Day 23 - Goodbye Oswald

After spending a day and a half anchored in the safe harbor of Moreton Bay, we were finally cleared to resume our journey around noon today.  Cyclone Oswald has moved south of us.  Since we lost a day and 2 nights, we are going to have to miss 2 ports - Whitsunday Island and Cairns.  We will now have 3 days at sea in order to get to Cooktown.  Once there we will be back on schedule.  I think a lot of people are going to be disappointed since this means they will not be able to see the Great Barrier reef up close on tour.

The bird that took refuge on our balcony last night was still there until about 11AM this morning.  That was when the sky started to brighten up a bit and we started seeing birds flying above the waves again.

We were very glad to be anchored last night for our anniversary dinner.  We had a good dinner at the steak house last night, ending with the waiters bringing a scrumptious chocolate cake for dessert.  When we returned to our room, we found the housekeeping staff had created towel swans on the bed, with rose petals around them.  It was lovely.

We were very glad to have a steady ship last night and this morning, but that has changed significantly since we left anchorage.  The captain warned us that it would be rough until after 11PM tonight and he wasn't kidding.  Normally Ray is more affected by a ship rocking and rolling than I, but not this time.  We are getting both pitch and roll this afternoon, and I am feeling it too.  We are keeping pretty much to our room and it seems most everyone else is doing the same.  Ray had to deliver some papers to guest services this afternoon and he said the halls were empty.  We are planning to skip the dining rooms tonight and just order in something light.

Day 22 - Hiding in the Bay

Bridled Tern seeking shelter on our balcony.

Cyclone Oswold is playing in the Pacific off the east coast of Australia.  As a result, we are anchored in the protective harbor of Moreton Bay, 8 miles off Brisbane.  Originally we were supposed to be able to continue our travels this afternoon, but the storm is moving slowly.  The port of Brisbane is closed and no ships are allowed in or out of the bay at least until tomorrow morning.  We are safe here, but it has been raining continuously all day.  The weather is so bad, a Bridled Tern has taken refuge on our deck and has been there for several hours.  We are doing our best not to frighten it away.

As long as we are anchored here the ship is fairly stable.  We've had a nice day at sea.  This morning we attended a lecture on "The Great Barrier Reef" by Captain Wallace Cray.  He explained that, in addition to harbor pilots, there are a few sea pilots with special knowledge of certain tricky areas along coasts.  Captain Cray is a pilot for the Great Barrier Reef.  He gave a great talk about how the reefs were discovered and where the shipping lanes are.

This afternoon I went to another art lecture.  This one was on the American Pop Artists.  Mostly this was on Peter Max, with a little about Andy Warhol thrown in.   I really like this art style, so I enjoyed hearing about it's history.   Both Max and Warhol started out as billboard painters and became famous using imaginative color to depict recognizable subjects.  In addition to his success in poster art and serigraphs, Peter Max has done a lot of work for charitable causes.  He is the one who, along with Lee Iacocca, raised the funds for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty.

As Shown on TV (Ship Channel)

Tonight was the traditional Regent block party.  Everyone went out into the halls at 6pm to meet our neighbors and enjoy wine and hors d'oeuvres.  One couple down the hall continued on from Auckland like we have but most of the people in our area got on in Sydney.

Today is our 34th wedding anniversary.  We are very happy to be in calm waters, because we have a reservation at one of the specialty restaurants on board tonight, Prime 7.  We are looking forward to some good wine and a good steak to celebrate.

Day 21 - Rainy Brisbane

There were storms in the area last night, so we had a rocky ride last night and not much sleep.  The pilot had a hard time getting out to our ship this morning, so between that and the storm delay, we docked 2 hours late this morning.  We were supposed to go on a "Crocs & Wildlife" tour this afternoon, but the forecast is for rain all day.  We turned the tickets in so maybe someone whose tour was cancelled will want them.  There have been enough opportunities to see the wildlife without having to go to a zoo in the rain.

