Madang, Papua, New Guinea Feb.27,2011

After leaving Cairns, we sailed north along the Australian shore and through the Coral Sea.   We passed between many beautiful islands, large and small – very picturesque.  Late this morning we arrived on the south shore of New Guinea, where we docked for a few hours.  I was with Mary and Jim on a four hour tour called “Highlights of Madang.”

Since it was raining,  we left the ship armed with the umbrellas provided.  It was hot and very muggy.  There were 20 mini busses transporting 10 to 12 passengers each to visit the various places of interest on the island.  Our group was fortunate to have one with air conditioning – most of them didn’t.  Today is Sunday,  so unfortunately, the stores and market were not open, because that would have been the first part of the tour. 

Instead we headed off to see the Coastwatchers’ Memorial Lighthouse.  During the war, the locals watched for  Japanese ships and airplanes and relayed information by radio to the allied forces.  The memorial was erected to commemorate those from the country who lost their lives in the war.  There are over 30 sunken Japanese ships in the bay just north of the port where se were docked, but our tour did not take us there.

 

From there we went to the Madang Cultural Centre where locals performed the folk dances of their country in traditional attire -- some of the ladies were naked above the waist.

We then travelled to a village where we saw how the pottery (which was for sale) is made.   Again we were treated to folk dancing.  The natives there were very friendly and most seemed happy to have their pictures taken.

Their homes were rather primitive.  I guess in that hot climate, one doesn’t need anything more substantial.

The people here speak 3 languages – English is taught in school.  The other 2 languages are pidgin English and then their own dialect depending on what part of the country they come from.

I learned this from speaking to a woman who lives in that village.  Her English was not bad, but I had to speak slowly for her to understand me.  She has 4 children between the ages of eight years and her one month old baby.  I didn’t realize it at first, because she was wearing a large heavy shawl over her shoulders, but her tiny baby was in a net hanging behind her back.  It was fast asleep.  She also told me that she was not born in that village, but that she had moved there after marrying a man who came from there.  She said that he used to work on a ship, but that he had given that up to stay at home with her and the children. 

Our last stop was at a butterfly farm.   The man who runs it  showed us on a bush the various stages in the development of his butterflies.   He said that he does not sell his butterflies, but that he does this work to preserve them.  The land on which  the very small tent where his butterflies are on display is found,  had beautifully landscaped flower beds of which he is extremely proud.  It looked like a little park with gorgeous flowers and of course multi butterflies flying about.

Everywhere we went, (except the butterfly place), the locals had some pottery, carvings and trinkets displayed on blankets on the ground which they offered for sale.  Not too many cruise ships stop here so their selling practices are not as sophisticated as  in other less primitive places.  Here, they do not have their wares set up in booths or on tables.

Mary, Jim and I enjoyed out tour very much.  I was very surprised upon returning to the ship to hear a couple of people complain.  They said that stopping here was a waste of time – that there was nothing to see.  They said that the least the locals could do is to set up their wares for display so that people didn’t have to bend down to look at them.   No matter where we go, there’s always some negative person to find fault.  So sad that people cannot enjoy seeing the reality of how others in the world exist, without criticizing.

Cairns, Australia, February 24, 2011

The Australian Bar B Q last night was a lot of fun.  Of course there was food galore and the wine and champagne flowed freely again.  I tried alligator meat, kangaroo and emu.  I was going to try a “BUG”, which is like a miniature lobster, brown in colour, but I left my plate for a few minutes to go and look for my friend Shirley who got lost trying to return to the  table we were sharing with other friends.  When I got back, my plate had been cleared away and my bug was gone.  Oh well—I didn’t really want to eat one – I was only going to eat it in order to be able to say I had done it.

There was limited seating in the dining room last night, because most people went to the Bar B Q, which was really crowded.  Everyone seemed to be having a good time.  A band of 3 local musicians entertained us with Australian  music and song (violin, guitar and bass violin).  A couple of the crew were barefoot in a vat of grapes pressing them for wine. 

The above are some of the Pilipino crew who were serving the food. 

After the meal, there was a live show in the Queen’s Lounge, a movie in the theatre, singing in the Piano Bar and dancing to live music until 11:30 in the Ocean Lounge and until midnight up above on the Sports Deck.  Lots of fun to be had.

This morning I was on a tour called  “Tropical Rainforest and Aboriginal Adventure.”   It poured buckets of rain all day long – - how appropriate.  There were clear plastic umbrellas available for all of us as we left the ship.  We are certainly well looked after here.  We boarded a bus which should have taken a half hour to reach our destination, but on the way, we were stopped for about 45 minutes, because a large tree had fallen across the road and we had to wait until a work crew could come and clear this up. 

The location where we went, is  also  an animal preserve with native Australian animals on display, so we saw kangaroos, alligators, emus, dingoes and koala bears.  Those animals are so beautiful and the kangaroos were so tame that we were feeding them again.

A dingo.  Looks so beautiful but is quite wild.

Fortunately the paths we followed to get to see  the displays were all covered, so we didn’t get wet, even though the rain never let up.

After  visiting  the animals, we were led to the location where some male aborigines put on a show which was meant to give us an idea of their dances and the sound of their musical instruments – all very touristy.  They then showed us how to throw boomerangs and people were given a chance to try it.  It’s not as easy as it looks.

The final part of our visit there took us onto amphibious vehicles for a drive through the rainforest.  ( These vehicles are like the ones used to land troops during the second world war.)   The man who drove spoke with a broad Australian accent and the vehicle made so much noise, that even though he used a microphone, it was difficult to hear his comments.  From what I could make out, when we stopped to view certain things, he had a great sense of humour.  We drove up and down steep hills through the jungle and then into a body of water.  All the time the driver was giving a commentary about the beauty and magic of the rainforest.  Too bad I couldn’t hear a lot of it.

