Our bus driver / guide made this comment when we ended up in a difficult parking situation so I thought I’d include it here. How quaint and wholesome – as was the city itself!
We had wonderful weather for our tour of the city and gardens of Wellington, which is also filled with construction crews and roadblocks. New Zealand is building! Like Sydney and Christchurch, the city center is filled with skyscrapers but there are also gorgeous parks and landscapes throughout the city.
Our first stop was to the war memorial, honoring those who fought for New Zealand in various conflicts around the world.
We were dropped off in the bustling downtown area to take a cable car ride to the top of the city. Late spring is the perfect time to see the flowers here.
We got back on the ship late afternoon and shortly thereafter were underway once again.
I wanted to do research on my favorite drink, so when Happy Hour arrived, I asked the bartender to show me how to make the drink called Strawberry Dream. I was told it was a Holland America concoction.
We enjoyed the Lincoln Center stage group, then attended the main show, where a sand painter showed how to create his art. We concluded the evening sipping our drinks with the billboard boys. They were wild tonight! During a romantic song, Justin got silly, left his piano, and climbed on top of Anderson’s piano to serenade him. They’re so much fun – and so entertaining.
When we arrived back at the room, we were greeted by this towel animal. Can you identify it?
Our next stop is the Art Deco city of Napier, which had to be rebuilt after the 1931 earthquake. We have a tour that begins at 8:15 AM.
Our day did not start early today, which was a relief. We were able to have a leisurely breakfast and spend time up at the Lido, enjoying the views. We were docked next to a lumber mill.
We met the other participants on the gangway and got on buses for our afternoon excursion, which took us to the train station, where we boarded the Passchendaele Marlborough Flyer, a steam train that was built in 1915. It was named for the 1917 Battle of Passchendaele. It is now known as the moving World War I memorial.
It was a half hour ride to the town of Blenheim, the gateway to the Marlborough wine country, and we enjoyed a complimentary glass of wine as we travelled through the countryside.
Our final destination was THE WINE STATION, a tasting room where we paired our choice of wines with a very generous and delicious charcuterie platter. The servers weren’t quite ready for us so we waited a bit and chatted with the other participants.
The process was ingenious and high tech: there are no more ladies meandering among the crowds with bottles, offering tastes. Instead, we were each given a credit card loaded with $30, with tasting stations, delineated by vintage. We could choose the wine with the amount: there were three amounts, from two ounces to four ounces to six ounces. Depending on the cost of the wine, a two-ounce tasting varied between $2 and $4. Conveniently, bottles were placed beneath each tap – with price tags, of course.
It was fun to make a selection at the tasting station, then return to the table for food. It was all free-flowing, once we got the hang of it. I limited my tasting to Sauvignon blancs, my favorite vintage, and my sister tasted the reds. We each made a selection of one bottle which we will take back to Honolulu for Thanksgiving. It was all very scientific and serious – really!
We spent about an hour here, then boarded the train back to the ship.
Since we’re on the topic of alcohol, my favorite drink here on board ship is called Strawberry Dream, with many ingredients, including, of course, strawberries and Prosecco. I must find out how to make it.
We enjoyed a very funny Australian comedian tonight, two sets of the Lincoln Center group and a game called What Everybody Thinks, where we’re supposed to guess the most common answer to a question. I won! I didn’t win a prize, just the joy of knowing that I can predict the pulse of the populace. It’s a heady feeling.
Time for bed. Our tour of Wellington doesn’t begin until just after noon. Another sleep-in day!
Once again, we were up early to catch a tour. We decided to do Christchurch on our own, but still had to get there. It was a two-step process: first the tender, then the HAL bus.
We met in the World Stage, as usual, for our tender tickets. Weather was first described as “rain” and there was an early morning chill in the air, so I wore my rain jacket and hat from Tasmania which keeps me warm, and took my little umbrella.
We landed in the quaint village of Akorara, which is a popular tourist spot in the good weather. There are lots of cute cottages and tons of flowers, which we will explore on the way back to the ship.
We got on our bus for the hour and a half ride into Christchurch, over beautiful scenic rolling hills filled with sheep and cows, water features and some magnificent views. The camera’s eye can’t capture the beauty of the scenes, especially while riding in the bus.
There are a few blurred shots but I’ll show you the best shots I could get, both going into town in the morning and returning in the afternoon. It was a spectacular Journey.
Here are two shots from our morning journey into town:
Once in Christchurch we were left off at the impressive art museum.