The cruise director announced that because of the weather, we will be staying here in Brisbane overnight and leaving at 6am tomorrow instead of tonight.  The captain wants to give us a decent night's sleep and wait for the bad weather to move on.  That means adjustments to the itinerary for the next few days.  We will be at sea tomorrow and get to Whitsunday Island a day late.  They are supposed to give us a revised schedule in writing later today, so we'll see what else is affected.

We could have taken a shuttle into Brisbane today, but decided against that as well.  Today is Australia Day,  commemorating the founding of the first colony here.  It will probably be crowded as well as rainy in town.  Better to just take another R&R (reading and relaxing) day.  Ray used a little of the time this morning to go get a haircut.

One interesting sighting today - there was a huge school of jelly fish swimming in the water between the stern of our ship and the bow of a P&O cruise ship docked behind us.

Thousands of Jelly Fish

Jellies up close

Day 20 - Sailing North to Brisbane

We sailed away from Sidney last night and are now headed north in the Pacific ocean, along the east coast of Australia.   Here are a few photos we took on our way out of the harbor.

Luna Park, on north side of Sydney Harbor

Harbor Bridge at Sunset

Fort in Sydney Harbor

Sailing away from Sydney

Sea days are always welcome breaks between ports.  They provide time to rest, attend lectures, and pamper ourselves.   This morning we attended another lecture on Australia by Sandra Bowren.  It sounds like she plans to repeat a lot of the material we heard her talk about on the last cruise segment, so we may skip the next few.  

I left the lecture a little early to go to the spa and get my hair cut and styled.  Many people like to use sea days for massages, facials and other spa treatment, but I have never really enjoyed these.  I guess I'm just not the pampered type. :-)   The stylist did a really good job on my hair though.  So good, I had Ray take a picture so I can show it to my stylist back home as an example of what I want.

This afternoon I went to an art seminar on "The Art of Collecting."   I've heard most of the information before, but sometimes it's good to hear things a few times to make sure it sinks in.   Things like the difference between an etching, a lithograph, and a serigraph, and the fact that all art created by these methods are considered "original" art, not "prints," the same as if the work had been painted on canvas or paper.   The only difference is that there may be multiple copies of a work done using one of the first three methods.  Due to various factors, each one is still unique and they are always created in limited editions.   Over the years I have developed a better understanding and appreciation of art.  Aunt Lil would be proud.

Tonight is formal optional night on the ship, so we are getting dressed up a little for dinner.  There is also a "Captain's Welcome Reception" in the theater, but once again, we will pass on that.  We don't get much out of crowded cocktail parties.

Day 19 - Sydney Transitions

The ship's crew is very busy today, with people getting off and new passengers getting on.  We have been trying to just stay out of the way.  But before I talk about today, I must describe last night.

Our tickets for the opera trip indicated dress was formal, so Ray got into his tux and I pulled out my long black dress, jewelry and multicolored jacket.  We met the group in the theater at 5pm and received our bus assignments.  There were 3 small, executive buses with about 22 seats each waiting to take us to the Sydney Opera house.   Although this would only be about a mile walking, many of the streets in the area are either one-way or blocked off as pedestrian walkways. As a result, the buses had to travel a roundabout route through the city to get us to the opera house.

Inside the opera house

Once we arrived, we were ushered into the Utzon room for a reception.  The room is named after the Danish architect who conceived the opera house's design, Jorn Utzon.  For the next 2 hours we enjoyed champagne, wine, juices, and various heavy hors d'œuvre.  Several of the friends we had made in the pre-cruise activities were there too, so we enjoyed great conversation as well.  We made our way to the theater a few minutes before the opera began. 

It has been a long time since we have been to an opera.  It is not usually our favorite type of music,  but we did enjoy this one.  It was a production of La Boheme, re-imagined with a 1940's Germany setting instead of the original 1840's Paris setting.  Although the story line is a little sparse, the singers and orchestra were very good.  The English subtitles, although obviously not literal translations of the Italian lyrics, were enough to allow us to follow the story line. 

