Jan 2016 World Cruise live report

[2552phxcrzr]

re our private tour in Komodo Island - in looking over my emails I did not see anything about supplying passport info. I do recall doing that for other tours in Asia. I checked with the person on our roll call that did the tour arranging and she said that we did not provide that info.

 

Thanks for the info.

[Waynetor]

Day 126 S – May 8 – at sea

Mother’s Day – hope all the mothers out there have a special day.* I’m sure that a lot of the others on board here would love to be with their families but it is hard to do a 180 day cruise without missing some special day.

 

For those that may come this way in the future a few comments on the port we were supposed to be in today:

 

Newcastle is 162km (101mi) NNE of Sydney, at the mouth of the Hunter River, it is the predominant city within the Hunter Region.* Beyond the city, the Hunter Region possesses large coal deposits.* Newcastle is the largest coal exporting harbour in the world with an annual capacity to 180 Mt.

 

In September 1797 Lieutenant John Shortland became the first European to explore the area.* His discovery of coal lead to coal mining by the most dangerous convicts.

 

During World War II, Newcastle was an important industrial centre for the Australian war effort. Consequently, it was considered to be a potential Japanese target during the Second World War. In the early hours of 8 June 1942, the Japanese submarine I-21 briefly shelled Newcastle.

 

One of the little quirks of world geography is Toronto, Australia is a small town (pop 5,500) near Newcastle (pop near 300,000) while in Canada, Newcastle is a small town near Toronto.

 

Last time we were in Sydney we did an interesting and enjoyable wine country tour to Hunter Valley which is not far from Newcastle.* Another tour we did in this area included a trip to Port Stephens which is just a bit north of Newcastle.* In Port Stephens we did a very nice dolphin sighting cruise in the bay and then went to an area with very large sand dunes where I got to do sand surfing – sort of like tobogganing except on sand instead of snow.*

 

For a good part of today we could see some of the hilly coastline of Australia.* Today we had the 2nd ship building contest of this voyage - well done by 3 teams.* Our evening trivia team had a very nice dinner with 2 of the CD staff.* We are losing 4 players but our day time team is all world cruisers. One of the couples on our evening tour is leaving tomorrow and in a couple days will be on the Sirena for a B2B - nice way to break up a trip back to Canada. We were supposed to have a passenger talent show around the end of the cruise but only 3 people signed up so that has been cancelled.

 

This is the last night of this, the 5th segment.* Besides those doing the full voyage, there are about 50 currently on board staying to either Papette or LA.

 

Today’s thoughts for Mother’ Day - If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands? – Milton Berle

Mother, the ribbons of your love are woven around my heart. ~Author Unknown

A mom’s hug lasts long after she lets go. ~Author Unknown

Where we love is home — home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

[Waynetor]

For those of us staying on, we received an update tonight for another change to our itinerary.

 

We will be in Sydney for 2 days as scheduled.

 

Instead of taking a day to get to Hobart, a day in Hobart and then 3 days to get to Picton, we will take 4 days to get to Wellington and then be in Picton as scheduled.

 

The reason for this change is the weather forecast for Hobart area is sea swells of 10 - 12m (30 -40ft) and winds to 50 knots.

 

There is no notice of expected conditions for the crossing straight from Sydney to Wellington - this would normally only take about 2 days, but there is not too much else they can do.

 

Our Wellington stay will be from 8am to 11:30pm - Wellington and Picton are the 2 ports for the ferry going between the North and South Islands of New Zealand.

 

Some people had arranged to get off Insignia in Sydney and spend several days there before rejoining in Picton - looks like they made a great arrangement.

[Emma Chisit]

We also spent a few days here on our drive vacation in Jan 2012 so we have explored much of the central area of the city.

Today was the most perfect weather day of this voyage - temp around 28C (82F), mostly sunny with some puffy clouds, slight breeze and NO humidity - loved it.

 

Wayne, thanks for the compliment about the weather during your visit to my home town. It was horrid the previous weekend (very wet and humid). Do not fraternise with possums! One came and ate all my parsley recently so they are in my bad books. They are cute though.

