Day 34: Suva, Fiji

Bula, Bula – from Suva, Fiji.  That means ‘hello’, but we didn’t know that.  People get right in your face and yell “BOOO-la”.  It was unnerving until we figured out that they’re really just extremely friendly and welcoming.  Too bad the weather wasn’t.

 

You guessed it – rain, rain, and more rain.  If it waddles like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it’s probably us!  We waded through town on the magnet quest.  I told Bruce we should buy an umbrella instead.  That would surely scare all the rain away, probably for the rest of the trip.  But all we got was a magnet, so I guess we can expect more rain.

Bula, bula,.... quack.

Day 33: Sea Day

Day 33: Another Sea Day.  As promised, it was a rainy wild ride into Fiji.  The barf bags were set out in all their convenient locations.  We’re so used to this now that it seems normal. 

I played catch-up on the blog while Bruce was working.  Before we knew it, it was time for Happy Hour.  Bruce was still working, so I chatted with the usual crowd.  We were joined by a guy who will be unveiling a line of opals and pearls in the gift shop in a few days.  I took the opportunity to pick his brain and learned even more stuff about both.  Boy, you really do have to be careful when buying these.  For example, if a pearl doesn’t make the cut for any reason, it gets tossed into a bin.  When they have enough for a “batch”, they grind them up and process them into pearl shapes.  They look so much like real pearls that even jewelers sometimes can’t tell the difference.  When asked, they say they were harvested from oysters, blah, blah, blah.  They aren’t technically lying.  And with opals, the best are the black ones – meaning they’re black on the bottom and all the vibrant colors on the face.  Well, the less honest people will take a lower grade of opal, paint it black on the bottom, and pass it off as a black opal.  He claims that the stuff in the Caribbean and Mexico is often not the real deal.  So much for my plan to buy them there later on.  Geez, ya just can’t win.

He needs to create a sales video to be played on the Royal Caribbean channel in our rooms.  He said if I’ll help him write the script, he’ll give me a discount on an opal.  Hmmm, thay may be an offer I can’t refuse…..

Day 32: Isle of Pines, New Caledonia

Day 32 – The Isle of Pines, New Caledonia.  I’m not sure why it’s called Isle and not Isles.  There are lots of little islands very close together.  And pines aren’t the only trees. 

Even though we awoke to rain (surprise!), wind, and nippy temps, it was easy to see that this place is beautiful.   In the late 1700’s, English Captain James Cook became the first European to reach the islands.  He supposedly named the Isle of Pines without ever stepping foot on its shores.  It has been nicknamed “I’ile la plus proche du paradis”, or the closest island to paradise. 

Around noon the rain let up and it was warmer, so we decided to make a run for it.  We were anchored offshore, so that meant tender boats.  Tender boats = long line to get on one.  We finally made it over there.  I was aghast.  Paradise barely describes this beauty.  I had no idea what a day we were in for.  I started snapping picture after picture, each outdoing the one before.  For its unbelievable beauty, I was thinking this could become my favorite island.

And then it happened.  Every Eden must have its serpent.  And I saw it!!  A crowd was gathered around it so I went to see what they were all looking at.  It was a big blue-banded sea snake – among the most venomous in the world – and it was on LAND!!!  Anyone who knows me at all knows that I get hysterical when I see a snake.  I snapped a quick picture (zoomed from a safe distance) and FLED from there.  Suddenly this Paradise had lost its charm. I figure where there’s one there are likely hundreds.  Now I was staring at the ground to make sure I didn’t step on one, and cringing at the sight of people haphazardly sitting on rocks or other places where snakes could be lurking. 

We walked on a path to the lagoon, which was just stunning.  The sand was even softer than the sand in Aruba.  It’s like powder.  The water was the perfect aquamarine color.  It’s the perfect beach in very sense.  It was very shallow and lots of people were wading or swimming.  But all I could think about were the snakes that were probably in there waiting to get them.  I’m already terrified of jelly fish.  I didn’t know I should have also been worrying about sea snakes, too!  No way am I setting one big toe in that water.  Bruce, on the other hand, dove right in.  He waded across to this large limestone outcropping with grottos.  He’s investigating the rock formation – and I’m freaking out thinking about all the snakes that are probably all over that rock.  Luckily he didn’t find any.  But doesn’t this just look like Snake Heaven?