After the opera, we made our way downstairs and boarded the buses to return to the ship.  The only glitch in the evening involved security getting back on the ship.  Australian authorities have everyone go through standard airport screening equipment before boarding.  This is usually not a problem coming back from tours, but last night just about every woman set off the buzzer on the body scanner with her jewelry.  I was one of them.  I had to go through 3 times before I was cleared.  After the first try I removed my jewelry, and then before the third try took off my shoes and beaded jacket. The beads must be metal!!   At least I wasn't the only one.

When we got back to our room, we found sandwiches and cookies waiting for us.  Our butler was concerned that we wouldn't have had dinner because we had to leave so early.  It was after 10pm, so we declined the sandwiches but did enjoy the cookies.

View overlooking entrance to Sydney Harbor from Bondi Cliffs

This morning we ordered breakfast in again so we could stay out of the way of departing passengers.  We were booking on a 9am tour "Opera House and Bondi,"  so we needed to be out shortly after the last departing passengers.    There are 5 theaters in the opera house, so this tour  allowed us to see the Orchestral theater, the opera theater, and one of the small theaters when not in use.  We got a full explanation of the buildings of the opera house, with it's many problems, and a good description of how things work preparing for and during performances. 

After we left the opera house we got a tour of parts of the city, then drove out to see the famous Bondi beach.  On the way, we stopped at a lookout point for a fantastic view of the bay and the cliffs at the entrance to the bay.

Bondi Beach

Bondi beach is small compared to what we are used to on the east coast USA, but that is because it is in a cove.  It does has beautiful white sand and good surfing.   We enjoyed smoothies at the Bondi Pavilion as we watched locals enjoying the beach and waves.

Now back on the ship, we are in our room again, trying to stay out of the way of people just coming on board and crew bringing on their luggage.  We are going to try to have an early, quick dinner tonight so we can be on our balcony for the sail away from Sydney tonight.

Day 18 - Sydney

Lighthouse on way into Sydney Harbor

Today I have more photos than words.  

Our ship entered Sydney harbor just after dawn this morning.  We were out on the balcony watching the magnificent cliffs and several lighthouses marking the way.   A few days ago Sydney had record high temperatures, but today it was in the 70's.

We had tickets for the "Aussie Wildlife" tour at 9am, so we had to be out early again.

Ray petting a koala

Our bus took us about an hour west of the city to the Koala Park Sanctuary.  This is a small zoo with more than just koalas.  It is however, the first chance we had to actually pet a koala.

 We also saw kangaroos, wallaroos, several varieties of wallabies, wombats, dingoes, possum, peacocks, several kinds of parrots and cockatoos, and sheep. 

Cockatoo

Matilda Wombat

"Friendly" Kangaroos

Mama is sheared while baby looks on

 We also got to see a demonstration of sheep shearing.  It was very interesting to see how little the sheep seemed upset by this process and how they could actually get all the wool off in one piece.  The only one who seemed concerned was the lamb the shearer brought up with it's mother.

 The ship will be staying here in Sydney overnight tonight, so there is still time to explore.   We have another special tour booked for tonight.  La Boheme is being performed at the Sydney Opera House tonight and we have the opportunity to attend, along with a reception prior to the opera.  We have heard that the acoustics in the opera house are not the best, but the Opera House is one of the most recognizable buildings in the world and we couldn't pass up a chance to see an opera performed here.

I am writing this early today because this is the end of the first segment of our cruise.  Regent will be shutting down internet service for a while tonight and tomorrow morning so they can finalize bills for the passengers who will be getting off the ship tomorrow morning.  Many people seem to have booked the segments from Singapore around western Australia to Auckland and around New Zealand ending here in Sydney, Australia.   Departing passengers are supposed to be off the ship by 8AM tomorrow.  We have a tour booked for 9AM, so we'll be right behind them.  Our butler told us the ship is 100% sold out in the next segment, so it looks like we will get a lot of new passengers boarding tomorrow when we get back from our tour.

