and so it begins.....RTW16

[Floridiana]

I also come here to follow your reports. :)

[cbb]

thanks for the support guys! It helps to know someone is reading the contributions!

 

h2so4: at breakfast today I received 2 glowing reports about the small ship excursion to the GBReef with sunlover.

 

They first stopped at a sheltered spot so that everyone could try the gear and feel comfortable before going on to another spot. I believe that they snorkeled and dove from the ship.

 

They had 34 on board which brought down the cost; obviously the less people the more expensive it is. Comfortably, they agreed, no more than 30 snorkelers, 5 divers on their ship.

 

One of them is a vegetarian--and they were able to meet her needs for lunch.

 

If seasickness is a problem, they said the small boat is not what you want.

 

We all agreed that the GBR was at its finest. We've all snorkeled places around the world and this is, hands down, the best. It may not always be "the best" but it certainly was that day.

 

Have fun planning!!!

[buggins0402]

Definitely reading here and my day brightener.

 

I must say you have me so confused....but, only on where to go next with our meager non world cruise budget, given the wonderful descriptions of what you've seen.

 

I was working on a Southeast Asia trip prior to your posts. Then started on searches for Africa, after your posts. Then, back to SE Asia after those posts. :)

 

Then, I loved the posts with the visits from SE Asia down to Australia. I have even put Townsville on a short list for a long apartment stay to escape our winter weather( we've visited Australia in the past.)

 

We've seen much of Thailand, so many of the SE Asia cruise itineraries don't work. But, it looks like a land SE Asia will work and I am using your posts to plan that trip.

 

I can't thank you enough....you have helped rough out much of the world for our future trips...both cruise and land. A Cape Town to Singapore (with India) is on our bucket list.

[cbb]

buggins0402--

 

Capetown to Singapore is definitely a great choice! Fly in early to Capetown because we could spend a week there before getting on the ship.

 

Then you'd get an overnight or two safari (a must), the Serengeti, Taj, Angkor, Yangoon (and Began, for sure). All absolutely amazing!!

[2552phxcrzr]

thanks for the support guys! It helps to know someone is reading the contributions!

 

h2so4: at breakfast today I received 2 glowing reports about the small ship excursion to the GBReef with sunlover.

 

They first stopped at a sheltered spot so that everyone could try the gear and feel comfortable before going on to another spot. I believe that they snorkeled and dove from the ship.

 

They had 34 on board which brought down the cost; obviously the less people the more expensive it is. Comfortably, they agreed, no more than 30 snorkelers, 5 divers on their ship.

 

One of them is a vegetarian--and they were able to meet her needs for lunch.

 

If seasickness is a problem, they said the small boat is not what you want.

 

We all agreed that the GBR was at its finest. We've all snorkeled places around the world and this is, hands down, the best. It may not always be "the best" but it certainly was that day.

 

Have fun planning!!!

 

Thanks cbb ... I appreciate the report. Sea sickness is not a problem, so this will be our first preference.

[cbb]

May 06, 2016 Queensland, Brisbane

 

Due to the last minute port change from Newcastle to Brisbane we were not docked as close to the city center as we wanted but I was thrilled that they had ANY dock for us!

 

Our Aussie friend, EmmaChisit, hearing from me about our change in itinerary and knowing of our interest in the history of any place, sent me a wonderful heritage trail walking tour filled with her suggestions and detours. What a great friend to have! We printed it off in the computer center and were good to go.

 

Bless the city and O, they were able to get a shuttle up and running for us that took us to the city center even though it was almost a 45 minute bus ride. I don't mind bus trips; it lets me see the community.

 

We were among the first off the ship and were well on our way into town, arriving around 10:30 and were dropped off one small block from the Queen Street Mall, a 1500 feet long walkway, covered with cool roof pieces and with stages for performers and huge wall art. There are over 700 shops of different sizes and for different interests.

 

It helped that we had been in Brisbane before so we knew what we wanted to see and what we could skip. Now, if you've never been, please go see the Lone Pine Koala Santuary as well as Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo.

 

Some passengers on board went reluctantly to the Zoo, since they "didn't want to just walk around Brisbane" but all reported what I'd tell you--what a wonderful experience!

 

You see all of the iconic Australia animals in a wonderful natural setting and the animals are all well cared for and healthy and not behind bars....well, maybe the snakes are corralled, but you know, I just don't have a problem with containment of snakes!!

