Berthed on the Brisbane River, at Southbank the steam powered tug boat HMAS “Forceful” can still be seen regularly steaming down the river to Moreton Bay.

She was launched on 20th November 1925 in Glasgow from Alexander Stephens and sons, Clydeside. Departing one month later her maiden voyage took her down to Australia.

What I would like to know from anyone who lives in Brisbane or Australia, does she go out every day, or just on certain days. If I give you a date can you find out if she will be going out on that day?

I hope someone can help from down under. Any information would be appreciated.

As sympatico found for you, that website is for the Queensland Maritime Museum on South Bank which is a fabulous museum if you are into anything maritime! The Forceful is berthed there and as the museum is staffed mostly by volunteers it may not be sailed every day, except in holiday periods. The email address given on the site
qldmaritime@ecn.net.au may provide answers to your questions.

We have visited the museum before and they have some very interesting stuff in there....the Ship Inn, across from the entrance does good food (and drink) and you are at the entrance to the South Bank complex which is also worth a visit...we were last there in July and it is constantly undergoing improvements and is very, very popular.

Thank you so much for the information.

Sympatico I tried the link but its says URL not found, but I will try searching with the website that Elaine gave.

I am definitely interested in the Maritime Museum that is there, and I will be in Brisbane on 20th Feb, 2001 so will try and find out if the Forceful will be sailing that day through the website that Elaine gave.

Thank you all for your replies, they are very much appreciated.

Thanks and Kindest Regards
Mary

PS: Elaine, is this South Bank near where the cruise ships dock? Is it within walking distance? Thank You for your help

Thanks for the complete link, it worked fine I have had a browse and will send them an e.mail to see if it is running on that day.

Thanks once again
Cheers
Mary

You may also want to check out these couple of websites: www.maxlink.com.au/bcl/ www.brisbanetourism.com.au

The first one is Brisbane City Life and has loads of information about events and things to see and do in Brisbane etc.

Thank you very much for those sites Elaine, I am grateful for your input. Another question, have you or anyone else on the board been to the Whitsunday Islands, I have tried searching the internet but not a lot of stuff comes up, I cannot find out much about them at all, and at this present time P&O have not sent out the tour guide book yet and I have only 32 days to go.

I think you can go to the great barrier reef from there, but what are the islands like? Is there one main island for example?

e-mail if you need more - I'll see what I can do.
Cheers - I.
http://www.airliebeach.com/

I haven't been to the Whitsundays myself - domestic travel here is quite expensive, particularly to Queensland Islands. There are actually 13 islands in the group with some of the more popular ones being Hamilton, Lindeman, Daydream, Brampton and Hayman. You can find a good map at
www.wilmap.com.au/qldmaps/gbr2.html

and www.queensland-holidays.com.au has a few things on Whitsundays too. These sites may give you links to others - when I did a search I got loads of hits but then that's on an Aussie search engine!

If you are going to be on a cruise (which one by the way?) I guess it will depend on where they actually are going to as the area covered by the 13 islands is quite extensive, and also how long you are going to be there.

I am also not sure where the ships dock in Brisbane. South Bank is in the middle of the city which is up the Brisbane River and I don't know if ships can get very far up it although I do know some of the large navy ships have been seen in the city part of the river.

If you get any more info from P&O, send me any questions and I'd be happy to find out whatever I can for you!!

Thank you both once again for the information, I am sure I will find lots of information on the links you gave me tonight when I get home.

Isobel you are too modest you never told me before that you had been to the Whitsunday's, I am sure I will have some more questions for you both once I get this flippin tour book from P&O, I am getting impatient now, and would like to know what tours will be available. Thats why I do not know which island the ship will dock in, or where it will dock in Brisbane.

Elaine I will be on Aurora's Maiden World cruise, only 31 days to go and counting yahooo, I have had my tickets and documents for over 3 weeks now with the exception of the tour guide book and the suspense is killing me

We will just be the one day in the Whitsunday's and one in Brisbane, not long enough, but at least we get two days in Sydney, and some other ports we get two days in as well.

Thanks once again to you both

Cheers for now
Mary

Well the tour guide arrived today, and its thicker than the P&O brochure, so now its decisions, decisions.

Elaine, the Aurora will anchor in Cid Harbour, Hamilton Island. There is only one tour to the great barrier reef although there are many others to other islands on the outer reef's, on the GBR tour its says they anchor alongside a pontoon, does anyone know if there is any cover here, or will it be 3 hours in open sunshine? There is also a Panoramic Reef flight, has anyone taken any of these tours? any information would be very helpful.

The GBR pontoons (there are a lot of them scattered around) generally have cover on them but all the same, the sun is very very strong, especially at this time of year (well, actually any time in Queensland!). Take plenty of sunscreen and cover up when out of the water. If you suffer from seasickness, most of the tours out to the reef are always choppy. We did one a few years back and it was horrid, even on a calm day - although for divers or snorkellers it is worth it when you get there.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the water and I would rather do the panoramic flight myself, or visit some of the other islands. However, Hamilton Island is one of the nicer and bigger ones in the group and just walking around and enjoying its facilities would be great too I think.

2 days in Sydney probably isn't enough either but there is plenty to see and do in the vicinity of the harbour where the ships berth. There is a fantastic National Maritime Museum if you don't get to the one in Brisbane. The building itself is quite spectacular alone (a friend of mine was the engineering project manager on the build)and they have some awesome ships and submarines including a replica of a Dutch ship whose name escapes me at the moment!

I will think seriously about what you have said, but I may take the trip to the GBR and the pontoon, there is a submersible that is included in the tour, and meal and an observatory, and as you say they do mention in the brochure about the catamaran ride there being rough, I will just take the pills and hope for the best.
It really is difficult to decide what to do.

Sydney I have quite a lot of information on as a work contact who lives in Sydney e.mailed me with the lowdown, and he did mention the Maritime Museum, I think I shall be visiting quite a few of them .

You have convinced me, its booked . Will send the form off today, picked about 8 trips for starters, the rest I can get on board.

All the information provided has been a great help, thats why this message board is "the best". Talking about it, makes it all the more exciting.