It was cold on the bus so our first stop was to the museum cafe for cappuccino! We even had a bird visit, who must have been hungry or thirsty.
Christchurch has been described as “the most English of cities outside England,” because of its history, geographical setting and architecture, but many of the wonderful buildings were destroyed in the earthquake. The crown jewel of the city, the magnificent cathedral, is still left in ruins today because neither the Anglican diocese nor the city fathers have been able to figure out what to do with it. It is left right now as a reminder of the ferocity of Mother Nature. It’s especially frightening for me to see this, since I have lived all my life in Earthquake Country.
Many buildings were razed and replaced by parking lots which will be needed, as the new buildings will be high rises. There’s quite a bit of construction still going on in the central city area. Our bus driver described the hardships endured after the quakes, as the population had to scramble to find new housing. It was a terrible event.
Parts of the city, however, retain the original charm, with traditional park and river views mix with modern street art. The old mingles with the new.
We stopped for lunch near the Bridge of Remembrance, which honored those soldiers who fought valiantly in the wars for New Zealand. We perused menus for about a block finally decided on this one. Our restaurant is called Original Sin- and with our order of blue cod fish n chips, my sister had a margarita and I enjoyed a glass of The Ned Sauvignon Blanc. The wine here is so much better than the New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs I get at home. The difference is noticeable .
We had an hour to examine the art work across the street from the arts center at our waiting spot, the museum . A man on the street who told my sister he was a chairman said to “see the chicken – man statue” – so we did. We spent a wonderful hour examining the works while the storm pounded on the rooftop! Don’t you love the chairs hanging from the ceiling? The admission was free and the staff was very friendly. Ironically, this modern glass structure not only survived the earthquake but served as the emergency command center directly after the harrowing event.
We met the bus at 2:20 and made our way back. The only rain we had was during our time inside so we were lucky and there were times during the day when it was bright and sunny, as you can see by the photos .
I got a few nice afternoon images on our return and the bus was even able to stop once for the panoramic image of the entire area from the top of the highest hill.
We came back to our quaint village to examine some of the holiday homes and gardens before getting back on the ship.
We had such an ambitious and satisfying lunch that we skipped dinner entirely and devoted our evening to listening to music before heading off to bed a little earlier than usual, at about 10:30. We’d had two long days.
It’s now Tuesday and we go on an afternoon wine train. We are in the area of Picton. We will spend the afternoon eating and drinking.
It’s a rough life, but someone has to do it. We’re up for the challenge.
We awoke to sunshine as we sailed into Port Chalmers at 6:00 AM.
The weather was sunny and warm- 60s- and we caught a glimpse of the charming village of Port Chalmers before getting on the coach for our thirty minute drive to Dunedin to see the botanical gardens and a stately home. We also spent some free time in Dunedin for lunch and headed back on the shuttle to explore more of Port Chalmers before ending our day. We sailed out at 5:30.
Here are some photos:
The stately home we visited was massive and impressive, with artifacts from all over the world. Much of the furnishings are original. It was built by hard-working enterprising Jewish immigrants who made their fortune in the furniture business. They gave back much to the artistic community of the growing town and when the family died out, the home was given to the city by the family, who maintains it to this day. Unfortunately, no photos were allowed inside.
We were set free to wander after our tour and we found a charming local place on the main street called THE REEF, where my sister had seafood chowder and I had fried calamari. Both were fresh and delicious. We supplemented our food with a pairing of beer for her and my favorite Sauvignon Blanc for me. It was a wonderful lunch.
After some souvenir shopping, we headed back on the shuttle to explore Port Chalmers before getting back on the ship. I enjoyed the funky shops. There was lots of local color with pristine views of the water.
Our sailaway was as beautiful as our sail in to this lovely part of the world, as we looked for albatross sightings.
Yes, this is a Tasmania Devil. We cavorted with kangaroos and met this shy devil and some pretty birds on my birthday at the wildlife sanctuary. It was a lovely day…but that was a while ago..
Three days have passed since my birthday and we’ve been on the ship, in a dead zone between Australia and New Zealand. Everyone had to give up their dependence on media. We had two sea days, followed by a guided tour of Milford Sound and Fjordland National Park today. The scenery was dramatic, to say the least. Getting an upgrade to a balcony worked out well today, since it was much easier seeing the scenery at 6:00 AM from our room than on deck!