Day 17 - Sailing to Sydney

Today was another day at sea when we could just take it easy, read, watch a movie, and watch the sea go by.  The enrichment lectures for today were on the lives and careers of three sopranos, and a sports talk by Verne Lundquist.    These didn't interest us so, other than breakfast, afternoon coffee, and dinner, we enjoyed the comfort of our room.

Last night we did manage to go to the show.  This is significant because it's the first one we've managed to attend so far.  Unlike the Celebrity and Royal Caribbean cruises we've done, Regent does not have set times for dinner seating.  You can go to the restaurant any time between 6:30 and 9:30PM and be seated for dinner.  Since the ship only holds 700 passengers and no set dinner time, there is no need for more than one show per night.   The only show starts at 9:30pm each night.  We are usually done with dinner by 8pm and are not into sitting at the bar for an hour after dinner while we wait for the show to start.  Usually we just go back to our room after dinner and settle in.  Last night was the last night the current performance troupe were to put on a show, so we decided to go see them.  They did a Broadway tunes themed show and it was pretty good.  It's a small troupe of 8 dancers, 2 singers and 2 adagio performers.  The dancers were very good and the songs they chose were not the typical ones you usually hear.  We enjoyed the show.

Dinners have often been a little too complex for our taste, but last night and tonight were much better. Last night's dinner was turkey, sweet potatoes, peas, and home-made cranberry sauce.  Tonight I had lobster tail and Ray had Beef Wellington. Desserts are always excellent, so no complaints there.

We are looking forward to getting into Sydney tomorrow.  The entrance to Sydney Harbor is spectacular so we are going to try to get up early to see it.  Last time we were here I was up but Ray slept through.  We ordered breakfast in so we can enjoy the view from our room before we have to meet our morning tour.

Day 16 - Melbourne Wildlife

Billabong with a flock of Magpie Geese

Today we went on an all day tour called "Kangaroos and Koalas."  It was this and so much more. We began with about an hour bus ride (in a very nice bus), to the Serandip Open Range Sanctuary.  This is not a zoo, it was a farm that the Australian government purchased as a protected area for indigenous wildlife.  This is near the town of Little River, the namesake of the Little River Band.  Ah, Reminiscing. 

Emu strolling down the path toward us.

We began with a ride around the sanctuary, then continued for a short walk through the bush to a billabong*.  Over the course of the morning we saw Emu's, Kangaroo, Black Swans, Magpie Geese, and lots of other birds in their natural habitat.



At one point, an Emu was walking down the path toward us.  We all moved quietly to the side of the path so it could pass without feeling threatened, but it stopped a few yards from us and decided to turn around.



There were lots of Emus and Kangaroos.  A few of the Kangaroos stopped to pose for us, but mostly they were hopping away from us.  It was a lot of fun to see them in the wild.






Our next stop was back to the picnic area where the tour organizers had a barbeque lunch waiting for us.  There were hamburgers, veggie burgers, beef sausage, pork sausage, grilled egplant & peppers, salads, cookies, and fruit. All that plus beer, wine, soda, coffee and tea.



After lunch an Aborigine man from the Wathaurong tribe came in to give us a talk on various tools made by his people.  Although some items he showed us were handed down from his father, most of the items were made recently, either by him or his family members.   He talked about how his father and uncles taught him how to make these tools and weapons. Since this man was only in his 30's at most, I left there convinced that the Aborigine culture is being preserved in Australia.

Local Aborigine playing Didferidoo

At the end of his presentation, he talked about the iconic Aborigine instrument, the didgeridoo and played it for us.   This is an amazing instrument that requires the artist to breathe in and out at the same time.  I got some good video of him playing, but like all my video, I won't be able to edit and share that until I get home.  This internet connection is just not good enough for video uploads.

