Auckland, NZ

The cruise ended in Auckland. We were up early and off the ship. Our flight was not until evening, so we decided to do a tour through the ship. We chose an all day trip…it was a long bus ride, but we went to the Waitomo area.

First, they took us to Woodlyn Park. They call this place “A World Unique Attraction”. That is a good description. You drive up a long gravel driveway onto a ‘farm’ type property. The bus stops at the entrance and you are escorted into a large building with concrete floors. To the right is a ‘theater’ with old wood and leather seats and some old curtains hiding the stage area.

After a while, the show starts…it’s a guy in jeans, boots and a tank top. What he tells you about is the way the Kiwis used to do things in the old days. He shows you the sawing process, the tree climbing process, etc. etc. Then he brings in the animals…does some pig tricks, dog tricks, and sheep herding. Then with some assistance from some audience volunteers, he shears a sheep. The show was quite interesting and entertaining. My explanation does not do it justice.

The ‘farm’ also has some motel rooms…in a hobbit house, a boat or a plane. You can see all of this at http://www.waitomomotel.co.nz/.

Next, we went to Waitomo Caves. This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. The Waitomo Caves is a series of limestone caves with stalactites and stalagmites. They tour you through the caves and up and down levels to see the columns, caves, and canyons that have been eroded out.

The caves alone were a pretty amazing sight. However, they took us down by the water of the river and turned out the lights. Over head, you can see little blue lights like stars on the ceiling…glow worms. They shined a flash light in one area so you could see all the silks threads the worms have created. (Some of you may have seen these on the Planet Earth series on the Discovery Channel.)

We walked through the cave and down to the river’s edge where they have a boat and pulley system set-up to show the Glow Worm Grotto. It’s a large cave over the river with thousands of glow worms covering the ceiling of the cave. It is pitch black except for the blue, fluorescence of the glow worms. It’s like looking at a million stars in the sky.

We were not allowed to take photos in the caves…so I’ll have to scan some postcards to share. What an interesting day!

Now it is time for the long plane trip home…we get home about the same time we left, unfortunately we have to sit on a plane for 15+ hours of that time. We hope you enjoyed sharing our trip!

Tauranga, NZ

Today, we visited the city of Tauranga. We decided to wander around on our own and just take in the local sites. The ship was docked about a 5 minute walk to town.

We walked to the main shopping district in town and wandered the shops. This was the only place we actually did any shopping. We bought another metal fish…to go with the collection in the kitchen. Also, we got some Paua shell jewelry…its blue, teal, purple, shimmery…it’s just wonderful.

We checked the little corner store for a Mountain Dew or Pepsi…no luck, always Coke. We did find another Starbucks and made a quick stop there.

We headed out of the shopping area and towards the beach. Just north of where we were docked is a small hill/mountain called Mount Maunganui. This is a park and has trails to climb to the top, around the mountain, or just along the base. The beaches around the mountain are beautiful…teal and bright blue.

We took off our shoes and waded in the water…what a great way to spend a birthday, walking along a beach in the South Pacific!

Volcanic White Island, NZ

Today was mostly spent at sea. We slept in, had some lunch and enjoyed the warm weather from the comfort of our deck.

Late in the afternoon, around 5 pm, we arrived at White Island. This island is an active volcano, 48 km off the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island. The island is basically circular in shape and is about 2 km in diameter. The peak of the mountain rises to about 321 m above sea level.

The ship circled the island, so we were able to see the volcano from all sides. The most observed volcanic activity is steaming…which it was doing today. This is best seen on the south side of the island, as the previous eruptions have carved out a pathway to the sea on this side. As the ship rounded the south end of the island, the sulfur smell drifted aboard for all the sightseers.

Wellington, NZ

Wellington is the capital of New Zealand and is located on the south end of the North Island. It is the southernmost national capital city in the world, with a latitude of about 41 degrees S (this is almost the same as Seattle…but to the south instead of north). It has a pretty large urban area and is densely populated.