 

Another RTW passenger who had been in Brisbane more recently that we had met her Aussie friend and they went to the Queensland Art Museum and then walked in South Bank Parklands. It is on the southern (other ) side of the river from where we were and she said she had an absolutely wonderful time and recommends her itinerary to everyone.

 

We got off the bus, walked up the Mall and looked at all of the shops-- making mental notes of which ones we'd like to look into later and continued on down the street.

 

Along Queen Street Mall are a couple of heritage spots so we stopped and checked those out by reading from EmmaChisit's tour notes and took pictures, continued the heritage walk, took more pictures, and had a great time.

 

Around the world there have been many settlements made of wood that had great fires and Brisbane was no exception. Her fire happened in 1864 and more than 50 buildings in the town center were destroyed and the poorest people were left not only homeless but with nothing. This set Brisbane back as its residents had to rebuild--which was not only lengthy, but also expensive.

 

If you visit the Myer Centre, a large department store on Queen Street, you will be standing in the general area where the fire occurred.

 

On elevated land beside the Brisbane River, a penal settlement was established in 1825 for those who had served their sentence but had broken the law again. The largest building in Brisbane at the time was the prison and it was both harsh and cruel and held more than 1000 convicts. Positioned where the men could see it constantly was the flogging stand and the gallows.

 

Later the penal colony closed and eventually the buildings were demolished to make way for more profitable enterprises. The tour will take you past those places to remind you of the reason for Australia's early settlement.

 

We walked by old and small churches built by the early free settlers to meet their religious and community needs and the School of Arts housed in a wonderful Queenslander building which was my favorite.

 

The city fathers worried that young women coming into Brisbane from the ships could become vulnerable to...well, anything and anybody. They decided to build a safe, but hopefully temporary home for the women where they would be trained in the domestic arts...laundry, sewing, child care and housekeeping. She had to be "of good character" but could be of any religious denomination. Within 15 years it became the School of Arts.

 

We saw the People's Palace the Salvation Army opened as Temperance Hotel, a safe place for people to stay to avoid places with alcohol and gambling. Today it is a hostel for backpackers and is known for its parties!

 

We saw the WWII public air raid shelters built to protect the people of Brisbane from Japanese air attacks. After US General Douglas MacArthur escaped Manilla, Brisbane became his headquarters and more than 75,000 Americans were stationed in Brisbane awaiting deployment throughout the Pacific islands. Brisbane knew it needed to protect the public from anticipated attacks so they built more than 200 shelters.

 

Brisbane was never attacked by the Japanese and many of the shelters were later demolished by the city. Today the remaining ones serve a more peaceful need as park and bus shelters --just as the architect Frank Costello hoped.

 

There are a variety of other stops to make, climbing red steps called Jacob's Ladder, seeing more re-purposed old buildings, and then moving on down to ANZAC Square.

 

Australia New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) refers to the men and women who fought and died for their countries. Since they were unable to bury their soldiers at home, the citizens built memorials throughout Australia and New Zealand and around the world.

 

In Brisbane, the Square was built to commemorate those Queenslanders who fought and died in WWI. Almost 40% of Australian men age 18-44 enlisted and by Armistice Day, 1918 the casualty rate was more than 68%--the highest casualty rate of all the Allies.

 

An Eternal Flame now burns continuously at this site to honor all Australian men and women who died for their country in all of the wars. Be sure you walk down the steps into the garden to see the statues. It is an incredibly moving place and I encourage you to visit just to say a prayer or to say "thanks."

 

We ended our tour where we began, at the Mall. However, across the street was a beautiful building opened in the 1930s. It was of an innovative design and construction, built with bolts and a reinforced concrete roof...one of the strongest buildings in the city.

 

This building was used as MacArthur's headquarters after he left Manilla in 1942 and remained that until 1944 when he left to make his "return" to the Philippines.

 

From here we set out on a small and successful shopping expedition as well as having lunch on the Mall at the Pig and Whistle. We had eaten there over 10 years ago so we were delighted to see that it was still there and provided the light lunch we were looking for.

 

From there we walked the length of the Mall (again!) and turned eventually into the streets that took us to the Botanical Gardens. What a lovely place that was as we found ourselves walking along the Brisbane River taking pictures of sail boats, flowers, birds, and trees.

 

One tree, in particular caught my eye, a Turkish Pine. The men returning from Gallipoli brought the seeds and they were planted in honor of the ANZAC. I can find history even in a botanical garden!

