It is not easy to leave you home for such a long time but the anticipation of what awaits us over the next 104 days is almost too much to imagine. We booked in March/April 2009 so we have had a long time to plan and research the 42 ports we will be visiting. Information sharing has been the name of the game for so many months. Through the Cruise Critic website and Sheree’s blog, we have learnt much, not only about the exciting ports we will be visiting, but also about our new life aboard the wonderful Dawn Princes
Ray booked the 1.30pm Airport Bus and our neighbour very generously, offered to take us to the bus stop. A huge relief because the taxi service here can be unreliable.
Our flight to Sydney departed at 10am so we decided to stay at the Mantra, near the Airport, on Thursday night. Very happy with our choice here – the Mantra is located about 5-10 mins from the Airport but they have a great shuttle service and it is quieter than the hustle and bustle of the airport.. Our room was very comfortable – big King bed and pillows to match. We ate in the Restaurant – huge servings, and our deal included a buffet breakfast – not that we would need that with 104 days of gluttony ahead. The Bar area was popular with guests as well as locals.