For those who love to travel, and even for many who don’t, visiting Australia and New Zealand is high on their bucket list. At a year post retirement, we were able to make this dream come true. 

On February 9th, we managed to get to the airport between snow and ice storms. Snow was still on the ground. There was ice on the back roads, and a well-built snowman on the runway tarmac near the loading area. It was cold. We had full expectations of coming back to Spring weather, but as it turned out, we arrived back home March 4th a day after the worst ice of the season. We owe tremendous gratitude to Susan W. for getting us to the airport on time and for retrieving us despite the icy roads. 

As is our habit when we travel to faraway places coupled with a cruise, we arrived at the embarkation city, Sydney, Australia, three days ahead of the set-sail date. The following pictures are arranged by country and not exactly by the cruise route as the ship left immediately for New Zealand. The actual port order leaving Sydney was Picton, New Zealand, Wellington, Akaroa, Dunedin, and then the Fiords. After the Fiords, we cruised back to Australia to Melbourne, Adelaide, Esperance, and Perth. There are no pictures of Perth as we went immediately from the ship to the airport with no time to spare. 

Upon arriving in Sydney, we had booked an Opera House tour before leaving home. We were so lucky there were only 5 in our tour group so we were able to get into some areas that larger groups don’t get to see. What a building! The Opera House was completed in 1973 but it was never intended to be an “Opera House”. Rather, the intent was to be a concert hall and multi-venue play house. There are 5 different size venues which helps make it one of the most popular attractions in the world. There are lots of steps to climb throughout and each venue is very different. Our guide was from Germany but has been in Australia for 30 years. She made the tour very interesting and gave lots of information.

From there we got back on the bus and headed to the next stop-Circular Quay. This is one of the wharf areas full of high-end restaurants, shops, marinas, and the over-seas ship terminal. A Celebrity cruise ship was in port. Aborigine dancers, mimes, and musicians were performing all around the wharf. We are finding that everything here costs at least twice if not three to four times more than back in the US. We spent the rest of the day going around the city on the double-decker bus through Chinatown, The Rocks, and transferred to another bus to take us out to Bondi Beach through high dollar neighborhoods. 

We finally got to bed forty-two hours since we got out of bed at home! We found a nice pub two buildings from our hotel where they served a wonderful meal of fish and chips for $15 per. (Large slabs of Burundi and restaurant made French fries) Our hotel room was really a small apartment so we were able to take what we didn’t eat, because we were so tired, back for a meal for the next day.

The next day we did the Hop-On-Hop-Off Harbor Boat Tour. This was great to see the city from the water. It is a totally different experience. We got to go under the Sydney Bridge, known as “The Coat Hanger.” We did not climb to the top of it since the ticket is $240 per person. When we came back to the Harbor we transferred to another boat—The Manly Fast Ferry. This would take us on a 20 min. fast boat ride to Manly Beach. This was a really fun area. We found a nice Mexican restaurant on the wharf where three small taco wraps and a coke cost $20. Then we walked about two blocks through a shopping area where we found a neat, economical shop – a real rarity. A couple of more blocks and we were on the beach. Linda managed to get her feet in the surf. It is the typical Pacific water—COLD, but it was a very warm day so it feels good for a short period of time. Once we got back to the wharf, we walked back through the Botanical Gardens to our hotel. Lots of White Cockatoos flying around; reminded us of pigeons in the US. They are very squawky.

The next day we had arranged a tour to the Blue Mountains National Park and Featherdale Wildlife Park. We walked to another hotel to be picked up. Nice ¾ mile walk through the neighborhoods. The Blue Mountains are so named because of the blue haze which hangs all around due to the oils secreted into the air from the Eucalyptus trees. This tour takes us out of Sydney about 90 miles. We travel to Echo Point overlooking the Three Sisters rock formations. Here we also saw an Aborigine show. Then back on the bus to an overlook where we got on a gondola to take us across the Jamison Valley. We could see Katoomba Falls, 3 Sisters, and other formations. Then we boarded the Scenic Cableway (steepest aerial cable car in Australia) to travel the 1788 feet into the Jamison Valley. Once in the valley, we walked the board-walk trails, passing a coal mine and the miner’s huts. The trails ended at the world’s steepest incline railway which we took back to the top. The railway travels 1361 feet – gradient is 52 degrees. Then we boarded the bus and headed to the town of Leura for a wonderful Asian lunch which was included in the tour price. From here we drove to the Featherdale Wildlife Park. We spent the afternoon with kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, and birds of all kinds. This is one of Australia’s largest private collections of native animals and birds. This was an unbelievable experience to actually be not only near these animals but to be able to touch them.

