Solstice Live: Australia/NZ/Hawaii, Many Pix’s, Jan. 20-Feb. 3

[Scotswoman]

And another fan, Terry. Thank you so much for the excellent report and the wonderful photos. We will be joining the Solstice in Sydney for the B2B to Vancouver.

One question: for your trip to the north and east on Oahu, did you hire a car and drive, or did you use a tour company? I just have to see those beaches and coves where you took the photos! :)

Enjoy the rest pf your trip - I'll be following you around each day!:D

Morven

[upwarduk]

Do you have a link to your new blog Terry.

I love following your photographic adventures.

[TLCOhio]

Do you have a link to your new blog Terry. I love following your photographic adventures.

 

jimbri: WOW!!! What a wonderful review. Thank you so much.

 

Scotswoman: And another fan' date=' Terry. Thank you so much for the excellent report and the wonderful photos. We will be joining the Solstice in Sydney for the B2B to Vancouver. One question: for your trip to the north and east on Oahu, did you hire a car and drive, or [b']did you use a tour company?[/b] I just have to see those beaches and coves where you took the photos! Enjoy the rest pf your trip - I'll be following you around each day! Morven

 

Appreciate so much these nice comments and follow-ups. For the newest, happening right now, Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo back-to-back sailing over 26 days live blog, it will be another day or two before I fully up to speed and posting. After Jan. 28, just do a Google search for

Live Amazon Terry Ohio Cruise Critic

That will get you connected. Feel free to comment, make any suggestions, ask questions. That's the fun in doing such a sharing, inter-active report.

 

For our Oahu "circular tour", we used a private tour company that we lined up through out hotel. Worked super well. Small group. I did not have to drive!! Plus, the driver shared so much on the island, its history, background. Really worked well for us. Answered our many questions. YES!!! Totally agree that those beaches and coves are a "must-see".

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 193,092 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[TLCOhio]

Do you have a link to your new blog Terry.

I love following your photographic adventures.

 

Just started the live/blog this afternoon. Here is that link. Let me know any problems reaching this location. Feel free to post any questions, comments, suggestions, etc., for these areas of the Caribbean and along the Amazon River.

 

Connection to Amazon-Caribbean Live/Blog:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=183

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Super loved Dubrovnik!!! See more details and lots of great visual samples/examples at this link. Have had over 26,134 views on this posting and appreciate those who have tuned-in and dropped by.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227

[AntjeG]

Terry,

 

We haven't completely planned the end of our trip yet but we are probably going to fly directly out of Auckland rather than stay over since we will be somewhat exhausted by that point.

 

If we do it looks like our flight will leave around 7:30PM or so at night.

Do you know if Celebrity offers an airline luggage valet to the airline aboard the ship. We have experienced this on a few other cruises where you can pay a few extra bucks and not worry.

 

Since we will have the full day we need to store our luggage somewhere.

 

Maybe I can help here. Just returned from my Sydney to Auckland Solstice cruise.

 

The cruise terminal is right beside the ferry terminal. Both the City Sightseeing bus (hop on hop off 45 NZ$ all day ticket) and the Airport bus (every 10-15 minutes, takes you to the Airport in approx. 1 hr. for 16 NZ$) are around the corner. Turn left after leaving the terminal for both.

If you turn right from the terminal you will find the i-site visitor centre a few steps around the corner. I saw lots of people with luggage walking in and I read on tripadvisor that they have luggage storage. You may want to check if they still do luggage storage as the tripadvisor posts are from 2013. I had a hotel and therefore no need to store luggage near the port.

The i-site opens at 9 AM.

[zalusky]

Maybe I can help here. Just returned from my Sydney to Auckland Solstice cruise.

 

The cruise terminal is right beside the ferry terminal. Both the City Sightseeing bus (hop on hop off 45 NZ$ all day ticket) and the Airport bus (every 10-15 minutes, takes you to the Airport in approx. 1 hr. for 16 NZ$) are around the corner. Turn left after leaving the terminal for both.

If you turn right from the terminal you will find the i-site visitor centre a few steps around the corner. I saw lots of people with luggage walking in and I read on tripadvisor that they have luggage storage. You may want to check if they still do luggage storage as the tripadvisor posts are from 2013. I had a hotel and therefore no need to store luggage near the port.

The i-site opens at 9 AM.

 

Thanks a lot - I will give it a check. Nice to have options while planning.

