Wednesday, March 28, 2012

BALI, INDONESIA

Outstanding!  Beautiful!  Hot!  Humid!  Friendly!  Colorful!

Bali is all of these things!  We had a wonderful day in an enchanting place!  Our tour guide was Indonesian, but spoke good English, so we learned more than we needed about Bali, its customs, and its religion.  Sadly, the Hindu religion as practised there provides no hope for the people; they sacrifice every day to their gods, but the gods are not able to provide answers for the hunger of the human heart.

Bali is very tropical--it has beautiful rainforests, attractive farms (particularly the terraced rice paddies) and interesting shops.  We drove to a silver artisan's shop for our first stop.  We saw them making jewelry and then the finished product.  Now we made our way to the 2nd largest Hindu Temple in Bali; it was built in the 12th Century.  It was not at all like one would expect, as it is basically an outdoor place.  Interesting, but sad!


Next the bus climbed a mountain to view an active volcano across the valley.  Today there was no smoke, but it was a pretty sight.  We followed this by going to a traditional village.  There were 76 homes and about 700 residents.  Every home has a Hindu temple on the property.  The children were just coming home from morning classes and were really cute to speak with and photograph.  They are inquisitive; asked Irene how old she was ("a granny", she said).

Finally it was lunch, and it was fabulous!  Indonesian buffet with several choices of foods.  The grounds were exotic, even with a waterfall in the bathroom and fish in the pool!

Our final stop was at a large market where one could buy almost anything.  It was huge.  We were rushed so couldn't really bargain for things.  We did buy a carving and a fan, but from street vendors who were extremely persistent.  We tendered back to the ship, tired, a little bit hungry, but very satisfied.  There was even a rainbow over Dawn Princess as we left Bali in the Catamaran.  Now it's 3 sea days before Freemantle (Perth).

g'day!

Sunday, March 25, 2012

DARWIN, AUSTRALIA

Darwin is 12 degrees S. latitude and true to form, it was hot and humid.  Not to be deterred, we walked around as planned.  We didn't go too quickly, as our dinner mates came with us and they do not walk as fast as we do.  However we all walked through the town, and all the way to the Botanical gardens.  Then we walked around those for a while before retracing our steps to the ship.

The gardens are nice, but not spectacular.  But our intent was to get some exercise, and we did!  It was about 5 miles in total!  Now we are on our way to Bali.  It will take 3 sea days to reach it, so next blog won't be for a while.

g'day!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

PORT DOUGLAS, AUSTRALIA

We cancelled our tour to the Great Barrier Reef from Airlie Beach; the weather was terrible--very grey skies, rough seas and rain all day.  However, today was great!  There was sun and cloud, no rain, and little wind.

We had a private tour to the oldest rain forest on earth, just north of Port Douglas at the Mossman Gorge.  We walked about 4 km in 2h through a magnificent rain forest.  They estimate that only 4% of the species here have been recorded, so there is much to yet discover.  It was hot (90 degrees F. or 36 degrees C.) and humid, but in the rain forest there is little sunlight on the forest floor, so that helped.

Now we have 2 sea days before reaching Darwin.  We are nearing the equator as it is 15 degrees South latitude.  We do not go as far north as the equator, but get close at Bali.

g'day!

Sunday, March 18, 2012

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA

Today was a great day!  Brisbane is a very nice city, with a laid-back attitude.  We were so impressed that we both said we could be happy living here.  Several other passengers said the same thing.

We began our day promptly at 8:00 am; we were the first people off the ship.  We walked 10 minutes along a river boardwalk to a fast ferry.  This took us to the CBD (Central Business District).  We had to walk another 300m, but this time there was a tropical forest to walk through to reach the tour boat.  We were amazed as this was the center of the city.

Now we had a pleasant 75 minute ride on the river, past interesting skylines, nice bridges, and some very expensive homes.  There were numerous photo ops!

We arrived at the Koala Park and had 2.5 h to walk around and enjoy many of the native animals and birds.  Irene cuddled a Koala.  We petted kangaroos, wallabies, a dingo and emus.  The time went by too quickly but we got to enjoy all the same scenery again in reverse.  This was truly a wonderful day!

g'day!

Friday, March 16, 2012

A DAY IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

Today was our turnaround day in Sydney.  We were here two weeks ago, but were rained on and saw little.  Today began with cloud cover, but that soon burned off and the sun shone brightly. 

We decided to walk from the harbour to the Botanical Gardens, the Opera House, Mrs. McQuarrie's Chair (a viewpoint over the city skyline) and Government House.  We walked for 3 hours, then returned to the ship for lunch.

Now we've left Sydney after a great sail-off.  Sydney does have a very beautiful harbour.  There are all kinds of boats plying the waters--sailboats, ferries, tour boats, and today the Sun Princess was only 5 minutes behind us. 

Tomorrow is another sea day before we reach Brisbane for what we hope will be an exciting day.  More later!

g'day!