Turns out my fears were valid.  A lady at Happy Hour was telling about standing by that same rock and having a black and white sea snake drop from the rock into the water right next to her.  She looked up and they were all over the rock above her.  She screamed and ran back to the beach.  OMG – I would have died right there on the spot!

The locals are Melanesians, descendants of the French.  There were a few little boutiques that we browsed through.  Mostly it was wood carvings of turtles, fish, and SNAKES.  There were a lot of hand-painted pareos and such.  I found a magnet and got a little something for my sister’s birthday.  By this time I was weary from all my snake avoidance tactics and ready to return to the ship.  Another long line for the tender, but we were back on board by 3:00.  We cleaned up, had dinner, and enjoyed a pleasant evening.

The captain reported that we’re in for another rainy, bumpy sea day into Suva, Fiji.  This has been the norm for this trip, so we’re ready.  Seatbelts are fastened, trays are in their upright and locked position… bring it on Neptune!

Day 31: Sea Day with a twist

                                            Day 31 - Another Sea
FADE IN:

EXT. CRUISE SHIP - DECK 9 - 9:00 AM
JAN ROGERS and BRUCE MCCAY, two world travelers and cruise addicts, stand on the open deck to assess the weather conditions.  It’s raining, cold, windy.  Large swells pitch the ship about, making it difficult to stand without holding on to the railing.  Another nasty day at sea.  Jan grins.

                                                                 JAN
                                  It’s a perfect day to finish my screenplay.

Jan rubs her hands together excitedly, to emphasize her point.

                                                               BRUCE
                                  I have lots of work to do, too.  Gotta pay for the next cruise...

Bruce smiles broadly.  They walk to the stairs.  Descend.

INT. CRUISE SHIP - STATEROOM 4011 - 9:50 AM
Jan and Bruce gather their laptops and working materials.

INT. CRUISE SHIP - DECK 6 CENTRUM - DAY - 10:00 AM
Jan and Bruce sit by the windows on Deck 6 with a view of the rolling ocean.  Nothing but open seas and endless whitecaps of the large waves for as far as the eye can see.  They both type away on their laptops, each focused on their own work.

INT. CRUISE SHIP - CROWN VIKING LOUNGE - DAY - 5:00 PM
Jan and Bruce sit at a table, still typing away on their laptops.  Bruce sips champagne, Jan has her thermoboost drink and a protein bar.  In the b.g., small groups of passengers are huddled around tables.  A din of voices and laughter fail to distract the dedicated writers from their tasks.

INT. CRUISE SHIP - STATEROOM 4011 - DAY - 11:00 PM
Jan types the words THE END.  Finally finished with the first draft.  Emails it to her trusted writing partner in Colorado for review and feedback. 

                                                            JAN
                                            Ahhhh, the thrill of victory....


FADE TO BLACK.

Day 30: Sea Day

Day 30 – already.  Just 10 more days.  I can’t believe how fast they’ve flown by.  We’ve had some amazing experiences in spite of the nasty weather that has seemed to follow us around.

Today is the first of 2 sea days on our way to the Isle of Pines, New Caledonia.  My goal is to polish off the book I’ve been reading which was under consideration to become a movie.  Then I have to write a book report and email it to our business partner in Los Angeles.  It’s a beautiful sunny day and the seas are calm.  It’s a great day to read.

Mission accomplished.  The last 100 pages were a breeze compared to the first 425.  The ending was pretty good.  I wrote a report suggesting that if we do the movie, we focus on the end and only throw in bits of the beginning as necessary to set up the plot.  It would be a challenging task to condense this tome down to a two-hour screenplay, but I’m up for it if he decides to buy the rights to the book.

He promptly emailed back that he has decided to pass on this project.  I think it’s a wise decision.  But I am almost ready for a new project so we’ll have to come with something.

Day 29: Sydney Part 2

Sydney, Australia – Part 2.  Last time we were here it was freezing cold, windy, and really nasty.  Look, Ma – no coat!!

We had a beautiful sunny day – 75 degrees with just a slight breeze.  We had a leisurely morning before we headed off to explore this amazing city.  At least today is a weekday and everything is open.

The Rocks is a shopping district just 2 blocks from the pier.  We went there first to get educated on the beautiful Australian opals.  The prices are just crazy expensive and I knew I couldn’t buy any, but I wanted to see them and learn all I could about them so I won’t get ripped off next year in the Caribbean or Mexico when I probably will buy some at a much more reasonable price.  We went to a few high-end stores and saw some gorgeous jewelry.  Mission accomplished.  I now know everything to look for – and more importantly – what to avoid.