In the afternoon, we drove on to a nearby National Park, where rangers monitor koalas in the wild.  Koalas don't move very fast,  so the rangers were able to spot a few earlier in the day, then lead us to where they were.   We were able to see 2 females up in Eucalyptus trees.  The rangers claim that they can identify individual koalas by the patterns around their noses, and have named each one.  They are studying them to learn more about their behavior and how they can be better protected.


This was a great day.  Now for another great dinner.



* billabong:
1. a backwater channel that forms a lagoon or pool.
2. a branch of a river running to a dead end.

Day 15 - Melbourne

We arrived in Melbourne about 7AM this morning.  Our tour for today wasn't scheduled to leave until this afternoon, so we had another nice, easy morning.  Ray was feeling a bit off this morning, so we decided he would stay on board to rest and I would go on the tour by myself.   We will be 2 days in Melbourne and we have a full day tour tomorrow, so it's better for him to skip today's tour.

The tour for this afternoon was called "Melbourne and Gardens."  This was mostly a city tour, with stops at Fitzroy Gardens, The Shrine of Remembrance, and the Eureka Skydeck.

Captain Cook's Cottage

Fitzroy Gardens is a park in the middle of the city.  It is mostly open lawn and trees, with several small gardens tucked into corners.  There are 2 significant buildings in the park.  The first is a small Conservatory with lovely flowers.  The second is the cottage Captain James Cook grew up in.  Captain Cook was the English navigator who explored and charted the east coast of Australia.  His parent's cottage was dismantled, shipped over from England in Barrels, and reconstructed here.

Australian Shrine of Remembrance

The next stop was the Shrine of Remembrance, a monument erected to honor Australian soldiers who fought in World War I.  There is a museum in the ground floor of the monument, documenting several significant battles that these Australian troupes were involved in.  On the grounds nearby were several other smaller monuments, commemorating World Wat II and each of the other conflicts that Australian soldiers have fought in.  There was even a small monument to the war horses.

Regent Seven Seas Voyager, from Eureka Tower

Our last stop was at the Eureka Tower, for a ride in the high speed elevator up to the observation deck on the 88th floor.  It was a beautiful clear day and we had a great view of the city.  I took several pictures of the city, including this one of our ship in the harbor. 

The bus had me back at the ship by 5:30pm.  When I got back to the room, Ray was still not feeling great.  I was hungry but he wasn't, so we ordered room service again.  I got to have a full dinner and he was content with a chef's salad.  Now it's time to rest up for a long day tomorrow.

Day 14 - Tasman Sea Again

After leaving Hobart last night we headed north along the coast of Tasmania.  Our next port will be Melbourne.  

We went to another of Sandra Bowren's lectures after breakfast.  This one was on the history of Sydney.  Since Sydney was first chosen as a British penal colony in 1788, it doesn't have a long history.  Botany Bay, a little further south, was originally supposed to be the colonization site, but the land around it was too marshy, so the British went a little further up the coast and found Sydney harbor more suitable.

View out of our Stateroom

Yesterday afternoon and again at breakfast this morning, Ray said he saw dolphins near the ship.  I didn't see them, so I am taking his word for it.  We are moving fast enough that, if you don't see them initially, we are long past them for anyone else to catch a glimpse.