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

FINAL DAY OF FIRST SEGMENT

This seems like a long voyage, probably because there were 7 days in a row with busy port days.  But we have been fortunate for the weather has generally been very good.  Last night we met the Captain from Vancouver BC; he stated that our day in Milford Sound was extraordinary, for we saw all possible weather conditions in just 2 hours, and we ended with the wonderful sunshine!

Days at sea can be very busy, too, or they can be totally relaxing.  We choose a bit of each.  We have played bridge on five sea days and also in Wellington at a local club and we came in first on each occasion!  We had a Bible study on each sea day also, and that was good; we looked at 1 Thessalonians as there were 5 chapters in it.

We often played Trivia, and did well, but were not overall winners.  We've read books, gone to production shows, listened to good music by an accomplished pianist and a very good string quartet from the Ukraine.  There has been a magician, mentalist, juggler; a trio of tenors; and these we have enjoyed.

To top off a cruise there are the great meals that are served elegantly 3 times a day and more if you want.  For instance, today at lunch was a Sushi Buffet in addition to the many choices from a full menu.  Last night was lobster and giant prawns; tonight turkey or steak or seafood entree topped off with the Parade of the Baked Alaska.  One can make a holiday out of eating!  And to think we have 30 more days of this!

g'day!

Saturday, March 10, 2012

FIORDLAND NATIONAL PARK, NZ

This day was the best day yet!  We were up early again (6:30) because the ship began its first entrance into Dusky Fiord at 7:30 am.  We went around a Resolution Island (4th largest in NZ) and out to sea again through Breaksea Sound.  The weather was decent--low cloud, some sun breaks, and little wind.

By 9:15 we were back into the Tasman Sea, so there was a Church service, and that was good, too.

At 10:30 we entered Doubtful Sound and skirted Secretary Island (5th largest), coming back into the Tasman Sea through Thompson Sound.  The weather was similar, but there were many interesting scenes.  Lots of pictures again!

We went back to the stateroom about 11:40 and I edited pictures until lunch time.  At 2:15 it was time for the best Fiord--Milford Sound.  This one we sailed to its end, then turned and came back out to the Tasman Sea again.  The weather when we started was blustery, with low cloud and fog.  There are numerous waterfalls that were running heavily as there has been a lot of rain--it rains over 200 days a year with annual amounts of 8000 mm in Milford Sound!  Today was no exception--it rained and was windy!  Then the clouds lifted and the sun began to shine.  Soon it was warm, sunny and beautiful!  We saw Milford under all possible weather conditions and each was amazing!

Now we are on the Tasman Sea, being bumped around as it is rough again.  We have 2 days of this to "endure" before we reach Melbourne.  These are our rest days after 7 days straight of feverish activity.  NZ was wonderful!

g'day
DUNEDIN, NZ

We had to get up early today--6:30 am--because we needed to catch the first shuttle bus into Dunedin from Port Chalmers.  We went on a train into the Taieri Gorge, and it was fascinating.  The river flows beside the train track most of the way.  We went through 12 tunnels and over many bridges.  Of course, there were many sheep grazing on the hillsides.  

Dunedin has a Scottish influence.  The Railway Station is very elaborate.  The floor is tiled with thousands of Dresden tiles.  There are stained glass windows and an art gallery.

Tomorrow will be a highlight day, but you'll need to read the blog to find out why!  By the way, we'd love to hear feedback from you.  If you can't figure out how to make a comment on the blog, just send us an email using our gmail address; we read gmail every day and will write you back!

g'day

Friday, March 9, 2012

AKAROA, NZ (substitute for Christchurch)

We ended this day in a wonderful way--a classical concert pianist with an hour of Chopin music and it was all memorized!  This followed a wonderful Italian Dinner.

But this beautiful day began with a tender ride to shore (the ship cannot dock, so uses tenders--the life boats, to transfer people to shore.)  Akarao is small; there are fewer than 600 permanent residents and we have 1900 on the ship.  It is a charming town and we walked up into the hills, had a nice meal in a deli, took a harbour cruise out to the Pacific to see dolphins--these are rare species called Hector Dolphins, and they are the smallest ones.  We also saw Blue Penguins, NZ Fur Seals, and several nice sea birds.

Just before returning to the ship we finally found a store that had NZ Sheepskin slippers, so we are very happy to have new ones again.  We've been wearing these for 35 years now--not the same pair, however!

G'day

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

WELLINGTON, NZ'S CAPITAL

Today was a very good day--Wellington is known for two things; wind and hills!  Both are extreme.  Today we had near Gale Force winds, and the hills.  We walked over 7 km.

We began by going to Te Papa, the National Museum.  It is very similar to the Provincial Museum in Victoria; I don't know who made one first, but there are many similarities in design and displays.  The exhibits are excellent and it is free!

