Home sweet home

Well we made it. And it was really good to see our kids at the airport (THANKS JESS and STEVE). The crazy thing is they each had to drive separately 'cause just as they went out to leave our van decided that it didn't want to start (Maybe she was mad at us?). Turns out the battery just lost it's charge so no biggie. It was good to catch up with them. Things look the same and different at the same time. Like coming from summer to winter. And driving on the opposite side of the road (which is the right one?) I have to admit that when we first got home it felt a little like we were at another stop on our trip. Who knows maybe we are, there are a lot of places still to see...

So Long Down Under

This will not be my favorite day to write about that's for sure. Today we have to head for the airport. Now it isn't all bad really. It will be really good to see our family and friends again. But we have had a great trip so...anyways, we packed up our bags one last time and somehow everything fit and weighed out ok. Judy took the long way to the airport so that we could see a bit more of Sydney before we left. It really is a nicce city, lots of parks and lots of water. Liz met us at the airport for one last round, but soon it was on to the plane and the long ride home. Pretty unevetful really.Watched a movie, napped, took a three hour break in the Fiji airport,watched some more movies and slept quite a bit. Sandra seemed to really get some good sleep and as she has been fighting a really sore throat for the last few days this was great. The most bizarre thing is that, though we left Sydney at 1:30pm on Monday morning, we got home at 1:05 pm Monday morning! Quite strange. But it really does feel like it took the 15 or so hours that it took. Oh well, small price to pay.

Sydney day 2

Well another phase of the trip is coming to an end as we leave the cruise ship today. It has been a good 'home' for the two weeks. But there is more to see in Sydney and more folks to meet. Today we are meeting up with Liz's good friend Renee's parents (Renee came down from school in Redding to see Liz at our house). And Sandra recognized her right away as she, Judy, looks alot like Renee. Judy and Mal took us on a tour the city some and we went up the observation tower to get a birdseye of Sydney. It is a big city with a huge bay so there is lot's of waterfront properties. We had lunch on the edge of one of the harbors along with Liz and her dad Rob. Later we took a couple of ferry rides to get another aspect of the city. It gives you a whole different way to get around besides busses, trams and the downtown monorail. After the boat ride we drove into the suburb were Mal and Judy live, dropped of our bags, had a quick bit of tea and shot off to Hillsong church. Hillsong is a really big, quite well-known around the world church that has alot of energy and excellent music. And tonight they were doing a pre-recording run thru of a big event that they will tape for a worship cd so we got the full experience. Huge auditorium with tons of younger people, a great worship band, a mosh pit, and a really vibrant worhip service. A lot of fun and as we haven't been to church since Auckland it was especially good. Sorry but I had left my camera at home so you will have to check out their website to get a feel for it. We really needed dinner after that so we picked up some chinese takeaway and had a real nice time back at Mal and Judy's. And then we all crashed.

Sydney Harbor

Well we woke to another killer sunrise today, this time in Sydney Harbor. The ship was anchored in the bay (too many cruise ships here at the moment) so we had to be tendered in. Hey, free harbor cruise. Sydney is a cool city and it was nice to walk around a bit. So we criused thru 'The Rocks' district and then we met up with friends for lunch. It was really good to see Liz again (she's a Aussie gal who stayed with us in December) and to meet her dad, brother, sister-in-law and baby nephew along with a good friend Lindsay. They are all really great folks.In the afternoon we walked around some more, checked out the opera house and then stopped at a little pub on the way back to the ship. On the way we came across this wedding party that was a 1930's era theme with all the people decked out like flappers and such and classic old cars. Must have been a fun time. There was still a littel sun left so we soaked a little befrore heading back to our room to start the packing process. Kinda sucks. Two weeks on a ship seemed like a long time before we started but now it is basically over. We did get to share one more dinner with our tablemates and exchange email addresses and such. Good times.

Last day at Sea

Today we are heading from Melbourne to Sydney and we have sun! Well we have sun and some wind. But that's cool 'cause after a slow morning we went for some laps and the wind helped the workout. If we had wings we would have easily flown away.Later we found a sheltered spot by the pool and soaked it up while the staff whipped up some Aussie BBQ.
No shrimp thrown on the barbie, real Aussie - Kangaroo, Emu and Crocodile. I thought they were all quite good. Emu and Roo are really lean so they were a bit dry ( hard to cook that much meat and get it hot off the grill) and the croc was in patties with a bit of onion (white meat, a bit like chicken but also different).

Tonight is the last formal so after our share of sunning we starting getting ready. Once again we had a really nice dinner (and Sandra looked fabulous!) And to top it off was the traditional Baked Alaska Parade. Later we went to a dance show in the main theater.