Ship life is fun! We enjoy playing trivia in the afternoon and going from one musical venue to the other in the evening. The five young people in the Lincoln Center Stage shows are impressive for their talent and musicianship; they play two shows a day. There are two violinists, one cellist, a violist and a pianist, all classically educated – two from Juilliard. My sister and I are smitten by the darling duo piano player guys whose repartee and timing are impeccable. They play the Billboard hits from various decades and encourage sing-a-longs which gets everyone involved. The BB King group plays the R&B hits from Memphis with verve and panache, and with lots of dancers participating. All groups are very well attended and there’s standing room only unless we arrive early.
And, of course, there’s the food. We’re trying to curb our tendency to gluttony by concentrating on natural foods: fruit and yogurt in the morning and bourbon and rye in the evening. Just kidding…🥂🍸
We landed in Melbourne in the morning. Since we were docked far from town, we decided to do a city tour. My sister was here in the 60s and didn’t recognize it. She remembers the city as being “very British.”
Downtown Melbourne is filled with skyscrapers and there is a lot of building going on. Streets were clogged and lanes were changed, much to the chagrin of Stewart, our coach driver. Our guide told us that seven years in a row, the city had won the world- wide title of “ most livable city, but lost its title this year to Vienna, Austria.
We spent lots of time driving around town and I was impressed by the creative variety of the buildings as well as the city’s commitment to the arts. The center photo above is just a tiny part of an arts center. The opera house here gets more international bookings than the one in Sydney, because the Sydney Opera House is an intimate venue and doesn’t hold as many people. The Australian ballet building has a huge tower of a thin figure wearing a tutu.
We were told that people in Melbourne are “mad about sport” and we were driven by the Rod Laver tennis complex.
I took the picture of the ballet building from the 88th floor of the Eureka building – the Skydeck – which gives a panoramic tour of the city, a bit like the views seen at the Seattle space needle.
Since we were taking the tour on November 11, we were able to stop at the Shrine of Remembrance after the 11:00 AM ceremony. It is a huge park honoring those who served in all the battlegrounds, from Gallipoli to Afghanistan. There were individual memorials for each conflict, with an eternal flame to commemorate those lost in World War II. This is the entrance, with poppies. Many people were also wearing poppies on their shirts, as a symbol to remind us of the horrors of war, “ lest we forget.”
I was surprised that November 11 wasn’t a national holiday, as Veterans’ Day is at home, but was told that ANZAC Day is much more important, as it commemorates those from the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) . The date, April 25, was the date of the first wartime engagement, in Gallipoli, in World War I. Anzac Day honors all those who “served and died in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations. “
Many school children were at the park with their teachers and we were told that all children wore uniforms, whether they be in public or private schools. Hats are also compulsory, as Australia has a large hole in the ozone layer.
We returned to the ship and rested, then prepared ourselves for evening entertainment. We’re enjoying the classical music of the Lincoln Center stage with four young and talented musicians and the dueling pianos who play Billboard hits. We play trivia. We go to the shows in the main showroom which have been excellent so far. We enjoy our balcony. Of course there’s the food as well. We went to the gala evening dinner in the main dining room and also drop by the Lido deck for breakfast. We indulged in room service breakfast the day we had a morning tour.
Today our tour to the wildlife refuges isn’t until the afternoon so we can take our time to wander into town.
I have lots of catching up to do. Today is Tuesday November 12.
We flew out of Honolulu Thursday-a lovely, smooth flight, thanks to Hawaiian Air, even though it was a day later than we’d originally scheduled because one of their planes was taken out of service, the one we were supposed to take Wednesday. We landed at Sydney Friday evening ten hours after our departure and took a taxi to our hotel.
Our only sightseeing option was a Saturday morning city tour, before our sail away in the afternoon which we booked online before we left..my sister spent ten days there but this was my first trip.
The weather was perfect – late spring with a hint of a breeze. We did a comprehensive tour that began with a guided walking tour of the area called The Rocks, which is where the city began. The quaint historical buildings have been repurposed into shops and restaurants. Parks and the gorgeous natural beauty of the city seem to coexist gracefully with skyscrapers and other high density buildings.
Our last stop was the Sydney Opera House and we were scheduled for a tour. We didn’t realize it was an afternoon tour. Unfortunately we couldn’t do the tour and get to the ship on time. The paperwork indicated it would be at noon, not 2:00 pm. Oh, well. I comforted myself that I had done the architectural tour of the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, another very unique edifice. We still had time to walk around and get up close and personal with this building.