[TLCOhio]

Maybe I can help here. Just returned from my Sydney to Auckland Solstice cruise. The cruise terminal is right beside the ferry terminal. Both the City Sightseeing bus (hop on hop off 45 NZ$ all day ticket) and the Airport bus (every 10-15 minutes, takes you to the Airport in approx. 1 hr. for 16 NZ$) are around the corner. Turn left after leaving the terminal for both.

If you turn right from the terminal you will find the i-site visitor centre a few steps around the corner. I saw lots of people with luggage walking in and I read on tripadvisor that they have luggage storage. You may want to check if they still do luggage storage as the tripadvisor posts are from 2013. I had a hotel and therefore no need to store luggage near the port. The i-site opens at 9 AM.

 

Appreciate this above very helpful posting and the great added information. As noted below, we are still doing our Caribbean/Amazon "adventure". It will be another week or so before I am back home and somewhat caught up. But, feel free to ask any questions, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo back-to-back sailing over 26 days on the Silversea Silver Cloud, here is the link below to that series of posts on my live/blog. Lots of great visuals from the Amazon and these various Caribbean Islands, plus many food pictures, etc. Much more to come. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Already at over 13,000 views, so far, for these postings.

 

 

Here are two quick photo proofs that we are busy and enjoying the Caribbean. These are from being in Dominica yesterday. First, tubing on the wild, rocky river of this very scenic island. Second, it was Carnival festival parade time here and it was fun capturing the street/party action.:

 

 

 

[PSU]

Terry,

 

We are planning to go on the Solstice (Australia and New Zealand) in Jan. 2017 on the same cruise you went on. The cruises basically has the same ports except on one trip it goes to Melbourne after Sydney and the next cruise it goes to Tasmania.

 

Have you been to both Tasmania and Melbourne? Which do you think would be a better stop?

 

I really appreciate all the help that you give.

 

Thanks so much!

[AntjeG]

PSU, as Terry is still busy cruising I dare to share my opinion:

I just returned from Solstice Sydney to Auckland with a port day in Hobart/Tasmania and I also visited Melbourne before embarkation. So I think I can compare.

 

It really depends on what you´d love to see.

If you are into nature, Tasmania offers unique animals and plants and I also liked the general landscape with lots of hills/mountains. The climate is cooler than the rest of Australia so be sure to bring a coat/jacket.

I loved Melbourne, too. It is a cool, modern city. Lots of modern buildings/skycrapers and also historic buildings, great views from Eureka Skydeck, nice river cruise option on Yarra river, great food and arts/museum options, nice beach at St. Kilda, lots of parks/gardens. Melbourne is also the gateway to the famous Great Ocean Road but I doubt that you can do the GOR on a port day (you will most likely run out of time).

 

For some pics of both you may want to check my blog (see signature). The blog is in German but has a "translate" button which should switch it to English. I also did a little review of the cruise which you should find among the recent posts on the Celebrity forums here. As this is Terry´s thread I will not post a link to my review here.

[TLCOhio]

Terry, We are planning to go on the Solstice (Australia and New Zealand) in Jan. 2017 on the same cruise you went on. The cruises basically has the same ports except on one trip it goes to Melbourne after Sydney and the next cruise it goes to Tasmania. Have you been to both Tasmania and Melbourne? Which do you think would be a better stop? I really appreciate all the help that you give. Thanks so much!

 

Appreciate the excellent help and comments from AntjeG. Yes, summarized well. Other than going through the Melbourne airport on a super hot, 100F+ day, my direct experiences there are limited. But, in advance, I did lots of researching and reading on that city, other parts of Australia, etc. Our personal choice for Australia was to maximize the outdoors/nature sights and experiences. We have done 22 different countries in Europe and seen most of the great cities there. Sydney and Auckland were nice and good for large cities, but our choice went to Tasmania to focus more on nearby options in that very beautiful area of this unique, large island. We were well please in what we saw and did at the Port Arthur historic site, plus at the nature/animal park.

 

AND, saying you have been to TASMANIA sounds super cool. To others, it comes off as very exotic and dramatic. True!!

 

For PSU, I assume you have connections with Penn State, right? Great school and it was wonderful to have visited that campus a few years back for a dramatic OSU vs. Coach Joe battle in Happy Valley.

 

Now over 99,000 views for this live/blog and so glad that many have stopped by, said HI!! and/or asked questions, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo back-to-back sailing over 26 days on the Silversea Silver Cloud, here is the link below to that series of posts on my live/blog. Lots of great visuals from the Amazon and these various Caribbean Islands, plus many food pictures, etc. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Already at over 14,500 views, so far, for these postings.

