Fremantle/Perth or Bust

Hello,

I am in cruising the Australian Basin en route to Fremantle. To be honest I never realized it existed. I am about to see it in two more days.The city next to Fremantle is Perth the capital of Australia.

Melbourne is a beautiful city. It is a city planners dream setting. There are wide tree lined avenues - 99' feet wide with side streets of 66'. The city is laid out in districts. There is one district I believe many would like. There is the sporting district with a stadium for rugby, one for Aussie football, one for soccer, one for cricket, one for tennis, and a swimming facility. I got to ride the grand prix track that is being prepared for the race next month. All of these facilities are surrounded with park lands. It is beautiful. There is the law district, financial district, Italian district loaded with restaurants, so on and so on. The water front has been gentrified very nicely. Beautiful restaurants and bars. The city claims to have thousands of restaurants, with every imaginable cuisine.

I guess you can see I liked this port of call very much. I am finding Australia to be a country filled with diverse people filled with all kinds of creative juices that have found expression in all types of outlets. The next stop is my last port of call. I am sure it too will be great.

Take care.

Bill

South Pacific en Route to Melbourne

Howdy Mates,

    Loved Sydney !  Beautiful city with a significant amount of history and beautiful buildings. I began my first day in the city by going to the Opera House for tickets.  I got standing room to see Carmen.  I was on line at 8:30 with the box office opening at 9:00am.  What does one do on line but talk to fellow folk on line.  I met a gent from Honolulu and three young people from Holland. As the Hawaiian gentleman in front of me approached the ticket window he purchased for the three kids from Holland saying, I was once in your shows and know that fund are scarce.  A magnificent gesture.  Will mention this group later.

  After purchasing my standing room ticket for $49.00, I purchased a tour of the facility.  It was worth every penny.  The guide loved the buildings and presented that love with every word he spoke.  There are three buildings with five different theaters.  The concert hall is the largest with 2500+ seats in the house.  The hall is magnificent.  Pope JP II spoke in this hall as did many other world leaders.  Concerts with conductors from around the world have appeared here.  All I can say is that the hall is spectacular.  Under the concert hall there are three smaller halls.  When I was there there was a play in one and a musical in another - the Rock and Roll show that is now on Broadway in NYC.  I believe the other was vacant.  There is a smaller building of the same design in front toward the land that is a restaurant and bar.  Then there is the Opera House.  It seats 1500 +, at least 1000 seats smaller than the Concert Hall, but none the less grand in its volume.  All three buildings have an unfinished quality about them, rough cements, stone stairs, exposed piping,  I think the Danish architect saw the finish in the people who fill the space with the orchestras, singers etc.  Whatever, it is one of the most amazing pieces of architecture that I have ever seen.  remind me to tell in detail the story behind the construction, cost and architect.  It is all a contemporary melodrama played out in real life.

  After the  tour I grabbed a bight at a caffe right on the water overlooking Queen Elizabeth.  Great view I do not see often.  I then took a tour of the city on the top deck of an ope aired bus.  Very enjoyable and informative.  Then went back to the ship to clean up, dress  and eat before the Opera.  I actually dined in the Opera House.  My standing spot was a great view.  Could see everything.  Met my four neighbors of the morning line.  We talked and then got lost in the opera.  After intermission,  we all got seats for the remainder of the production.  The Opera ended at 10:30 with a start of 7:30pm.  Our group gathered and discussed the opera.  It so happens that our Hawaiian friend is a music buff and has sung Carmen a number of times at home and knows the score by heart   

Pictures I Hope

Wellington

Howdy One and All,

   Just got in from a tour of Wellington - mostly on foot.  Took the tram to the top of the city.  While this is the capital of the country there are only about 120,000 people living here as compare to the 1.5 million in Auckland.  None the less it is pretty and historic in nature.  The "new" parliament building looks like an beehive and is referred to as such. The formal gardens around town are beautiful.  The botanical gardens are spectacular with this massive rose garden called Lady Norwood Rose Garden.  Next to the garden children were playing cricket.  I asked a gentleman watching to please explain the game by the time he finished, I knew as much before the question as after the explanation.  Visited the Catholic cathedral of the Sacred Heart, as well as the new Anglican Cathedral of St. Paul - far grander in size and finish.  Then went on to Old St. Paul's, which is all wood in gothic style.  It is a fascinating facility.  In Old St. Paul's there are hanging the American and the US Marine corps flags.  When i asked why I was told the story of WW II.  It seems the NZ troops were fighting in Europe, when the war in the Pacific happened.  The NZ troops stayed in Europe with England and the 2nd brigade of US Marines came and protected this section of NZ.  The troops came to Old St Paul's, when they left they left their flags behind.

