After 30+ hours in transit, I made it to Sydney.
I arrived the day before my contract started, so I met up with an Australian friend from my first contract. He gave me the best possible reception: a beachfront breakfast in nearby Brighton!
Next I took the train into Sydney, and spent the whole day in the botanical gardens by the opera house. That night, in the hotel, I ran into the string trio from my last ship–They were signing on, too! The next morning, I managed to say hi and bye to Mila, who finished her contract the day I signed on.
So I’ve already covered a couple of ship traditions: a massive sunburn the first day, and lots of unexpected reunions!