April 26

Finally, here's New Zealand and Australia.


March 21 - Auckland, New Zealand - In Auckland I took a tour called Auckland Maori Cultural Walk. We were driven to the top of Mt. Eden (643 feet high) and then had a lovely walk down the volcano during which time our guide (a Maori descendent) explained some of the Maori history/traditions. Our walk ended in the Auckland Domain with tea and cookies. The Auckland Domain is a 340 acre park which includes cricket fields, the Auckland Museum & Wintergardens - a lovely park.

In the evening, the World Cruisers were taken to dinner at the Northern Club, founded in 1869 when the popularity of a gentleman’s club was at its peak throughout the British Empire. The club has been at the center of Auckland’s social community and has had many of New Zealand’s leading political & business leaders as its members - and now accepts women members.


View from Mt. Eden


Our guide chanting a Maori welcome.


A street scene on our walk.


Cricket field - Auckland Domain



The Northern Club


The Ferry Building


March 22 - Bay of Islands - New Zealand - Regent had an event for all passengers at the Bay of Islands. This was a beautiful spot that none of us had heard of. Some passengers also took the tender to Russell which they said was charming and also beautiful. The Regent event was at Waitangi where we visited the Waitangi Treaty House where the Maori chiefs signed over sovereignty of their lands to Queen Victoria of Great Britain in 1940. We wandered around the grounds, had a lovely lunch and were treated to Maori song and dance. You will notice in the pictures that the Maori expressions are unique (big eyes & sticking out the tongue). I didn’t gather that the tongue thing was threatening, but rather cautionary.



Treaty House (where Maori signed over their lands)


Meeting House



Interior of Meeting House


View From Grounds



Me & Maori


Scene from Maori Cultural Dance


Longboat Coming to Shore


March 25 - Sydney - Sydney was fun. We attended an opera at the Sydney Opera House that we will never forget (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk by Shostakovich) and the bridge climb was awesome. The bridge tour that I had booked with Regent was canceled, so I had the opportunity to reserve my own bridge walk at sunset rather than midday. It was a rainy, overcast day, but it still was awesome! The picture of me was taken at the top by our guide.


Arriving Sydney early in the morning.



Sydney Bridge



Spider, Opera House & Bridge


Here we are the top!


One happy camper - still had to get down, though!


March 27 - Newcastle, Australia - It was in Newcastle, Australia that I got the best pictures of a Koala Bear and Kangaroo at Blackbutt Reserve. We also visited Fort Scratchley which still has working canons. We were unable to visit Christ Church Anglican Cathedral because they were having a funeral for a local young soldier who had lost his life trying to detonate a bomb in Afghanistan. We were, however, at Ft. Scratchley when they shot off a canon for the soldier - very moving with Waltzing Matilda also being played. They also shot off 3 shots when our cruise ship left Newcastle. Incidentally, we met two lovely women from Australia on our cruise and we had a lengthy discussion about the meaning of Waltzing Matilda - not what I thought.


Isn't this guy cute??


They posed for us!




March 30 - Cairns, Australlia - A red letter day for me thanks to my friends, Karol & Henry. I had decided not to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef tour since there were other means of seeing the fish & coral, but Karol talked me into bringing my suit “just in case”. As it turns out, there was a guided snorkeling tour where the guide had a life ring you could hold onto as well as wearing a flotation device. I felt comfortable with that concept and Karol & Henry took me in the water with snorkeling gear before the tour so I could get comfortable. I am so glad I had the opportunity to see the beautiful coral and colorful fish - an unforgetable experience.



Wahoo - I did it!



Platform at Great Barrier Reef. Catamaran that brought us to the platform is in back.


Next, Thailand.......