This was a five hour tour and the only food available was cookies, chips and drinks.  My lunch was a cookie made with macadamia nuts and a mango drink.  I  really looked   forward to our evening meal.   During the ride back ,  we passed through the main streets of Cairns which were in very close proximity to the ship and I would have loved to go for a walk and explore, but it was still pouring buckets, so I opted to stay inside. 

Cairns is our last stop in Australia.  Now we are heading for Asia

At Sea, February 23, 2011

At present, we are at sea sailing along the east coast of Australia.   The sea is not rough because we are between the continent and the Great Barrier Reef.  It rained heavily today – the first time since the voyage began.  So far we have been blessed with perfect weather.  Today is day 49 of the trip.  In six more days, we will reach the half way mark.  I can’t believe how quickly the time is going.

Yesterday, we heard the terrible news about the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand.  We were visiting that city about a week ago.  Our guardian angels must have been looking after us to have this happen after we left.   I feel so sorry for those poor people.   A lot of us were visiting the beautiful church which was destroyed.  This could just as easily have happened the day we were there.

Our departure from Sydney was celebrated with a big party.  We left there around 2:30 p.m. The C E O of the Holland Lines and his wife came  aboard for a couple of days - -  only until we reach the next port -- so a big party was given as we sailed away. The wine and champagne was free of charge and finger food was also in abundance. A brass band from Sydney was aboard to serenade us as we left. This company sure knows how to give a good party.

Until the C.E.O. leaves everything is celebrated in style.  Yesterday evening we had our eighth formal evening and before diner all were invited to the Queen’s Lounge to be introduced to him and his wife and this was followed by free drinks, hors d’oeuvres and dancing.   An elegant and delicious diner followed with complimentary wine. 

Today at mid afternoon, the C.E.O. gave a talk which gave us an overview of the Holland America Company and its plans for the future.  This was followed by a question period.  The topic came up about the situation in Egypt and the Suez Canal.  He assured us that at present unless the situation changes, we will pass through the Suez Canal.  He also said that it is quite possible that the tours we have booked in Egypt will take place, but that they are monitoring the situation carefully and that the safety of the passengers is of prime importance.  People were concerned with our safety while passing through that region, but we were told that there are many ships from many nations in these waters at all times and that they belong to an organization which binds them to come to each other’s aid if necessary.  The captain is constantly in touch with this organization and safety is of prime importance.

I believe I mentioned that I was going to change tables again for the diner seating when we reached Sydney.  I am now at a table with six other people – 2 couples from Canada and 2 single ladies from the U.S.  So far so good ! ! !   With 2 men at the table, the conversation is more interesting.  One of the men is very interested in History and is quite knowledgeable.  One of the American women is a singer and she performed opera in her home town.  I’ve only been there twice so far and the first time, three persons were missing, so I can’t tell you much more about them yet.  More to come later.

Tonight, instead of diner in the dining room, there is a big Australian Bar B Q in the Lido Grill on the 8th floor.  The staff has been busy for two days preparing and decorating.  I’m looking forward to that and will write about it next time.

Sydney, Australia February 20, 2011

Our ship entered Sydney Harbour around sunrise and fortunately, I was awake to see it.  What a beautiful sight to see the Opera House, Sydney Bridge and all the sky scrapers appear.

The above  is a photo of the Opera House taken just after sunrise, and here is the bridge.

We are docked within  walking distance  of each and from my cabin window, I can see the opera house.  It is such a thrill for me to be here – a dream come true.

After breakfast this morning around 8 a.m.,  I went on a little  walking tour of the area.  It was too early for the shops to be  open and since I had forgotten my map of the city, I returned to the ship to get it.  Every Sunday, there is a large Market in the close vicinity, so I went back out to spend the morning wandering through there.   It was really hot and muggy, so I was in my element, but I made certain I walked in the shade.

In the afternoon, I went on a tour of the city which took us to the  beach where there must have been thousands sunbathing and swimming.  I was wishing I could join them, but we only stopped there briefly for picture taking and a snack.  Then it was on to the opera house where we were given a tour.  What an extraordinary building that is ! ! ! Acoustically, I think  it is probably the best of all opera houses in the world.  It is huge.  There are several concert halls, large and small.  The Symphony Hall holds over 1700 people and the one for the opera holds over 1500.

At 5 p.m.  Mary and Jim met me there and we went to a Rock and Roll concert.  You are probably wondering why I would go to a rock and roll concert when I am at the Sydney Opera House.  There are no operas presented there on Sundays.  Mary and Jim were planning to go to the rock concert and when they invited me to join them, I readily agreed, because I really wanted to see a performance there.  As it turned out, it was a wonderful 2 hour  concert.  A group of excellent Australian musicians were performing the music of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins.   As the story goes, these 4 musicians one day just happened all to be in a recording studio at the same time, and as musicians the world over do when they get together, they began a jam session, each trying to out do the other and this went on for a couple of hours.  The owner of the studio, without their knowledge, turned on his recording equipment and taped the whole session.  These musicians were not famous at the time, so the tape was stored away with others and never played again until many years later when someone else purchased the studio. The concert was soooooo good and everyone there came out of it all charged up.

The concert was over at 7 p.m.  and we were hungry so we decided to walk to an Italian restaurant that Jim and Mary knew from one of their past voyages.  It took us about a half hour to get there so we worked up a good appetite.   By 9:30 we were on our way back to the ship, walking along George Street, one of the main streets in Sydney.  There were crowds of people out and about --  everyone appeared to be having a good time. 

I was a bit weary from this long day and would have liked to go straight to bed, but Sallie, one of the ladies who loves to dance, and who I got to know quite well,  is leaving the ship here in Sydney and I wanted to go and say my farewell, so I took a quick shower and went up to the Ocean Bar where she was having a final evening aboard.  Sallie is from Virginia.  She is considerably older than I am, but she is a good dancer and loves to dance.  I don’t think she missed a dance session during the entire time she was aboard.  Clothing wise, she came well prepared.  Every evening was formal night for her.  She had beautiful outfits the likes of which you see in the musical movies we went to in our youth.  She wrote a beautiful thank you note and gave it to each of the dance hosts.  (James showed me the one she gave him and it was very gracious and written in beautiful hand writing)  What a lovely lady she is ! ! !   We exchanged calling cards and I hope that we will keep in touch.  That is one of the perks of taking a long cruise like this – you get to meet such nice people and make life long friends.