[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.

[Waynetor]

Sydney is the state capital of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia.* It’s on Australia's south-east coast, on the Tasman Sea.* In June 2010 the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people.* Inhabitants of Sydney are called Sydneysiders, comprising a cosmopolitan and international population.*

In 1770, British sea captain Lieutenant James Cook landed at Botany Bay on the Kurnell Peninsula.* It is here that Cook made first contact with an Aboriginal community.* Under instruction from the British government, a convict settlement was founded by Arthur Phillip, who arrived at Botany Bay with a fleet of 11 ships on 18 January 1788 making it the site of the first British colony in Australia. The site is a small peninsula in the harbour beneath the current Sydney Harbour Bridge. The area is now called ‘The Rocks’ and is home to many small historic merchants houses and shops.

The city is built on hills surrounding Sydney Harbour, where the iconic Sydney Opera House (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the Harbour Bridge (open in 1932) feature prominently.* The hinterland of the metropolitan area is surrounded by national parks, the Taronga Zoo, and the coastal regions feature many bays, rivers, inlets and beaches including the famous Bondi Beach and Manly Beach.* Within the city are many notable parks, including Hyde Park and the Royal Botanical Gardens.

At the Sydney Aquarium you can see 12,000 aquatic creatures from 650 species co-existing in a spectacular underwater playground.* You can get up close and personal to a shark thanks to the underwater viewing tunnel, as well as seeing the world's biggest Great Barrier Reef display.

Sydney has various heritage listed buildings, including Parliament House (1816), Sydney Town Hall (1889), the Queen Victoria Building (1898), and the Australia Museum.* The Sydney Tower, completed 1981 stands 309m (1,014ft) above the central business district (CBD) and has an observation deck 250m (820ft) above ground level.* As the financial and economic hub of Australia, Sydney has grown to become a wealthy and prosperous city.* As a dynamic cultural hub, Sydney has many fine and internationally known museums, galleries and art spaces, such as the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the White Rabbit Gallery, Carriage Works, Brett Whiteley Studio, Museum of Sydney and the Powerhouse Museum.

Surrounding the city is a wonderland of national parks, forest, mountains, and ancient river valleys including the famous Blue Mountains and the wine areas in Hunter Valley.

Sydney has a temperate climate with warm summers and mild winters, with rainfall spread throughout the year.* The average high in May is 19C (66F).

[Waynetor]

Our arrival and departure times are not ideal for enjoying one of the great harbours.* The sun was just thinking of making its appearance as we completed docking and the sun will set about an hour before we set sail tomorrow.* It is a fair distance from the dock out through the harbour and out to sea.* Fortunately in the past we have been able to enjoy the wonderfully scenic trip out to open sea in daylight.

 

We are docked at the wonderful Circular Quay terminal.* With the closing of the Darling Harbour cruise terminal, there is the wonderful Circular Quay right by the ferries and Opera house or White Bay Cruise Terminal located across the iconic Anzac Bridge.*

 

Circular Quay is busy all day with departing and arriving ferries.* From the open decks we have a good view of the opera house, downtown, and the bridge.

 

From Circular Quay within minutes we can walk to the Opera House, or over to the beautiful botanical gardens or over to the cities original area (The Rocks) which has shops, boutiques, restaurants, and cafes or head into the CBD area or even take a ferry to many other areas.* There is nothing of interest directly around White Bay – this is fine for those embarking or disembarking a cruise but very poor for those in mid cruise like us as a taxi or shuttle is needed to go into the cities tourist core.*

 

Today marks the end of another of segment.* This is being handled differently than in Singapore.* In Singapore those already on-board had a day in port before disembarking while here in Sydney, those on-board disembark as we arrive and those getting on will have the next day in port.* This segment will take us up to Tahiti.* The weather here today was solid cloud, just a few light sprinkles and 23c (73f).

 

Today day started off very well for us - we finally got to move to a handicap cabin that will be ours until LA.* It took awhile to get everything moved and for us to organize a bit so we waited for the buffett to open at 11:30 had a quick snack and got off the ship at noon.

