Paddle Steamers of Mornington - Historical Facts - Mornington Peninsula - Victoria, Australia

Back in the 1800's at Mornington, a small seaside town on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia, the main event of the day was the arrival of one of the Paddle Steamers at the Mornington Wharf. The local hotels and guest houses sent wagonettes and porters to the pier to escort guests to their establishments. When the paddle steamers departed to continue their journey to Sorrento, a procession of porters, trolleys and passengers headed towards the Main Street.

Paddle Steamers were a luxury form of transport on Port Philip Bay in the late 1800's. They were used to transport tourists from Melbourne to Mornington, Dromana and Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula, and Queenscliff on the Bellarine Peninsula.

The Port Philip Steamship and Hotel Company owned the Golden Crown and the Lonsdale paddle steamers. They ran daily excursions from Melbourne to Mornington, Dromana, Sorrento and Queenscliff.

Golden Crown was built in Auckland New Zealand by Duthie and Ross in 1870. The plates, frames, engines and boilers were made in England and exported for assembled in Auckland, However, the vessel carrying the plates and frames was wrecked on her voyage to New Zealand, so the design was altered to construct her of timber. She was 200 feet long and weighed 330 gross tons. After being used in the North Island on the Thames River she was sold in 1874 to the Port Philip Steamship and Hotel Co. where she became a regular on the Mornington, Sorrento, Queenscliff route. Golden Crown was broken up in Melbourne in 1892.

Lonsdale was built in 1882 at Greenock , Scotland . She was 228 feet long, made of iron and weighed 228 tons. During a storm in June 1889 she broke her moorings at Port Philip Bay and was stranded at Port Melbourne Beach . It wasn't until January 1891 she was refloated but it was determined that repair costs were so high she would be dismantled.

George Coppin a Theatre entrepreneur and owner of the Continent Hotel, the swimming baths and a tramway that carried visitors from the bayside beach to the wild open back beach at Sorrento, started the Bay Excursion Steamer Company Ltd. and commissioned the construction of the first Port Phillip Bay paddle steamer 1886.

By the turn of the century, there were 3 Port Phillip Bay paddle steamers in operation, the Ozone, the Hygeia and the Weeroona.

The Ozone, was built in Glasgow, she was 260 feet long (80 metres), built of steel and weighed 572 tons. Her two paddle wheels each measured almost 22 feet in diameter (approximately 7 metres) and she could travel at up to 20 knots. At the time she was considered the finest paddle steamer to be built.

Ozone had three decks, a luxurious dining room, bars, and a ladies hair salon. She had a dark green hull, white upper sections and two orange funnels. She could carry up to 1600 passengers. So up to date was the Ozone, her lighting was by electricity which had been invented by Thomas Edison only 7 years earlier.

Leaving Glasgow on the 25th August 1886, Ozone travelled through the Mediterranean Sea, Suez Canal and down to Thursday Island where she was put in quarantine. Ozone finally arrived in Port Philip Bay on 26th November 1886.

Her maiden voyage on Port Philip Bay was on the 18th December 1886. First stop was Mornington, then Sorrento and on to Queenscliff where she collided with the pier! She was also involved in other incidents during her life. In 1889 she collided with a schooner called Elfin. There was no serious damage to either vessel. 1890 saw a near miss with the coastal trader Coogee, but in 1894 Ozone ran down the fishing vessel May causing considerable damage to May.

Due to declining patronage the Ozone was withdrawn from service in 1918. She was sold to George Hill & Company, a Melbourne Shipbreaker who stripped all the fittings and sank the hull at Indented Head near Queenscliff.

The next paddle steamer to go into service was the Hygeia. Built by Napier, Shanks and Bell of Glasgow in 1890 for Hubbart Parker and Company, Hygeia was designed to compete directly with Ozone.

Hygeia was 300 feet long (92 metres), was built of steel and weighed 986 tons. She was capable of 22 knots under full steam and was considered the most luxuriously appointed paddle steamer ever built for Australian service.

Licensed to carry over 1600 passengers, Hygeia operated for 40 years servicing Port Philip Bay. She had a promenade deck, licensed saloons, luxuriously appointed dining rooms and a barbers shop.

Hygeia was taken out of service in 1930. During her time she was involved in a few incidents. In 1894 she was involved in a collision with the tug, Sprightly. On the 8th December 1911 she collided with an unnamed cutter on Port Philip Bay and a few days later on the 22nd December was stranded at Sorrento.