Port Arthur, Tasmania February 18,2011

Very early this morning, around 3:30 a.m.  I woke up and was wide awake.  I decided to take that opportunity to go to the laundry room and do my laundry.  At this hour of the night, I had the entire place to myself.  The last time I went there, during the day, 3 of the 4 machines were out of order and the other one was in use.  Last night 3 were in working order.  It costs us $2. to do one load of laundry.  We put 8 quarters in the washer.  The dryer is free.  That room has to be one of the busiest places on the ship.  After finishing the laundry, around 5:30, I went back to bed and slept like a log for another couple of hours.

Around 9, I took the tender to go ashore where I met up with Mary and Jim to take a self guided tour of  Port Arthur.

Port Arthur on the Tasman Peninsula, is a small village which in the early 1800’s, was not only a  convict settlement, but also a complete community  -- home to military personnel and free settlers.   It is one of the World Heritage Properties and is an open air museum.  As one walks through the grounds, one can visit more than 30 historic buildings, extensive ruins and beautiful grounds and gardens.  I spent about 4 hours there with Mary and Jim and it was interesting to see the well kept old buildings as well as the ruins of the jail.  It was a hard life for all, but especially the convicts, some of them who had done no more than steal to stay alive.  It was easy to take a self guided tour, because there were plaques in front of all the sites of interest telling the history of the place.

Upon return to the ship this afternoon, I visited my neighbour in the cabin next door.  Her name is Jaina.  She and her husband lived in Toronto for many years and have grown up married children there, but they now live in Mazatlan, Mexico.  She is an excellent and graceful dancer, especially the dances with a Latin rhythm.  She also dances Flamenco.  In Mexico, she teaches dancing and gives performances for groups that are trying to raise money for charity , both free of charge because she loves it so much.   I know that my foot work and arm motions in Latin dances leaves a lot to be desired and in the course of the conversation, she said she would tutor me – so we had our first lesson right there.  She told me that any time I wanted more coaching, just to knock on her door.  What a nice lady ! ! ! !  Her national origin is Filipino.  She is 62 years old and very petite.  She looks as though she was in her early 20’s.   I guess dancing does that for you. 

Around 6 p.m., the captain made an announcement that we were ready to off toward Sydney, Australia.  Instead of sailing directly there, he decided to take a detour.  We cruised around the southern tip of Tasmania to pass by Cape Raoul.   What an awesome, beautiful sight that was ! ! !

Tonight, the dance hosts in the Ocean Bar, (where a trio of piano, drums and bass play), were very busy.  At one point after diner, there were 8 single ladies and 2 dance hosts.  After having a dance with each, I didn’t feel like waiting for my turn again, so I went up to the Crow’s Nest on the 9th floor.  The 2 dance hosts there were just sitting around waiting for customers, so I got a few good dances in before a couple of other ladies showed up.  We danced until the band stopped playing at midnight.    Ahhh  life on a cruise sure is tough ! ! ! !

At Sea February 16, 2011

Everyone said that the Tasmanian Sea was very rough and to be prepared.  Lucky for us, the opposite was true.  The captain said he had to check the navigator’s charts to make sure we were actually there.  We had about 3 meter swells, but that just produced a gentle rocking.  I must have found my sailor’s legs – I haven’t had any ill effects since the first week or so.

Tonight I had booked to go to a Murder Mystery. This mystery was written by our Entertainment Director, Ron and it was really cute.  Members of the crew were the main characters .  All who attended were supposed to be going to their High School reunion.  We all wore name tags with a name of our choice and the year we were supposed to have graduated.  I was “Lucille Finetime” (as in “You picked a fine time to leave me Lucille”) and I chose 1987 – the year I retired -  as my graduating year.   The crew had done a great job of decorating the Hudson Room (to resemble a High School Reunion) and this is where we met before dinner for a champagne cocktail.   After this we were led to the Pinnacle Grill for the dinner.  Just before we were served, the lights went out, we heard the sound of a gun and after the lights went on again, it was announced that one of our group had been murdered.  It was our job during the evening to figure out who the culprit was.  (The murdered man was supposed to be one of the graduates who was attending the reunion with his new wife.)  The Entertainment Director played the part of the policeman who interviewed each of the suspects – the crew members – during the gourmet diner which followed.  The wine flowed freely and the noise level rose with each new wine that was introduced - 4  in all plus a liquor  with the dessert.  At the end, each table had to decide who the culprit was.  I still l haven’t figured out what clues led to the arrest of the wife.  but anyhow, a good time was had by all.

Hobart, Tasmania, New Zealand Feb.17,2011

Today we finally reached our first port in Australia, which is Hobart on the island of Tasmania.  I didn’t have a tour in the morning, so I went ashore and using the shuttle bus went down town in search of a beautician that does gel nail fills – my finger nails were beginning to grow out and needed some attention.  This resulted in a very nice walk through this lovely clean city. From the tourist information centre, I was sent to a location where there was no time on their schedule for me, but they directed me to another nail specialist.  There I had better luck and in about three quarters od an hour, my nails looked like new.  In Canada, it is customary to give a tip, but when i attempted to do this, the girl refused to take it, saying, “We don’t do this in Australia – here the wages are high enough and we don’t rely on tips”  What a surprise ! ! !

Everywhere I go I meet interesting and helpful people.  I was standing at an intersection looking at my map, trying to decide in what direction to go, when an elderly gentleman stopped and asked if he could be of help.  We perused the map together and decided on the correct route and then proceeded to have a conversation.  I asked if he had lived in Hobart all his life and he replied that he didn’t live in Hobart at all, but that he was a resident of Sydney, here for a few days in charge of a tour from Sydney.  As it turned out he was originally from Germany.  We proceeded to converse in German and told each other a bit of our life story.  It was a lovely 5 to 10 minute interlude.  There truly are lovely people everywhere.