We decided to just go ashore and walk around today. We slept in, had some lunch, and then hit the city. The bus dropped us off right in the heart of the city (or the shopping district). We wandered around and tried to take in some of the highlights…the government buildings (including the beehive building), the library, Old St. Paul’s Church, and the cable car.

We wandered through the shopping area and found a Starbucks! We only had to go about 12 days without…not the whole vacation.

Akaroa, NZ

Akaroa is a small village located about 75 km from Christchurch. The ship anchored in the harbor and tendered folks in for the day. We chose to do another train ride today, the Tranz Alpine Tour. The ‘Southern Alps’ are located on the South Island of New Zealand, and this train takes you on a trip through them and up to Arthur’s Pass.

After the train ride, we took a bus back to the ship. Along the way, the driver stopped at a few scenic overlooks. One in particular was Cave Stream Scenic Reserve. You were able to see mountains in all directions and a river below. It was pretty dry, but there was also some nice flowers and plants in this area.

Dunedin, NZ

Dunedin (pronounced: due-need-in) is the second largest city on the South Island of New Zealand. However, we did not spend much time in the city. Today, we took a train ride from the ship through the Taieri River Gorge.

The Taieri Gorge Railway is New Zealand’s longest, privately-owned railway. It is primarily run for excursions and is one of Dunedin’s big tourist attractions. The Dunedin train station is a beautiful historic building.

Our trip started at the ship and headed north. We made a stop in Hindon to see the monument to the old sheep dogs. We then stopped in Pukerangi, where the locals come out and set up a ‘flea market’ for the tourists to visit (and spend money). The train then moves the locomotive to the other end and heads back to the train station in Dunedin.

At the train station, we transferred to a bus and headed to the Penguin Place, which is a yellow eyed penguin reserve. The yellow eyed penguin is heading toward extinction, with only about 4000 remaining. A sheep farmer decided to convert part of his property to a reserve and is running a private reserve to help save this penguin.

It seemed strange to be going to see the penguins when they are trying to protect them. What they have done is built little “bunkers” and covered trails for people to get down to the penguins. You walk through these ‘tunnels’ and then enter the little bunkers that have slots open for viewing. The premise here is that if the penguins do see you, you only look about 12-inches tall or so. Thus, they are not scared of you. These penguins grow to about knee height. If you appear smaller them, they do not see you as a predator.

The farmer has worked to preserve the area and has planted many native trees and shrubs for the penguins. Also, these penguins are very private…so they have built them little wood shelters as well. The farm continues to be run as a sheep farm, so occasionally the penguins and sheep run into each other. We just so happen to catch this occurrence…the penguin won.

Leaving Dunedin, we got some great photos of the people along the shore and the lighthouse. The waves were crashing and the scenery was beautiful.

The Sounds

We reached the southwest coast of New Zealand today. We cruised through the fjord land or “The Sounds”, taking in the beautiful, green mountain scenery. Fjord land is one of the wettest places in New Zealand. We were fortunate to have a half cloudy/sunny day, so that we could see the mountains. The clouds just sit atop the mountains and appear to be rolling over them. Also, the clouds vary in color from white to blue to grey.

The first sound of the day was Milford Sound. We arrived about 7:00 a.m. in the morning and Todd was able to catch the sun coming up over the mountains. There were some clouds, but a pretty blue sky emerged for some great photos.

We entered into Milford Sound continued to the end and then the ship had to turn around and go back out to sea. This is a great opportunity for us to get some good views. Our room is on the back of the ship…so when we are heading outbound, we get a 180 degree view.

The second sound was Doubtful Sound. This time we drove through the sound. The clouds had settled a bit more and the sky was grey. This Sound had more rock out-croppings, but still contained the lush mountains along both sides.

The last sound we went through was Dusky Sound. This is the longest of the three, at about 41 km. It was late afternoon and we decided to go up top and get a different view. This passage area reminded us more of the San Juans with much taller mountains, and lush vegetation. It did get pretty windy as we continued along…but the weather held and no rain.

Tasman Sea

After leaving Melbourne, we were at sea for a couple days crossing from Australia to New Zealand. During this time, we got some rest, soaked up some sun, and of course…enjoyed the food!