[PSU]

Thanks to you both for your great information.

 

Yes, both my husband and I went to Penn State.

[TLCOhio]

Thanks to you both for your great information. Yes, both my husband and I went to Penn State.

 

Great to know your Penn State connections and appreciate your kind comments.

 

This live/blog just went over 100,000 views from over this past year plus since we did our many adventures in Australia and New Zealand.

 

During the past month, we have been doing an amazing Amazon River/Caribbean cruise/adventure as detailed below and connected via my live/blog. Now, however, it is time to "move on" and get back to "normal"??!! Been busy with work the past three days, getting ready for a TV show taping Friday afternoon, setting appointments for next week, legal cases being reviewed, etc.

 

NEXT for us, will be South Africa, in early 2016. This will be our first visit to Africa. Really excited about these options and great potentials. Just did the basic Travelex insurance sign-up . You need to do those things within 21 days of your initial cruise booking in order to not have any "pre-existing conditions" problems/limitations face us for the future.

 

PLUS, weather???? The news yesterday was much about the super bad weather hitting Atlanta and how flight schedule got messed up at the world's largest airport that we used on Monday. Fortunately, all went super smoothly with our flights through Atlanta. Still, cold and bad here and in many of the USA and world.

 

Makes one appreciate and love the great weather we enjoyed during our entire trip in Brazil and the Caribbean. Plus, last year while traveling down under and in Hawaii.

 

Keep up the good questions and comments from our Australia and NZ adventure. Happy to share more and respond to any interests.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo back-to-back sailing over 26 days on the Silversea Silver Cloud, here is the link below to that series of posts on my live/blog. Lots of great visuals from the Amazon and these various Caribbean Islands, plus many food pictures, etc. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at over 16,840 views for these postings.

[TLCOhio]

From USA Today this past weekend, they have this headline: "Planning your first trip to Sydney". Lots of interesting details, tips and ideas are contained within this profile.

 

Here are a few of their story highlights: "Australia's largest city is also the jumping-off point for exploring Australia, and the city with the most inbound flights from North America. October to March is Sydney's busiest tourism period, when the weather is most pleasant. Airfares are cheaper for travel during Australia's winter months (the North American summer), and higher for the Australian summer. Qantas offers the most non-stop flights, including some on Airbus A380 aircraft from Dallas and L.A. Air New Zealand also flies to Sydney (sign up for both airlines' e-mail alerts since they often send out promo codes with discounts of $200-$300) as does United and Virgin Australia."

 

Here are a few other key details shared by USA Today: "Hotel rates go down in winter (the North American summer). In the luxury category, the 155-room Sydney Park Hyatt gets top marks, but the prices are a splurge (in the $700 per night range). But perhaps the best value, say TripAdvisor groupies, is the Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Harbor, which recently advertised rates at $160 per night. Top eats? There's no "traditional" Australian or Sydney dish or cuisine other than, perhaps, "shrimp on the barbie," made famous by actor Paul Hogan's appearances in those tourism television ads. But Sydney now has a considerable food culture, even though it's only been in existence for about 30 years. Australian beef is an especially tasty option. For fine dining, two highly recommended options are Nomad, 16 Foster Street in Surry Hills, with its Mediterranean-inspired menu sourced with local Australian ingredients, and long-running Rockpool, now in a new location at 11 Bridge Street in the Central Business District, where chef Neal Perry also provides tasty menus for Qantas."

 

This article brings back many great memories from our visit there a year ago. This includes about this personal favorite: "Tours of the Sydney Opera House, which, amazingly, took 17 years to build, are extremely popular and a great photo opportunity. The standard tour takes one hour, while the backstage option lasts two hours." We totally enjoyed both the basic tour and seeing an opera performance there.

 

Lots to love, see and do in Sydney!!

 

Full story at:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2015/02/28/sydney-australia/24131853/

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 173,260 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[themnms]

Happy to please and satisfy such a smart and helpful Aussie. Keep it coming.

 

Just did the Opera House tour and planning on seeing one of their opera production, Magical Flute, by Mozart, tomorrow at 11 am. Great and interesting tour. Lots more good visuals to come.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 158,754 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

I might have missed this somewhere but I was wondering where you stayed on Kangaroo Island

 

thanks

[TLCOhio]

I might have missed this somewhere but I was wondering where you stayed on Kangaroo Island. thanks

 

Appreciate the great follow-up and question from our New Jersey neighbor.