 

With pre and post cruise time we have spent a week in Sydney in the past few years.

 

There is no question that Sydney is one of our favourite cities around the world.* This is truly one of the most scenic harbours to sail into or out of.

 

Sydney is a very picturesque city with so many places that are easily accessible by foot, by ferry or very reachable in a taxi or even with the hop on hop off buses and the Monorail.* It is a very romantic city as well and very vibrant and we like the fact that we see people bicycle riding, jogging and walking. There is a very wide range of activities to do and it's one of those cities that you can revisit many times and never get tired.* We feel very safe when we are out on the streets of Sydney.* It is a true tourist delight.

 

Sydney is generally quite good for wheelchair users - many buses are specially equipped for wheelchairs and most ferries can handle wheelchairs also.* The city streets are wheelchair friendly but much of Sydney is hilly so there can be a lot of pushing uphill at times.* This is very noticeable at the beautiful Taronga Zoo which is built into a hill overlooking the harbour and downtown Sydney.* Given a choice, a scooter will be much better than a wheelchair.* We found many stores had a step or 2 to get in so they were*not accessible.

 

There is an organization here that offer free walking tours for tourist (they also do similar in Brisbane). Their description is: Explore Sydney’s sights with your friendly and knowledgeable local tour guide. Experience the culture and lifestyle as we delve into the history, stories and secrets of Australia’s most popular city. Join us for our 2½-3 hour Sydney Sights tour at 10:30am and 2:30pm at the anchor/construction work beside Sydney Town Hall or meet us at Cadman's Cottage (water side) for our 1.5 hour Rocks at 6pm wander through the history of where Sydney began!Rain, Hail or Shine, I'm Free Tours walkevery day. No need to book ahead, just turn up and look for your guide in a bright green T-shirt – FREE TOUR printed on back.Groups of 10 or more should pre register so they can be prepared. (tipping is the only income for the guides). See - http://www.imfree.com.au/

 

This is the tour we did today.* We did a slow walk up to the Town Hall which is not too far from the Tower. There were 2 guides and there ended up being just over 50 people doing the tour and we were divided into 2 groups. The meeting spot was just between the Town hall and St Andrews Church. - we were the only ones from the ship - most were in their 20's but a few older like us. The tour snaked its way back down towards Circular Quay. The guide made many stops taking time to explain the history and significance of many sites. There is a large brass pig at the site of the first hospital in Sydney -many people rub its nose for good luck but another part also had a shine to it but no one in our group volunterred to rub that spot. Our guide was excellent in her Sydney/Aussie knowledge and fun, too!! It took us 2.5 hours to get back down to the Rocks area next to the ship. The tour was to continue around the Rocks area and over to the Bridge but we tipped the guide then and got back on Insignia. Although we had covered all this area before, having the guide helped to make today enjoyable. The streets had been quite busy during the lunch period but not too bad during the tour so we had no problem staying together.

 

My 9 Today’s thought for the day - A friend is a gift you give yourself. - Robert Louis Stevenson

[no fuss travel]

That free tour was fabulous. We did it the last time we were in Sydney and then went back the next day and covered in depth a few of the areas they took us too. Glad you found out about it.

[Floridiana]

I am glad that your wife could join you on this tour of lovely Sydney.

[Waynetor]

Today we had very nice weather - sunny and a high around 23c (73f) with a breeze - depending on where we were, at times there was no wind and at times it was very strong. I talked to 2 groups of people that did the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb - they loved it but the wind was very strong up there

 

This morning we decided to go over to the Botanical Garden (established in 1816) and take advantage of their free 1.5 hour guided tours that take place daily at 10:30am. They also have a 1-hour tour leaves at 1pm on weekdays between March and November. The walks depart from the centrally located Info Booth outside the Garden Shop (donations encouraged). Other tours can be arranged such as on Friday’s there is an Aboriginal garden tour but these cost $36.50. This year there is also a 200th birthday history and heritage tour every Wed starting at 11:30. The Choochoo Express offers tours in rail cars on wheels for $10. Each time we have been to Sydney we have spent time walking around this beautiful 156 acre park but with the guided tour we learned more about the plants as well as some more of the early history and how plants impacted early European life here. Today there was only 5 of us on the tour. The guide could only cover a small part of the park in the time allowed but he did an excellent job. One big change from last time here is the absence of Flying Foxes (bats) in the park. There used to be many of them here all the time and thousands in the mating time early each year - they were slowly killing many trees. After several kinds of attempts, forcing them to listen to Heavy Metal rock music was enough to get them to leave in a short period of time.

