MMDown Under

Bon Voyage. Great itinerary! Have you cruised on Azamara before? I cruised with them to SEAsia.

Duck and Veal pot pie sounds interesting mixture.

Just watched the funniest Christmas video - Billy Mack - "Christmas is all Around".

That vista always looks magical. Happy Christmas to you.

Happy Christmas to you. Is your Canadian Christmas more British heritage or American? We went to the biggest log cabin in the world in Canada one Christmas to celebrate a White Christmas. There was no snow, nor ice skating! However, we have been to Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper pre Christmas with snow and to Ottawa, where we watched school children play cricket on the frozen river. .

I hope they manage to have some Aussie input for Christmas Day, Julie. Hope you have a wonderful day. I was happy to disembark from Celebrity Century in Sydney on Christmas Eve. There was no Christmas, as we know it. I've spent many Christmases in the US and loved it, but it is very different to ours. We raced up the street to David Jones Window Displays to feel like Christmas. Boxing Day we sat on Watson's Bay harbour front and watched the start of the Yacht Race. Maybe in the future Aussie/Kiwi Christmas cruises will have an Aussie atmosphere. Party hats, bon bons, plum pudding with custard, proper big pavlovas with fresh tropical fruit, etc. Would be nice if they included some Aussie Christmas music in the mix. "How to Make Gravy" would be a good start. I'm enjoying watching ABC Rage's continuous Christmas music. Happy Christmas everyone!

Thinking of the Cruise Critic Family and wishing everyone all the joys of Christmas, good health and every happiness in the New Year. Listening to ABC Rage's Christmas music to set the scene. Lots of snow, Santas in hot red winter suits "How to Make Gravy", by Paul Kelly is one of my modern favourites. The old carols and Christmas music never go out of fashion! David Bowie and Bing Crosby sang "Drummer Boy", such a beautiful carol. What are your favourites, new and old?

There is only one Christmas per year. There are lots of cruise ships per peak season. I remember when the Govt changed working conditions over the Holidays They said no-one would be forced to work. I worked with a girl who said they'd loose their jobs if they chose not to work, so that didn't last! Now I see a trend by young people valuing quality of life.

I think it is dangerous for older people unless there are safety bars to hold on to.

Thank you I like their beautiful Christmas decorations. Brighter colours and more tropical!

I didn't know there was meant to be a difference. Ours always had a soft centre and no Kiwi blood in our family,

My younger daughter is spending Christmas with her Nanna who turned 100 this year. I agree you need to appreciate every opportunity to celebrate together at those grand ages.

Saw a show on TV about using what you have in your pantry and fridge before cooking new stuff. So that is what I'm doing today. My daughter brought home a mushroom pie each (our favourites were sold out), so we're having a pie with old roasted vegs for lunch. Enjoy your Slim Dusty Christmas music. Have you visited his Museum? Hope you have a wonderful family Christmas.

I've always wanted to visit Picton. We crossed on the ferry from the North Island then drove around the west coast. Could we have visited en route without knowing?

I'll always remember to not underestimate NZ sun. We all got burnt at Hot Water Beach having fun! Good idea to buy another tube of sunscreen!

Sounds like a perfect port day.

I understand. It is such a novelty for people like us from the tropics. We used to be in raptures when NY had snow at Christmas. We'd all race outside and make snow angels. Going to Midnight church in the snow felt special. My girlfriend used to say "but you don't have to go outside to work in it". You don't have to shovel it to reach a cleared road, etc. However, I have memories of cars sliding off the road in front of me. Scary inching along with a van full of children It is prettier looking out from inside in front of a warm fire.

My girls loved those containers of biscuits, which just popped out, you put them on a tray and you had scones. They loved the real chocolate biscuits also.

You are fortunate to be able to buy an Aussie style pie in Canada. I bought a delicious brisket one at a market yesterday. So yummy! Perfect outdoor picnic food.

I received advice my passport was on its way on 14/12, I received it 5 days later on 19/12 probably due to heavy Christmas mail. Interesting that you can track your passports' progress.

Yes my daughter says an hour. It was just a beautiful walk from Drummoyne over the big bridge, past what is now Bangaroo and past the theatres, along the waterfront for coffee, under the Harbour Bridge to Circular Quay, Sydney is a walker's paradise.

That is what I'm eating plus fresh beans. Warmer here but still mild.

What are you going to cook?

I have some old recipes which call for creamed corn or tinned corn, which I used for years. One day it dawned on me I could use fresh corn. They needed tinned food in the bush, because they couldn't just pop in to town. However, all my country relatives had beautiful vegetable and herb gardens (in the back yard) and roses in the front yard. Wishing you all the joys of Christmas, good health and every happiness in 2023. I now appreciate why my grandmother used to wish everyone good health. Wishing you a return to good health Les. I love markets. We have a good fresh food one here at HOTA in Surfers Paradise, so we will go at 6 am tomorrow. We don't have a fish market, but we have a local seafood shop which provides seafood vans for the markets in Brisbane. I love the markets in Sydney and Melbourne and suburbs like Prahan. Our Govt did away with our old centre city market in its wisdom.

yes it is more residential, with lots of little parks, before the developers ran wild!