Next we headed towards Darling Harbor and looked at souvenirs along the way.  We found everything we were looking for.  I also visited the chemist (pharmacist) again for some cough medicine.  I’ve pretty well licked the sinus infection and bronchitis, but can’t quite kick this nagging dry cough.  After coughing all night long – again – and not sleeping much – again – I really needed something.  The brands of medicine are so different from US meds, so it’s impossible to know what to buy.  The chemists are knowledgeable and helpful, thank goodness.  Hopefully I’ll be able to sleep tonight.

We went to the Queen Victoria Building, as we had been told by a native that it was a must-see.  I agree.  It’s an old building (1898) that has been other things, but is now a mall.  Wow, it’s stunning.  We didn’t buy anything, just looked around.

We got on the free city bus and rode the whole loop around this part of the city, just to see more of it without walking our legs off.  I’m still so impressed with the blending of old and new.  I just don’t know how to describe how beautiful this city is.

Our last stop was the famous Sydney Opera House.  It’s right across the pier from where the ship is docked.  We almost didn’t go there since we took lots of pictures of it last time.  But I’m glad we went.  I was so surprised – it’s such an optical illusion!  Every picture I have ever seen – including all the ones I took 2 weeks ago – make it look like it’s all one building.  It’s not - it’s actually 4 separate buildings!  I was shocked to discover this.  Here’s the proof – this picture shows the gap between 2 of the buildings.  What a well kept secret! 

 

We came back to the ship, had lunch, and relaxed in our room.  I ‘m so pooped from night after night of coughing.  We went out for the mandatory muster drill and OMG – Brrrr again.  It had rained a bit and turned cold with a sharp wind.  Good thing those drills are short.  It’s just after 6:00 PM and we’re sailing away in a lovely sunset over the city and harbor.  I just can’t get enough of Australia.  We’ll return here one more time before we fly home. 

We’ll have 2 sea days before we reach the Isle of Pines, New Caledonia on Saturday.  The captain says we should have calm seas and warm temps all the way there.  Hopefully I’ll be rested up and ready for a beach day by then.

Day 28: Sea Day

We thought we’d have a nice, relaxing day at sea and get a lot of writing done today.  Ha!  Any time two blonds take off on a 40-day trip, you know it’s bound to happen – we’ll both have a “blond moment” at the same time.  Today was the day. 

Last night we had a time change – only this time we lost an hour.  We somehow overlooked this in the Cruise Compass and didn’t hear it in any of the PA announcements.  We stayed up late last night and slept in late this morning – REALLY late, as it turns out.

We had a luncheon at 11:15 for those of us continuing on to Fiji.  We decided to have a light nibble at (what we thought was) 10:15.  We got back to the room and started getting ready for the luncheon.  All at once the Captain started doing his noon report.  We thought, “That’s odd.  Why is he doing that so early?”  Bruce turned on the TV and sure enough, the ship’s time was noon.  Ooops.  We’re now an hour late for lunch.

There were customs forms and other papers to pick up, and info we needed to know, so this was not good.  We hurried up and went to the dining room.  Luckily the lady was still there so we got all the paperwork.  But we should have had our room keys already delivered and they weren’t.  We’re still waiting for those.

We didn’t stay for lunch, we just went to the Windjammer later on because we had all this paperwork to do, like fill out the customs forms and the customer service survey for this leg, and looking over the excursion list for the next leg so we can pre-book anything we want without waiting in line.  We get priority booking this way before all the new cruisers come on board tomorrow.  We had to run all sorts of errands also, like turning in our pool towels, getting cash for the gratuities, booking our next open-ended cruise, and all that jazz.  We also had to get the lottery numbers from last night to see how much I won on my tickets: zilch.  I guess I had in fact used up all my luck earlier in the day.  Today seemed like a whole day of things we HAD to do and nothing we WANTED to do. 

Tonight is about saying good-bye to the departing passengers and thanking all of our servers for this cruise.  I must say, it’s been a fabulous experience here in Australia in spite of the rough seas getting here and a few days of nasty weather.  I have a deep affection for the people and animals I met here.  I’m sad to be leaving and hope to return here many times in the future.