This afternoon I went to the art auction to see what they were selling.  Every cruise ship has an art auction and I've learned a lot about art over the years by attending these.  I've also learned to recognize works by certain artists without looking at the labels or signatures, making it more fun.   Park West ran this auction.  They are probably the auction house you most often find on cruise ships and they have excellent inventories.   I've noticed that they offer art in different price ranges, depending on the cruise line they are on.  This was a high-end auction, showing works by "the Masters."  They featured some contemporary work, but today's auction offered more Picassos, and Rembrandt than I have ever seen at a ship auction.  One of the things they do at these auctions is to offer a few select pieces at a highly discounted price.  Usually these are good, collectible works by contemporary artists.  They are usually numbered lots so several people can purchase copies of these specially priced items.  This time they shocked me.  One couple was able to purchase 5 art works - a Picasso, a Rembrandt, a Goya, a Chagall, and a Miro, for a total price of $29,670.  I have seen the same Rembrandt sell for close to that by itself.   That couple made a great investment.  I hope they also like the art.  I don't believe in purchasing any art I don't personnally connect with, regardless of how famous the artist is.  To be honest, I like Rembrandt's work but ir's not the kind of art I would have in my home.  The other artists I don't like at all.  My favorite artists are Faunch Ledan, Itzchak Tarkay, Peter Max, Alec Pauker, and Igor Medvedev.  

The other fun thing on this ship is the chocolate art.  This ship has been traveling around the worls, and they have been adding to a chocolate map as they go.  I took these pictures of the map so far:

Day 13 - Tasmanian Critters

This morning we ordered breakfast in our room again so we could get to the mandatory immigration check at 8am.  We were ready, but immigration wasn't.  The ship pulled into dock in Hobart an hour late.  Once the Australian immigration officers were on board, they called passengers by scheduled tour.  We were on one of the first tours scheduled for the day, so we got in to see immigration in the first group.

Oldest functional bridge in Tasmania, in Richmond

Our tour began with a bus tour around the port city of Hobart.  We rode past some of the most expensive homes in the city, as well as the oldest and most respected schools.  From there we rode out to visit a small town called Richmond.  The majority of the buildings in this town date to the original colonization of Tasmania.   This is a nice little town and we would have enjoyed it a lot more if it hadn't been raining  on and off for the hour we were there.

Our next stop was much more interesting.  We spent an hour at the Bonorong Park Wildlife Center.  This is a wild animal rescue center where they care for injured and orphaned wildlife such as kangaroos, wallabies, Tasmanian devils, wombats, quolls, and a large variety of birds.

Lois feeding a young Kangaroo

There were kangaroos hopping all over the park.  Buckets of kangaroo feed were placed around the park and a guide explained how to feed them and that they enjoyed having their chests rubbed. They were very friendly, following us around looking for food.  As you can see here, I stopped and fed a little one.

Guide talking about his Koala charge

 Guides were stationed around the park, explaining the different animals.  I got some great video of lots of kangaroos, some very active koalas, Tasmanian devils,  and some baby wombats.  They were a joy to watch and learn about.

Wombat

Momma with Joey in her Pouch

Tasmanian Devel

The wombats were very shy, retreating into burrows and tree trunks to get out of the rain, but Ray managed a picture of this one.

There were 3 very active Tasmanian Devils that I got some great video of.  Ray took this shot of the male.

For our friends who like the more active types of tours (talking to you Christie), some of our shipmates took a bicycle ride down from the top of Mount Wellington, just outside of Hobart. They told us the view was fantastic.

We really enjoyed the wildlife tour. We could have easily spent more time at this port.

Day 12 - Tasman Sea and Whales

The seas were rough last night.  Ray was a little sea sick during the night.  I have been fighting a minor cold, so neither of us felt much like doing anything today.  We went to the restaurant for breakfast and gave the maid time to clean our room, but after that spent the day in the room.  This had an unexpected benefit.

The captain announced that there were whales in our area. We went out on our balcony and were able to spot at least a half dozen whales porpoising and spouting not far off the back of the ship.   They were on both sides of us.  I tried to get some video - hope it comes out.  I haven't uploaded it yet.

Sandra Bowren gave another lecture today, this one on Australia's Aborigines.  One of the nice things on the ship is, if you miss something like this you can always see it on TV later.  We didn't feel up to going out at 10am to see it in person, but enjoyed watching it later this afternooon.