Friday, Valentine’s Day we will be getting on our cruise ship for a 17 day tour of New Zealand and Southern Australia. Before we board, we spent time in the Botanical Gardens and walking the river walkway to Mrs. MacQuaries Point—a very large stone “chair” carved for first Sydney’s Governor’s wife to sit on and watch the sunsets over the harbor. We were finally able to get good pictures of the Cockatoos. At the ship terminal, we were able to offload our luggage immediately, and then we had to stand in a line for awhile but thank goodness we are Crown and Anchor Members which provided the shortest of the lines. Once getting into the terminal, we moved quickly through the processing points and onto the ship—The Radiance of the Seas. We quickly found our room, then headed for lunch in the Windjammer Café. We were upgraded to a balcony room, so we were able to sit on our balcony and look at the City of Sydney. We were lucky enough to get our dinner seating changed from 8:30 PM to 6 PM. We had the same table location as we did in the Mediterranean – far back corner, port side by the window. The table sat 10, and the other 8 were wonderful table companions. 

Two full days at sea before we landed on the north tip of the south island of New Zealand at Picton. On the way, we experienced the “motion of the ocean” as the Tasman Sea is rarely calm.

Picton is a mill town. As you will see in the pictures, New Zealand has a large timber industry and the port of Picton is largely timber stacks awaiting shipment. Because of the timber and “working dock,” no one is allowed to wander the dock. We caught the free shuttle to town, but were disappointed to find no taxis available to set up an individual tour of the countryside. Picton is a very picturesque town. Queen Charlotte Bay is full of sailboats. There are lovely flower gardens with large marigolds, and other red and orange flowers. Lots of lavender plants too. Not having a tour, we wandered around town, found the library and sent messages home. 

The next day, we pulled into Wellington which is on the southern tip of the north island. (The only city we will visit on the Northern island of New Zealand.) Again we will have to take the shuttle, but this time it will cost us $10 each. Again this port is full of tree timber ready for pulp and/or lumber. Once in town, we took the cable car to the top of the city and then caught the free shuttle to Zealandia which is a nature preserve where they are trying to turn 6 square miles into what it looked like before humans set foot on the islands. The interpretive center was great. There was a full size mechanical model of the Giant Moa that became extinct from over-hunting in the 1500’s. (The Moa was a bird that looked somewhat like an Emu). It looked so real and you could turn a dial to make its head come up from foraging on the forest floor. After seeing a movie, we took off on the trails and saw kaka, parrots, teal ducks, Shags and takekiu (look somewhat like kiwi but are blue and green and have more of a parrot beak). They cannot fly. Saw lots of other birds, lizards and insects. The area is completely surrounded by a specifically engineered fence of heavy gauge wire mesh with a curved metal cap to keep all predators from climbing into the area and a lateral bottom fence so nothing can dig in either. The nonprofit group is trying to keep all invasive plants and animals from coming into this area while they strive to eradicate all non-native species in the completely enclosed compound. We spent about 3 hours hiking the trails. There are two lakes that provide water for the city of Wellington as well as habitat for the native species.

Next stop after another day at sea was back to the south island and the beautiful town of Akaroa. The bay is the crater of an ancient volcano, and has a rather narrow opening. Cruise ships historically docked at Christchurch 80 miles to the north, but the 2010 earthquake was so devastating, that the ship terminals are still being rebuilt there. Akaroa is a place you instantly fall in love with. The people are wonderful and inviting. The scenery is breath-taking, and the village quaint. We did manage a bus tour to the surrounding bays and hills. You will note the hill-top café where we stopped for lunch. Two muffins and two cokes cost $18. New Zealand is just as pricey as Australia, but you do get a 20% price break as 74 cents American dollar buys a New Zealand dollar. The exchange rate in Australia is a wash. Unlike most other countries we have visited, you have to change your money into the local currency. 

Next stop was Dunedin. Dunedin is Celtic for “Edinburgh”. It is a Scottish settled town, and the city buildings look very much like Scotland. Again, we were stymied in taking a private tour, so we bought a train ticket for a 90 minute ride up the coast. The earlier train had open top cars and was a longer tour but it filled up and left before we could get to the station. Therefore, all of our pictures were “out the window” and the windows were not very clean. The country side and beaches were postcard perfect with blue skies. Our pictures are less than perfect. Back in Dunedin, we walked the city and visited the first church “Otago” as the settlement was originally called with Thomas Burns (1796 to 1871) the first Presbyterian Minister. This church looks like a Gothic cathedral.

Dunedin was our last port in New Zealand. Another full day at sea where we rounded the southern tip of New Zealand around mid-night and proceeded up the west coast to the Fiords National Park. Of course, we woke to rain, a gale force wind, and 20+ feet seas. The Fiord Sounds did offer some, but not much, protection. Rain was horizontal, and walking on the helipad deck was almost impossible. It was closed periodically during the day. We made it to Milford Sound and the city of Milford where a ferry boat brought to us the 50 passengers that paid $600 in Dunedin to take a two day over-night land tour. 

Two and a half more days at sea brought us back to Australia and Melbourne. The Tasman Sea was rocking and rolling with 20 foot swells. Fortunately, we do not get sea-sick. We felt very sorry for those who did. At least one couple we knew of got off the boat at Melbourne not to return due to sea-sickness. 