I had my computer with me and had hoped to get on the internet down town.  They had told me at the Information Centre that in a certain street, I could get free internet.  I didn’t have any luck so I returned to the ship for lunch because I had an early afternoon tour booked to go to the animal preserve.

The animal preserve tour was wonderful – a dream come true ! ! !   I got to hand feed a kangaroo and pet a koala bear.

 

There were hundreds of kangaroos and we could approach almost all of them all if we wanted to.  They are accustomed to having humans around so they we really docile.  Most of them were just lazing around.  Only a few of them did we see running and jumping around.  Some of them had the heads or feet of their babies sticking out of their pouches.  It was really neat to be able to get so close to them. 

We saw all sorts of birds and animals, but one really interesting one was the Tasmanian Devil.  The ones we saw were quite small and they were so busy running around that it was difficult to get a good picture.  We were warned to stay clear of them and not to put our hands or fingers into their enclosures, because they bite and when they do, their jaws lock up and you can’t get away.   They also make a horrible noise.  They look so cute, it’s hard to imagine  that they are so dangerous.  When you see them you just want to pick them up and hug them.

Upon leaving the animal preserve we drove to the town of Richmond, a former penal colony.  All of Hobart was a place where the British sent their prisoners in the early 1800’s.  First they were sent to mainland Australia, but if they were considered incorrigible, they were sent to Hobart.  There they spent their days, cutting trees for lumber to build homes and making bricks.  At night they were returned to tiny cells, smaller than most of our bathrooms.   Richmond also boasts the oldest bridge in all of Australia that is still in use.  It is really a piece of art, built in stones.  Unfortunately we didn’t stop to take photos, so you’ll have to take my word for it.

We returned to the ship around 5 p.m.  After a quick shower I got dressed and had time to go to the pre diner dancing between 7 and 8 p.m.  Our dance hosts are very good dancers and they give good tips and provide practise for those of us who need improvement.  I feel that I have improved a lot since the beginning of the cruise.

After dinner there was a show in the Queen’s Lounge featuring the Hobart Police Corps Piper Band – Bagpipers dressed in kilts.  For anyone who likes bagpipes it was a great show.  This group has performed at Edinburg, Scotland for the tattoo four times already.  They were invited to Nova Scotia, Canada last year but because of other commitments, were unable to come.  They hope to come in the near future, though.  Also on the program was a group of 6 young ladies doing Irish dancing.  They were really good too.

After the show, I finished the evening with more dancing and then went to bed a very tired but happy person.  what a great day it was! ! !

Fjordland N.Z. February 14, 2011

Today we cruised slowly through three magnificent Fjords.  The weather was perfect – lucky for us, because we were told that it usually rains here about 180 days a year and the rainfall is measured in meters.  I was up before 7  to go to the Crows Nest on the 9th floor to see us enter the first one.   There were not too many people up and about at that hour, so I got a front row chair.  What a view ! ! ! !

All day we cruised from one fjord to another.  The water is surrounded by sheer rock which rises about 4ooo feet, a lot of it covered with lush forests clinging to the cliffs.  The most spectacular one called  Milford Sound was the last one we entered.  We left there around 5 p.m.  Now we are heading for Tasmania.  I’ve been told that sometimes the sea is very rough going there.  We’ll see how good a sailor I have become, if it is.

Tonight we had our seventh formal night. I had my hair done at the Beauty Parlour and then got dressed in my finery.  Since it was Valentine’s Day, I wore my beautiful red chiffon dress and I received many compliments.  We had the entertainment show at 6:30 this evening for the late diners (and at 8 for the early diners), because at 10:00 p.m. there was a gala ball in that room – the Queen’s Lounge.    I went to the early one.  The performers were 2 couples from Australia.  The men are professional singers, (one of them an opera singer).  One of the wives is a fantastic piano player and the other is a cellist with the opera house orchestra.  They put on a great show.

Whenever we have a formal evening, a member of the crew usually joins us at the table for dinner and he or she signs for the wine we have for dinner, so we don’t have to pay for it.  Tonight, we had the dentist sitting with us and he was very charming.  After dinner, around 9:30, I went up to the Crow’s Nest where there were 2 of the dance hosts and had a couple of dances.  Then it was time to go to the ball in the Queen’s Lounge.  The dance floor there is not too large and there were a lot of couples attending, so it was cosy on the dance floor.  The dance hosts really earned their keep tonight – there were a lot of women whose husbands don’t dance.  As far as the crew is concerned, it is always ladies’ choice so I got to dance with the captain.  He is a tall, good looking, fairly young man and he is in great demand at these functions.  I was fortunate and got asked to dance fairly often – must have been that pretty red dress.  Anyhow, a good time was had by all.

Oban, Stewart Island, New Zealand Feb.13, 2011

Our last New Zealand stop was made today at the very small, third New Zealand Island, called Stewart Island.  I never knew that there was a third island to new Zealand, but now I know.

The only settlement is Oban, a community of less than 500 people.   The ship couldn’t dock here so we went ashore on the tenders.  We had to climb a couple of long steep hills to get to the settlement, Oban.  Barbara, who came with me turned back because she couldn’t handle the steep inclines, so I latched on to Jim and a couple of others.  Other than the beautiful scenery and a lot of lovely birds, the only other 2 attractions were a small museum and a little store.  We also climbed up another hill to a lookout point where we had a beautiful view to the surrounding countryside, the bay and the ship.  We met some very nice people from Wellington N.Z. and had a lovely chat.  You meet such interesting people when you travel and every one is eager to share stories.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow – we are sailing along the western coast of South Island through the Fjords.  It is supposed to be really beautiful – also cold.  Today I wore 2 pullovers and a jacket plus a hat and was comfortable.  That should be sufficient when I stand on deck to see the sights.  I’ll probably wear gloves as well though, I was wishing I had today.