Kangaroos, Koalas and Dreamtime

That is the name of the tour we are taking today. And the day is starting out quite well. I even got to watch Liverpool win their Champions League match this morning. The sun is working on burning off the morning cover as we headed down to the bus. It is a 45 min. ride out of town but the guide is good and filling us with info. Our first destination is a place called Serendip which started as a goose breeding habitat but was adopted by a bunch of kangaroos. They basically stay inside the fence but only by choice as they can easily jump it. (An adult can clear a 5 ft fence from a resting position). We walked out into the field and got pretty close. They are not tame but tolerate us. Interesting to see. We also saw a billabong (water hole) with all sorts of birds (no crocs here though) and walked among some emus (ostrich like). The make this strange thumping sound that you almost feel more than hear. Reminded me of a program I heard about dinosaur sounds once. After a bit of lunch (I won a bottle of wine answering the question 'what is a group of kangeroos called') we meet a young aboriginal man who talked about their culture some and treated us to some didjeridoo music. It is a neat sound that I think is pretty neat. (I suppose it is like bagpipes-you love it or hate it). It is interesting that they have to inhale and exhale/blow at the same time, something called circular breathing which allows them to play continuously. Try it. We learned how to make 'billy tea' (From the Waltzing Matilda song - '..waited while his billy boiled..') and drove to a huge granite rock that gives a widesweeping view of the flatlands beyond (a bit like pride rock in the Lion King). It is a sacred place to the aborigines and there is evidence that they have used it for a very very long time. Around this mount is a Koala refuge and a local guide led us in the bush to some areas where we were able to see some koalas. They are very private animals and spend almost all of their time alone (one koala per 5 acres average). They will climb up in the trees and sleep in the daytime were they are safer and can be cooled by the breezes. While today is maybe in the low 80's they recently had temps as high as 115 around the time the fire started. That and 19 years or so of drought and... The Koalas are quite cute. And so unique. Well it's back to the ship as we are leaving soon to head for Sydney ( after a day at sea).

Melbin (That's Aussie for Melbourne)

We woke in port this morning hoping to see the sun but it is overcast again today. But it is still nice to put feet on unmoving ground. There is a really nice public transit system here so we took a ride into the CBD central business district and then took off on foot. There are lots of parks here and we headed out to towards the main botanical gardens. We came to a memorial to their soldiers first, very formal tree lined processional to a large forecourt and up a staired platform to the memorial building. Lots of young school kids in their uniforms were getting tours and it was nice to see them taking it seriously and attentively."Lest we not remember" as written in the stones. Quite nearby was the start of the gardens, a bit of the feel of the Huntington Gardens and open to the public, just walk on thru. Very nice to just stroll around and enjoy. I know that it fed Sandra's spirit. Nice tea house in the middle, but the coffee was good too :) As we roamed around it was easy to see that they are really having a drought here (the lake is very low) but the have worked hard on keeping the plants healthy. At the border of the park the parks keep going and follow the river in to town. Lots of people walking and running on the paths here, some most likely on the lunch break. As the river heads into town the path blends into a nice riverfront area of cafes and such. Very nice. We walked thru quite a bit of the CBD and then the sun started breaking out so we headed on back to the ship for some sunning. Feels good. We are feeling very relaxed now. So after a walk back down the pier to use the local wireless internet (quicker and cheaper than the ship) and a short nightime stroll along the beachfront we headed back to our cabin for a little (yeah right) room service dinner and an early lights out.

Tasman Sea

Well for two days we are crossing the Tasman Sea between N. Zed and Aussie land (or the West Island as the Kiwis call it). And while we have nothing we have to do other than relax, it is a bit on the rough side out there. Windy and white caps and sporadic rain. As long as we are heading straight into the waves it is not too bad. But if they start coming at an angle then the boat starts rocking pretty good. It is amazing watching the waiters carrying this fully loaded trays and doing fine while the passengers all look like they are on a three day drunk (It was really rockin and rollin one night and I saw some of the staff stagger a bit too). You get used to it pretty much though. It is the occasional bigger wave at about a 45 degree angle that can really shudder the ship, it feels like an moderate earthquake. We had another formal night which was good, and have enjoyed conversation with many different people.

Salt Water Swimming Pool.

In one area of the ship there is a swimming pool that is a warm salt water pool. It's a different kind of experience. And fun to watch expressions of people who go in for the first time and get some on theur lips. It also is fun to be in the pools during these wavy times as it really transmits to the pools. There are some good sized waves here, with the water level varying about 3 feet from high to low at times, and in all directions.