Melbourne is the second largest city in Australia with about three million inhabitants – about a million less than Sydney. Melbourne traffic was not as bad as Sidney’s but bad enough. It is a beautiful city with a wide river (The Yarro) running through it. The architecture is a mix of the old and the modern. We took advantage of the buses, and trolleys to tour the city. The Melbourne Library – a State Library – was a sight. Several hundred young people populated the lawns in bean-bag chairs and blankets taking advantage of the free wi-fi. Inside, we took advantage of a computer room with well over 100 terminals to send e-mails home. We went into St. Paul’s Cathedral and after I took one picture, Linda pointed out a sign stating pictures would require a $5 donation, use of a tripod $15, and professionals to inquire. We snapped two more and left. This was a first. 
From Melbourne we sailed on into Western Australia and Adelaide. Again, we had a long shuttle ride into town. But, we were on a ship’s tour to the Cleland Wildlife preserve. This was one of the few worth the price ship tours. We thought Featherdale in Sydney was wonderful – Cleland was fantastic as you will see from the pictures. After Cleland, we were dropped off in town, where we toured the jewelry story for a bargain in Opals, but none was found in our price range. One jewelry store had an Opal mine beneath it which was open to visitors. Again, we found the library – why pay the ship 75 cents a minute when you get free internet access in the city???

Another day at sea brought us to Esperance. Esperance is a small mining town with some of the most beautiful beaches on Earth. Australia is blessed with extensive mineral wealth: gold, silver, uranium, opal, diamonds, iron and nickel. Iron and nickel are taking fore-front currently. There are iron deposits so pure, that a hammer on a boulder will ping. We made the library before it closed at noon to check-in and print our boarding passes for the flight from Perth back to Sydney, then toured the reconstructed historic village before boarding a small local tour bus to the country side. We stopped at the highest point over the city, toured iconic Twilight Beach where kangaroos play as well as most of the town, and pink lake. We stopped at a leather shop that turned fish skin into all sorts of bags, purses, boots, and other leather goods, and even used the scales for a variety of products including guitar picks for the famous and not so famous. Finally, we visited an art glass jewelry shop. Beautiful, but pricey. 

All trips must come to an end. Another day at sea brought us to Perth by early morning. Silly us, as we planned this trip last year, we began to worry about cost and did not plan an over-night stay in Perth. Our ship docked at 7 AM and our flight left at 10AM. Not the smartest move, but doable. We panicked some even though we were the second couple off the ship when there was only one Taxi Cab, and its’ trunk was too small for the couple’s luggage in front of us, so with the trunk full, and the seats full, we had to wait for the next cab …. Which did not come right away! Fifteen minutes seemed like hours! Finally, a cab. Popped in, and off to the airport. Made it with time to spare. Four hours later, we were back in Sydney. 

The hotel we picked out on-line before we left home seemed a lot closer to the airport than where it actually turned out. Another expensive cab ride! However, it was a very nice small hotel in a quaint part of town with lots of shops and restaurants. Again, we found the best bargain going – fish and chips, and this time beer or coke thrown in for a mere $12 per! Delicious! (Most restaurant entree’s start in the $20+ range with “nicer” restaurants in the $60+ range). The next morning, we found the best breakfast bargain of the land tours – two eggs, bacon, ham, toast, potatoes, tomatoes, mushrooms, all piled high with coffee for $10. I think they simply liked that we were tourists and the first ones in that early morning.

Back to the airport for a 12:30 flight home. Another 14 hours in the air – great tail wind of over 100 mph helped get us to LA quicker. We landed with two hours to make our Atlanta flight. Two hours to clear Customs, pick up our checked luggage, clear the luggage through Customs, re-check the luggage, and then clear security and get to gate 51!!! Wait! We just came in gate 51. It was the same plane, and Linda had the exact same seat. Joe, he was on her left this flight instead of her right. Thankfully, the flight to Atlanta and Atlanta to home was uneventful. We arrived home at 7:30 PM a day after one of the worst sleet storms Little Rock had experienced this winter. We knew in Esperance that ice was predicted for Little Rock so we were already concerned. Our wonderful friend, Susan W. had taken us to the airport in ice, and now, almost a month later, she had to brave the roads again to pick us up. How very grateful we are to her.

Already, we want to go back. There simply was not enough time to see what all needs to be seen. A third of the ship and two couples at our dining table continued on for another 17 days around the top half of Australia, with a day in Bali, and back down to Sydney. Had we know the ship circum-navigated the Continent, we might have thought about staying on. But, another 9 days at sea (our six was enough) would not have set will with Joe. We want to go to Ayers Rock, and see Queensland in the North East, visit the Great Barrier Reef and the Gold Coast, and tour the Western Mountain ranges, and spend time in Perth. Even more, we want to tour all of New Zealand, and be in the Fiords in the winter (June or July) when the mountains are covered with snow. Cruising is a wonderful way to see a lot of territory, but a little of the area while in port. A month back in Australia and a couple of months in New Zealand should be about right. Then, there is the seventh Continent --- we have been on six now – Antarctica awaits us!