Double Struth!

The photo will be used as part of tenth anniversary celebrations of the launch of the 151,000 tonne Queen Mary 2 in May 2004.

• IN his continuing search for the more weird, wacky and wondrous in the world of travel, David Ellis says that when photographer, James Morgan asked the skipper of Queen Mary 2, Captain Kevin Oprey if he would pose for a photo in front of the vessel’s bow, he didn’t quite have in mind the security of standing on a nice safe wharf.

He wanted Captain Oprey to stand on the bulbous bow of QM2 as the massive vessel was anchored a kilometre out to sea off Bali, while recently on her way from Asia to Australia. (The bulbous bow juts out in front of a ship’s bow, minimising the effects of waves and currents and helping the vessel move more smoothly and speedily through the water.)

And while Captain Oprey readily, and bravely, agreed it took some weeks of planning to achieve, and some hours on the actual day for sea conditions to be perfect for him to step out of a small boat and onto the bulbous bow. Two safety boats were also on hand throughout the photo shoot.

Sydney-based photographer Morgan says that when he first proposed the idea, “people looked at me like I was a tiny bit mad. But the fact something like it had never been done before, was why we had to do it… and Captain Oprey came through unscathed and with flying colours.”

SEADREAM I slips into Monte Carlo: nothing too much trouble to keep guests happy – even changing direction to stop hair blowing in their face while dining on deck.

• IN his continuing search for the more weird, wacky and wondrous in the world of travel, David Ellis was set this scenario by a magazine publisher who had recently sailed aboard boutique mega-motor-cruiser, SeaDream I in the Mediterranean.

She writes:

Picture this for the ultimate in guest relations: We’re sitting outside on deck at a beautifully arranged dining table on a balmy night between Portofino and Monte Carlo… fellow scribes from various points of Australia.

Captain joins us for dinner; we chat, eat, drink.

Wind blows one’s hair into one’s eyes/face/lipstick… I quietly push it back, unstick it from lipstick and continue eating.

Captain slips away from table and makes a quiet phone call.

By the time he returns the wind has stopped; my hair sits nicely in place. I ask him: “What did you just do – the wind’s stopped… do you have a direct line to ‘Upstairs?’”

Captain responds: “Oh no! I could see that your hair was bothering you, so I asked the Chief Officer to change direction slightly so you can enjoy your meal without your hair annoying you…”

Then he adds as an after-thought: “I must remember to tell him to get back on course when we finish dinner!”