( This picture shows the high level on one side and the low on the other)

Sounds abound

Today as we woke up we realized that we won't be on N.Zed soil anymore this trip. But we still get to see it as we are sailing thru the Fjords today. Early today we saw Dusky Sound, then Doubtful Sound (so named as Captain Cooks expedition was doubtful they would find their way out-they did) and then Milford Sound. It looks a bit different today as there is some rain and more clouds. But the rain means that all the waterfalls are going strong, hundreds of them ribboning down the near vertical walls. Quite beautiful. As we left the sound we pointed our bow away from N.Z. and are ready to cross the Tasman Sea to Australia. This will take the next two days. And at the moment it is a bit of a ride as there are some good waves out there and wind as well. Everyone on the ship walks like they've had a couple of drinks to many. It is amazing that the waiters do such a great job while we shimmy, shake and roll. (oh-we also had a huge brunch this a.m. with just about averything imaginable. Hide the scale!)

Dunedin

Whereas Christchurch is English, Dunedin is Scottish. And also somewhat rainy. But we enjoyed it anyway. We just decided to walk around and came across fun things. Like a farmers market down by the train station. And we found our way to the Speight's brewery and lucked out on getting in on a tour and a good tasting afterwards of 6 or 7 beers (good thing we are walking). Good beers and they also have some good ads. There also was a bagpipe band competition in town today so we watched that for a bit in the rain. It was also a good time to catch up on internet activities as it is cheaper and faster than from the ship. And we met some nice floks on the ship from Wales today as well. Tonight was one of our tablemates b-day so we had the full crew today - 3 Brazilians, 2 Kiwis, 2 mexicans and 2 Americans. You should hear all the accents, it can create some interesting conversations.

Christchurch

Christchurch is supposedly the most British city in the world outside of Britain. The weather seemed right as it was rainy and gray all day. But no worries, there is always something to do. So we went to the Antarctic Experience. A large number of countries who have bases in Antarctica work out of Christchurch, both by ship and air. The U.S., Italy and N.Z. all have large warehouses and operational facilities here and adjacent to them is this museum/display center. We got to experience a wid storm and feel the wind chill, something like -17degrees (they give you parkas), ride in a snow tractor, watch the penguins get fed, and learn facts about the Antarctic. It was interesting and dry. Though it would have been nice to wander around or punt on the Avon. Some other time.

Wellington

Once again we wake to new surrounds. Today, Wellington, capital of New Zealand. We are here all day so we took our time getting up and about, had some breakfast on the back deck overlooking the harbor and the headed off the ship. They have really nice tour centers here and we picked up some info on the city. We walked down to the main train/ bus station and picked up a bus to the outskirts of town to a place called the Weta Cave. This is the home of Weta who is a special effects firm that did the Lord of the Rings, King Kong, Last Samuri, etc. It was quite interesting to see some of the props and costumes as well as watch a short film about there history and the things they do. On the way back we stopped at a local sports complex and watched some youth play cricket, then stopped for a nice lunch at a local spot with nice outdoor tables. A short walk from there led us to Te Papa, the N.Z. museum. This is a really big place ( and free to boot) so we just had a small taste of it. All types of exhibits on all sorts of topics having to do with N Zed. You could very easily spend a whole day here. But as the weather is nice once more we decided to walk back to the ship via the waterfront. Besides, we need the exercise as there is lots of food on this ship.

Napier

Well another day another beautiful sunrise and another port to explore. Today it is Napier. A nice bit of town with a decidely Art Deco feel (the old towh was destroyed in an earthquake and fire ala San Fran. We had a nice walk into town, did a bit of browsing, then walked over the hill to the original town area. Here they are starting to take some of the old warehouses and do adaptive reuse with bars, restaurants, gyms, offices, etc. We found a nice place for a beer and watched the harbor a bit. Then a ways on found a 'fush and chups' (that's fish and chips in 'english') and got some takeaway for a picnic on the beachfront. It's a beautiful day so we headed back to the ship for some sunning. Tonight there is a comedian (very funny) and another beautiful meal. And soon after, as the sea has some rocking to it, we are swayed to sleep.

Sailing, sailing..

Vacations are so good but you can also get too busy, especially in a place like N Zed where there is soooo much to see. So we are really glad that today is a day at sea. Rest, relax, slow down,explore the ship, eat, go to the gym, snack some, sunning, and then a formal evening. It takes on a special air when everyone is dressed up. So very nice.

Sailing, sailing..

Vacations are so good but you can also get too busy, especially in a place like N Zed where there is soooo much to see. So we are really glad that today is a day at sea. Rest, relax, slow down,explore the ship, eat, go to the gym, snack some, sunning, and then a formal evening. It takes on a special air when everyone is dressed up. So very nice.