I urge you to spend as much extra time in Sydney as you can. There’s so much to see and do. Our guide was wonderful.
We’re allowed one bottle of wine each on board without having to pay corkage fees, so I got an Australian Sauvignon blanc called Catching Thieves and my sister got a Tasmanian Pinot noir to keep in our room..
We took a taxi back to the hotel and the driver waited for us to collect out luggage. Check in for the ship was fast with no lines since most people were waiting way before the 1:00 check in time to get into their rooms. We arrived in our upgraded veranda room by 2:00. It was a treat to hang out on our balcony and sail pass the beautiful harbors of Sydney. The life boats are our neighbors but it doesn’t obscure the view.
We had the sail away from Sydney Saturday at 5:00 and continued on toward Melbourne. Day 2, Sunday, was a sea day. We needed to catch up on the time change, get some much-needed sleep and recharge our batteries. The waves were a bit rough but not too bad.
We were in Melbourne Monday, on Remembrance Day, November 11 and were able to see the Shrine of Remembrance, where veterans of all wars were honored on our Panoramic City tour. More of that will be mentioned in my next post.
Today is another much needed sea day.
Wednesday we’ll be in Hobart, Tasmania. It’s my birthday and we chose to see the Bonorong Wildlife Refuge, a non-profit organization that rehabilitates wounded native animals. We’re looking forward to this excursion.
I hope to post the day in Melbourne today at some point in between naps.
Questions? Be sure to ask. We’re enjoying both the ship and our itinerary.
What is Aloha? A dictionary definition will indicate that it is a type of greeting, so it can mean “hello” or “goodbye,” but locals will tell you it means much more than that – it is the essence of beIng, a feeling that peace and harmony surround us. Greeting a friend with an “aloha” is an expression of love, mercy and kindness. The direct translation from the Hawaiian is” the presence of divine breath. “
It’s always good to be here. I came as a tourist for the first time in the mid-70s and returned many times . My sister and her family moved here in the 80s, when my brother-in-law was transferred here with the United States Air Force. They retired here after that – better than shoveling snow in his native Pennsylvania, he said.
I flew out of San Francisco on Monday and had a smooth flight, landing as twilight was coming to the island.
We decided that I should take a taxi, though normally my sister picks me up. The island is lovely, but traffic is not, and rush hour is worse here than almost anywhere in the fifty states. I had an experienced taxi driver who knew the way with little difficulty. My sister and family live in Waikiki, about a twenty minute walk from the beaches. Like the Kings of Hawaii, they knew the best place to live when they purchased their high rise condo over thirty years ago . It is a bustling metropolis and they’re in the hub of all the action: movies, theater, restaurants and museums ate not far away.
I was treated to a delicious home-cooked meal with a sparkling present of silver earrings and a dark chocolate birthday cake. Even though my birthday is mid-month, I’ll spend the entire month celebrating it. I settled in for a good night’s sleep in the guest room. As I glanced out at the lanai before turning in, I could see that the traffic had subsided a bit.
I woke up the next morning and peeked out of my guest room window.
Here’s a view of Diamond Head from my room – not bad! Good morning, Honolulu.
After a light breakfast, we went wandering and did some shopping at a new TJMaxx and Nordstrom Rack, met friends for lunch at Whole Foods, then picked up some goodies there for a light dinner.
We visited a new shopping center that replaced a quaint area called Ward Warehouse that we used to visit. The skyscrapers were a bit of a shock ( progress?) but, fortunately, the new area retained some of its local flavor, with unique shops showcasing artisan arts and crafts.
My nephew also lives in the building and it’s been nice seeing him drop in from time to time. He lives in the 33rd floor so he has a higher view, but the view from my sister’s house is extensive, as it is an end unit, so we can see a variety of landscapes, from Diamond Head at one end and the mountains on the other side. There is often a change in the weather with rain in the mountains and sun at Diamond Head. My sister’s place is on the 26th floor.
Today has been low- key, as my sister works on packing and I make the arrangements for our flight, like checking in and looking at possible excursions. I’m grateful that we aren’t running around. We will need our strength for our ten hour flight.
We leave at noon tomorrow and arrive in Sydney at 7:45 pm Friday. We will check into the Amora Jamison Hotel and will, unfortunately, only have time for a morning tour of Sydney before we board the ship, rhe Holland America line’s Noordam,
I’m glad we’ll have a sea day after leaving Sydney. I hope to be blogging when we’re at sea. I’ll get the Internet package and I’ll have phone coverage. My sister will text photos back to the family.
