One of the most intriquing recent events in Newcastle was joining the crowd on Newcastle foreshore at dawn & watching a cruise ship enter the harbour. It had a real carnivale atmosphere as 100's of well-wishers lined Macquarie Pier, Stockton & The Foreshore on a balmy summer dawn to witness this very unique event.
This time our guest was the Celebrity Cruise Lines $350 million ship, Millenium. This 1.950 passenger cruise ship is huge & at 91,000 tonnes, it would've had to been one of the biggest ships to enter the port of Newcastle ( your average bulk carrier is only around 40,000 tonnes!), or if not the largest of these type of cruise ships, it would be close enough to it.
The sight of this magnificent ship dwarfing Nobby's headland as it passed, was in itself, a sight to see.
As an extra bonus, Fort Scratchley fired a 3 volley salute from it's No.2 Mark VII gun as a welcoming gesture to our newly arrived guests.
Luckily, I was at Fort Scratchley, with my old friend, the Canon 400D, to capture the whole event, from the pre-dawn movement to the time that the tugs actually be berthed this beautiful cruise ship at Dyke No.1.
So if you are ever in Newcastle, whether you live here, or even just on a visit, a walk to the Foreshore just before the break of day maybe just worth your while. You just never know what you may see ... you may even get to see what I see!