Tomorrow we will dock again in Sydney.  I sure hope it’s warmer than the last time!  They said that day was the coldest day of the year and was very unusual.  Most of the passengers will be leaving us and we’ll have new ones coming on board.  It’s hard to believe how fast the time has flown by.  Next time it’ll be us leaving the ship.  Boooo!

We’re planning a day of walking around Sydney.  We’ll probably explore The Rocks, an area very near the dock known for great shopping, and maybe we’ll go over to the Opera House for a photo op.  I’ve also heard that the Queen Victoria Building is a must-see.  It was built in 1898, and has been converted to a 5-story shopping mall.  The architecture and fixtures in the building are supposedly incredible.

We’ll be sailing out of Sydney tomorrow evening at 6:00 and heading off to the Fiji islands.  The last leg of this trip should be more conducive to writing.  I hope so!  We’ve been playing more than working, for sure.  Is that such a bad thing?

Day 27: Brisbane & Australia Zoo

Today was Brisbane.  They say it very quickly – BRIZ-bin.  We docked in a container port very far away from the city.  I was up at 6:45 to get in line for tickets to the Australia Zoo.  I was first in line and they only had 3 tickets left.  Had I not gotten up we wouldn’t have gotten them.  I’d have been crushed!!  I went back to bed for a bit after that.

We had a big breakfast and met our tour group on the pier at noon.  There were 3 big busloads of us.  We drove an hour and a half to get there.  We drove past lots of forests and marshes.  Lovely country.  Finally we reached our destination.

The Australia Zoo was founded by the Crocodile Hunter from Animal Planet – the late Steve Irwin.  It was designed for foreign tourists to be able to interact with the animals, not just look at them in cages.  All the habitats are as natural as possible and quite expansive.  I will say that it wasn’t exactly easy to get around, though.  Everything was in circles and it felt like we walked in circles all day. 

We only got 2 hours there, so we had to rush.  We headed straight for the roos.  They were roaming free in a large area.  You can buy a paper bag of roo food for $2, which I did.  It was cracked corn with some little pellets.  They’re much softer than I thought they would be.  And as long as you have food, they’re friendly.  I did try to pet one without having any food and he very gently slapped my hand away and gave me a little nudge with his back foot (he was lying down).  I can now cross off another thing from list – I’ve petted a roo at last.  I could have spent the whole day with them, but there was so much more to see and our time was very limited.

Next we saw the koalas.  These were so much softer than the one I petted in Sydney.  I will amend my prior statement, they really could be cuddly.  Except that they really don’t like to be held and they’ll pee on you.  Holding isn’t allowed at this zoo.  The only place I know of where you can hold them (for an extra fee, of course) is the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary here in Brisbane.  These guys were awake and fairly active, so I got some cute pix.

We saw the Crocodile show and then headed over to see the dingos, wombats, Tasmanian devil, cassowary, and parrots.

We had just enough time for one more surprise bonus – I got to feed an elephant!  I’ve always wanted to pet an elephant and I even wrote one into our screenplay “The Murders of Curly Evans” just so I would get to be up close to one someday.  I only got to give it a wedge of watermelon and get in one quick pat on her trunk, but at least I got to do that much.  Bruce wasn’t able to get a very good picture of it, though so we posed this one.

I had bought a magnet and a kangaroo pendant to go with my lapel pins that I hope to make into earrings.  They were in a brown paper bag exactly like the one the roo food came in.  We had a little roo food left over and I offered it to 2 elderly ladies.  Little did I know that I had mixed up the bags and gave away my magnet and necklace!! 

We almost had to run from the elephant pen at the back of the zoo up to the entrance in time to catch our bus.  I don’t know why I happened to open the sack, but for some reason I did.  I was horrified to find a sack of roo food!  There was no time left to go back and no other opportunity for another magnet from this port.  Horrors!!  I remembered seeing the tell-tale sticker on the ladies I had given my treasures to - #19 which was our bus number.  I looked around the bus and spotted them.  As soon as I approached them, they told me they had given the sack to the sales clerk in the gift shop.  I begged the bus driver to wait for me while I ran back there.  Sure enough, she had it.  Whew!!!  

We made one quick stop at the famous Ettamogah Pub on our way back to the ship.  Bruce had a sample...

So after all the incredible things that I got to do today, and then recovering my lost purchases, I think I’ll buy a ship lottery ticket tonight.  Maybe I’ll win the $100,000 jackpot, if I haven’t already used up all my good luck for the day!

Day 26: Sea Day

Today we were at sea.  I had planned a nice relaxing day of writing.  That’s what I get for planning.  It ended up being a social day. 