 

All too soon we realized that we needed to return to the drop off/pick up spot for the shuttle bus and less than 5 minutes after we arrived we were on our way back to the ship.

 

I really like Brisbane but don't think I could live here for one simple reason; it is a big city--Australia's 3rd largest. It is wonderful and beautiful and the people are so sweet and friendly, but they have traffic. I could not drive in a big city because this ol' American would instinctively make the wrong turn in a city that drives with the steering wheel on the right and drives on the left....weird!!!!

 

I really want to thank the officers and crew of the Insignia for getting us a place to dock with such short notice, to the Destination Services staff who worked long hours finding excursions for the many passengers who had never been here before, and the local people who so efficiently established the shuttle system. Well done, everybody!!

[cbb]

RTW itinerary change:

 

Due to reports of high seas off Hobart, Tasmania the Captain has decided not to sail there. We received official word tonight.

 

We will have 4 days at sea after leaving Sydney on May 10, and Wellington, New Zealand has been added to our itinerary on May 15.

 

We will then resume our original itinerary.

 

For those of you interested in marine sites try:

 

http://www.passageweather.com

 

you can change the dates and times of the charts and will be able to see all sorts of cool things. Hobart looks bad on May 11th and I'm glad we're avoiding high seas!

[2552phxcrzr]

May 06, 2016 Queensland, Brisbane

 

One tree, in particular caught my eye, a Turkish Pine. The men returning from Gallipoli brought the seeds and they were planted in honor of the ANZAC. I can find history even in a botanical garden!

 

An interesting connection to the Lone Pine Cemetery in Gelibolu (Gallipoli), Turkey. It was the site of one of the bloodiest and hardest fought actions of the campaign – the Battle of Lone Pine ... and, of course, holds great significance for the ANZAC.

Edited May 8, 2016 by h2so4

[Emma Chisit]

May 06, 2016 Queensland, Brisbane

Our Aussie friend, EmmaChisit, hearing from me about our change in itinerary and knowing of our interest in the history of any place, sent me a wonderful heritage trail walking tour filled with her suggestions and detours. What a great friend to have! We printed it off in the computer center and were good to go.

 

Aww, thanks. :o

For those following along and collecting info for their future visits to Brisbane, the walk I recommended is one of many on the Brisbane City Council website which I listed in post # 461. I am now interested in some of the walks also; really have to try them someday. We are tourists too when we visit Brisbane.

 

cbb - you certainly had a very full day in my home town. Glad the weather co-operated – I see Wayne said the weather was “perfect” also in his blog. Not like some of those hot and humid African and Asian ports we visited, eh. However, had you been there the previous weekend, it was humid and very wet.

I am also leery of driving in the traffic in Brisbane when we visit; no longer the sleepy riverside town I grew up in…. There really is a lot to see there these days. Who know, you may get back again on a cruise – and score the “good” berth at Portside next time.

[Aspect]

Looks like the Captain made a good call. Australia Today reports "POLICE CHARGE 66 AT NEWCASTLE PROTESTS".

 

A large anti-fossil fuel protest at Newcastle in which kayaks blocked the harbour and activists occupied a rail bridge has resulted in 66 arrests.

 

Police estimate about 1500 protestors were in action on Sunday, with 57 of them arrested for blocking a coal rail line at Sandgate in the city's northwest.

 

About 200 took to the water to impede coal ships from entering or leaving Newcastle Harbour since 11am.

 

A 41 year old man who police say was hanging from a conveyor belt above a ship was charged with entering enclosed lands and destroying or damaging property.

 

Three women - aged 26, 27 and 22 - were charged for abseiling from Stockton Bridge at the Port Waratah coal facility.

 

Further charges were laid against protestors accused of attaching themselves to equipment ships, and a woman, 25, who allegedly climbed up mooring lines of a coal carrier.

 

"All have been granted police bail and are due to appear in Newcastle Local Court on June 9," the police said.

[redrocklife]

Many thanks to cbb and Wayne for sharing their adventure with us. Engaging commentary, historical info, useful tips, and so much more!

 

A RTW Cruise has been on our radar for some time and since we seem to have found the "right fit for us" with Oceania after several cruises on both sized ships, 2018 is looking like the perfect itinerary.

 

Preliminary planning includes the budget and cost/benefit analysis. Many thanks to all those who contributed to the 2016 planning thread- most helpful, and many questions answered already.

