Part 2 picks up as we depart Singapore and, after a day at sea, arrive in Surabaya, Indonesia. Surabaya is a port city on the Indonesian island of Java — a vibrant, sprawling metropolis that mixes modern skyscrapers with canals and buildings from its Dutch colonial past. It has a thriving Chinatown and an Arab Quarter, home to the Ampel Mosque, which dates back to the 15th century. The Tugu Pahlawan (Heroes Monument) honors the independence battles fought in Surabaya’s streets in 1945.
For this stop, we booked NCL’s “Surabaya Heritage” bus tour to explore the city’s history. One highlight was a stop at the world-famous Hotel Majapahit (formerly the Hotel Oranje) for snacks and beverages — built by the same brothers behind Raffles Hotel in Singapore.
The next day brought a second stop in Indonesia — the world-famous island of Bali, where we booked NCL’s “Discover Bali” tour. It was a wonderful day, with stops at a Bali fabric store, a theater show featuring historical characters, the Bali Bird Park, and finally a private home that offered a glimpse into local Indonesian lifestyle in the area. I came away with some beautiful napkins, coasters, and placemats, plus a $100 cashmere scarf!
Next, we headed south toward the continent of Australia for four days at sea. We finally arrived at our first Australian port, Fremantle — the gateway port city for Perth. For this stop, we booked NCL’s “Fremantle & Perth Orientation” tour, which included a roughly 30-minute bus ride into Perth with several stops along the way.
Perth, the capital of Western Australia, sits where the Swan River meets the southwest coast. Sandy beaches line its suburbs, while the sprawling, riverside Kings Park and Botanic Garden on Mount Eliza offer sweeping views over the city.
The next day took us to Busselton, Australia, where we booked NCL’s “Cape Naturaliste and Wine Tasting” tour. Busselton is a city on the southwest tip of Western Australia, known for its sheltered beach, excellent wineries, and seasonal humpback whale populations. The beachfront features the 19th-century Busselton Jetty, a wooden pier stretching nearly 2km out to the Underwater Observatory, where you can view life on a coral reef.
The wine tasting was a real highlight — snacks of cheeses, meats, and bread paired with the various varietals produced at Swings and Roundabout Winery. We also stopped along the southern coastline to see a natural ocean blowhole and the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse.
Continuing along the southern coast of Australia, our next port of call was Albany. Here we booked NCL’s “Cruise through Oyster Harbour” tour, aboard the Kalgan Queen — complete with the captain’s pet pelican! The captain’s narration over several hours was excellent, and the cruise was a delight: fresh air, fresh oysters, and tea and biscuits along the way.
Albany is a city at the southern tip of Western Australia, known for its beaches — Middleton Beach among the most popular.
A few more days at sea covered the long distance to our next stop, the Port of Adelaide, Australia. Adelaide is South Australia’s cosmopolitan coastal capital, ringed by parkland along the River Torrens and home to renowned museums such as the Art Gallery of South Australia.
Here we booked NCL’s “Adelaide Highlights” tour, which took us around the city with stops at Mount Lofty for sweeping views, a local market, and — best of all — kangaroos hopping around a park near residential homes. The first of many kangaroo sightings to come!
Onward to our next stop, Kangaroo Island, which lies off the mainland of South Australia, southwest of Adelaide. Over a third of the island is protected in nature reserves, home to native wildlife like sea lions, koalas, and diverse bird species. In the west, Flinders Chase National Park is known for its penguin colonies and striking coastal rock formations, such as the sculpted Remarkable Rocks and the stalactite-covered Admirals Arch.
We booked NCL’s “Kangaroo, Koalas & Island Honey” tour, which took us to a nature preserve full of animals — kangaroos, wallabies, and koalas — all ready to be fed and petted! From there, we moved on to Clifford’s Honey Farm, where we were served honey ice cream and heard the story of bee farming in Australia.
I was especially excited for our next port of call, Melbourne, where we had an overnight stay. Melbourne is the coastal capital of the southeastern Australian state of Victoria. At the city’s center is the modern Federation Square development, with its plazas, bars, and restaurants lining the Yarra River.
The overnight gave me plenty of time to visit with my nephew and his family on the first day. The second day was spent at Werribee Open Range Zoo, where you can journey through different regions of the world and their animals. Naturally, I saw just about everything imaginable — giraffes, rhinos, elephants, camels, buffalo, and, of course, more kangaroos.
Continuing around the southern coast, we stopped in Burnie, Tasmania. Burnie is a vibrant port city on Tasmania’s northwest coast, known for its industrial heritage, Art Deco architecture, and stunning natural surroundings. It serves as a gateway to the region, offering beaches with penguin spotting at Emu Bay, the scenic Burnie Park, and a growing reputation for local, artisanal food and whiskey.
Since I’d been here before, I booked NCL’s “Scenic Coastlines” tour to take me somewhere new. It brought us to various overlooks, including Rocky Cape, and past sprawling poppy fields grown for the pharmaceutical industry.
As we drew closer to Sydney, our last stop along the way was Eden, Australia. Having been here before as well, I booked NCL’s “Cruise to Twofold Bay” tour for something a bit different. Eden is a coastal town in the South Coast region of New South Wales, located 478 kilometers (297 mi) south of Sydney — making it the most southerly town in New South Wales, nestled between Nullica Bay to the south and Calle Calle Bay, the northern reach of Twofold Bay.
The two-hour cruise didn’t disappoint, with plenty of dolphins and seabirds spotted along the way.
And so the time had come to disembark in Sydney, Australia. After 35 days, it had been an exciting adventure to so many new places. The Spirit will now spend the next three months cruising between Sydney and Auckland.
As for me, it was time to begin the long journey home: 10 hours to Seoul, Korea, then another 10 hours to Los Angeles. The following day, I’d finally make it back to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I’ll miss the cruise days and the friends you make along the way — but until next time, as I always say!
A Note on Costs
As part of these blogs, I’ve started sharing the costs behind the trip, since I know many of you are planning your own adventures. As a solo traveler, here’s what this 17-day journey cost me:
- Cruise fare (Oceanview cabin, solo): $5,118 USD
- Airfare (Business Class): $2,500 USD
- Shore excursions (with frequent cruiser discounts): $529 USD
- Total: $8,147 USD
Traveling solo does mean absorbing the single supplement on the cruise fare, but it’s a trade-off I gladly make for the freedom to set my own pace. Booking business class made those long flights — 10 hours to Seoul, then another 10 to LA — far more bearable, and the frequent cruiser discount took a nice chunk off the excursion total. All in, a wonderful trip that I’d say was well worth the investment!
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