First, we were invited to a luncheon for “American continuous cruisers”.  There were about 30 of us.  They divided us into 3 groups and assigned 2 American crew members to sit with each group.  It was really nice, but did take a lot of our time.

After the lunch, we dashed off to take a dance lesson on the waltz.  We’ve done it before but figured we could us a refresher course.  Somehow it was much harder than I remembered!

We had a couple of hours where we both wrote a bit.  Then we had to get ready for formal night.  We were invited to have dinner with the Staff Captain.  He’s the 2^nd in command on the ship.  If anything happens to the captain, he would take over.  We had a wonderful meal much like last week.  There was one major difference in the menu options – kangaroo was added.  Yes, I’m serious.  No one ordered it.  So, they brought around a plate of it and offered everyone a sample.  I might have tried it if we weren’t planning to go pet the roos tomorrow.  Somehow it just felt like I couldn’t have looked them in the eye after having eaten their cousin the night before.  The ones who tried it said it was like venison.

After dinner we went to the Diamond event with the captain.  He remembered us from last week and we visited with him for a few minutes.  He told us the weather forecast was good for Brisbane.  I was relieved to hear it.

Then it was bedtime already.  We had finally decided to go to the Australia Zoo.  We hadn’t bought the tickets yet, so I set the alarm for 6:45 AM to be first in line at 7:00 when the Excursion desk opens.  I’m really excited about getting to interact with the roos.  They’re so funny!

Day 25: Airlee Beach

Airlie Beach is one of the most stunningly beautiful places we’ve ever been.  It’s part of the mainland, but considered the gateway to the Whitsundays – 74 neighboring small islands.  We were anchored off shore and had a gorgeous view of many of the islands.  The water was so beautiful, too.  We had a few puffy clouds in the otherwise blue sky, and it was warm and humid.  What a relief to have a nice day for a change!

Here’s a shot of the lagoon.  Notice nobody in the water.  That’s because it’s full of box jelly fish.  Ouch!

The town scheduled their annual Reef Festival to coincide with our arrival.  They had a fair with a carnival, air show, regatta, helicopter joy rides (6 or 10 mins), and get this – camel rides on the beach!!  Who would ever guess that one?  It was tempting, but I didn’t do it (just in case you were wondering).

Bruce had to work until almost noon, so we got a late start.  We were tendered into town via catamarans like we rode to the Reef.  The current is so strong going through here that they couldn’t use anything smaller.  We walked along the boardwalk beside the beach into the main part of town – about a 15 minute walk. 

We shopped a bit, but only bought a magnet.  Then we discovered where the fair was.  We walked all through that and took a lot of pictures.  Then we headed back for a late lunch on the ship.  We were reminded once again how draining the humidity can be. 

Too bad we didn’t get two days here.  I could have stayed much longer.  Tomorrow we’ll be at sea all day on our way south to Brisbane.  We’re not sure yet if we’re going to do an excursion.  We’re a bit gun shy after our bad experience at the Reef.  But we might take a bus ride to the Australia Zoo – founded by the late Steve Irwin.  Or we might go to the Lone Pine Koala Park.  The jury is still out – check back for the verdict.

Day 24: Cairns

Wow, the rain actually stopped in Cairns.  We walked up this street and found some shopping. 

I bought my token magnet and an Australia T-shirt.  We looked at the opals and decided they were just crazy expensive.  I did get two little freebie lapel pins that are gold kangaroos with a tiny bit of opal on their bellies.  Maybe I can have earrings made from them??  Oh well, at least I will get to bring home a tiny bit of Australian opal.  I think Jimmy, our favorite shopping guide from our cruises last spring, was right about the opals – buy them in Mexico or the Caribbean.  They’re a little too proud of them here.

I saw this beautiful tree that was full of wild parrots.  Can you see the one sitting at the end of the red thing?

We hung out on deck this afternoon and soaked up what few rays were making it through the overcast sky.  I worked out a sub-plot for my movie that I want to weave in to help fill up the 10 pages that I’m short.  I hope this will get me there.  If so, then it’s just a matter of polish and I’ll be DONE!!!

We sailed in and out of Cairns without incidence.  Captain Stein is a very capable sailor.  I was able to take a few shots before my camera battery died.  I got this shot of the boat we took to the Reef yesterday.  It was docked near where we had been docked.

