Into our third week at sea and we continue to roll with the waves - lulled more and more by their relaxing rhythms. In fact, we are so relaxed we almost missed Bali. It was a grey old day there and the Port of Benoa does nothing much to highlight the true beauty of Bali. Having been to the country several times before, we decided to only spend a short time ashore and expend minimal effort fighting off the hawkers and trying to stay dry from the downpours. I fear that Bali will be judged too harshly by other cruise passengers from this brief visit.

And so onto Darwin, the next Australian capital city on our circuit. The warmth and humidity wrapped us immediately in the scents of the tropics. The city sits on a bluff clothed in green above the sea. We enjoyed strolling through her lovely gardens and city centre, not at all minding the perspiration that could be easily (and enjoyably) replaced by a long cold beer.

The HMSBeagle surveyed this area in 1839. Darwin was named after the one and only Charles Darwin who sailed aboard the Beagle on its famous earlier world voyage which ended in 1836.

The city is quite modern after having been almost totally rebuilt twice - once due to Japanese air raids during WWII and again after the devastation of Cyclone Tracy in 1974. Now it is a clean, green melting pot of many cultures, with that typical laid back feel that tropical climates create. This city may even be as relaxing as a sea cruise.