 

We do enjoy our cocktail, wine with dinner, and an after dinner drink, so the Premium Beverage Pkg. has always been cost effective for us on shorter cruises (we are on vacation you know!). However the RTW trip will be long days in certain ports, some overnights, and a general goal to debark the ship roughly the same size we embarked.

 

We are aware that once you purchase any Beverage Pkg onboard, it extends for the duration of the cruise. So does that mean for the full 180 days, or would it be applicable by segment, as specialty dinner reservations were allotted? Speaking with an Oceania rep., the answer was "duration of the entire 180 days remaining".

 

Just curious if any on board have any insight or knowledge to share?

[Floridiana]

Many thanks to cbb and Wayne for sharing their adventure with us. Engaging commentary, historical info, useful tips, and so much more!

 

 

Well said. I come to the Oceania board just for their comments. We have been on some sections of this itinerary and have booked a b2b cruise with an overlapping itinerary in 2017.

[cbb]

May 9, 2016 Beautiful Sydney

 

I'm going to be upfront with you all. Do not expect many criticisms of Sydney from me because I"ve fallen deeply in love with Sydney!

 

It was too dark to see much of our sail-in which was a disappointment for us. I even peeked out to check how light it was at 4:30 and it was foggy so I went back to bed--by 6:30 we were in port in the greatly coveted Circular Quay pier.

 

Many people had scheduled shorex because they wanted to see the Blue Mountains and all reported that indeed the Mountains are still blue and beautiful. Others went to the Opera House, the zoo, a harbor cruise, town tour. etc. Others were doing DIY as we were.

 

Some went to the Opera House in the evening and saw a play or the ballet and loved everything, particularly the House itself.

 

We have been to Sydney before and wanted to just wander for 2 days so that is what we did. As soon as we could we left the ship and, thanks to our excellent dock position, we began walking down the lovely walkway to the harbor, heading for the Opera House.

 

Today was a day that threatened to rain so we wore our ponchos a little, took them off, back on, etc. but it never really ever rained on us. It was cloudy, however, but it was a great day to walk.

 

We walked around the Opera House, continuing around the point, on to the steps which take you up to Mrs. MacQuarrie's Chair taking tons of pictures along the way.

 

Just before you round the harbor to get to the famous "chair", stop at the point and look over your left shoulder and you will see the iconic shot of the Opera House with the bridge behind it. Time for selfies!

 

Then continue walking around the harbor, climb the steps to the "chair", turn right and walk back towards the Opera House and you will see a flat area with guard rails--the iconic shot, only with a higher perspective! Awesome!!!

 

Retrace your steps only until you see the tourist buses and then pass them heading west and you will see the Botanical Gardens.

 

We love the Gardens because all of the plants are labelled; most of them are trees that I'd never seen before. I recognized the banyan trees because we have those in Florida with their massive root infrastructure but most of the others are not grown in North America.

 

There was a huge amount of squawking in the trees with a number of big white birds flying in. The ones already there lodged loud protests, the tree would explode, they'd fly out and then the whole performance would be repeated!

 

The squawkers were white cockatoos with yellow crest feathers and there must have been 25 in just one tree. Could they have gone to a neighboring tree...certainly, but it would not have been nearly so dramatic! Shout out to the schoolteacher who was shepherding her little ones through the gardens for identifying the cockatoos for me!

 

We continued walking through the Gardens into Hyde Park, over to the ANZAC memorial and the wonderful "bullets" memorial art there, into the Central Business District, had lunch and shopped. I looked at opal earrings but decided at ~$500 for doublets that was more than I wanted to spend....and those were the cheaper ones!!

 

We took the subway from St James Place to the Circular Quay, then walked to Wharf 3 to take the Manly Ferry. We took the "regular" one, not the high speed, since we weren't in a hurry.

 

We disembarked and walked in a pedestrian mall from the ferry dock to the beach. The walkway was lined with small shops and a large Aldi grocery store.

 

It was a little cooler on the ride than I anticipated and I certainly didn't want to sit inside the ferry boat--outside is where all the cool scenery is and that's where the photography happens--so I saw hoodies on sale for $10.00AU. Yes, I am the proud owner of a Manly sweatshirt!

 

We watched the surfers for a while, but I could tell that the beach community was closing for the approaching winter since many of the stores had big sales going on and the cafes were bringing their tables and chairs inside.