 

The garden is visited by over 4 million people per year. Besides enjoying the botanic part of it, you will see people taking photos, bird watching, playing games like chess, sitting around having coffee or something to eat while people watching or talking to friends on their cell phones in several different languages or even having a nap on a bench or a nice patch of lawn while overlooking the beautiful harbour. After the tour we walked along the waterfront towards Mrs. Macquarie Chair - it was full of joggers, no sure if this is normal at lunch or if they were practicing for an upcoming marathon.

 

We got back to the ship just after 1, had some lunch and then I got off and did some exploring of the Darling Harbour area. The area that used to be the 2nd Sydney port is fully under redevelopment - with several large buildings reaching high into the sky in areas that used to be parking lots.

 

One building I had not been into before was the Customs house, right across the road from the ferry docks - inside they have very large glass floor - under the glass is a view of the city in relief - you can easily see the various areas and all the buildings are there in proper scale.

 

George St. is a primary street leading from Circular Quay into the CBD - a few months ago they started a major project that will lead to a light rail system being built down the middle. A mess for now but will help people get around much faster once completed.

 

If coming to Sydney this time of year, there is the Sydney Comedy Festival going on. The acts are held indoors and are mostly Australian, but some foreign come - They range from up and coming new acts to seasoned pros and the price is in the $10 - 60 per show.

 

Today while sitting around the café in the Botanical garden, a lady sat down and was preparing to feed her infant child. She dropped her bottle containing nature’s perfect meal some of which spilled out. We could hear her say to herself, “whoever said not to cry over spilled milk has obviously never pumped 6oz”.

 

Today’s thought for the day - This is the final test of a gentleman: his respect for those who can be of no possible value to him. - William Lyon Phelps

Edited May 10, 2016 by Waynetor

[Floridiana]

The Flying Foxes left because of themusic? Do they come back when the music stops or did they leave permanently to find quieter abodes?

[Waynetor]

We have said cheerio to Australia and are now on a 4 day voyage to New Headland. One note on the difference in ‘English’ between Australia and North America – up north cheerios is a cereal while down here, besides meaning goodbye, it is a cocktail sausage.

 

Regarding the Flying Fox in the Sydney Botanical garden - it is my understanding that a number of options had been tired to get them to leave before the music worked. Most of them live much of the year in various smaller groups around the city (including a group in the park) but had come together in the park at mating time. The music was blasted when they left the park in the evening to feed and again in the early morning as they returned - this discouraged them and within 2 weeks they found various other places to go that were not as destructive.

 

Today we are cruising somewhere near the dividing line between the Coral and the Tasman Sea - no markers noting the line. We have lots of time to make it to Wellington so are heading a bit of a northern arc to help avoid the rough seas further south. I have seen a weather map that showed swells over 30m south of Tasmania and around 20m just to the north stretching from Tasmania to New Zealand. The winds are currently gusting to 30 knots and we have swells around 3m (10ft) - there are these white bags left at various places around the ship. It is a sun/cloud mix day with high temps 23c (73f). At noon the captain said the depth here was around 4,000m (13,200ft).

 

We had another hour time change overnight.

 

Not that there is anything we can do, but the feeling about the Wellington for Hobart are mixed. Many people were looking forward to going to an animal wildlife park to see Tasmania Devils.

 

This morning we had our regular CC roll call meet and greet as we do the 1st sea day of each segment. People are scrambling for things to do in Wellington - report is the Hop On Hop Off bus is sold out.