We’re headed back south now.  Tomorrow we’ll be in Airlie Beach (pronounced AIR-lee).  The town has arranged a big festival for us.  I can’t wait to see what they’ve put together.  If the past ports were any indication, I bet this will be pretty amazing.  The Australians are so hospitable to their guests.  I hope it doesn’t rain on our parade!!

Day 23: Cairns and The Great Barrier Reef

Rain, rain, go away!  PLEEEEEEEZE!  The weather has certainly not been our friend on this trip.  We arrived in Cairns at 8:00 AM - in the rain.  The clouds were low and really set in.  They assured us our excursion to the Reef was still going and the weather was better out there.  

At $225 each, this is one of the most expensive excursions we’ve done.  Our expectations were very high.  And once again we were disappointed.  You’d think we’d have learned our lesson by now about setting those expectations after our Tahiti disappointment. 

We got up early, had a light breakfast, and went to the theater for our departure.  I heeded the advice to take seasick meds one hour prior.  I was on the fence about it since I’ve gotten more immune to it after all the nasty weather we’ve sailed through.  But I surely didn’t want to risk ruining our day at the Reef, so I took it.  Good decision!

Our catamaran came alongside the ship and we went directly from one to the other.  I knew I wanted a forward-facing seat near at the back of the boat just to protect my back from getting thrashed about.  Another good decision.

There were over 100 people on the tour.  We headed out of the harbor for open seas and within 10 minutes probably 80% of them were sick.  The crew did nothing but distribute and collect barf bags.  Imagine the job description for this position:  must not get sea sick; must not get sick when everyone around you is; must be able to clean up after others who are sick…

Yeah, it was a really rough ride for an hour and a half to reach the Reef.  It was pouring rain, 25 knot winds, and huge swells.  Boy was I glad I had taken my Bonine!  Neither of us got sick at all.  We sat with a nice couple from New Jersey and enjoyed visiting with them.  The weather sure wasn’t getting any better.

Finally we arrived at our platform on the Great Barrier Reef.  It’s a floating pontoon with a tarp cover.  It was still raining and blowing, but lots of people dove in anyway.  We thought the rain was letting up and we’d wait a bit to get in.  We opted to go on the semi-sub first.  The stormy seas had churned up all the sand and silt so the visibility was not much.  But we were able to see a wide variety of coral and fish.  Very beautiful.

Next we did the glass-bottom boat ride.  It was also very cool.  It was a different perspective than the semi-sub’s view.  However, the rain and wind picked up and it was blowing in on us.  We got soaked.  When they brought us back to the platform, the wind blew us right past it.  The driver had to take another approach and barely made it the second time.  After that they closed down both the semi-sub and the glass boats saying it was too dangerous.  The wind was up to 35 knots at this point and it was pouring rain.

We decided to have lunch and see if it would clear up a bit.  They served a really nice lunch on board.  The rain just kept getting worse and worse and the wind was really getting wicked.  I was still determined to get in the water just for the braggin’ rights, so we waded onto a little platform that the SCUBA divers launch from.  The water was warm, but the rain was so cold.  Right after we did that, they announced that they were cutting our day short and heading in.  Apparently the forecast was for even worse weather and they wanted to get ahead of it.  Luckily the ride back was better than the ride out.  The waves were coming from behind the boat making it much smoother. 

We got back on the Rhapsody, took showers, and went to Happy Hour.  The buzz with all the experienced cruisers (and I’m talking people with more than 100 credits) is that we all need to write up the excursion and petition to get our money refunded (or at least some of it).  So we’ll see how that goes.

We’ll remain here in Cairns overnight tonight and leave around 4:00 tomorrow.  Our plan is to just walk around in town and see whatever there is to see from close by the ship.  But, of course, it depends on the weather gods as to whether it stops raining long enough to do that.  Let the sun shine in!!

Days 20, 21, 22: Sea Days are for the Birds!

Three more sea days, and they’re for the birds!  Literally! 

Since we left New Castle we’ve been hugging the eastern coast of Australia on our way to the Great Barrier Reef.  We’ve had a smooth ride and warm weather, at last.  There’s not usually very much to write about on sea days.  It’s just the normal activities on board – games, entertainment, lectures, dance classes, Bingo, gambling, sunning, swimming, reading, (writing??), walking or exercising, napping, and everyone’s favorite – EATING.