Here’s a photo of us enjoying the sunshine on our deck. Kind of funny getting a tan in January…

There are a few formal dinners on board, and even Todd dresses for the occasion. Check out the suit and tie…not something you ever see Todd wearing.

Melbourne, AU

Melbourne is located in the southeast region of Australia at the north side of Phillip Bay. We arrived early in the morning and had decided to take a ship tour and see some of the country and animals.

We started the morning by going on a short train ride. The “Puffing Billy Railway” is a historic, Victorian Railway that has been restored and is run for tourists and people on outings for the day. It is an old steam engine that is now run on coal. We rode from Belgrave to Menzies Creek, about a 30 minute ride.

Next, it was off to a winery. We went to Rochford Winery for a short tasting and a great lunch. The bus drove through the countryside so we could get a taste of the area outside of the city.

The highlight of the day was our visit to Healesville Sanctuary. This Sanctuary is for local animals and is maintained and run by almost all volunteers. We saw kangaroos, koalas, platypus, wombat, lizards, birds, dingo, etc.

One of the koalas happened to be awake and we got some great photos. Due to the heat of the day, most of the animals were sleeping…so there was not too much activity to be witnessed. The platypus is kept in their large water tank within a dark ‘house’…so no photos, but it was great fun watching them swim around and play.

We drove through the City on the way back to the ship. Melbourne is a pretty large city; about 4 million people...the second largest city in Australia. Looking at the buildings and how they sprawl along the shore, I would say the downtown area is about twice the size of Seattle.

Phillip Island, AU

Phillip Island is a small island located south and east of Melbourne. This little island is famous for its very small penguins. There is a cove where a large group of penguins come onto shore each evening at sundown. The “Penguin Parade” as it is called consists of ‘rafts’ of penguins gathering in groups out in the surf. Then just as it starts to get dark they come ashore to get to their
burrows in the sand dunes.




The waddle from the water to the burrow is quite a site. They wait until sundown to avoid predators. However, unsure that they are safe, they start up the beach and if they get scared, turn and go back to the water. This can happen several times and might be one penguin or the whole group. Also, the surf is pretty strong against them and they can get hit by a wave and washed back…to try again.



At the time of year that we were there, there were also a number of babies. These little ones wait in the burrow all day waiting for the parents to come back and feed them. They know at sundown it is time to come out and start looking for mom or dad. They waddle around and scurry up to each penguin coming out of the water. Trying and trying again to find just the one they are looking for.


These are the smallest penguins in the world at about 35 cm. They are cute and fuzzy as babies. They are dark blue and white…blue instead of black as a camouflage in the blue water.



(They do not allow photography at the beach…so no photos of the actual penguin parade.)

Newcastle, AU

Newcastle is just a few hours north of Sydney or about 70 km by boat. We arrived early in the morning and were off the boat by 8:00 a.m. for our tour. We decided to have a little fun today and booked a 4WD sand dune vehicle trip.

We took a bus about 45 minutes from the dock, to Stockton Bight Sand Dunes. We transferred to a 4WD vehicle and started off into the sand. We drove through the dunes and enjoyed the hills and bumps. We went out to the beach and drove along the water. We stopped and walked along the beach and got our feet wet. The tour guide hunted for some ‘pippies’ to show us what there are (kind of like a clam, it has a tongue that helps it dig). These are protected animals and there are large fines for digging them up and trying to take them off the beach.

Then it was back to the dunes and off to find a good “hill”. We stopped at a large hill and out of the vehicle for all. The driver opened the back and handed out boards; it was time for a little sand surfing. They show you how to sit and where to go and you’re off. This was pretty fun! Unfortunately, once you go down, you have to climb back up. The sand is very soft and the climb is a hike. We took two ‘rides’, took some photos, and just watched the tour group. There were people of all ages…10 to 60, and everyone was taking a turn.

Along the drive back, they stopped at Tin City. It’s a grouping of about 8 ‘tin’ (corrugated metal) houses out in the middle of the dunes. These are ‘vacation’ homes that have been passed down through generations. They have diesel power, fresh water wells, and great access to the beach. To give you a feel for the buildings…one of them was used as the bar in the Mad Max movie. Here’s a photo of Todd and I in front of a few of the houses.