 

We stopped and got a few things in the Aldi. I told one of the women at a cash register that I was an American, I asked her not to laugh too hard, but I would like to know where I could find Vegemite.

 

She grinned at me, and the guy she was ringing up said, "first aisle, on the right, at top" and then we all really laughed because clearly this was a guy who loved it!! So, yes Vegemite has been acquired!!

 

We returned for the ferry ride back with Mr Wonderful following along with his GPS. He records the track that the ship is taking for our whole voyage, and he reported that the Manly ferry traveled the exact same path that the Insignia had taken the night before. So we got to see the sail-in that we had missed...and it was awesome rounding the corner and seeing the Opera House and the Bridge in front of us!

 

If you are looking for a great way to see the Harbor and go to Manly, the Ferry is an excellent choice and a real price performer at ~$7.50AU pp plus it is just a fun thing to do.

 

The ferry brought us back to Wharf 3 which is almost at the ship and we decided that since our Fitbit was recording a day of +8 miles of walking we'd call it a day at 4:30.

 

I threw my stuff on the bed and took off with my camera for a corner table on the veranda of Terrace Cafe. It was at least an hour before dinner and there was no table service set so I knew I would not be bothering anyone. Later Mr. Wonderful joined me with his camera.

 

I nailed the time of my arrival perfectly since the skies had been clearing the previous hour. That glorious golden hour of taking pictures hit the Opera House and parts of the bridge and I whiled away almost 2 hours taking pictures.

 

The western sky behind me started changing colors and I began to take pictures towards the west and as the day progressed into night, the skies turned orange and then tangerine and red. Absolutely stunning!

 

In the meantime, the lights were turned on in the neighborhoods beheath the bridge so everywhere I looked there was a picture begging to be taken....and I obliged until an hour after sundown.

 

The ferries were going back and forth in front of the bridge, past the Opera House, and all lit up as they were, made for a pretty picture.

Please, please, if you are going to take pictures at night of pretty landscapes, turn off the flash. Your pictures aren't going to be any good if you are shooting with a flash going off.

 

The crew was happy as they got to go off the ship, some more than once for our stay and a happy crew makes the RTW passengers happy. We've gotten to know so many of them and know how hard they work for us....so we're thrilled when they get to have fun, too.

 

We were so lucky where got to berth. Whoever was responsible for acquiring this as our address for the next 2 nights....thank you, thank you! Very well done!!

 

TRANSPORTATION NOTE:

 

We bought the first OPAL card at a 7-11 downtown before we rode on the subway. We could add $10.00 increments the next day from a 7-11 and as you "tap in" and "tap out" on the transportation used, the machine will tell you your balance. Look for signs in the store windows with "OPAL" to purchase one.

 

It is like having an all-day card for $15. It can be used on the subway, bus, and ferry. Sydney has an excellent mass transportation, everyone is very helpful, and it is clean and safe.

 

google: sydney opal card for further info on fares and benefits. They characterize it as a "pay as you go, pay single fares, with caps on daily fare and rewards for frequent use system. " It is wonderful!

[Emma Chisit]

May 9, 2016 Beautiful Sydney

 

We stopped and got a few things in the Aldi. I told one of the women at a cash register that I was an American, I asked her not to laugh too hard, but I would like to know where I could find Vegemite. She grinned at me, and the guy she was ringing up said, "first aisle, on the right, at top" and then we all really laughed because clearly this was a guy who loved it!! So, yes Vegemite has been acquired!!

 

cbb…..Not sure if you are getting re-acquainted with Vegemite, or are a Vegemite newbie.

However - How to eat Vegemite – A Warning. It is indeed the Food of the Gods but remember - It is nothing like peanut butter or jelly – you should never eat it straight out of the jar. Even an Australian wouldn’t do that. The best way to eat it is to gently scrape a little onto hot buttered toast – but only a thin scraping as it is quite salty. It is a health food too - rich in B Vitamins because it is a yeast extract, a by-product of brewing beer. It has its own song (from radio and TV commercials in the 1950s, and later.) Most Australians of my generation can still sing this – and do…..

We're happy little Vegemites, As bright as bright can be. We all enjoy our Vegemite for breakfast, lunch, and tea. Our mummies say we're growing stronger every single week,

Because we love our Vegemite, we all adore our Vegemite, it puts a rose in every cheek.

 

 

And you have acquired a Manly sweatshirt too. My son-in-law will be impressed - he is a Manly boy born and bred.