Yesterday we were being escorted by a large pod of dolphins.  Or so we heard.  We missed seeing it.  I wish they would announce things like this on the PA system.  They probably don’t want to cause a stampede.  We missed a similar experience near Cabo San Lucas last February when we sailed on the Radiance.  I hope I’ll get to see the dolphins someday.

Today is a special sea day.  We’re taking a small detour and sailing over to Willis Island.  This little island is inhabited by 4 humans who study the weather – and thousands of birds and turtles.  Two hours from the island the birds started flying around the ship.  We went down on Deck 5 for a better look at what they were up to.  We saw these little flying fish leap out of the water and fly through the air a few feet.  Some of them skip across the surface a few times before they dive under.  Most of them are about the size of a wren but we saw some as large as a robin.

The sea gulls and red-footed boobies fly around looking for schools of these fish.  They go into a dive and level out just before they would impact the water.  If their timing is perfect (and they’re really lucky) they’ll come away with lunch in their talons.  They float on the water while they “dine in”.  It looks like they’re floundering in the waves.  After a few minutes they take off and go back for seconds.

I’m really fascinated by nature.  The marine life had the oceans to themselves for thousands of years before man learned to sail them.  Everything from whales down to the smallest bits of life is impacted by our presence.  But they have all learned how to accept it, adapt to it, and even benefit from it when possible.  It’s amazing to me.

As we got closer to the island, the bird activity increased.  It was fun to watch all the interaction.  Willis Island is considered a “foreign port” to Australia.  We dropped anchor there for a short while – just long enough to keep our “duty free” status for the cruise.  It's only about the size of the ship.  Can you see it?

Then we got back on the road to Cairns and the Reef.  We did a “Wishes at Sea” walk this afternoon to benefit the “Make a Wish Foundation”.  We got cool t-shirts for it.  I think it’s great that they offer things like this to combine a deck activity with something worthwhile.

I’ve just about knocked this bad cold I’ve been battling with for over a week.  I’m still coughing some, but the rest of the symptoms have finally left.  Whew!  Just in time to enjoy the Reef. 

We’ll arrive in Cairns (pronounced Cans, like tin cans) at 8:00 tomorrow morning.  In years past, the cruise ships were not permitted to come into the harbor to the pier, they had to anchor off-shore and tender everyone in.  Royal Caribbean worked with the local authorities using simulators to convince them that our Captain has the skill to maneuver into the tight space and can safely take Rhapsody to the pier.  We’ll be the first cruise ship ever to dock there.   Captain Stein said we’ll only have 1 meter of water under the keel and the turns have to be perfectly executed.   Wish us luck!  Rhapsody is the largest ship that will fit in there.  When Radiance comes here next year, she’ll still have to tender.

We even signed up for an excursion!  Holy cow – it’s a very expensive one – so it’d better be REALLY good!  (i.e. $225 each).  We’ll be taking a catamaran out to a platform on the Reef.  From the platform you can scuba dive, snorkel, take a semi-submersible, or helicopter to view the Reef.  Or, you can just stay on the platform and watch everyone else.  They serve lunch there and have restroom facilities.  Then we take the boat back.  It’s a full 8-hour day trip.  We’ll definitely do the semi-sub and we’ll probably snorkel for a while, too.  It depends on the weather – the forecast is for scattered showers (damn those travel gods!).  We’ll overnight at Cairns and have most of the next day to see the town or enjoy the beach.

We’ve been traveling for over 3 weeks and we’re past the halfway mark of the trip.  It’s hard to believe how fast the days go by.  Our writing projects are progressing but it seems like it’s going slower than we planned.  Guess that’s a sign we’re enjoying ourselves!

Day 19: New Castle

We said good-bye to our many friends from the first itinerary.  Hopefully we’ll be able to stay in touch by email.  The ship is filled with mostly Australians now.  There aren’t many Americans left on board at all.  It’s odd to think that we’re the ones with the funny accent.

Last night’s sail away from Sydney was just as spectacular as sailing in was.  We had a smooth ride into New Castle.   The captain said we reached swells up to 10 meters (over 30 ft) going into Sydney.  The fact that the ice bucket was sliding back and forth across the table and Bruce's water glass slid off the night stand was our first clue!  I was pretty well knocked out on cold meds so I really didn't notice it as much as other nights, but we were sleeping on the roller coaster all night long.