It was another warm day in Australia, but some fog came in…so this provided a little ‘shade’ from the intensity of the sun. By late afternoon, the fog had faded and we were back at sea with the sun shining bright. We left the harbor with tugboat escorts, tons of locals lining the shores, and a few end of the jetty, lighthouse photos. Tomorrow is a day at sea and some rest.

Sydney Harbor Bridge – Bridge Climb

The one “tourist” event that really interested us in Sydney was doing the Bridge Climb (see http://www.bridgeclimb.com/). We had made reservations before coming and once we got here and saw the bridge…we were pretty excited.

We were on an early morning tour, 6:25 a.m. (That’s way early for me!) Our ship had moved into the harbor, so we had to tender in. Therefore, we were up at 4:30 and heading into shore before 6.

The Bridge Climb company has a great business. You book your tour, get there and check in, and then the 3 and half hour journey begins. You wait in the waiting room watching a video of where you’re about to go. Then you sign a waiver and take a breathalyzer. You suit up into a jumpsuit and put all your personal belongings in a locker (no cameras, no hats, no barrettes, etc…only your sunglasses). They show you how to put on your harness and lanyard; then its ‘accessory time’. They have caps, handkerchiefs, sunglass holders, jackets, raincoats, etc. and they all hook to your jumpsuit. There are very strict rules about nothing falling from the bridge.

Then you get a practice climb on a ladder and steps in the main building. Our guide, Chris, explained the steel ladders, steps, see through gratings, and such that we would be walking on. Then it was outside to start the climb.

You walk down the street a block and enter the access to the underside of the bridge. You walk through ‘a cave’ where you clip on and then you start walking along two planks on the east, underside of the bridge. You’re about 150 feet above the road during this initial part. You walk through the pylon and up about 4 sets of stairs and then a little ways further until you reach the ladders. These ladders are completely vertical and you move up and to the left, four separate times. About half way up the ladders you are even with the car traffic and can see them speeding by. At the top of the ladders, you reach the beginning of the arch and ascend to the top. You ascend to the top by going a little ways, resting, go a little farther, rest, and so on…until you reach the top. (It is not excessively steep, but you are pretty high up there and the weather is extremely warm.)

Getting to the top is amazing! You are 450 feet above the water below. You have a 360 degree view of Sydney. It is a great experience!

Our tour guide took photos of the group and a few of Todd and me. You can see Todd and I at the top of the bridge…1) the Opera House in the background and 2) looking to the west.

Travel to Sydney

Our trip to Australia started with a couple flights…a short hop to LA and then a long 14 and half hours to Sydney. We ate, got a little sleep, watched a few movies, and then we were there. Leaving the airport, we were taken on a two hour drive around Sydney to see the highlights. We visited Bondi Beach, drove through some of the neighborhoods, got a great view of the harbor with the Opera House and Bridge, saw a light house, saw the rocks at Gap Park, and finally made our way to the ship.

Our ship was docked by the ferry terminal, right between the Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Our room is on the stern of the ship, so we had an amazing view of harbor and its highlights.

After relaxing awhile and getting a bite to eat, we got off and wandered around The Rocks. We confirmed our trip for the bridge climb the following day. Then we headed over to the Opera House. We took a number of photos and enjoyed the site of the buildings. It is made up of three separate buildings. The roof has a great texture print and the underside glass windows are tinted a nice contrasting color.

Walking through the ferry terminal area and along the water’s edge, there were tons of people…walking, sightseeing, drinking at the bars, and eating at all the outdoor restaurants.

We watched the sunset, got some night photos, and then it was an early night to bed…as we had to get up very early.

Down Under We Go...

We are heading "down under" today for a two week cruise from Australia to New Zealand. We hope to blog and share photos from our trip.

Egypt Photos

I have gotten most of the Egypt photos posted...but not all. To check out what's online so far, go to our photo website at Sheri and Todd's Shutterfly Page.