Hygeia was laid to rest after being stripped of all her fittings at Barwon Heads just outside the western head of Port Philip Bay in June 1932.

Weeroona was the last of the Port Philip Bay paddle steamers to be built. She was built by A.S Inglis of Glasgow in 1910 for Hubbart Parker and Company.

Weeroona took 70 days to complete her maiden voyage from Glasgow to Melbourne via the Suez Canal, Jakarta, Thursday Island, Brisbane and Sydney.

Larger than the other two paddle steamers, Weeroona was 310 feet long (95 metres), constructed of steel, weighed 1412 tons and licensed to carry 1900 passengers. Again she was extremely luxurious with spacious promenade decks and impressive lounges and dining rooms.

Weeroona serviced the resorts of Port Philip bay until 1942 when she was purchased by the US Navy who intended to refit her as a convalescent and accommodation ship. Leaving Melbourne in 1943, Weeroona travelled under her own steam to Sydney and then she was taken under tow to the Philippines via Brisbane and New Guinea.

The Australian Government purchased Weeroona from the US Navy in 1945 and sold her for scrap in 1951 when she was stripped and sunk off Berry Bay in NSW.

The era of luxurious paddle steamers on Port Philip Bay is now long gone, however, the wonderful resort towns of Mornington and Sorrento can still be enjoyed and the history re-lived.

For more fascinating historical facts , photographs, sightseeing tips and lots more information about the magnificent Mornington Peninsula, please visit us.

Di Jones - Travel Writer and Historian
Co-owner of http://www.discovermorningtonpeninsula.com.au Discover Mornington Peninsula is an information and travel site about the breathtakingly beautiful area called the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia. Our site is packed with both travel and historical information. Enjoy!

5 Things to Do When You Visit Branson, MO

Branson, Missouri is one of the Midwest's greatest tourist destinations. There are many attractions in Branson, and people of every age are sure to find several things to see and do while in town. While there are collectively hundreds of museums, variety shows, shops, parks, playgrounds, and other activities in Branson, following are five of the most highly recommended.

1. Branson Scenic Railway

For a great scenic tour of the Ozarks and the area surrounding Branson, a ride on the Scenic Railway is a must. While on the railway tour, a guide provides riders with a lot of information and history about the Branson area. The scenery that can be viewed from the train is magnificent and the train cars, which are designed to be like they were in the old days, allow riders to feel like they are on a train ride from the past.

2. Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede Dinner and Show

This show is one of Branson's most popular attractions. The characters on stage have great costumes, wonderful singing voices, and they are experts at riding the 32 horses that take part in the show. The dinner served is delicious and can be considered down-home cooking.

3. America's Presidency

One of the most highly recommended museums in Branson is America's Presidency Museum. This museum is anything but ordinary, and a visit is truly entertaining. The museum is home to several outfits originally owned and worn by several past First Ladies, and there are also several exhibits featuring some of the personal items from the estates of President Lincoln, President Roosevelt and President Kennedy.

4. Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum

This museum is one of the most popular and exciting tourist destinations in the entire city. There are several hundred items in the museum that have entertained and surprised visitors for decades. The building that houses the museum was built to look like it was a victim of the earthquake that hit Missouri in 1812.

5. Silver Dollar City

Silver Dollar City is a theme park that is a favorite among visitors of all ages. The park includes a crafter's village reminiscent of an 1880's town, amusement park rides, and a water park called, "White Water." Silver Dollar City also commonly hosts various music festivals and celebrations. The park has a nightly display of fireworks in addition to a laser show and music. There are several places to eat dinner in and around Silver Dollar City, but a trip on the Showboat Branson Belle - a cruise ship - is a truly memorable experience as it includes a meal as well as a dinner show.

Find Discount Branson Hotels at http://www.branson-hotels.net/

Interesting Places in Luxembourg

In this land of lush scenery and tranquil environment, springs the charming modern day sceneries and energetic bustles. Possessing a rich history, an evolving traditions and diverse arts, Luxembourg is a tiny nation that sits with the very heart of Europe and may be a capital of Europe's economic integration.
Luxembourg can be a melting-pot of ancient beauty and of contemporary charm. In its capital urban centre, Luxembourg City, many fortresses, cathedrals, and historical buildings and museums, can be viewed as you walked by their paved roads.