Dunedin, New Zealand February12, 2011

Our tour today took us along the beautiful  shore line of South Island to a Penguin Reserve which is  about a half hour drive from the city of Dunedin.  Apparently the penguin populations is decreasing and here they are attempting to help them so that they won’t become extinct.  After the babies are born, the mothers and fathers spend all day in the ocean fishing and eating the fish which they will later regurgitate into the mouths of their babies.  If they cannot find sufficient fish, or cannot fish because of weather conditions, the babies do not gain sufficient weight in time for them to  migrate and they die.  At the reserve there is a hospital where the underweight babies are taken and fed.  We got to see these cute little creatures from very close up.   After we left the hospital, we walked to the cliffs where the nests are and we were able to photograph them in their nests.  At one point, one of them was standing in the path where we were walking.  We stopped to look at him.  He just stood there and looked at us as we looked at him.  When we resumed walking, he just backed up a few steps off the path and let us pass, all the time observing us very carefully.  He was so cute  ! ! !

Along the walk, we also came upon a colony of brown seals.  We didn’t get as close to them as we did to the penguins, but were close enough to get some good pictures.

After the tour of the penguin sanctuary, our bus driver took the high road, through the hills on a lovely scenic route, back to the city.  Dunedin is a lovely city which was build by people who came from Scotland.  In area (but not in population) it is the largest city in New Zealand.  It is beautifully located along a shallow bay.  Large ships cannot go to anchor there.  We were anchored about a half hour’s drive away from the city.  Even where we anchored, the waters are shallow.  It is necessary to continuously dredge a narrow channel in order for larger ships to dock.  Navigating through there was almost like going through the Welland Canal.  The route was well marked with buoys and flags and we could see sandbars on each side.

As we were preparing to leave the port, 2 young ladies wearing kilts came to see us off with a bagpipe concert.  It had commenced to rain a bit but that didn’t deter them.  We have really been very fortunate with the weather so far.  The only rain we have had during our shore days, was a short shower in Haiti.  Occasionally there has been rain at night and on sea days, but not much really.

Christchurch, New Zealand February11,2011

We have now arrived on the south island of New Zealand and it is getting colder every day , as we get closer and closer to Antarctica.  I’ve started to wear short sleeved pullovers and a shell jacket when going ashore.   I’m certain that I shall soon graduate into the long sleeved pullovers.

Today’s tour took us on a bus ride through the countryside which here is not as lush and green.  It is hilly and looks a lot more arid.  We went again to a farm where we saw sheep sheering, this one not quite as prosperous as the last, but this one had a swimming pool – unheated.  The owners said that it is too costly to heat it.  They only use it for a couple of months a year.  The two of them live alone there and with the help of their dogs, they do all the work.  They were very friendly and welcoming as are all the people we have met here so far.

Upon leaving there, we returned to the city of Christchurch ( the largest city on South Island) for a tour.  The city looks more English than England in its architecture.  Almost all the streets, parks and buildings have very British names.  The University there is huge and has a lot of foreign students.  The Hagley Park in the city, is the third largest in the world.  (Stanley Park in Vancouver is the largest, followed by Central Park in New York, we were told).  We were allowed time to go into the museum to browse around and that was quite interesting.  I was particularly taken by the tableaus of the life of the Mauries during ancient times.  There were several of their canoes on display—some of them woven with reeds and tree materials.  I was also in the section where clothing of the settlers from various time periods were shown.  Some of  the gowns were exquisite but most of the clothing looked very uncomfortable.  We are fortunate in this day and age to have such comfortable clothing to wear.

We returned to the ship around 2:00 p.m.  After having a delicious hamburger, I went to my room to wash and curl my hair.  After 6 days of touring around with a sun hat on, I felt the need for this.  People here in New Zealand are very careful to wear hats and  make sure the young children wear them – we were told that there is no ozone layer here and that the sun rays are very damaging.

Wellington, New Zealand February 10, 2011

Today we are in the capital of New Zealand.  I didn’t have a tour booked and neither did Mary and Jim, so we set off together at 9:15 a.m.  We walked into town taking in the sights along the way – the Parliament Building which looks like a huge beehive a beautiful Anglican Church and the beautiful modern, clean city.  Jim and Mary were here before, so they gave me a guided tour.   We took the tram up the hillside to go to the Botanical Garden which is built all along the hillside and then walked our way down marvelling at the beautiful sights along the way. 

At one of the cafes in the Rose Garden, we met one of my new friends from aboard ship, Michele Boyer.  We joined her at her table and Mary and I had a beer, Jim a Soda Water.  Then we were off again to finish our tour of the gardens. 

I am keeping my resolve to dance the soles out of  the only pair of dancing shoes I brought with me, so now every place I go, I check the shoe stores to see if I can find another pair.  We were sent to a store called Gubbs where they were supposed to be available, but they only carried tap dancing shoes.  Some of the ladies found some in Auckland, but I was too busy arranging to have my glasses repaired at the time, so I missed out .  Hopefully in Sydney, Australia some will be available.  If not, I’ve been told that I might have some luck in Hong Kong and they should also be cheaper there.

After the shoe store adventure, we stopped for an ice cream cone – it was well past lunch time and we needed a “pick me up”.   Mary and Jim still wanted to go to the museum, but I had had enough so we went our separate ways.  Since I hadn’t a clue where to go to catch the shuttle bus back to the ship, I walked, arriving back around 3:15.  I had been walking about for 6 hours – not bad for an old broad! ! !  After a nice rest I got all decked out and went out for diner and dancing!!!   Ah – what a life ! ! ! !

 

 

I have been told that the average age aboard the ship is 72.  It is amazing how many disabled people travel.  Several are in wheelchairs and there are motorized scooters available for those who require them.   Multitudes of them are using canes  and some of them walkers.  It is not always easy for them to manage the gangplanks to get off the ship, but most of them don’t let that deter them.  I have to admire them for not giving up and staying at home.

