When 45 Red Hatters sailed from Melbourne, the ship immediately came alive with colour, much to the delight of fellow passengers and crew.
On docking at Port Lincoln, Hatters were met and welcomed by the mayor, local band and tourism volunteers. The town really put up the “welcome” banner, making us all feel special.
Literally hundreds of photos were taken of our happy throng, especially when we met with some of the local chapter Hatters. After lunch at the local hotel, we shopped and slowly made our way back to the ship.
Our next port of call was Adelaide, where we were again greeted by local Hatters who led us to Glenelg. Once there, we numbered 80 in total, creating much interest, laughs and happy chatter. Ladies from several SA chapters welcomed us and the restaurant was abuzz with noisy conversations. Some ladies went to Rundle Mall for some retail therapy. As we made our weary way back to the ship, we spoke with many people on the train, explaining who we were and where we had been.
Kangaroo Island was a delightful place to visit. The warm sunshine and lovely scenery made for a wonderful day there as well. South Australia certainly turned on the weather and welcome for us. Unfortunately, we were unable to visit Robe as the seas became too rough for us to be ferried to the port.
Despite some poor weather early in the cruise, all Hatters voted that they’d had the best time. It was suggested we do it again next year, so if anyone would like to promote it, please do!
Thank you to all who made the time away so successful particularly the SA Hatters who worked on our behalf.
Red Hats Victoria 