The meeting of QE2 and Queen Victoria in Sydney, Australia, 24 February 2008

[southfielddane]

This is a clip from my Final World Cruise videos that I have been meaning to post for a long time. When QE2 was in Sydney it was arranged to make a special event of the leaving of Queen Victoria and the repositioning of QE2. As it was to be the final time  Sydneysiders would be able to see QE2 huge crowds made their way to the harbour to witness the two ships passing each other and exchanging whistle salutes. We chose to stay ashore and join the crowds at Mcquarie Point, a park with a great view of the harbour. We are glad we did as my wife and I made our way to the famous Mrs Mcquaries chair through the crowds. The atmosphere was electric. We hid our identities as passengers onboard and sat on the shoreline surrounded by many families and listening to their adoring comments about the QE2. Queen Victoria took attention towards the Harbour Bridge at first but the silent movement of QE2 as she came into view on our right drew rounds of applause and whoops of delight. A huge response greeted the sound of the QE2`s whistle, so much better than Vicky`s ! I think we made the correct decision to stay ashore!
My apologies for the wrong date on the title. it should be 24 and not 23 February.

[Barumfox]

Great video and good choice of location for the event and the weather co-operated. I hope the authorities were more prepared for the event than the previous year when the meeting of the QE2 and QM2 - her first - reduced the city to gridlocked for a few hours.

My one visit to Sydney in early March 2017 was not so fortunate as the weather was pretty rotten and the equivalent manoeuvre took place at midnight when the QM2 left Circular Quay and we on the P&O Aurora moved to it after being anchored in the harbour all day - safe to say there were far fewer - if any- people watching from the shore on this occasion!

Luckily the weather had been ok earlier in the day for the Bridge Climb where there was the bonus of great views of both ships.

Good memories and hopefully another chance to visit one day.

Gary

[Rob Lightbody]

That was just fantastic, thank you.

[June Ingram]

Excellent ! Thanks for posting !

When you hear QE2's voice, everything else pales in comparison !

[skilly56]

Thoroughly enjoyed that - thanks for posting.
My youngest lad was 3rd officer on QE2 at that time - when departing Auckland just a few days earlier, Ian McNaught pulled off the wharf, then sat in the stream with all horns blasting for a long time. When the Kiwi flag was finally lowered, all the nav officers from captain down signed it, rolled it up, and presented it to my son!
The lad was last officer off QE2 when she was handed over in Dubai. He lowered the Cunard house flag as the Nakheel flag went up, & somehow that big triple-thickness red one came home too!