Napier, New Zealand February 9, 2011

I didn’t have a tour booked today so I just took the shuttle bus provided by the Amsterdam and went to visit the city on foot.  Napier is not too large.  After it was destroyed by an earthquake in the early 1900’s it was rebuilt in the “Art Deco Style”  I just wandered around, went into some of the shops, stopped for a local beer with some other passengers from the ship and then returned to home base.  We were only there around 5 hours.

I must correct a spelling error I made in my last blog:  I spelled the name of the city we went to incorrectly.  It was not Toronga, but rather Tauranga.  I was at the computer depot and  not in my cabin when I wrote the blog.  Not certain how to spell it, I asked one of the passengers and that is what she told me.  Sorry about that ! ! ! !

Did I tell you about my new table companions.  Barbara and I were moved to a table for 8, but we are only 5  persons – all of us older women.  The eldest is 89.  Three of them walk with canes and are not too involved in any of the onboard activities or tours.   They seem to be very nice, friendly ladies,  but our table conversation seems to be mostly about the food we are eating and health related issues.  It is not too stimulating.  I’ll probably ask to be moved again when we get to Sydney and new people come aboard. 

Rotorura, New Zealand February 8, 2011

Today my tour took me to a village of the Maoris (the natives of New Zealand).  It was about a  20 – 30 minute drive from Rotorura.  Our tour guide belongs to the tribe we were going to visit.  On the bus ride to get there, she taught us a few words in Maori, gave us an overview of their history and customs and instructed us on proper procedure when we enter one of their enclaves.  She asked for a male volunteer who would act as our chief and spokesman.  A gentleman named John volunteered and as it turned out, when he was a young man attending college, he belonged to a group that learned Maori dances and customs.   As it turned out, he was the perfect person for the job, because after the chief made his welcoming speech, John gave a wonderful speech in return. 

The first area we went to was the religious centre.  As we approached the gate, a Maori warrior in full regalia and carrying a spear came prancing and dancing out, doing a routine with facial contortions that were meant to put the fear of the Lord in us.  Part of the facial contortions were opening the eyes as wide as possible, rolling the eyes and sticking out the tongue as far as it would go.   When he got close enough, he deposited a peace offering on the ground and then he backed up.  This was the sign for John to step forward, pick up the peace offering and then to back up to his place.  (It is very impolite to turn your back on the warrior and doing that is a declaration of war! ! )

After this, the chief of the tribe bade us to come forward and be seated, males in front and females in the back.  This was followed by long speeches of welcome, to which John replied that we had come from afar across the seas (as had their ancestors), that we came in peace and that we were honoured to be visiting them on this very beautiful island.  After this, a female elder of the tribe made a welcome speech after which we were all invited to come up to receive the sign of peace and welcome.  To do this, we had to touch foreheads and noses. 

We were then invited into their “Big House” which is their religious centre.  We had to remove our shoes before entering.  On the far wall were pictures of their departed relatives.  We were allowed to take pictures of anything except these pictures of the departed.   In this large hall they hold their various celebrations – baptisms, marriages funerals etc.  It is just a large carpeted comfortable room.

Next we went into the “Eating Room”  where we were served tea, coffee and cookies.  Of course there were some of their crafts for sale and they were very cheap compared to the prices I saw in Auckland.  I purchased a chain with a pendant and earrings  made of local shells for less than $15.  After spending a very relaxing visit with these people, we got on the bus and went to a lookout point where we could see the beauty of the country for miles around. 

Our tour then went to the community centre where we saw some dancing performed in their tribal dress and heard some lovely singing.   There was some audience participation in the dancing  and of course I had to get into the act.  It was a lot of fun.  

As our bus was ready to depart, the mother of our tour guide came aboard the bus to bid us farewell.  She was a very youthful looking 70 year old, with tattoos on the lower half of her face to show that she was a descendent of the original tribe.  She was very gracious. 

It was a great tour and gave us an insight into what Maori life was like years ago when the white man first appeared on the island.  Now they all speak English, are well educated and hold down regular jobs.  I have a lot of pictures, but it takes so long to send a blog with pictures that I’ll just stick to sending one.

Auckland, New Zealand February 7, 2011

Today I didn’t book a tour.  Originally I was going to tag along with Mary and Jim (my niece and her husband) but they wanted to climb the tower to get a panoramic view of the city and visit some museums and my preference was to visit Kelly Tarlton’s Arctic Encounter and Undersea world.  I had made a date to go with Barbara, one of my table mates, but somehow, we got our wires crossed regarding the time we were to meet, so I went off on my own.  I met another group who were headed there, so together we hired a van.  It cost us $7. each – would have been a lot cheaper had there not been construction on the route we had to take. 

The Arctic Encounter was a narration and it showed us reproductions of the cabins in which the Arctic explorers like Scott  lived.  We saw their warm, thick clothing, some of the actual equipment they used and some of the logs they kept etc. etc.  I think it was Scott’s crew that had to wait out a  storm white out and they ran out of food.  They were only a day’s walk from the next provision depot.  What a pity !

Next we were treated to the sight of Penguins.    They were so cute – We were in a nine seat car which drove us through a glassed in area where they live.   On land, they seem to move rather awkwardly but in the water, they look as though they are soaring through the air.   It was my first sight of real penguins and I couldn’t help but think about how many beautiful different creatures God has created.

After the penguins we went through a glass tunnel where the marine creatures swam on both sides and above us.  There were various varieties of fish, sharks and stingrays – all so graceful. Then we passed on unto a room where there were displays of coral and beautiful multi coloured tropical fish.  All in all it was a most enjoyable morning.  I was fortunate enough to catch the free bus back to the city centre and it dropped me off right in front of the mall where I was to pick up my glasses.   Thank goodness the optician was able to repair them, so I now have my tri focals back.  I think I’ll only use them on board ship.  They are too fragile for the rough time I give them when I’m on tours.  I’ll use my cheap sunglasses when I’m out and about.