Getting excited yet?
As the sky turns pink, I’m thinking of tomorrow: the taxi will be here at 7:45 AM, so we’ll be up early. It’s now time to eat dinner, re-pack, re-organize and get ready for the next leg of the journey, this time with my favorite sister.
After our delicious breakfast at Two Bunch Palms, we were back in the road, driving the back roads to Palm Springs.
We crossed over highway 10 and drove and drove, enjoying the landscape, the architecture and, eventually, the main drag of Palm Springs.
We vowed to return to the ice cream shop, but in the meantime, Marilyn had some possible shopping to do at a vintage store. We looked but nothing said “ Buy me!” except one very reasonably priced top for me.
Hunger overtook us, so we had a frozen yogurt treat to tide us over until dinner. Cute shop!
We were back on the road, driving through Rancho Mirage, with streets named after people like Frank Sinatra and Dinah Shore, and we finally arrived at our hotel, Hotel Paseo, a boutique hotel, part of the Marriott chain. It was right in the center of town, with an unusual item parked in the lobby.
Oddly enough, even through the word PASEO was shown in bright neon pink, it showed off as white in the photograph. Also notice that there are holes cut in the building so the two palm trees could continue to stand majestically on the property.
We had a lovely balcony, with a view of the setting sun. We decided to take a stroll, looking for dinner – and we found a wonderful place!
The Maitre d’ at Mama Ginas’s welcomed us. Even though it was a very busy, lively place, we were able to snag the little table with the banquette without a reservation if we promised to be gone before 8:00. It was 6:30 – no problem! Marilyn had soup and cannelloni, and I had shrimp scampi. Did we have dessert? You betcha!
Our evening after dinner was spent strolling the streets, peeking in windows and enjoying the ambiance of the small town chic setting. We vowed to return to see some of the shops – from the inside.
The next morning we walked down to a really cute French cafe we’d seen on our evening stroll. I chose beignets and a fruit salad. What a wonderful breakfast! The local customers were very friendly. It must be nice to live here, except in the summer! Our weather was perfect.
After breakfast, we wandered down to see the shops, then, after one purchase, we got our bags, checked out and left this unique part of the country. I was taken to the tiny but efficient Ontario airport, a drive of two hours, where I was deposited for my flight home. Marilyn had another hour of driving to do. We did see one unusual sight along the side of the road. No, it’s not real.
These windmills are real, however!
Our vacation was only three days but seemed much longer, because we had a variety of experiences within a small geographical area.
I just finished packing. Yes, tomorrow I’ll be flying to Honolulu on the first leg of my journey with my sister. I will stay with her and my brother-in-law for three nights, then she and I will fly to Sydney to take a two-week cruise of Australia and New Zealand, starting in Sydney and ending in Auckland. It will be nice for me to break up the long trip with one five-hour flight tomorrow, then three days later we’ll have a ten-hour flight.
Won’t you let me take you on a sea cruise?
The cost is free and hopefully you’ll enjoy the trip with us. We know how to have a good time..
Marilyn has lived in the Los Angeles area most of her life, except for early years on the East Coast and college days at Cal; she knows the freeways well and is an excellent driver.
We took the road to Pasadena, then cut over and went due east to the Palm Springs area. As we drove, the landscape changed.
We could see the windmills as we got closer to the area.
Our first stop was our first city, Desert Hot Springs where we were staying at Two Bunch Palms resort.
The hidden resort was couched in a curve in the road leading up the mountain. There were no signs, but we spotted an unobtrusive booth with two attendants. We were greeted by a young man, who checked the reservation list and let us in. Our car was whisked away, our suitcases were taken care of, we checked in and wandered around the property. Desert Hot Spring, is aptly named. The town is filed with natural waters and the resort is set up with a grotto, individual and group tubs, classes and treatments, and palm trees..lots of palm trees swinging in the breeze. The resort has been in existence for quite some time and has been modernized over the years.
Our spacious room was housed with a group of structures near the tennis courts, with a back yard with a fence. The bathroom was huge and luxurious. I displayed my new thermos bottle and matching tote bag, our gifts at check-in.
There is a restaurant and we had a late lunch and breakfast the next morning there. The food was excellent and the views were magnificent.
The natural setting and plantings helped to make this a very relaxing place to visit, far away from the workaday world and the stress of daily living. It was truly a get-away.
Second city: a neon chic vibe comes to us in Palm Desert at the Hotel Paseo. Stay tuned!