 

On deck 5 today I went to use the men’s room. There was a sign “TOILET OUT OF ORDER...... PLEASE USE FLOOR BELOW”. Looking at the puddle on the floor I got the feeling there may have been some misunderstanding.

 

Today’s thought for the day - For most of history, man has had to fight nature to survive; in this century he is beginning to realize that, in order to survive, he must protect it.” - Jacques Cousteau

Edited May 11, 2016 by Waynetor

[Emma Chisit]

Not that there is anything we can do, but the feeling about the Wellington for Hobart are mixed. Many people were looking forward to going to an animal wildlife park to see Tasmania Devils.

 

They are having very wintry weather in Hobart today. On our evening news it showed snow on Mt Wellington above the city.

In the other Wellington in NZ the Te Papa Museum is excellent.

[Mura]

I have to say that given a choice of Hobart or Wellington, we would opt for Wellington. While we DID see Tasmanian Devils in Hobart, the park was extremely disappointing. What we would normally call a rip-off.

 

But maybe that was just our group that felt that way, and it was 8 years ago ...

 

Mura

[2552phxcrzr]

I second Te Papa Museum; you can easily spend all day there. Another alternative is to take the tram (probably not wheelchair-friendly) up to the gardens. There is an iSite at Wakefield and Victoria Streets that can provide you with information. We took the tram up, walked through the gardens and back down to downtown. When we were in Wellington on a land-based trip last year, we didn't get to the eco-attraction called Zealandia, so that's what we plan to do in 2017. They run a shuttle from the iSite I mentioned above ... but here's their website for more research.

 

The Wellington Port website shows Insignia at AQ - (Aotea Quay Cruise Terminal); two kilometres or a 10 minute drive from the centre of the city. What's In Port says there is a shuttle offered from AQ to the iSite (free or at a cost depends on the cruiseline. This website has suggestions for things to do in Wellington.

[phxbne]

Thank you so much for continuing your wonderful reports! Brisbane is my hometown - I need to play tourist next time I go back. And the walking tour in Sydney sounds fun.

Plus at least once a week your jokes and quips make me laugh out loud!

Thanks again and safe travels

Michele

[tvmovielover]

Te Papa museum and Zealandia tours are great for all. There is also an interesting tour of Parliament which is wheel chair friendly (the chair took elevators and did not miss any parts).

[no fuss travel]

The Tasmanian Devils were fighting when we were there. They were having a real hissy fit. We enjoyed feeding the kangaroos at the park, but it was not all that great. The best part of our day in Tasmania is when we went to one of their parks and hiked through it.

[Waynetor]

Appreciate ALL of the continued great interest from those dropping by, those making good comments, adding helpful tips, reliving wonderful past memories, etc. Keep it coming!!

 

Today was a lovely day at sea despite a fairly cool breeze.

 

With not much happening on the ship, I will add a few notes on Hobart for anyone planning a trip there later.

 

Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania.* Founded in 1804 as a penal colony, Hobart is Australia's 2nd oldest capital city after Sydney.* The population is around 225,000.

 

The city is rich in its history and it has approximately 90 buildings with National Trust classification.

The city is located in the state's south-east on the estuary of the Derwent River.* It is set on a bay and is surrounded on 3 sides by hills.

The city is the financial and administrative heart of Tasmania, also serving as the home port for both Australian and French Antarctic operations.* The skyline is dominated by Mount Wellington at 1,271m (4,170ft) high.* Just 20 minutes from the city centre there is a narrow, winding road to the summit but be prepared for strong, cold winds.*

Salamanca Place is an area of 19th-century waterfront warehouses dating back to the 1830s whaling days.**Today, they house cafes, restaurants, galleries and art studios, the ideal place to wander or enjoy alfresco dining.

The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens are located in Hobart.* Established in 1818 on the western banks of the Derwent River, the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens covers 13.5 hectares and showcases 6,500 species and varieties of plants, including over 400 Tasmanian species.

 

A popular nearby site is Port Arthur historic site on the Tasman Peninsula.* It was once a reviled prison that held 1,100 convicts at its peak.* Port Arthur began life in 1830 as a small timber station and from 1833 until the 1850s some of the colony’s most hardened criminals came here to work.