Luxembourg also boasts its Valley of Seven Castles where by most of other noblemen once resided. A 37-kilometer stretch Eisch valley showcases one of the most vital cultural and historical treasures on the nation. The valley employed being a mining spot as exhibited by the various caves exactly where the relations of miners lived. The majority of the cultivation lands along the riverbanks from the valley have preserved their prime prehistoric appeal and are part of the biggest natural protected zone in Luxembourg. Adventures are also present in Eisch valley. Numerous hikers and cyclists are fascinated by the 200-kilometer serene streets and elaborated forest tracks.

Numerous leisure pursuits are likewise available in the metropolis like watching theaters, going to museums and art galleries, dining at 13-star restaurants and going to spas. The Philharmonie Luxembourg Concert Hall, Museum of Modern Artwork Grand-Duc Jean MUDAM and Mondorf le Domain Thermal Spa are few of the modern day infrastructures exactly where entertainment and relaxation are at their finest. Luxembourg is also the place for many Michelin-star restaurants where by a mixed French and German gastronomy is served. All these contemporary spots may be viewed while enjoying an unforgettable journey in the underground caverns of Casemates in the Petrusse Valley.

Luxembourg is some 50-mile lengthy and 30-mile wide, that is why it's not tough to tour around the state. One of the greatest ways to take pleasure from picturesque structures and sights is via strolling. The Wenzel Walk provides you with the opportunity to can return to a millennium full of history in mere 100 minutes. Appreciate also a panoramic spree at Europe's greatest balcony, Chemin de la Corniche, where by magnificent river valley and old town landscapes are explored and exactly where the city's nightlife is at.
Outside the metropolis, it is possible to also love strolling and biking at Moselle Valley which leads to winding paths of vineyards, at Ardennes in which verdant meadows and thick foliage of pines await, and at Mullerthal Region regarded for its stunning rock formations.

To read more about travel topics, visit famouswonders.com and while you are at it, check out luxembourg travel guide.

Thailand's Tourist Drug Problem

Some trekking tour companies, particularly in Northern Thailand, have been known to make drugs available to trekkers. Travelers should not accept drugs of any kind, as the drugs may be altered or harmful, and the use or sale of narcotic drugs is illegal in Thailand. Additionally, alcoholic beverages, medications and drugs may be more potent or of a different composition than similar ones in the United States.

Penalties for the possession of, use of, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Thailand are severe. Foreigners are not excused from these checks, and anyone whose urine tests positive for drugs is arrested and charged. The possession of even small quantities of "soft drugs" for recreational purposes can result in lengthy jail sentences and deportation. Enforcement action against people involved in all aspect of illicit drugs has increased significantly. Canadians are reminded that Thai laws regarding illegal drugs are very strict and include the death penalty for serious offences. The possession of even small amounts of illegal drugs, including marijuana, can result in severe fines and/or prison sentences. Visitors should be aware that night-time police spot-checks to search for illegal drugs have become common in and around entertainment venues in Thailand.

Never become involved with drugs of any kind in Thailand. Amphetamines and Ecstasy are regarded as class A drugs and possession or trafficking of them carries the same penalties as, for example, heroin.

The long, mountainous border with Myanmar (Burma) brings refugees, illegal immigrants, and drugs into the country. Most people think about Thailand as having only drugs & girls. Enforcement action against people involved in all aspect of illicit drugs has increased significantly, becarefull not to ruin your holiday and your life.

Richard Heap is a property management guru in Samui working at [http://samui-property-finder.com] helping people find property in samui property [http://www.samui-property-finder.com]

New York City Christmas Lights: Holiday Season 2010 A Walking Tour

This is a description of a walking tour of Manhattan that includes the best places to view this year's Holiday Christmas Lights. All of the listings below have been personally visited and recommended. There are 54 areas of interest including: museums, Christmas window displays, famous buildings, interesting restaurants, impressive hotel lobbies, etc., and typical NYC points of interest. The walking tour is arranged in descending order from 104th Street to 12th Street.