We did something else unique tonight.  Because we are in a "butler suite" (it sounds fancier than it is), we can order any meal served in the dining room during regular lunch or dinner hours and have the butler serve in in our room.  Since I was still coughing and sneezing, we decided to try this tonight and it was great.  We have a 4 course meal delivered to our room.   This could really spoil us.

The internet connection was lousy all day, probably a combination of being far out at sea and lots of people on the network.  I woke up in the middle of the the night & decided to try again, and it's now fine at 2:30am.  I'll go back to sleep now.  We have an early tour in Hobart, Tasmania tomorrow.

Day 11 - Tasman Sea

 I think the steam in the laundry room got to me yesterday.   The show was a piano recital and we both would have enjoyed that if we were feeling better.  I got the sniffles and my cough back last night and Ray was tired, so we decided to get to sleep early.  We both slept late this morning and needed it.  I'm feeling much better now. After breakfast at the buffet we came back to the room and spent the rest of the morning resting, listening to podcasts.  

This afternoon we went to another lecture by Sandra Bowern,  this one called "The Great Australian Discoveries."  She talked about the Dutch, British and French explorers who sailed around and charted Australian, Tasmania, and New Zealand.  She also talked about some of the plants and animals they found here, which exist nowhere else in the world.  This woman is an excellent speaker and obviously knows her subject.

The seas calmed down during the night last night, but by this afternoon the waves picked up again.  Walking around the ship this afternoon is challenging. 
We received an invite to a cocktail party tonight for repeat cruisers, but we are going to pass.  It's being held in the theater, which is in the bow of the ship.  With high waves, that is the bumpiest place on the ship and the spot most likely to make Ray seasick.  That's not worth it for a few drinks and a half hours entertainment or speeches by the officers.

I don't know how long it's been there, but we noticed a plaque on our door last night.  I hope we get to keep it when we leave. :-))

Day 10 - Milford Sound

Today was our first at sea day.  When we left Dunedin last night and headed into the Pacific Ocean, it was fairly calm. Since we ate lunch in town, we ordered chef salads from room service for dinner and watched a little TV before calling it a night.  About 4am this morning, I woke up to a rocking ship.  The waved were up around 4-6 ft.  We decided breakfast in the restaurant would be smarter than trying to balance plates from the buffet. 
The captain turned the ship while we were at breakfast, so the waves were following us and the ship "surfed" for the rest of the day, so it wasn't too bad.  We went to a lecture in the theater on Captain Cook at 10:15am.  This was very good.  The speaker, Sandra Bowern, was very knowledgeable and interesting to listen to. 

Stirling Falls

After 10 days away from home, it was time to do laundry.  There is a laundry room with 2 washers, 2 dryers, and 2 ironing boards on every floor.  Since this was our first at sea day, we weren't the only ones looking to wash clothes.  After the lecture,  I waited in the laundry room on our floor for a machine to free up, then stuck it out in there until our last load was done.  That was the only way to get and keep my spot in line for the machines.

Lady Bowen Falls

At 3:30pm the ship picked up a pilot to take us into Milford Sound.  This is an inlet surrounded by spectacular mountains and waterfalls.  There are 2 large waterfalls that are always running and a lot of smaller ones that come and go depending on the rainfall.  We saw at least 6 of the littler ones.

We had dinner in the main restaurant tonight and the food selections were the best we have had so far on the trip.  We are starting to learn what to order.

Us on our balcony leaving Milford Sound

The seas got rough again after we left the sound.  We are now headed for the Tasman Sea and it promises to be a bit devilish (pun intended).  Waves are now 9-10 ft swells and it will probably get worse. We are going to be rocked to sleep tonight.

Day 9 - Dunedin

This is our last day in New Zealand.  The ship docked in Dunedin this morning. We were supposed to take a wildlife safari tour in 8 wheel drive vehicles, but decided we would rather skip the tour and go into town on our own.  It was overcast with occasional drizzle today, so we think we made the better choice.  There were hourly shuttle buses from the port into the center of town.  After breakfast we visited the tour desk to get a map of town, and then caught the 10:30am shuttle. 