[buggins0402]

cbb, thank you for helping jog my brain into wonderful memories with your vivid descriptions.

 

When we were in Sydney over 20 years ago, we used to start each morning with a run in the botanical garden then along the path toward the bridge and opera house. When that site came into view it was breathtaking. It is my favorite run of any city we've been. The birds, the plants, the bats, and then that view make for a perfect way to start a day in Sydney.

 

To tell you the truth though...I couldn't picture Mrs. MacQauarrie's chair, so I googled it. Yes, I remember now... I guess it just means we'll have to return to Sydney again. We haven't been to NZ, so it would be a great excuse to revisit Sydney.

[phxbne]

Thank you so much for your wonderful reports! Brisbane is my hometown - I definitely need to do a better job of playing tourist next time I go back. The city has definitely gotten more proud of its heritage since I left 20+ years ago.

 

Thanks again

Michele

[cbb]

Tuesday, May 10 Sydney, Au Day 2

 

This morning we were up early again and the weather was perfect. The sun was out, the humidity was low, and the water was sparkling.

 

We had breakfast on the veranda of Terrace at a table against the railing. I had just brought my plate, Paolo was filling my coffee cup, and Mr. Wonderful walked up and put his plate down. Suddenly something brushed past my cheek, I let out a very girly shriek, and the next thing I knew a sea gull was gobbling the eggs from his plate!

 

Paola and Bruno clapped and waved their hands and the sea gull reluctantly left the table only to perch about 2' away on the railing. More waiters came out and tried to shoo it and its newly arrived accomplice away and pretty soon there was a multi-lingual floor show going on complete with stamping of feet and waving of napkins!

 

Mr. Wonderful got another plate but remarked that his breakfast must have been good since it had attracted a crowd!

 

The waiters whisked us under the overhang to get away from the moochers and by that time we were either laughing or exhausted....and I still hadn't had any coffee!!!

 

They changed the brand of coffee in Sydney and it is not as good as it has been. I mentioned that to one of the waiters and he said he'd go check.

 

He came back with the report..."Madam, you are correct. " Mind you I didn't ask for it, but Paolo sees me walking in and gets Verona to make me a cup of Illy coffee. What service!!!!

 

We left the ship about 8:45 and took the city bus, using our OPAL cards, to Bondi Beach. The ride out there was great and gave us an opportunity to see parts of Sydney we otherwise wouldn't have seen.

 

Bondi Beach is drop-dead gorgeous. We walked along the water's edge, took lots of pictures of surfers and then walked along the promenade where there were some shops.

 

I wanted a magnet to remind me of the great day we were having, and we can always use more magnets in the room, so that search was successful.

 

We started talking to one of the people in the "magnet" shop and he found out about our around the world adventures and said "one day that will be me sailing around the world." We assured him that it was possible and it was awesome.

 

He told us not to miss the walk out to the "point" and then on to Tamarama Beach. We walked around the point but didn't go as far as "Glamarama Beach." Pretty sure there was an advertisement being photographed--either that or a gorgeous man in a great suit posed against a cliff face is a daily occurrence there!

 

We returned to the Bondi bus stop around noon, climbed aboard and retraced our route. We came back to the Circular Quay area, grabbed a hot sandwich and drink and sat there in the sun and people watched.

 

A woman behind us was feeding the sea gulls and ibis so there was a lot of hurt feelings in the bird population and a total lack of sharing. I don't know if our breakfast thief was part of the flock.

 

One thing I did notice was that Aussie sea gulls have VERY orange beaks and feet. Florida gulls pale in comparison and North Carolina gulls look positively anemic!

 

After our yummy picnic we headed off on a self-guided history walk of the Rocks.

 

The Rocks is the oldest part of Sydney, which is the oldest town in Australia settled by non-Aboriginals. It is estimated that the first people, the Aboriginals, came from SE Asia 40,000-70,000 years ago.

 

In 1788 the First Fleet of 11 ships arrived in Sydney harbor carrying ~1500 people, half of them convicts sentenced to Transportation to Sydney, and their families. The others were marines sent to guard the prisoners; also on board were marine families.

 

The Rocks area is where these first prisoners came ashore and they had to build everything but lacked the skills or the tools to do so since few were masons, farmers, or carpenters. Even when their sentences were completed, they could not go home to England so Transportation was essentially a life sentence.