1. Museum of the City of New York.
2. Tree Lights On Park Avenue.
3. Metropolitan Museum of Art.
4. Rhinelander Mansion/Ralph Lauren Store.
5. The Frick Collection.
6. The Crystal District.
7. Barney's. - Christmas Windows.
8. Bloomingdale's. - Holiday Windows.
9. Plaza Hotel.
10. World's Largest Menorah.
11. Time Warner Center.
12. Van Cleff & Arpels.
13. FAO Schwarz.
14. Bergdorf Goodman. - Christmas Displays.
15. UNICEF Snowflake.
16. Tiffany & Co. - Windows.
17. Louis Vuitton Malletier.
18. Trump Tower.
19. Henri Bendel. - Windows.
20. The House of Harry Winston.
21. Carnegie Deli.
22. The House of Cartier. - Displays.
23. Ellen's Stardust Diner.
24. New York Palace Hotel.
25. Rockefeller Center.
26. St. Patrick's Cathedral.
27. Radio City Music Hall.
28. Saks Fifth Avenue. - Windows.
29. The Waldorf=Astoria Hotel.
30. American Girl Place.
31. Hershey's Times Square.
32. Diamond and Jewelry District.
33. Tkts Booth.
34. Joe Allen Restaurant.
35. The World of Disney Store
36. Toys "R" Us. Times Square.
37. Fred F. French Building.
38. New York Yacht Club.
39. The Westin New York At Times Square.
40. Hello Kitty Store.
41. Chrysler Building.
42. New York Public Library.
43. Grand Central Terminal.
44. 42nd Street Food Court.
45. Fetes de Noel Holiday Shops At Bryant Park.
46. The Pond At Bryant Park.
47. Kinokuniya Book Store.
48. Lionel Electric Trains.
49. Lord & Taylor Dept. Store. - Christmas Windows
50. Great Buttons.
51. Morgan Library and Museum.
52. Macy's Herald Square. - Christmas Windows.
53. Empire State Building.
54. Forbes Magazine Galleries.

The 2010 Holiday Season is well represented in New York City. Take the family and enjoy a trip of a lifetime!

For a complete description of each of the 54 amazing Christmas lighting displays which includes where to start and what to see next, along with historical facts and places to stay while visiting the Big Apple you will want to check out the full article at: http://new-york-motels.net and we are sure that you will agree that the NYC Christmas Lights website is providing a fabulous free service with this great list. Feel free to print it out and take it with you on your walking tour.

Is Patong Beach the Place to Go in Phuket, Thailand?

Phuket, the largest island of Thailand, is nearly the size of Singapore and is located in the green waters of the Andaman Sea at around 850 kilometers south of the capital, Bangkok. As Thailand's most popular beach destination, whether the visitor is looking for a quiet place or an active area with plenty of colorful night life, Phuket island has everything someone would want on a holiday.

With beautiful beaches and some of the best resort hotels, the island is ideal to create a delightful ambiance for a truly memorable vacation. Phuket has 2 main seasons, which are the rainy season from May to October and the hot season from November to April. During the rainy season, showers last not more than two to three hours in a day and many sunny days still can be enjoyed.

The most favored beaches are situated in Bang Tao, Kamala, Karon, Kata and Patong. In addition to the beaches and night life of the island, many other activities can be enjoyed such as water sports, visit of temples, treks in the forest or motorcycle rides. Phuket also hosts one of the most famous International soccer 7s tournament in south-east Asia in November.

Bangtao beach is one of the longest beach in Phuket island and a luxury resort area dominated by a Laguna complex, a massive luxury-hotel development with golf course. Swimming is excellent during the dry season, and at the end of the bay is a smaller bay, which is nearly completely enclosed, with some fine corals.

Kamala beach, which is mostly a fishing village, is less crowded even during the summer season. A two kilometers long quiet beach where fishermen can be seen casting their net near their boats, is the only entertainment of the area together with the buffalo herds that come down sometimes to cool off.

Patong beach is the leading tourist district for water sports activities such as snorkeling, parachute flying, windsurfing, jet-skiing and sailing. Patong has the most unbelievable nightlife in all Phuket. Pubs, restaurants, go-go bars and discotheques are dispersed all over a 3,000 meter long beach front. The greatest concentration of night places are in Soi Bangla, where pubs with live music, bars with local entertainers and an important choice of excellent restaurants can be found.

Karon Beach is a lot quieter than Patong and is the second largest tourist beach in Phuket. A long and broad almost unspoiled beach with a very white sand can be enjoyed there. A superb coral reef is extending towards Kata and Bu Island at the southern point. Restaurants, bars and tour companies, but also non-hotel businesses are located at the north end.

Phuket has its own International airport and can be reached directly from overseas or from Bangkok with a 70 minutes flight.

Michel Gerard is a Travel author located in Asia. Visit the GuestHouse Phuket website to book your accommodation online and grab your *free* ebook: "Stories of Authentic Eco-adventure Destinations for Travellers in Thailand" http://www.guesthousephuket.com/ebook.html

A Few Days in Phuket

Phuket has a mixed reputation, partially deserved but also partially unfair. The first image that pops into many people's minds is the overdeveloped and rather seedy stretch of Patong beach. However, remember that this is just a small part of a big island and is easily avoided if that's not your thing.