Dunedin Train Station

The shuttle dropped us of on the octagon in the center of town. After a walk around the shopping area, we headed down to the historic train station.  This is a beautiful old station with lovely gardens in front.  Last time we were here we took the train ride here.  It was a lovely ride.  The station is also a transportation museum and has lots of neat old trains, cars, bicycles, and other forms of transportation.

1930 era Model A delivery truck

From there we headed for the Cadbury Factory tour.  Although Cadbury was founded in England, they purchased a troubled chocolate factory in Dunedin years ago and now Cadbury chocolates are made here as well.   The tour was fun.  The guide was very good and she gave out chocolate candies as prizes for answering questions along the way.  Of course, we bought a supply of chocolates before we left.

Before heading back, we stopped for lunch at a local tavern on the octagon.  Ray ordered a burger and I ordered the special of the day - filet of Sole.  The way this was prepared was both unusual and a pleasant surprise.  There was a a layer of hash brown potatoes with the fillet on top.  This was topped with a poached egg.  There was a mild cheese sauce over the whole thing.  I would not have thought to put that combination of flavors together, but it was delicious.  I also enjoyed the pub's own micro brew white beer with it.

This was a very nice day, a great way to spend our last day on shore in New Zealand.  I do love this country.  The countryside is diverse and beautiful, and the people are some of the friendliest I have found anywhere.  We will be sailing through the sounds tomorrow, then off to Australia.

Day 8 - Akaroa and the Tranzalpine Tour

Seven Seas Voyager in Akaroa Bay

Today was a very long day. We ordered room service breakfast because we had to meet our tour group at 8AM.  The tour for today was called Tranzalpine Experience and was billed as 9 hours long. 

The ship was originally supposed to dock in Christchurch, but the city has still not recovered from the earthquake in 2011.  We anchored in Akaroa Bay instead. This port doesn't have a dock big enough to handle a cruise ship, so we anchored in the bay and took tenders into the dock. 

The first part of our tour involved a 3 hour bus ride up a switch-back road and through some incredible scenery.  The mountains in this area are gorgeous and the planes in between were filled with sheep, cattle, dairy, and deer farms.  Our first stop was at a farm/museum.  The farm is still operating but many of the buildings on the main site contain farm equipment from the past 100+ years of operation, as well as a room full of rugby memorabilia.  We were served coffee, tea, finger sandwiches, and cakes while we explored the museum.

Lower Southern Alpine Mountains above Akaroa

After another hour and a half in the bus, we arrived at the train station at Arthur's Pass.  This was high up in the mountains and it was pouring rain when we arrived. We quickly transferred from the bus to the Tranzalpine train for the trip back down the mountain.  Although we signed up for this tour because of the train ride, we both agreed that the scenery was more interesting during the bus ride.  The train went through a number of tunnels, blocking any view.  Whenever we went over a bridge, there was a metal fence that they said  was a wind-breaker, but it was also a view-obstructor. In the areas where a nice view was possible, photos were not possible because the train windows were too reflective.  We did get some nice photos from the bus and from a few stops we made.

Akaroa Bay

The train dropped us off at Rolleston station and the bus brought us back the last 2 hr ride to the pier. We had some beautiful views of the bay on the way back.  Our bus was the first of the 4 on this tour to get back to the dock, so we were back on the ship by 6pm. 

We went upstairs to the Italian restaurant for dinner.  Service has been very inconsistent.  Tonight it was very slow.  We think they may be understaffed in the restaurants.  One of the officers was even helping out in the restaurant tonight!  We keep switching back and forth between the main restaurant and the Italian one, but they both seem slow.  Also, the food in both restaurants has been prepared in a more complex fashion than Ray likes.  There don't seem to be any simple options.  The vegetables and seasoning have even been a bit much for me.  We will survive it, but we both definitely like the chefs on Celebrity cruises better.