At 42°50′S Hobart is about the same distance from the equator as Detroit and Boston and about 1° closer than Toronto.

The average high in May is 14.5C (58F) – a shade cooler than our next port, this is the coldest average on the cruise.

 

The last time we were in Hobart (Dec 2011) we did a tour that included the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, Mount Wellington with its great views and the Botanical Garden.* The Sanctuary was great - the thing I remember most was a mother Tasmanian Devil with 2 young ones having a tug of war over a piece of meat - they all had a very strong grip.* The view from the mntn. was great but quite windy up there.* All of the Botanical gardens we visited in Australia and New Zealand did not have an admission price.* The garden was great then - now sure what it would have been like this late in the fall.

 

Hobart is another of those wonderful ports where as you step off the ship at Macquarie Wharf and you are right by the CBD.* There is a visitor information centre not too far away with very good information available.

 

There is a wonderful mix of architecture there.* Much of Hobart is too hilly for pushing a wheelchair but we were planning on staying close to the waterfront and to tour around and hopefully get to the garden.

 

The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery has a fine collection of landscape paintings, together with natural history and humanities collections. The museum site also includes some of the historic buildings around Macquarie Street.* Admission is free.

 

For our real day - the weather was about 50/50 sun and cloud with a high temp forecast of 24c (75f) - felt a bit cooler.* The seas are calmer than yesterday.* Another day with a bit of reading, a short nap, and the usually sports and trivia topped of by a nice dinner in Toscana.* The veal scallopini was darn good and I mean tasty right down to the last bite. These Italians know how to cook!

 

For this segment the average age is slightly down - no children but there are a few younger folks including some honeymooners - 21 and 24 yrs old.

 

Further to the Flying Fox in the Royal Botanical Garden in Sydney.**The music would be played around the time when they would leave in the evening for feeding and again when they returned in the early morning.* This way it was only on a small amount of the time and at times when few people would be around.* It took about 2 weeks of this for them to stay away.* About a dozen trees had died but most of the trees that were damaged are recovering.* The bats would damage the bark and their waste would affect the Ph level of the soil below potentially killing the plants there.

 

At tonight’s dinner the conversation got around to grandchildren.* One of our tablemates told a story of when she was sitting for 2 weeks while her daughter was away. Her teenage granddaughter comes downstairs for her date with a very sheer blouse on and no bra. The grandmother took a fit, telling her not to dare go out like that!

The teenager tells her "loosen up Grams, these are modern times, you gotta let your rose buds show!" and out she goes.

The next day the teenager comes down stairs, and the grandmother is sitting there with no top on, the teenager wants to die.* She explains to her grandmother that she has friends coming over and that it is just not appropriate.

The grandmother told her, "loosen up, Sweetie, if you can show off your rosebuds, then I can display my hanging baskets."

 

Today’s thought for the day - The mind is like a TV set – when it goes blank, it’s a good idea to turn off the sound.- Anonymous

.

[Waynetor]

A major concern on a cruise like this is how easily the ports can start to become a blur – you remember doing something but just where was that – Making these notes for this trip as I’m doing each day is the only way I will be able to remember everything I want to.

 

Over night we had another time change - now 16 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.

 

We received last night another port change notice - this time Acapulco is being cancelled and Puerto Vallarta is being added replacing the sea day before Acapulco with then 2 sea days after PV. We will not arrive there until 4 in the afternoon and stay until 10 at night. No reason given, but security is the likely reason. This was not a big surprise for those on cruise critic as passengers doing that last segment only had been told a few days before us and had spread the word.

 

Today started out solid cloud but turned mostly sunny. The temp was supposed to reach 23c (74f) but felt a bit cooler. With the extra time we have due to the port changes we have been able to sail in an arc from Sydney to the northern tip of New Zealand. We are now sailing down the western coast but too far off to see anything except a few birds. The sea swells are around 5m or 16ft - everyone is taking is careful and not a big problem so far. One dance class was cancelled today and mini golf was a real challenge.

