Crossing the Tasman Sea

The Tasman Sea is very rough. Every day the ship's Captain suggested those "susceptible" to rough seas (that would be me!)should take the appropriate precautions. Thank goodness for drugs!

Our itinerary will take us into Milford Sound in Fjordland Nat'l Park in New Zealand's deep south rainforest, up the eastern coast of both the South and North Islands, around the volcano--White Island, into the Bay of Islands, around the North Cape and back to Sydney--nine ports in 14-days.

New Zealand is breathtakingly beautiful, the people are incredibly hospitable, there are more sheep than people, and NO snakes live there! The economy, I would describe as conservative. Wood is exported to Japan, but one must search to buy something imported. Outside of the few large cities, it feels like one has stepped back in time to the 70's. Not necessarily a bad thing.

We traveled via train west across the countryside from Christchurch to see stunning scenery in Arthur's Pass Nat'l Park in the Southern Alps, we biked through the vineyards of Napier--dodging the sheep and tasting the wine along the way, we climbed a mountain (albeit small) on the coast of Tauranga, and we saw the Christmas Trees in glorious bloom. We watched Albatross soar through the sky. We saw penguins, Kaka birds (bush parrots), Tui and a rare baby Tuatara (dinosaur lizard). The elusive kiwi bird, we found out at the end of our visit...is nocturnal.

NZ is overrun with non-native oppossum which are industriously harvested and turned into sweaters, hats, gloves... They pose a great threat to the numerous non-flying birds--like the kiwi. Sheep sacrifice their wool to make all manner of wonderfully luxurious and expensive rugs, slippers, pillows etc.

Christchurch, on the South Island, was my favorite. The beautiful Cathedral in the center of town with the huge angels suspended from the high ceilings, destroyed by a recent earthquake, is now tragically gone. Al,I suspect, would choose to return to Arthur's Pass, also on the South Island, where many tramping trails meander through the beautiful mountains.

After the long sea voyage back to Sydney, I think we are all feeling a bit tired and dazed. The sensory overload, the unfamiliar and vast quantity of food, and the unnatural lifestyle of awakening to a daily shore excursion, all unique to a cruise vacation, is exciting and exotic but overwhelming as well.

We miss the kitties! It is time to go home--such as it is. Bev and Jim have a very long trip ahead of them.

What an incredible adventure we all had!!! So many places to see, so little time...

DETOUR!

Australia has been on our LIST for some time, and our traveling companions The Runyans are ready to go! The Bighorn does not fly nor does it float; it will stay in southern California. After an unbelievable amount of planning, we are ready to leave on Thanksgiving Day. We'll be gone until Christmas. It is so exciting!!

First stop Sydney, Australia. After +/-18 hours in an airplane, one is fairly sure that home is VERY far away! We picked up our "drive on the wrong side car", and away we went 150 miles south to a small town on Bateman's Bay. Al drove; my job was to say "stay on the left"--repeatedly! The Jacaranda Trees were in full purple bloom! The Runyans arrived in Bateman's Bay the next day having safely navigated the left-hand drive.

Kangaroos were a highlight of our visit...both on the hoof and on the plate(for Al and Jim.) Koala Bears and exotic birds--Cockatoos, assorted parrots, parakeets and various others birds and little animals we struggled to identify were plentiful.

We drove (almost always remembering to stay on the left)a lot on some interesting narrow, winding roads but really saw only a small fraction of the country. It is a big place. A week doesn't even make a dent.

Jim and Al visited a local sawmill and found little of the wood they could identify, along with rather obsolete operations. Many varieties of Eucalyptus and Banksia are common. I bought a beautiful cutting board made from Camphor Laurel--smells wonderful!

Some trivia: Australia is home to many, many snakes--all venomous!
Delicious cappuccino is available everywhere...even at McDonalds.
Kangaroos are so cute, but a nuisance.
Crumpets take up an entire half aisle in the grocery store.
Driving on the left through a round-a-bout takes a lot of concentration.
Americans have no immunity to Koala bear germs...apparently.
We still don't know what a Wombat is...but, something climbed out of a tree by our patio early one morning and scared the daylights out of Bev.
The Metric System makes good sense, but not to us.
The Southern Hemisphere night sky...is not the same. Jim searched tirelessly for the Southern Cross and found it!

It's time to get back to Sydney to board a ship for New Zealand!

Twentynine Palms, CA

We arrived in Twentynine Palms, CA from the east on Rt. 62 the most desolate road ever built. As we rolled into town, it wasn't exactly a diamond in the rough. Our destination, Twentynine Palms Golf and RV Park was a pleasant relief. I think it is the lack of grass that gives the area and houses an abandoned look. The huge Marine Base nearby influences the character of the town. If one desires a "marine cut" or a tattoo the opportunities are many!

The great thing is we are two miles from Joshua Tree Nat'l Park! Our plan is to do a bit of volunteering in the Park and enjoy the hiking and the weather. However, a Camphost spot is vacant at Black Rock Canyon Campground. After much measuring and remeasuring and sketching it out on graph paper, we have determined that the Bighorn can be maneuvered (by excellent driving and directional suggestions) into the only site in the campground that has a full hookup...without violating any of the Joshua Trees. They are not forgiving trees; they have stiff unbending limbs and long, sharp projectiles that must be avoided. Our home for the Winter will be a Nat'l Park!!