Tauranga by sea

Today we are in Tauranga again (it was like two weeks ago that we were here last). Well actually we are in Mt. Maunganui which is part of the same harbor. There is a Mosaic church affiliate here and Dana Evans from Mosaic spent some time here and had told us about it. Nice little beachside town (beautiful beach!) and this volcanic mount that frames the harbor opening. I woke again at 6:00 (hope this isn't a habit) and sat on the balcony as the sun rose.This actually makes waking early worth it, killer sunrises here. We took our time this a.m. had breakfast at the buffet (it is hard to get just a small amount of food here) and then took off to explore. There is a good, if not Very steep, traail to the top which has killer views and a nice breeze to cool you down which I very definetly needed. We also did the walk around the base of the mount which was wonderful too. Beautiful little beaches and rocky coastline all tree lined. We are getting spoiled with the beaches here. After a stroll thru town we headed back to the ship for some lunch and a restful afternoon ( 6:00 mornings and late dinners dictate this ). We just set sail again and it is time to start getting ready for dinner. Tomorrow we are at sea.

Sunday in Auckland.

Last evening we saw a cruise ship leaving the harbor from Maurie and Anita's wonderful view living room and we wondered if we could see our come in and leave. My brain must have grabbed on to that 'cause I woke at 6:00am just as the sunlight was breaking the horizon. So we couldn't see the ship, but I decided to watch the sunrise anyway and take a few photos. And the the camera misfunctioned, the lens locked up, and it wouldn't work. So poor Sandra woke up to a muttered grumbling. (We have actually ended up buying a new one in hopes that we can work it out with warrenty stuff once home - Thanks again Maurie for driving us to get it). As we we fortunate to be here on a Sunday, we were able to go to church this morning with M & A. Very nice place, good service, good worship, and a very friendly and alive community. Good times. And then (after camera) back 'home' for final packing and a real nice lunchtime on their patio. Have I mentioned what fine people Maurie and Anita are? And then it was time to head for the ship. And, for the second day in a row, another even harder departure. We have come to really value this new friendship and leaving is no fun. Fortunetly we have another adventure before us to distract us. There at the pier was this really BIG ship. We passed thru check in very quickly (fastest I have experienced) and headed on in. We found our cabin and were quite surprised by how big and nice it and the balcony is. We really lucked out here since we didn't specifically pick a room and have one with a double size balcony. Very cool. So now our cruise experince begins. Two weeks! This should be interesting. We watched the harbor slip away from our balcony, we think we saw the area where M & A live (Could you see us?) and another beautiful sunset. We have the late, 8:30 dinner seating, and met or table mates, a young couple from Rotorua and three people from Brazil. All very nice people though unfortunely the Brazilian mom (so sweet) doesn't speak English so communication is a bit tough for them. Great dinner (we will really be needing to hit the gym) and then Off to our room.

Come fly with me...

Well today we had to turn in Fia T. And to be quite honest, it was a little hard. She has been a great travel companion and home-on-wheels. It was strange leaving. We took a shuttle to the airport, repacked our carry-ons a few times to meet weight restrictions (where did the extra come from? How will it be at the end?) and checked in. The security on domestic flights here is much easier than at home. A quick flight of about an hour had us back in Auckland and the smiling faces of Anita and Maurie. So good to see them. Back at 'home' we started some very needed laundry, petted Stripy the cat (boy he looks/acts like our cat) and went next door to have a real nice time of drinks and appetisers with Trevor and Libby, Maurie and Anita's friends who we met on our first pass. They too are great people and we had a very nice time talking of travels and such. We are so lucky. This evening we had another wonderful meal and wonderful conversation. And heart shaped chocolates on our pillows for Valentines Day. We feel truely loved and blessed.

Wicked

There are lots of campervan companies in N Zed. But there is one company, wicked that is quite unique, if not a bit bizarre. They paint-up all their Toyota Previa minivans. Often they are based on a musical group or other personality. Quite 'different'. Here are a few samples.