Recently, my family and I stayed at Kamala beach, a bit further north of Patong and a world apart. Kamala is quiet, with no accommodation built directly on or behind the beach. It is a beautiful natural cove offering great photo opportunities and peace and quiet. Another advantage (for me) is the lack of vendors on the beach, here you really will be able to relax without having to refuse the Henna tattoo and doughnut sellers every 5 minutes!

We chose Kamala because it seemed ideal, having a young family. We didn't want to be in an area that was too crowded, but still with a nice beach and swimmable sea. We stayed in the Marriott Courtyard, and it was a choice between either that one or the Marriott Courtyard on neighbouring Surin beach (I had a promotional offer to use up at one of these two hotels). As we were travelling with my in-laws (who are Thai) the choice was simple. Surin was badly affected by the Tsunami and many people died, especially in the Courtyard hotel. Kamala was left untouched. Thai people fear ghosts and that is a big reason why tourism was slow to recover in the affected areas. They wouldn't even entertain the idea of staying at Surin for fear of upsetting any trapped souls. So...Kamala it was! If you wish to pay your respects while in Phuket there are a few memorial sites around the island. At the southern end of Kamala there is a monument just behind the little river that runs behind the beach and a little grassed area and pavilion.

What to do in Phuket when you get bored of the beach and the hotel pool though....well there is a lot! We hired a car so it made accessing these places easy for us, but the "songthaews" are regular and there's always a taxi or your hotel will usually arrange something for you. Of course we sampled the more family orientated activities, starting off at the rather more off-the-beaten-track Gibbon Rehabilitation Sanctuary.

This is worth a visit, even if slightly out of the way, to do your bit for a good cause. The centre is run by volunteers (European when we visited) and attempts to rehabilitate gibbons that were orphaned by poachers or kept as pets. They go through several stages of training before being released back into the wild, although of course some don't make it. The only ones you can see are the latest arrivals who are still used to a lot of human contact, as they develop through the programme they are moved further into the rainforest and away from human contact. There are a couple of nice trails you can walk while here, a few refreshment stalls and elephant rides. If you're interested, the staff are happy to talk to you about their programme as well.

Following on the animal theme we then visited Phuket Aquarium and it's related attractions. Most people only look around the aquarium itself and then go, and the aquarium is fairly sizeable although beginning to look a little shabby. They do have a great selection, and some especially large fish that scared my daughter! If you're travelling with kids this is a great way to entertain them for a couple of hours. If you've got an appetite for some more, the entrance fee also gets you into the "Baby Farm" as my daughter called it! It's a building at the back of the main aquarium where they run breeding programmes for many varied species of sea life. Be careful if you go in there as the Thai's are never that hot on health and safety, there are plenty of opportunities to fall over! And just a bit further down the road is a small facility that breeds turtles.

Phuket Zoo is, in my own opinion, a grim place best avoided. Sure if you have a little child, they probably will enjoy it and again it's a good way to pass some time. But any older children may be upset by the cramped and dirty enclosures and the obviously stir-crazy animals. A lot of the facilities appear uncared for and dirty. This place does have a poor reputation and fully deserved, if you can....stay away.

If temples are your thing there are plenty of those to visit. We went to the Phuket Big Buddha, which is really only accessible on wheels, it's a 6km winding road up a big hill. But when at the top you are rewarded with magnificent views all around. The Buddha itself wasn't complete when we visited in October 2009 but was still a magnificent sight. Also worth a look in is Wat Chalong, probably one of the most visited temples in Phuket. We were (or rather I was) treated to a procession of Miss Teen Thailand contestants in the temple grounds during our visit!

If you find that you need to hit the shops then Phuket Town should cater for your needs, as well as the nearby hyper-global-mega malls (!!) of Big C and Central Festival. Phuket offers many superb photos opportunities and if you're able to hire a car, I'd recommend a trip to one of the many viewpoints (they're shown on any good map). You can get some spectacular sunset shots.

There are countless other activities such as trekking, boat trips, fishing trips, go-karting, Muay Thai fights and training camps and much more. Phuket can be a sleazy, booze trip if you want and Patong can certainly offer you that. But don't think that this is all Phuket has to offer! You should have a great time!

Matthew's Travel Website, http://www.matthewt.co.uk
My blog, http://matthewted.blogspot.com