Sydney - Day Two

Another full day in Sydney. After a morning walk and "brekky" at the hotel we headed out to Rose Hill Gardens on the train for a day of horse racing. The horses actually ran around the track clockwise! Despite neither of us cashing a ticket, it was lots of fun. It was a bit rainy in the morning but cleared nicely in the afternoon. After a drink on the deck we headed out to dinner down the street at Lucettas. It is our last night in Sydney and our last night of a wonderful vacation. There are fire works in the harbor nearby. Coincidence? I think not. Headed home. Thanks for sharing our adventure.

Sydney -- Day One

Our first day in Sydney has been a busy one. After disembarking the ship we headed to our hotel in The Rocks area. Here I am on our balcony on the ship in front of the Sydney Opera House.


We left our luggage at the hotel and once again tackled public transportation for a self-directed adventure. We first took the ferry over to Watsons Bay where, at 10:30 in the morning, we ate fish and chips at Doyles on the waterfront. It was as good as everyone told us. Here is the Sydney skyline as taken from the ferry. You can see both the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge.





We then took the 380 Bus over to Bondi Beach where we walked the board walk along the beach. (This is a very trendy surfer area. We may have been the oldest people there.)




After that, we took Bus 333 back to Circular Quay, passing Hyde Park, and then the 329 up George Street. We even spent some time in Chinatown. Apparently it is the beginning of the Chinese New Year - the Year of the Dragon. We landed back at the hotel for "High Tea," a short nap and a shower before heading out again for dinner. Sydney is a very diverse city, and has a very different "feel" than Melbourne. We are not quite sure what we will do tomorrow but we will try to check in one more time before we head home.

Melbourne, Australia

We spent two very busy days in Melbourne. The first day we struck out on our own navigating the public transportation and free shuttle buses and trams. We met with limited success but did manage to ride around the city at least twice! Melbourne is all ado and bustling with the Australian Open. We did not get to the Rod Laver Arena to see a match but spoke with people who said it was very exciting, even given the 95 degree heat. The second day we took a walking tour of the city and this was very interesting. Our guide was so knowledgeable about Melbourne's history and architecture. The City's buildings are a "piggly wiggly" (I think that is Aussie speak for a mishmash) of styles, ranging from French Renaissance to ultra modern. Here is a picture of Victoria Parliament.


And this is Goody and me in front of Flinders Train Station.




The next one is of Federation Square, a relatively new public area in Melbourne.
It is all angles and sandstone and was built to be a public meeting place. You can see the Australian open being televised on the large screen. In the background is Melbourne's tallest building, Eureka Tower. It is 92 stories high. You can see that a bit of the facade of the building is gold with a strip of red. The gold symbolizes the gold rush in the mid 1850's that was instrumental in the development of Melbourne and the red symbolizes the blood of the miners shed in the confrontation with the government. Melbourne's history is relatively young by our standards. We did not get a chance to go to any galleries or explore anything in too much detail. Although disappointing, it is only a reason to return. Next stop Sydney...

Hobart, Tasmania

Hello. Today we are at somewhat calmer seas. Yesterday we were in Hobart, Tasmania. Hobart is a lovely city and the weather was perfect - sunny with a slight breeze. We were happy to be off the ship and on terra firma for a day. We took a bus up Mount Wellington, 1,270 meters above sea level. One picture is a picture of mountain taken from the ship and the other is a picture of the harbor taken from the top of the mountain. I think it is Hobart's "Cadillac Mountain." There were lots of hikers and bicyclists and lots of tourists. After the mountain we stopped at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens where everything was in full bloom. It looked and smelled wonderful. They had an entire building devoted to lilies and another to fuschias.

The colors were so bright. Goody and I also walked through a Japanese garden which was so serene. The botanical gardens are very popular with families and artists. We even watched a play rehearsal. After the gardens we walked to Salamanca Place, which is the shopping/cafe district. We had a small lunch at a chic little restaurant called Quarry and then headed back to the ship. Today we are at sea. We have already been to an enrichment lecture and the gym, all before lunch. Next stop afrer predicted "rough seas" is Melbourne!

From the High Seas

Despite Goody's supreme boating experience on Lake Sebasticook and my having been a Navy "brat," two days at sea traveling from the South Island of New Zealand across the Tasmin Basin to Hobart, Tasmania has made it painfully clear to both of us that we are NOT seafaring mariners. This is our second day of 21 foot waves and 45 mph wind gusts. Yesterday we did not even leave our cabin. We are scheduled to arrive at Hobart tomorrow before continuing on to Melbourne and Sydney. I, for one, cannot wait for dry land. If the seas calm down a bit (and the satellite internet cooperates) I will try to post some pictures later. Until then I need some ginger ale and to lie down....

Wellington City and Akaroa

Sunday we were in Wellington City, the capital of New Zealand. I imagine on a nice day the city is lovely; however, Sunday it poured rain. We went to the top of Mt. Victoria and we were literally in the clouds. I felt like we were in "middle earth" in The Lord of the Rings. The city was quiet because it was a Sunday but we did see the "Beehive" where Parliament meets and the Old Saint Paul's Church. Here is a picture of Lady Norwood's Rose Garden in the rain. Yesterday we were in Akaroa which is a bit south of Christchurch on the South Island. It was beautiful!!! Blue sky, white clouds, green mountains and turquoise waters. We went on a catamaran nature cruise where we saw a number of Hectors dolphins, terns, and a fur seal. There were sheep grazing on the hillsides right next to the harbor. Akaroa actually means "long harbor" in Maori. The harbor was formed by some volcanic event. The town is a popular summer destination for Kiwis and was initially settled by the French; but the British colonized it 4 days before the French could raise their flag. I do not think any picture could do Akaroa justice but here is one of the harbor in the afternoon. Right now we are in Dunedin. The port is actually Port Chalmers. We took the shuttle into the city and prowled around on our own. I will post some pictures later. We walked around the city, stopping for lunch at Speight's, a local brewery. I also managed to find a yarn store where I bought "recycled" possum yarn for socks. I know it sounds nasty but it looks and feels yummy. We hope all our friends and family are well. We are having a great time but still miss being close to you all. Until next time...

A Day at Sea

Just a quick update from the ship. We are enjoying a much needed day of rest at sea. Yesterday we put in at the Bay of Islands in the north of the North Island. This picture was taken in the early morning. It is simply beautiful. We went on an ecological tour which included a visit to a subtropical botanical garden in Wharepuke (translates to "top of the hill,") and a walk through Puketi Forest which is full of ancient kauri trees. Some of these trees are over a meter in diameter and are said to be over 300 years old. As all good tours do, this one ended with a visit to a winery, Ake Ake, on the Northland. Today is a lazy day. We hope to visit the gym before we pretty up for dinner with Kirk, the cruise director, tonight. This should be fun ?!