Barbara, my table companion and I decided to change diner tables.  Although at first,  I thought that our other companions were congenial,  as we got to know them better, we found some of them downright rude.  The married couple (two very nice people) who shared our table also asked to be changed.  There was one man and woman who knew each other from another cruise and they held private conversations most of the time.  That man only directly addressed me once the entire month we shared a table and quite frequently we were seated beside each other.  I got to know his back quite well.  Another woman at the table scolded Barbara one evening because she came a few minutes late for dinner.   Now we are seated with 3 ladies.  Tonight was our first time together.  So far so good.  If this doesn’t work out, we’ll ask to be changed again.  This was a good time for the change, because 100 people got off in Auckland and about 50 new ones came aboard.

Auckland, New Zealand February 6, 2011

After 2 wonderfully smooth days of sailing, we have finally arrived in New Zealand.    What a beautiful country! ! ! !

Today, I took a 4 and  1/2 hour Coast to Coast tour which took us to the Tasman Sea on the West Coast.  At our first stop, we went to visit a sheep farm.  Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by the owners and invited to partake in a lovely feast of pretty homemade sandwiches and baked goods along with all the tea and coffee we could drink. 

The hostess told us that the doors to her home were open and that we should f eel free to enter and look around to see how they live.  Their home was designed by them and built 7 years ago.  It is a very nice spacious 3 bedroom bungalow, located on the top a hill that overlooks the lush surrounding countryside.  

After the refreshments, we witnessed the sheering of 2 sheep, followed by a demonstration of how the dog herds the sheep.  It was really interesting.  The farm also raises deer to sell as venison.  The deer were in a coral.  They were quite tame, some came to the fence and allowed themselves to be petted and scratched behind the ears.

The flower garden on  that property is huge compared to my back yard, and is much more beautiful.  Situated on the side of the hill, it has all kinds of pathways running through the tall trees and shrubs and contains flowers of all descriptions. – Very lovely.  People come here to celebrate their wedding.  Obviously, this is a very prosperous farm.

Upon leaving here, we drove to the rugged coast where we had the opportunity to see and photograph gannets  (a local bird) and if we chose to,  climb down to the beach and watch the surfers.  It was a lovely looking beach, but the sand was black.  I don’t think too many people went down - – I know I started to, n but then remembered that if I went down, I also had to climb back up, and it was quite a hike.

The ride to and from the coast took us past such beautiful,  lush countryside.   Now I know what people mean when they say that New Zealand is one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

In the afternoon, I went in search of an optometrist, because the nose section of my tri focals broke, and I was hoping that it could either be replaced or repaired.  Today is a civic holiday here, but I found a mall that was open and left my glasses there.  I was assured that if they could do the repair, the glasses would be ready between noon and 1 p.m. tomorrow.  I`m keeping my fingers crossed.

From the mall, I went in search of the grocery store that was close by.  I asked a young Asiatic gentleman for directions and he insisted on walking me to the location.   (There are so many wonderful and kind people in the world.)   He moved here from China about 7 years ago to have a better chance at finding work.  His parents and siblings are still in China and he is looking forward to going back for a visit in the near future.

At the store I looked at the wine selection so that I could hopefully get some   local wine.   (Although we are not allowed to bring hard liquor aboard to use in our cabins, we are allowed to bring in wine and beer.  They want us to purchase our hard liquor at the bars onboard.)  There was a male passenger from the ship who hails from Vancouver who was also shopping for wine and we struck up a conversation.  (His female companion was at the museum)  He suggested that if we bought a lot, we could perhaps share a cab back to the ship.  As it turned out, we only got 2 bottles each, so we walked back, stopping along the way to sample a local beer.  It is really easy to strike up a conversation in this environment, and one does meet very interesting people.  In the pub we got talking to a couple of locals and they seemed delighted to talk to us  ``world travellers``.

February 1,2011, Niue, New Zealand

Finally I was able to take my computer ashore and send off my blog ! ! !  The Internet on the ship does not function too well and it is very frustrating. 

This is a lovely small Island about 2000 miles from New Zealand.  The population of the ship is larger than that of this island.   The whole island is an internet hotspot,  so I carried my HEAVY computer ashore.  I think I’ll purchase one that is smaller and lighter before my next trip.

I will try to send some pictures.  Hopefully I will be successful.

 

Relaxing on the beach in Bora bora

Easter Island

The Amsterdam

In Tahiti

Rorotonga Part 4

Spent the morning catching up on my blog.  At lunch time, I was seated at a table with 5 other former teachers.  One had been a college professor and she had a lot of interesting tales to tell.  One of the men had spent a few years of his childhood living near Queenston Heights.  His dad was a boss on one of the farms around there during the war years.

On my way back to my cabin after lunch I had another interesting encounter.  I was walking down the hall towards my cabin, when I passed a lady who was walking with 2 walking sticks.  She was carrying 2 bundles of laundry and was trying to open the door to her cabin.   I stopped to offer help and we struck up a conversation.  She invited me into her cabin and we found that we have an awful lot in common.  Both of us are former music teachers and she is 3 years older than me.  Both of us are on a world cruise for the first time and travelling alone.  She is from Rochester,  New York .  She is not severely handicapped with her walking – she just uses the sticks as a precautionary measure to help with balance.   She told me that she was a bit lonely and sometimes bored on the cruise.  I found out that it is her first time away from home for any length of time and that she hasn’t gotten very involved with activities aboard the ship.  She told me that I was an inspiration and that she would get more involved.  We promised each other to keep in touch.  She goes to the early dinner seating and I go to the late one, so we won’t be able to have many evening adventures together. 

The cruise director just made an announcement that the tenders are no longer ferrying people to shore because of the deteriorating weather.  The priority now, is to get the people who are on shore back on, before we set sail in the late afternoon.