 

We have sailed twice from Sydney southward towards Milford Sound on the south-west coast and the seas were very rough both times - lots of "rock'n and rolling". We have also previously sailed from Auckland back to Sydney similar to the route we are now doing and it was a much better passage.

 

While relaxing around the pool this afternoon, the lady next to us was busy doing something on her ipad. After a while I heard her giggling so I glanced her way which she noticed. She let me in on her glee. She said she had just received a picture and message from her 7 year old grandson playing his first soccer game and was given the position of goalie. He proudly told her that “it was great, he had let in 18 goals but he had stopped ALL the rest.

 

Today’s thought for the day - Education is a lifelong journey whose destination expands as you travel. Jim Stovall

Edited May 13, 2016 by Waynetor

[Floridiana]

You are lucky not to feel seasickness. I envy you.

[Waynetor]

Welcome to day 4 at sea.

 

Another mix sun/cloud weather day.* The seas were on the rough side overnight and all morning but started to relax a bit in the afternoon as we got into the more protected waters of Cook Strait. Although sailing through the strait in the afternoon and evening, there was no sign of land.

 

We had another wonderful diner in Polo tonight.* We enjoyed each of the items - as before, they were each presented very well and were very tasty.

 

Hope nobody relies on the daily Current for tomorrows weather - according to the paper it will be 33C or 91F - the various weather forecast I checked are around 18C or 65F for a high with a sun/cloud mix.

 

A tablemate at dinner tonight was talking about their flight to Sydney to start their cruise.* In the row of seats in front of them a pompous minister was seated next to a TEXAN on the flight from Dallas.

After the plane was airborne, drink orders were taken.

The TEXAN asked for a whiskey and soda, which was brought and placed before him. The flight attendant then asked the minister if he would like a drink.

He replied in disgust, "I'd rather be savagely raped by brazen whores than let liquor touch my lips."

The TEXAN looked at the minister, then handed his drink back to the attendant and said, "I didn't know we had a choice."

 

Today’s thought of the day - The sea is dangerous and its storms terrible, but these obstacles have never been sufficient reason to remain ashore. - Ferdinand Magellan

[SellaVee]

You're doing such an excellent job with these posts, Wayne, and it will be a fabulous record of your cruise. I cut and pasted my forum posts from last year's segment into a word document when I got home.

 

The beauty of cruising on a long trip like this is that you have sea days to gather your memories together. Our land tour of India last month was very hectic and you're quite right when you talk about it all becoming a bit of a blur, because there was little time to write things down. A six month world cruise is so much more intense and definitely worth remembering.

 

I'm really enjoying your pearls of wisdom and funny stories at the end of each post. Such talent!

[Not landlubbers]

It is a miserable day in Georgetown ,On..cold and rainy but your Sense of humor has brightened up my day! Continue to savor every day!!! Thanks again for taking us on this epic adventure!!!

[Waynetor]

New Zealand was one of the last major landmasses settled by humans.* There is a lot of evidence that Polynesian people first arrived in New Zealand around 1250–1300 AD, coming from East Polynesia in large canoes.* Some believe this was a mass arrival but others feel there were smaller groups that came a couple hundred years earlier.

 

Wellington is the capital city (since 1865) and 2nd most populous urban area of New Zealand, with a population of about 400,000.* Wellington is the southernmost capital city in the world.* It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range.* Due to its location in the Roaring Forties and its exposure to the winds blowing through Cook Strait, Wellington is known as "Windy Wellington". It is often called the world's windiest city, with an average wind speed of 27 km/h (17 mph).

 

Wellington is New Zealand's political centre, housing Parliament, the head offices of all Government Ministries and Departments and the bulk of the foreign diplomatic missions.* It is an important centre of the film and theatre industry, and 2nd to Auckland in terms of numbers of screen industry businesses.* Te Papa Tongarewa (the Museum of New Zealand), the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Royal New Zealand Ballet, Museum of Wellington and the biennial New Zealand International Arts Festival are all sited there.* Other popular tourist sites included the Wellington Zoo, Wellington Cable car and the Botanical Gardens.