 

Through our skilled travel agent (that I cannot name here due to the Cruise Critic rules), our arrangements were made through Craig Wickham and his company called . . . Exceptional Kangaroo Island. Check out this great YouTube video with Craig as it shows some on this place where we are staying on K.I. Really excellent video to prepare and learn more for visiting this amazing part of Australia. It is called: Kangaroo Island - South Australia's Galapagos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyyGJ...ature=youtu.be

Craig's website is:

http://exceptionalkangarooisland.com

 

We were staying at the Stranraer Homestead. This wonderful location is operated by Lyn and Graham Wheaton. Their website is:

http://www.stranraer.com.au

 

Happy to share more. Let me know any added questions or needs. Good luck with your upcoming travels.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 18,719 views for these postings.

[themnms]

Appreciate the great follow-up and question from our New Jersey neighbor.

 

Through our skilled travel agent (that I cannot name here due to the Cruise Critic rules), our arrangements were made through Craig Wickham and his company called . . . Exceptional Kangaroo Island. Check out this great YouTube video with Craig as it shows some on this place where we are staying on K.I. Really excellent video to prepare and learn more for visiting this amazing part of Australia. It is called: Kangaroo Island - South Australia's Galapagos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyyGJ...ature=youtu.be

Craig's website is:

http://exceptionalkangarooisland.com

 

We were staying at the Stranraer Homestead. This wonderful location is operated by Lyn and Graham Wheaton. Their website is:

http://www.stranraer.com.au

 

Happy to share more. Let me know any added questions or needs. Good luck with your upcoming travels.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696/B]

Now at 18,719 views for these postings.

Thanks for all the great info! We will actually be there over Xmas and are following a similar itinerary that you took! I have emailed to inquire about the Lizard Island tour that you took. It looked like a fabulous option for Cairns as we will be there for three days. I am sure I will have more questions !!

[TLCOhio]

Thanks for all the great info! We will actually be there over Xmas and are following a similar itinerary that you took! I have emailed to inquire about the Lizard Island tour that you took. It looked like a fabulous option for Cairns as we will be there for three days. I am sure I will have more questions !![/QUOTE]

 

Glad you are planning ahead and working on your various options in Australia. Lots to see and enjoy there. Appreciate your follow-up. Look forward to answering any added questions, info needs. Keep up the good work.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 196,178 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[cruzingrama]

HI Terry! I see you have updated your photo!! I have been lurking every so often just to reminisce as you share your wonderful information about our Solstice trip to Australia. We just returned home from the Infinity 'around the horn' in South America. Weather was SO fabulous, we were so very lucky.

Anyway, just wanted to say hi to you!

Lynette

[TLCOhio]

HI Terry! I see you have updated your photo!! I have been lurking every so often just to reminisce as you share your wonderful information about our Solstice trip to Australia. We just returned home from the Infinity 'around the horn' in South America. Weather was SO fabulous, we were so very lucky. Anyway, just wanted to say hi to you! Lynette

 

Good morning, Lynette!! Appreciate your dropping by and saying "HI!!". Glad to hear of your Horn of South America adventure. Would love to hear more on your highlights from that trip. As noted below, we just got back last month from doing the Amazon River and our first trip to the Caribbean. Lots of fun and visuals are reflected on the live/blog connected below. And for the second-straight winter, we got relief from the brutal winter that hit the Midwest and East, etc.

 

Watched with interest yesterday the "Battle of Kansas" as Wichita State won the "Championship" for the Sunflower State during the NCAA tournament. Had to be a tough loss for the Jayhawk fans.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 20,077 views for these postings.

[TLCOhio]

Recently, the Smithsonian Channel had an hour-long program on the Solstice, including a focus on this ship doing part of a northern loop around the west, north and eastern parts of Australia.

 

Last week, I did have an opportunity to view the full program that I had recorded on our home cable DVR system. Very interesting program with some great video and insights. Parts of it were, as often happens, a little "hyped up" to provide some "drama" as the ship staff were dealing with the outside water temperature affecting air conditioning performance, food/dining options, etc. That's TV, especially in today's world of "reality television"!! The video/production crew spent a lot of time and effort to capture all of the "details" from this sailing, showing the top staff in action, etc.

 

This video is not, yet, on their

http://www.smithsonianchannel.com

website. BUT, here are some upcoming airdates for this Solstice program:

Saturday, April 18, 3:00 pm; Sunday, May 17, 10 pm.; Monday, May 18, 1 am.

