The Queen Mary 2 cruise ship is now docked at Woolloomoolloo (archived post - February 2011).
In the movie Gladiator, when first approaching the colosseum, Juba says to Maximus - "I didn't know men could build such things."
That Gladiator scene came to mind when Max was looking over the QM2 from Emarkation Park in Potts Point, perhaps also because Russell Crowe's Sydney residnece is apparently in 'The Finger Wharf,' parallel to the docked ships.
It's no surprise to me it has been built, so the Gladiator analogy dies at this point, nonetheless its impressive.
There are a couple of Navy Frigates (Parramatta and Ballarat) and two Guided Missile Frigates (Melbourne and Sydney) docked in front of the QM2.
A woman in Navy fatigues approached, walking along Cowper Wharf Road. She had a "Griggs" badge on her front and "HMAS Sydney" on her sleave, so I asked, "what brings you and your ship 'Sydney', back to Sydney? She said matter of factly - "we're escorts of the QM2 in Australian and International waters until the next Navy of a Commonwealth country takes over."
"Interesting," I said.
"You have no idea," she replied. "Lets just say if the precious cargo got in the wrong hands it would cause a few more problems than cashed-up retirees and wealthy industralists loose in Sydney." She gestured to cover her mouth, "I've said too much, and I have a squash game at 1830 hours, better go."
The mind boggles what the QM2 could be used for as top secret transport requiring 4 frigates as escorts, 2 of the guided missile variety no less! Gold bullion, plutonium, WMD's, biological specimens of alien species. Ponder the possibilities.
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