We thought this port was going to be the dog of this itinerary, but we couldn’t have been more wrong.  The biggest attraction here was a bus tour to a nearby valley known for numerous wineries.  We’re not really into wine and I still can’t smell anything, so this wasn’t very appealing to us.  We heard that it was a pretty area, though.  The day started with a chilly wind, but the sun quickly warmed things up.  We waited until after noon to go into town and by then it was pleasant.

New Castle is a hub for exporting coal.  The port is definitely industrial and not well equipped for tourists.  But the town pulled out all the stops to make it a memorable day for us.  We’re learning that in Australia they value their time off work.  Even in bustling Sydney on Saturday the stores were mostly closed.  The same was true for New Castle on Sunday.  But none the less they had volunteers driving free shuttles into town and back and a few stores were open just for us.

The park was packed with families enjoying time together on a gorgeous Spring day.  I didn’t think I’d have a prayer of finding a magnet here.  But fortunately there was one little 7-11 type shop open where I found a good one.  And I also visited the local chemist (that’s Aussie talk for pharmacist).  I described my symptoms and he suggested some OTC cold and flu remedies.  Hopefully I’ll get this mess to break loose before we get to the Reef.

We walked around for a bit and then headed back on board.  We took off at 6:00, just before sunset.  The whole town came out on the pier to see us off.  The Captain gave a long blast on the horn and everyone waved to us.  But even better than that, they staged a cannon salute from a high-mesa vantage point (I was only able to get the smoke in the pic).  It was the most unique send-off we’ve ever had from a port.  The Captain gave another blast on the horn as we approached the cannon.  They responded with the first salute.  Then the Captain honked and they saluted again.  The ship must have been leaning hard to the starboard side since everyone on board was on that side waving to everyone on shore.  It was really cool.

At Happy Hour we met some of the new passengers.  They’re teaching all sorts of things about Australia, which we’re soaking up.  I truly feel at home here and love this country.  I definitely see return visits here.

We began a stretch of 3 sea days continuing north along the eastern coast of Australia toward our next port – Cairns and the Reef.  I think I’ll enjoy the down time to recover from my nasty cold.

Day 18: Sydney Part 1

G’day mates, from Sydney – I’ve waited a long time to say that!!  To sum it up in one word… BRRRRRR!!  How can a city have palm trees and be so freakin’ cold???  We arrived with a sharp cold wind.  Last night we sailed through an awful storm and had the worst pitching about that we’ve had all trip.  Every time I think it can’t get any rougher, it does. 

This crazy cold has settled into my chest (probably bronchitis) and I woke up not feeling so hot.  We waited until the last second to exit the boat, bundled up with layers of clothes, and headed straight for the Sydney Wildlife Park.  The most important thing is that I got to pet a koala – a lifelong dream.  Their fur is very dense and coarse.  They really aren’t that cuddly, but they sure are cute.  They sleep 17 hours a day, so they were all asleep.  We had pix taken, of course, but I have to upload them to some other website before I can share them. I'll have to do that when we get home.  So for now, here's my favorite picture...

My second lifelong dream was to also pet a kangaroo.  Didn’t get to do that, but we did see them and were pretty close to them.  They’re quite entertaining and silly.  I love this shot – he looks like a redneck, scratching his belly.

Here’s a cassowary… kinda looks like Kevin in the move Up.  Really gorgeous birds.  They're deemed the most dangerous bird because they use that topknot and their claws to cut you.  The topknot is like our fingernails.

And for all you Brownies and Girl Scouts, here’s the Cuccaberra…

What a beautiful city.  They’ve very elegantly blended the old with the new.  The architecture is definitely old British influence and they have lots of statues built into the sides of the old buildings.  They have all the modes of public transportation which makes it quite easy to get around.  The people are so friendly, and it’s a good thing, because we were lost for most of the morning.  We zigged when we shoulda zagged.  Here’s the Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge.  The sailing into the harbor was as beautiful as the captain had promised.  We’re docked right next to the Opera House.

And an example of the way they have integrated their historical and modern buildings…

I’ll end with this one…

A tidbit… Australia has no penny, their lowest denomination is a 2-cent coin, so they round all prices up.  Their pricing also includes sales tax.  So an item priced at $4.99 is $5.00 even.   

Tonight we sail away at 6:30 and head north up the east coast of Australia to New Castle.  The pier is accessible to the general public, so the captain promises it will be a Titanic-type sail away with waving and all.  Hopefully it will get warmer and smoother as we sail up the coast.  I hope we don't hit any ice burgs!