My educated guess is that this program will be available from their website at a future date after it has "played out" enough on their cable channel.

 

Much was featured on this program about the Captain (Zisis Taramas), Hotel Director (Thomas Brady) and Executive Chef (Geoffrey Haviland). All three of these officials were on our early 2014 cruise. Mr. Brady was also on our June 2011 Solstice cruise as the Assistant Hotel Director. During our Australia-NZ cruising last year, I had the opportunity to talk several times with the Hotel Director and was impressed with his savvy, smarts and responsiveness. Very nice and solid guy. We also got to meet and talk with the Captain when we were departing for our port stop in Napier along the NZ coast. Very friendly and open Captain who posed for a nice picture with my wife and two other ladies in our group.

 

One of the excellent "learning experience" from this show was about the Azipod. That is the marine propulsion unit consisting of a fixed pitch propeller mounted on a steerable gondola or "pod". It contains the electric motor that drives the propeller. It's a big, BIG item and they showed a crew member going down into it for a close-up checking of its systems.

 

There were many other details shown and background provided for the kitchen, maintaining the lawn, fixing a tender boat, providing more variety with the buffet/Oceanview Cafe, working with a local pilot to the Great Barrier Reef, a croc tour in Darwin, etc. Especially since we had been on this same ship with many of the same staff, this program really worked well for my personal interests. As a guy who likes to know "how things work", this program was fascinating!!

 

If you go to this specific part of their website, you can check-out some of their past "Great Ships" programs that they have done. Plus, many other interesting programs. This includes a short preview on this Solstice program. See more at:

http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/shows/mighty-cruise-ships/celebrity-solstice/1003687/3417367

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 196,935 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

Here are a few visual highlights that I captured off of the Smithsonian Channel program about the Celebrity Solstice. Pictures two, three and four show the Captain (Zisis Taramas), Hotel Director (Thomas Brady) and Executive Chef (Geoffrey Haviland). The fifth picture shows the route around the northern part of Australia that the Solstice did during the production of this program. Finally is a cut-away shot of the Azipod that powers this ship.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TLCOhio]

From our Aust.-NZ "adventure", one of the highlights was our stop at Napier and visiting Cape Kidnapper. This included the "Lodge" there at this dramatic location, having a luxury, custom lunch there overlooking the Pacific, etc. WOW!! So wonderful.

 

From the New York Times earlier this year on Feb. 13, they had this headline: "Discovering Lodge Hospitality in New Zealand" with many tips and highlights from billionaire Tiger Management owner Julian Robertson. He developed this lodge and golf course at Cape Kidnapper, plus two other famed NZ lodges. By the way, this golfing site with its spectacular views is only ranked as the 22nd best course in the world. Pretty good? Here are some of his suggestions for seeing New Zealand:

 

Why for NZ? "the country has some of the most diverse geography in the world including mountains, sea and farmland". What is the ideal New Zealand itinerary? His view: "You need two weeks. If you’re coming from the States, it takes 24 hours just to get here, so you spend two days in travel alone. When you’re here, I would say to stick to the coastline and the countryside, including the mountains like Mount Cook, which is the highest mountain here." Any advice on vacation planning in general? "Wherever you go, you don’t want to overdo the traveling around and jump from plane to plane. It’s not fun, and you don’t see much. If you have a limited amount of time, see fewer things but see them well."

 

Full story at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/22/travel/savoring-views-in-new-zealand.html

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a “Solstice: Visuals, Highlights Shared!” summary from two different adventures on this ship with many pictures and other details on its many options. This includes our recent Australia to New Zealand sailing. Check it out, including these recent updates, at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1803477

Now at 30,315 views for this posting.

[TLCOhio]

From the NBC Today show this morning, they have this headline billing: "Savannah is in Sydney with her mom!" with these highlights on their TV show featuring their: "anchor and her mother, Nancy Guthrie, in Sydney, Savannah, who was born in Australia, is there with her mother for a special Mother's Day trip. The pair started their Australia visit at Melbourne's Sandringham Hospital, where Savannah was born."

 

During the first two hours of their program, they have featured much on the beaches in and around Sydney, the Harbour Bridge, many sights and attraction in this great city of Sydney, etc. These have been fun segments on the Today Show that brings back nice memories for us from our exciting visit to Australia early last year.

 

Full stories/video highlights at:

http://www.today.com/money/savannah-guthries-sydney-country-her-birth-special-journey-her-mom-t19026

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 22,142 views for these postings.