 

We had downloaded a whole bunch of places to see and a couple of maps and had received one from the tourist board reps as we left the ship. We had problems following our maps so we gave up and just wandered and read plaques.

 

We meandered through the streets, under the Bridge, taking pictures, climbing up and down stairs, and generally having a great time seeing small homes, storehouses, the Argyle Cut, and other cool places.

 

Around 5:30 I looked at the list of places I had downloaded information on and we had seen every place on it except one.... the Cadman's Cottage.

 

Cadman's Cottage was built in 1816 and is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Australia with a short wall that shows where the harbor once was...and it was directly across from the Insignia! What a great place to end our walk!

 

I began my description of Sydney by saying that I love the city and I've told everyone that I could live here and several of my fellow RTW travelers agree, although one of the Kiwis on board said I need to visit NZ before I sign a lease! I assured him that I had visited his beautiful country and maybe I could visit 2 months in Oz and 2 months in NZ!

 

I talked to one of the Customs agents while waiting my turn to board and told her how much we loved her town and wanted to come stay for 2 months. She replied that Americans could visit for 3 months and that September and October were great months in Sydney......sold!!!

 

The locals say it is a very expensive place to live but I still would love to try it! How cool would it be to wake up every morning ready to explore this lovely area.

 

My love affair with Australia continues....

 

.

[Paulchili]

CB,

I continue to enjoy your blog.

I agree that Sydney is a special place. We love our home town of San Francisco but if there is a more beautiful and liveable place then it would be Sydney. I could easily live there but the isolation.

The only thing I would add to your things to enjoy in Sydney is their Chinatown and the excellent Chinese food for those that enjoy it.

For Dim Sum lovers (they call it Yum Cha in Sydney) I would recommend Marigold.

[cbb]

hey paulchili, good to know about the Chinese restaurant. Something to put into the dump document for next time we're there!!! (given the current state of politics in the US, maybe the "isolation" isn't necessarily a bad thing!!!

 

We're on our way to Wellington, NZ since the seas were too rough for us to go into Hobart. We've been feeling the seas the past couple of days and seasickness bags are by the elevators on every floor.

 

Some of the newer crew members are looking a little green but they are carrying on. We gave one of the guys some of our Bonine until he can acquire some for himself. Don't think the guys from Myanmar are sea people!!!

[2552phxcrzr]

hey paulchili, good to know about the Chinese restaurant. Something to put into the dump document for next time we're there!!! (given the current state of politics in the US, maybe the "isolation" isn't necessarily a bad thing!!!

 

Amen to that! :rolleyes:

 

We have a friend in Sydney who has promised to take us around the city, but I have made a note of your two days in case something crops up and she is unable to do so ... or even if she does, I can impress her with my knowledge of some of the places ;)

[Floridiana]

I hope the ocean calms down enough for Wellington.

[cbb]

we expect the seas to calm when we reach the Cook straits which is between N & S islands. Once there we should be more protected....and that should be happening within the hour!

 

Just came from Terrace for lunch and the crew were helping the passengers stay upright AND deliver their food safely.

 

Not really too bad and everybody seems to be taking great care. We'll be fine.

 

Dance classes were called off because people kept coming up with their own moves! (actually for their own safety, but I like my reason better!)

[SellaVee]

Dance classes were called off because people kept coming up with their own moves! (actually for their own safety, but I like my reason better!)

 

That made me smile. Did anyone end up break dancing?

 

I love your attitude, Cynthia. Are any of the RTW folks starting to pine for home or is everyone as thoroughly enthralled as you seem to be?

 

Keep up the good work,

 

Sella

[2552phxcrzr]

we expect the seas to calm when we reach the Cook straits which is between N & S islands. Once there we should be more protected....and that should be happening within the hour!

 

I hope Cook Strait behaves for you. When we were crossing from South Island to North Island on the ferry last year, several locals who make the trip regularly told us that it tends to be more rough than calm most of the time.

[cbb]

Sunday May 15, 2016 Wellington, New Zealand

 

Wellington is the capital of New Zealand and is a very compact city filled with cultural and governmental buildings. O had a complimentary shuttle from Queens Wharf to the Kirkcaldie & Stains Department Store on Brandon Street in Lambton Quay--the perfect spot.

 

Because of the decision to drop Hobart the Destination Services people got busy and found 5 excursions which would meet a variety of interests: a city highlights, driving along the Storm Coast to a sheep station, a drive to the Seal Coast, a foodie/wine/walking tour downtown, and a visit to some of the locations and a studio tour of Lord of the Rings movie.