We went to McDonalds for lunch, and it was the same quality as in North America.  Senior Coffee is free!  We walked to the Cable Car to go to the top of the large hill.  It is really steep.  At the top is a Botanical Garden which we skirted as we found our way to Victoria Bridge Club--we placed first and impressed them!

A lady at the club drove us to the Old St. Paul's Church (Anglican), which was constructed from 4 local woods.  It is Gothic in style, and even the arches are wooden.  It was very interesting.  Then it was time to walk our last 2 km to the ship just in time for dinner--tonight was East Indian cuisine and really delicious (not too spicy).  We listened again to a string quartet, and that's all for today!

g'day!

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

NAPIER, NZ

Today was another warm, pleasant day.  We were on a private tour that I'd found on the internet.  There were only 4 of us, and we were treated royally!  We learned about the 1931 earthquake that destroyed Napier by lifting it 2.5 m.  It used to be a peninsula, but now there is only water on the Ocean side.

We drove through interesting countryside and saw a lot of fruit-growing farms and many vineyards.  The highlight was driving up a mountain 399 m.  It was a steep ascent, but the view from the top was really magnificent.  We had a 360 degree view!

Later we had a very nice surprise--John, our driver, took us to a fruit stand and treated us to waffle cones.  We picked our favorite fruit (blueberries, boysenberries or strawberries) and these were blended into the ice cream for a great result!  Would that concept ever take off in Canada or the USA!

We ended the tour by driving through two towns adjacent to Napier.  They are big on building with an art deco style, so we saw plenty of examples.  We also went to the Mission Winery--a good view point and nice wine tasting.  Before we went to the ship, we went up a hill to a good viewpoint over the coastline of Napier. 

G'day!
TAURANGA, NZ

What a day!  We were up at 6:30 am, as our tour commenced at 8:10.  We went around the city, then headed up into the mountains to 900 m.  Our first stop was at a wildlife park, Rainbow Springs.  There were kiwi, and many other native birds.  Without seeing them, the names won't mean much, but, of course, we have pictures!

Then we went to Rotorua Lake which is the caldera of a volcano.  It is like Crater Lake in Oregon, although not nearly as large.  We were on a paddle wheeler for a buffet lunch and entertainment by Maori performers.

The highlight of the day was our time at Wai-O-Tapu, which is a region of volcanic activity--geysers, mud pots, craters, and pools.  It comes complete with the sulfur smell of hot springs.  This area has very colorful pools and craters.  It is small in comparison to Yellowstone, but still enjoyable.  The weather was light overcast, so very pleasant for walking.  We did all the trails for a total of 4 km and 400 stairs!

By 3:45 pm it was time to start back to the ship.  It is 1.5 h on the bus to get back, so we arrived just in time to change for dinner.  After another great meal, we went to a concert given by 3 NZ Tenors; it was delightful--they had a good mix of songs so there was something for everyone to enjoy.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND

Our rough seas are over; once we came into the Pacific Ocean, it became calm.  This morning we arrived in Auckland at 10:00 am.  We had an early lunch and went on tour.  NZ is also very strange about quarantine and showing proof of who you are, much as Australia is.

Anyway, we had a ship's tour to Devenport on the North Shore.  It was a beautiful day--clear sky and 21 or 22 degrees with no wind.  We drove around Auckland, crossed the Harbour Bridge, toured Devenport and went to the top of Mt. Victoria for a good view (It is not as high as Mt. Tolmie in Victoria).  We were given chocolate samples in a local shop, walked around a bit and then took a ferry across the bay (15 minutes).

Back on the ship we were entertained by Maori dancers and singers.  It was a good show and well presented.

We've finished dinner and this evening we'll skip the entertainment and get an early sleep, as tomorrow is a 9 h tour to the geyser area.

g'day

Thursday, March 1, 2012

OUR SEVENTH CONTINENT

Well, the 11 days went quickly, and the flight was excellent.  We were able to sleep for 5+ hours, so our time in Sydney was useful time.  We walked 2 km to the harbour area by a route through the Botanical Gardens.  Then we went on an hour Harbour Cruise, which would have been really nice except that it was foggy and it rained throughout.

When we walked back it was a tropical downpour and we were both soaked even with my Gortex coat!  It rained all night, and there was a lot of flooding in NSW.  Today was dry when we left.

We've found Australia very expensive--like $4.50 for a cup of coffee; $39.00 for 2 dinner entrees, without side plates at an additional $6.00 for green beans, or carrots, etc.  We bought 2 pastries and 2 yogurts for breakfast and paid $16.50.

Oh, well, we are on our way to NZ, where it should be more reasonable.  Today the seas are a bit rough, but we don't need sea-sick pills yet.  We'll be at sea 3 days before we reach Auckland.  It is nice to be settled in one place for 43 days; our inside cabin is an unusual layout, and quite cramped.  We've found a place for everything, so we'll manage just fine.

G'day!