March 8, 2020, Sydney, Australia Two years ago, two days in Sydney wasn’t enough, we explored “The Rocks” the original part of town, did the Opera House tour, explored Circular Quay, went to Bondi Beach, had tea in the Queen … Continue reading The Australian Trash Bin Bird and Other Downtown Delights.
Sunday Sydney Ferry. March 8, 2020, Sydney Harbor The ferry sails through fleets of Sunday sailors in every sort of sailboat. There are hundreds of them, sometimes tacking and heeling over like some sort of synchronized ballet regatta. There was … Continue reading Sunday on the Ferry
March 7, 2020, Katoomba, Australia. Our family likes playing a game called “Empire Builder, Australian Edition” where we get to build track to different Australian cities, collect loads, deliver tourists and have our tracks wiped out by sandstorms, bush fires … Continue reading Wilderness Theme Park
March 7. 2020, Sydney Opera House Two years ago, we stumbled on Badu Gili, a projection of animated Australian aboriginal art onto one of the sets of sails on the Sydney Opera House. I found a flyer tucked into a … Continue reading Water Light (Songlines)
March 3, 2020, Auckland, NZ Last time I was in Auckland, two years ago, the area along the waterfront and for a few blocks up Queen Street was torn up for renovation. Auckland is renovating its entire waterfront and we … Continue reading A-Maze-In’ Auckland
March 5, 2020, Sailing in the Coral Sea “Where are we going, I don’t know. Where are I headed I ain’t certain. All that I know is I am on my way.” Allen J Lerner and Fredrick Lowe from “Paint … Continue reading Where in the World are Suzi and Rich? — A New Game.
March 2, 2020, Waiheke Island, New Zealand It’ the soil and the climate, so says a brochure about Waiheke Island, about 40 minutes by fast ferry from Auckland. The soil is not fertile, but it is mineral rich. According to … Continue reading Wine Island
March 2, 2020, Waiheke Island, New Zealand You don’t always need to go to Havana to see a car like this. I saw this beauty in the Thomas Batch winery parking lot on Waiheke Island, New Zealand. It’s a ’57 … Continue reading Stylin’ in New Zealand
The elephant in the room has finally spoken in the voice of Captain Jonathan Mercer. He gave his normal sail away announcement and then paid tribute to the medical staff who negotiated with the Tongan officials to let us land … Continue reading We hear from the Elephant
February 28, 2020, Kingdom of Tonga. February 28, 2020, Kingdom of Tonga. I set the alarm for 7. It went off when my phone thought it was 7 but the ship’s clock thought it was 6. Ship’s clock wins but … Continue reading The Friendly Islands
Last night we celebrated Carnival, Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday; and then, with the tick of a second hand, Fat Tuesday flipped over to Thursday as we turn our clocks ahead 23 hours. Ash Wednesday is consumed by the International Date … Continue reading What, No Lent?
… not Roto-Rooter February 24, 2020, Rarotonga, Cook Islands. A shipmate was asking the confused woman behind the excursion desk about tours on Roto-Rooter. Finally, the light went on, “You mean Rarotonga.” Now I can’t unhear it. Avarua is … Continue reading That’s Rarotonga…
February 22, 2020, Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia As a kid the legend was that Tahiti was supposed to be paradise on earth, it was sung about, movies were made about it and lots of ‘50s doo wop era motels on … Continue reading Heaven or Hell?
…and a few Peus February 19, 2020, Off Pitcairn Island, South Pacific You can’t properly say we called on Pitcairn Island as much as Pitcairn Island called on us. With 1200 passengers it would be hard for Pitcairn, the last … Continue reading A Boatload of Christians…
February 16, 2020, Sailing away form Rapa Nui (Easter Island) Chile Easter Island is not an easy place to visit on a ship. For the past 4 sea days most of the conversation was whether we would be able to … Continue reading Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
When we got to the Parque Nacional Vincente Perez after our taxi ride with Maurice we did what I love doing in Sitka National Park, we took a walk. Instead of along the coastline and through the spruce forest punctuated … Continue reading Parque Nacional Vincente Perez Rosales.
February 8, 2020, Northern Chilean Fjords off Melchior Island The taxi driver in Puerto Montt is using Google Translate to communicate. He is telling us what the people like to eat. “We like beef and dairy products, and with salmon … Continue reading With Salmon We Are Fed Up
February, 7, 2020, Innocence Island through Conception Canal to Trinidad Canal. Chile In the past 10 months I have had the fun of cruising fjords on 4 continents. At home in Alaska cruising the waters around Sitka and in Prince … Continue reading From Innocence to Conception
I have often raved about long, lingering Northern Sunsets. Same latitude, different hemisphere. Straits of Magellan, February 6, 2020, around 10 PM. First two port side, the other 4, starboard. You can’t miss. Continue reading Southern Sunsets
February 5, 2020, Beagle Channel, Chile Beagle Channel is one of two shortcuts avoiding Cape Horn, the other is the Strait of Magellan further to the North. Beagle Channel was named after the British Survey ship HMS Beagle, commanded by … Continue reading Glacier Alley
February 5, 2020, Ushuaia, Argentina I feel right at home in Ushuaia. The town runs along the channel and streets rise quickly from the front street. Snow capped mountains tower above the town, boats are in the harbor, cruise ships … Continue reading Juneau on Steroids
February 2, 2020, Cruising Northward from Antarctica. “You can’t let nature run wild.” Wally Hickel “Oh yeah?” Mother Nature. This morning we got up early to catch the scenic cruising and commentary as we entered Antarctic Sound. There was nothing … Continue reading “You Can’t Let Nature Run Wild.” (Walter J. Hickel)
January 30, 2020, Niemeyer Channel, Antarctica We’re back to high summer with the sun coming up sometime around 4:30 in the morning and setting around 10:30 in the evening. This morning we woke up at about 6 pulled open the … Continue reading Niemeyer Channel
This morning my mobile phone, which had remained silent for more than two days let out a ding and I got an SMS message that my ATT roaming was working and that I should enjoy use of full data and … Continue reading Antarctica’s Urban Core