The Womack crew embarked on three ships Wednesday, June 25th at the Australian Maritime Museum. Entry to the museum is free, but exploring the ships cost the entire family $18 (that’s cheap!). Our first boat was the HMAS Vampire, the last big gun ship built in Australia before the introduction of guided missiles. This Destroyer served in the royal Australian Navy from 1959 to 1986. Our second sea vessel was the submarine, HMAS Onslow, which was preserved the way the 1999 crew left it. Even though it was claustrophobic, it was our favorite tour. In one of the photos with the kids looking through the periscope, that area alone was to house 22 men. I don’t know how submariners do their job. It gave us a better appreciation for those who serve in the Navy. Oh, and let me tell you this – they LOVE to mention this on the tour, this submarine participated in a co-operative training exercise with the US Navy and “sunk” the US Aircraft Carrier, Nimitz. The last boat is what Morgan calls the pirate ship, a replica of Captain Cook’s famous vessel of discovery, the HMB Endeavour. The ship is not only a touring ship, but a working ship as well. There is a crew that lives and works on the boat as the volunteers escort you through this piece of history. The most interesting part for me was seeing the original pinion from Cook’s Endeavor that NASA took up in space in our space shuttle, Endeavor. At a little emotional with that one! By this point, our little sailors were planning mutiny. And Scott and I were ready to have them walk the plank! We were unable to finish walking through the entire museum, but since it’s free, we will finish up another day. It’s another “must see” here in Sydney. The tour guides were amazing in their wealth of knowledge and hospitality. We look forward to going back.
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