Turquoise

We woke this morning to a bit of rain and some pretty cold temps. And it is cloudy so the mountains are mostly hidden. So we were in no big hurry to get up and about today. But after awhile it started clearing up a bit so we drove out to the Tasman Glacier and went for a hike/walk. There is this big lake in front of the glacier (the longest in NZ, but very dirty and covered with rocks) and just a few days ago a bunch of the leading edge broke off into the lake. So now it has a bunch of icebergs in it, It must have been some sight. After the hike we started to headon out of the valley since the clouds were not lifting very much. But as we got close to lake Pukaki the sun shown on it and the brilliasnt blue came out in full force. So awesome. We stopped at a viewpoint near the bottom of the lake just in time for the peak of Mount Cook to poke out the top of the clouds. It is really tall and beautiful. And the we headed on to neighboring Lake Tekapo which is also the same brilliant blue. There also is this great little stone church right on the edge of the lake, Church of the Good Shepard. They also have a statue to the sheep dogs that have changed the way they can herd. Good stuff, and now the sun is out and a short nap and an ice cream prepped us for the rest of the day. As we have to turn in the van tomorrow we are driving close to Christchurch tonight. We passed thru great rolling hills, farm lands and herds of sheep and cattle. It will be strange turning in the van tomorrow. It has been a great ride and I would fully endorse this type of touring.

Queenstown to Cook

Raining this morning and it has cooled off also.Sometimes, even though you are off to have fun, it is hard to leave someplace. Today was like that. We are leaving Gill's this morning. And in these few short days she has become such a good friend. We feel very blessed. But on we must go, so we might as well do something fun, in this case a jetboat ride on the shotover river. What a rush, flying down this rock walled, zig zag river, turquoise colored from glacial silt, inches from the rock face, spinning, darting, splashing, laughing, hooting. Hard to put into words. Good stuff. Then, once our heart rates were back to normal and our fingers had thawed out the heated grab bars-pretty nice), we got on the road towards Mount Cook, the highest in N Zed.On the way we drove through low clouds and drizzle thru such varying terrain, from rushing river canyons to rolling mountain sheep strewn passes to huge plains. Then as we started up the turn off to Mt. Cook the bottoms off the clouds turned the most interesting color of blue. So strange until we peaked a small hill to look down upon the most striking aqua-turquoise lake. Really unique, even if you have seen the likes of a Lake Louise in Canada or such. We kept on towards Mt. Cook though we can only see it's base as it is shrouded in clouds. A brief glimpse of a glacier teased us on with the hope that the morning will bring a clear sky. The visitors center hear is excellent with all kinds of dispalys about the Southern Alps and the history of mountain climbing in N.Z. ( This was Sir Edmond Hillary's training ground for his Everest climb). There is also a big hotel here, quite nice and I am sure quite pricey. But we have Fia T, so we are well and good if not a bit chilly ( It really has cooled off!). The big fluffy duvet will be extra nice tonight.

Queenstown

Ahhh, easy going morning. We realized today that we have been on the go alot, ther is so much to see and do. But we slowed down this morn. But not to slow. We are off with Gill to take the steamship TSS Earnslaw across Lake Wakatipo to check out a sheep farm outpost/farm. The steamship is a piece of living history from the goldrush days here when the lake was really the only way to get here. It is a nice journey across and very relaxing. Once on the other side, we enjoyed a brief showing off of the different types of sheep they raise in N.Z. alog with a 6 point red deer. Then off to a lovely tea with Scones and Piklets (like pancakes) with cream and jam (they make good sandwiches for the less initiated). Shared a table and some good conversation with acouple from Paris. Fun to watch all the little kids of different nationalities play together dispite the language barrier-fun has it's own vocabulary). After tea we watched a sheep dog herding demonstration and a sheep shearing. Then back on the ship. On the way back they have a sing along with Chinese, German, Irish, Scottish, English, Americanm etc. all sing classic tunes. That and a beer made for a very fun trip back. We continued the day with a gondola ride up to an overview on the city (beautiful) and luge ride and finally a very nice diner with excellent food and best of all conversation with our new friend. And once again we have managed to pack so much (and yet only a fraction) into the day. Time to sleep.

Milford Sound

We had to rise very early today for our Milford trek. As it rained very hard last night we were a bit worried how the weather would be. But once again we have been blessed with a beautiful day. We caught the coach (bus) at 6:40 in the morn and had a great 4 hr ride to Milford Sound. Allen the driver was so good with history, syories and funny quips the whole way. It went by very fast. And moer than half of the trip is through really beautiful areas.Too much to describe, and then you come to the Sound itself. Well, that's not quite true, it really is a fjord not a soundThe glaciers have carved numerous paths to the sea in this part of NZ and as it is a world heritage site, it is protected and will remain very natural. The boat ride on the sound itself was awesome. Really cannot find proper words. And the crew kept saying how the weather was perfect and they couldn't believe it after yesterday. How can one area have so many waterfalls? And huge cliffs covered in lush greens. Pretty special. And to top it all off, we were able too fly back to Queenstown and get even more of a view of the fantastic area. And for those who know Sandra well, she did great in a little cessena plane flying over and around mountain passes. I loved it as the mountains and scattered puffy clouds were just too cool. And then back to Gill's. It's so good.