[TLCOhio]

Here is a little more from the above-linked NBC News website for what was posted from their Today Show television anchor visiting Australia. This one video had a great mix of sights and experiences possible in Sydney. Yes, I like it when they talked about the climb up, UP, UP to the top of the Harbour Bridge. I was there, 404' over the waters!! Fun, fun!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 177,522 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

Here are four video capture stills to illustrate how their NBC Today anchor's visit to Sydney was like an "infomercial" for Sydney, its beauty, charm, sights, etc. First is from Bondi Beach, plus plugging for the Sydney bridge climb, being on a harbor boat doing a toast to this great city. Wonderful publicity for Sydney and Australia!:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TLCOhio]

From the Wall Street Journal this morning, they have this headline: "Why Every NBA Team Needs an Australian" with this sub-headline: "Andrew Bogut and Matthew Dellavedova reinforce Australia’s reputation for producing industrious, selfless role players"

 

While not all can read this major national newspaper in the USA via the web, this story is wonderful for what it says about those from Australia. It focuses on two key National Basketball Association players who will be in the "Finals" for being the best team in the world of basketball. For our favorite Cavaliers from our nearby Cleveland, they have the famed LeBron James representing the state of Ohio. Among the story highlights: "Australians . . . every team in the NBA could use one. It seems like a strange coincidence that Golden State center Andrew Bogut and Cleveland guard Matthew Dellavedova are Australians playing supporting roles in this year’s Finals. Australian players tend to be the opposites of most American players. They don’t seek superstardom. They actively avoid attention. They excel in the egoless roles that most players reject."

 

Bogut said: “We’re very laid-back in Australia, but when it’s time for work and time to get after it, I think people don’t mind putting their hard hat on.”

 

This story notes that American coaches have found the stereotype of Australians as relaxed and fun to be around to be true. BUT, they love the work-ethic and dedication to team, winning and achievement. Nice story that brings backs wonderful memories for why we super loved Australia and New Zealand from our cruise/visit there a little over a year ago. To develop Australia and deal with its challenging conditions over the many decades, it clearly took great spirit and lots of hard work. That's reflected in these basketball players and others we have met from down under.

 

They also noted in this story: "The nature of Australian basketball players reflects the unusual way that talent is identified there. Because there aren’t enough opportunities for Aussies to rise up the ranks on ability alone, experts say, they learn to be low-maintenance players who prioritize the team’s needs above their own."

 

Congrats to the Aussies!! We will be cheering for the Cavs, LeBron and Dellavedova starting Wednesday evening.

 

Full story at:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/why-every-nba-team-needs-an-australian-1433175989

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 199,575 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[TLCOhio]

On another board with many from down under, I got various cute and interesting follow-ups and confirmations on the wonderful aspects for those from Australia. YES, it all confirms why we love BOTH the country and their people so much. Our friends form Colorado Springs, Colorado, who traveled with us on this adventure were staying at our home for the past four nights and we re-lived some of our great fun from visiting down under.

 

From the Sidney Morning Herald today, they have this headline: "NBA Finals: Matthew Dellavedova Cleveland Cavaliers jersey sales skyrocket" with these highlights: "Inspired by Matthew Dellavedova's heroics in the NBA Finals, sales of the Australian point guard's Cleveland Cavaliers' jersey have skyrocketed to be number one in the US. The gritty Dellavedova has been sensational in the playoffs. He had career-high 20 points in Tuesday's game two victory over the Golden State Warriors to give the Cavaliers a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Finals series. Dellavedova was so drained after game three he was hospitalised and pumped with fluids intravenously. Americans have fallen for his body-on-the-line style and his story - an undrafted free agent from an Australian country town written off for not being talented or fast enough for the NBA, but who has become James' sidekick in the Finals."

 

As a big fan of the Cavs, LeBron James and nearby Cleveland, it has been wonderful to see Dellavedova playing so well and getting the great credit he deserves. Game four will be tonight!! Dilly, as he is nick-named, is out of the hospital and ready to play this evening. Hopefully there will be more dramatic heroics by Aussie Dellavedova. Appreciate Australia sharing his talent and spirit!!

 

Full story at:

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/basketball/nba-finals-matthew-dellavedova-cleveland-cavaliers-jersey-sales-skyrocket-20150611-ghlevs.html

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

If Venice is one of your future desires or past favorites, look at this earlier posting for many options and visual samples this city that is so great for "walking around", personally seeing its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 52,169 views.

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226