 

We decided to take the Storm Coast tour because it would be probably the only opportunity to photograph the coast of New Zealand in our 5 ports of call.

 

On our way out of town the driver gave us his version of the "Highlights Tour of Wellington" which was great. We got to see the Parliament buildings and the "Bee Hive" which is the Executive Wing of the Parliament buildings and is named for its unusual design which looks like a .....bee hive!

 

We saw statues, the National Library, and St Paul's which used to be a cathedral greatly used by Americans stationed there during WWII.

 

We were so glad to have chosen this tour since we traveled right along the coast for several miles and our driver/guide stopped several times for photo opportunities.

 

We were able to leave the bus and take pictures of the lighthouses, the beach strewn with mussel shells, heaps of driftwood, and beautiful flat rounded rocks.

 

Our guide said as soon as the "no fire" restrictions are lifted, people will come to the beach and build fires with the driftwood and have sea food cook outs on the beach. He also said something that would never be said in the US...."you can fish here and have a nice bit of snapper for tea!"

 

We arrived at Pencarrow Station which is a 2000+acre sheep and cattle farm set on a very dramatic overlook of the Wellington Harbor. We were so lucky with the weather; since it was clear we could actually look across Cook Strait and see South Island in the distance.

 

This Lodge is used for many different occasions: corporate events, weddings, even tea for cruise ship passengers!. They were ready for us with tables of coffee and tea, and then at each long table were plates filled with a variety of small sandwiches, cookies, sweetbreads, and cakes. Yum!!

 

We walked around taking pictures and then one of the daughters of this family-owned farm came riding up in an ATV with 2 dogs sitting in the back. She says sometimes she takes all 9 of the dogs and it gets a little crowded!

 

There were a bunch of sheep in a large enclosed place munching away, minding their own business.(which made for beautiful pictures...sheep on hillsides which rolled down to the harbor and a huge stretch of water in the background)

 

She talked to us for a few minutes and described her two dogs as the "silent one" and the "noisy one." She said it would be easy to open a gate of a neighbor's farm in the middle of the night and let the silent dog herd the sheep out of the enclosures, down the road, and into one's own enclosures...and then showed how it could be done.

 

She blew a whistle and the silent dog ran over and without a single noise began to move the sheep from one end of the enclosure and back...more than once. Just by the way she blew that whistle she could make different sounds and the dog would respond to the sounds...stay, down, run, herd, ....amazing! The noisy dog could do exactly the same thing, but liked to bark the whole time!!!

 

A big thank you to the owners of Pencarrow Station for making us feel so welcome. What a gorgeous place you live in.

 

All too soon it was back on the bus, and we made some more photo stops. All along the way, he pointed out things like "toi toi" which for the North Americans were like our tall grasses with plumes on top. In New Zealand they grow wild on the hillsides mixed in with yellow-flowered gorse and broad leafed flax.

 

The hillsides were very green, we saw many wild goats, the spray hit the huge rocks along the coast, the water sparkled and the skies were clear----what a lovely morning.

 

Alex of Destination Services (thank, Alex) arranged with the driver guide to let us off at the shuttle bus stop if we wanted to and many of us opted to do this.

 

We immediately walked over to the Cable Car, paid $15AU each and rode up the hill to Kelburn, a suburb of Wellington. It is a funicular and it was fun to ride up through several tunnels to the top. We were able to see over the harbor and took lots of pictures since it was a very clear day.

 

We walked through the Botanical Gardens, saw the Carter Observatory, and the Krupp Gun which was captured by the ANZAC troops in WWI and brought back to Wellington.

 

We took the Cable Car back down to Lambton Quay and walked along the lower part of town and window shopped, saw Civic Square, Cuban Street which is a pedestrian outdoor mall, walked to Frank Kitts Park which was along the waterfront and saw several plaques honoring WWII military troops, including one for the Americans.

 

If you're there on a Saturday, the parking garage at Kitts Park becomes an artisan market.

 

If the locals saw us with our tourist map, someone would stop and ask if they could help. I have decided, however, that if Auckland is the "city of sails" then Wellington must be the "city of shoe stores!" It seemed as if every 5th store had shoes in the window and all of them were open for business....and no, I didn't buy any!

 

It was a lovely day in New Zealand's capital city and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to visit Wellington.