Tomorrow is a sea day.  We have 2 more small islands to visit before we reach New Zealand, with a sea day between each visit.  We’ll be very busy when we reach New Zealand because we have many stops with no sea days between.  There will be a lot to see.  I have heard that New Zealand is a very beautiful country so I’m really looking forward to getting there.

Well.  I’m really proud of myself.  I’m all caught up with blogging.  Now if I can only get connected to the Internet, so that I can send the messages. I’ve tried several times this afternoon to send “Rototonga Parts 2,3 & 4”  without success.  Anyhow – best wishes to all of you.  I wish I could have packed you all in my suitcase.  We’d be having a ball together ! ! ! !

Rorotonga Part 3

After Bora Bora we had a sea day and our 5th Formal Night.  The day passed quickly with gym, dancing class, a talk describing  the islands on our next few stops, followed by a talk by a former astronaut describing the space program.  Unfortunately his every second word was “ah” so although I would enjoy hearing more about the space program, I won’t be going again—I had to miss my Bridge Instruction Class because of that . 

For lunch, I decided to go to the dining room instead of the grill.  I had such interesting table companions, that I’ve decided to go to the dining room all the time in the future.  At diner time, we are always at a table with the same companions, but at breakfast and lunch, we are always ushered to a table with someone different.  It’s like spinning the roulette wheel to see who you end up with. That is a lot more exciting than sitting by myself on deck or asking someone to join them in the grill. 

I had a comb out scheduled for 3 p.m. so after lunch I went to my room to wash and curl my hair.  There was a Sunday Vigil Mass at 4:30 so I attended that and that looked after Church for today.  For the formal night, I wore my long black skirt and a black and silver sequined top which I purchased aboard ship.  Pictures to follow – hopefully.

I went and had a couple of dances before dinner with our dance hosts.  The after dinner show was called “The Rat Pack” and as you can guess, it was 3 guys trying to imitate and sing the songs of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Junior and Dean Martin.  They had very nice voices and i enjoyed hearing all those old familiar songs, even though I dozed off occasionally – I had 1 1/2 glasses of wine for dinner and that will put me to sleep any time.  Believe it or not, I was too tired to go dancing afterwards so I found my way to the piano bar and listened to Diane Fast.  She plays beautifully and knows just about any song you can request.  Those she doesn’t know, she learns,  usually before the next evening.  I left there before the end of the show and went to bed, thinking I would read for a while.  At 3 a.m. I awoke to find the light on and  my book and glasses in the bed with me.  I really had been sleepy ! ! ! !

Rorotonga Part 2

About Bora Bora:

What a beautiful, beautiful place ! ! !

We docked here for 2 days and since I didn’t have a tour booked for the first day, I decided to spend some time at the beach.  Along with my bathing suit and my E-Reader, off I went on the shuttle bus to the public beach adjacent to the Continental Hotel.  Upon arrival there, I found that the public beach although very beautiful had no shady spots, nor lounges or chairs available However, the hotel --  for a price --  allowed us to use their beach facilities which of course had towels,  umbrellas,  lounge chairs  and the price also included lunch,  a drink of our choice and a bottle of water.   Soooo, I bit the bullet, paid the price which was rather steep, and spent the day lounging on the beach enjoying the beautiful azure colour of the lagoon, sunbathing, swimming, reading and relaxing.  I was all alone on this adventure, so it was a bit lonesome until some of the young staff from the ship arrived and brought a bit of life to the event .  

The hotel here features those lovely huts which are built on stilts over the water of the lagoon.   It all looks very romantic.  Some of the people from the ship stayed at one of these hotels overnight – in fact, Michele one of the ladies from Quebec booked one on her own—she said, “It was a gift from me to me” – she had just celebrated her birthday so I guess it was her birthday gift to herself.   She also is travelling alone – a delightful woman,, probably in her 50’s --  who told us that her husband left her for a younger woman.  That didn’t last and now he is on his second woman , this one considerably older than he is.    She told us that it was lovely spending the night in the hotel, but it really is more of a place for lovers, than a woman alone.  There were no activities in the hotel after dinner so she was in bed and asleep shortly after 9 p.m.

On day 2 in Bora Bora, I was booked on a tour which took us around the island.   As I said before, “ What a beautiful place.  Your wouldn’t believe the colours of the water.  On land the vegetation is lush and the scenery beautiful.  It looks too god to be true.  I heard someone say that it looked like a backdrop painted by someone for a movie – almost too good to be true.  We stopped a a roadside place where the lovely cotton wrap arounds were made and sold.  There were dozens of them hanging from clothes lines in multi coloured designs.  We were shown how they made them, by dipping  various parts of the folded cloth into different colours and then laid out to dry with various patterns made of linoleum laid over them to make the designs.  afterward we were given a demonstration on how to tie them.  Guess who was chosen for the model --  You are right ! It was yours truly.  It was so much fun ! ! !  I hadn’t planned on buying one, because I brought one with me, but for $10, I figured one can always use one of a different colour.  The one I had already is blue and chiffon.  The new one is multi coloured pastel and cotton.

On our tour we saw one of the bunkers left over from the second world war.   We were told that the war didn’t come to Bora bora, but the Americans were here as a precaution.   Other than that and crabs crawling in and out of their holes, most of the points of interest are the very gorgeous scenery. 

The most adventurous of the passengers went snorkelling and some went on tours of the lagoon in regular and glass bottomed boats.   One of the points of interest on the tour was the bar called “Bloody Mary”.  Outside the bar, on both sides of the entrance are boards on which are written the names of many of the famous people who have visited this bar – Ernest Hemingway, Bob Hope, and Jose Jose, my favourite Hispanic singer – just to name a few).   This bar has sand floors – is very colourfully decorated and has a pretty, small waterfall made of local stones in the ladies room.  I got a few good pictures and if I ever master the art of sending photos when we are ashore, I’ll send some. 

When the ship set sail to leave this beautiful paradise, I stood on the deck and watched it fade away in the distance, feeling very sorry to have to leave.  Hopefully some day I can visit here again.