   I then walked down town and ate at a quaint Irish pub called the Black Thorne.  As I was leaving after two pints, I realized there was no camera in my possession.  Stopped thought and felt I left it in Old St.. Paul's, hailed a cab went to the church, wedding in progress was able to ask a guide if a camera was there.  Long and short of it, I got the camera.  Felt good about it so I had the cab driver give me a tour of Wellington, other than the areas I had covered.  $60NZ dollars later I was back on the Queen Elizabeth.  This has been a great day of adventure.  The next two days will be days of rest and recoup.  We then dock in Sydney.  I am excited about being in Sydney for an overnight.

  I think this is enough adventure for today.  Take care.  I will try to send pictures - again.

Tacke care,

   Bill

On My Way to Wellington, NZ

Greetings,

   It is Friday in my world, but Thursday in yours.  Such is life as one in constant motion.  My day in the Bay of Islands was fantastic.  It is beautiful, peaceful, quiet and very friendly.  The people are wonderful.  I visited a craft fair that was filled with magnificent hand crafted goods, from wooden bowls, knitted scarfs, hand crafted jewelry, a significant amount hand made glass jewelry and beautiful dishes.  The harbor is the inside of a volcano, with one wall gone thus filling it with water.  This has created a magnificent harbor surrounded by mountains.  The countryside is so green and lush with vegetation.  There are sheep everywhere.  The area is rich in history around the Maori people, who greeted the European settlers.  Lots of battles until peace was reached in the 1840's.  NZ claims to be only 150 years old as a country,  There are only 4 million living in the country on two islands, the north and the south.  All my travels will be in the north - Bay of Islands, Auckland and Wellington the national capitol.

  Yesterday I was in Auckland .  The largest city in NZ.  There is a population of about 1.3 million in the immediate area.  What a city, with the tallest building in the country.  Hopefully there will be a picture of the tower forthcoming.  I escorted a group for a tour around the city, with a stop in their War Memorial Museum   

Greetings From the Bay of Islands, NZ

Morning Everyone,

    Sorry it has been so long in reaching you, but connections is the south Pacific are near impossible.  I am doing very well and still enjoying every moment.  The days fly by with one activity after another.  I have to plan time to relax and grab a nap.  I find myself falling asleep once I settle into a comfortable chair.  Enough about me.  Let me fill you in on what has been happening in my world at sea.

  Since my last contact I had just left Hawaii.  I traveled for four days heading south.  On that journey I crossed the equator and went through an initiation ceremony from being a pollywag to a shellback.  The ritual took place around the pool mid deck.  It felt as though the entire ship was watching.  Some guest, not me, were placed on a table and covered with all kinds of ground food from the kitchen.  Of course everyone screamed in approval.  The victim then went into the pool.  The crew did this for about 10 guests and a few new crew.  By the time they finished the pool looked like a soup.  The rest of us had to kiss the face of a large fish.  It was great fun.  We even had King Neptune in attendance, with the Captain and other senior officers.  There were mermaids, and a life guard just in case.  After all the fun was over, we received a certificate indicating our passage over the Equator.

  Our next stop was America Samoa in Pago Pago.  I escorted a tour here and visited the country side.  Did meet a number of natives and saw their homes.  The people here presented a show of dancers and explained their family structure.  The resorts are beautiful.  Sorry, I forgot we first went to Apia, Western Samoa I was very impressed with the resourcefulness of these folk.  while on the island I purchased a native garment, we would call it a skirt.  The native men live in these outfits.  I wore my brown luffa luffa for three nights to dinner.  At first heads turned, by the third evening going from island to island the guests got use to my attire.  As as a matter of fact many other men got into the luffa luffas as well.  Out third island of Fiji had many up for the attire.

  We went to bed on February 10 and woke up on February 12.  We crossed the international date line and lost a day.  It has taken time for me and others to get use to the loss of day.  The world still rotates and we move on one day at a time.

We just completed two days at sea and have arrived at the Bay of Islands, NZ.  We will be in New Zealand for three days.  From here we are off to Auckland and then Wellington.  From what I see so far this day the people are very warm.  The country is beautiful..This is the place Zane Grey made famous with his writings about fishing etc.  There are a number of boats in the harbor, that is private boats.  We are on the Northern Island.  The country consists of two major islands - North and South.

  On board ship there are all types of activities.  I find the lecture series the ship offers to be most informative.  There are political experts, former Secretary of State from Australia, he had another title but it is comparable to what I called him. James Brady the author of the "Flags of our Fathers" and others.  He seems to love himself.  There were many others as well.  There are at least two lectures a day, a movie, a meeting with the Captain etc.  Yesterday 85 guest had gone into rehearsal and put on a concert.  The show was spectacular.  The director did a great job with the troops.  Last night there was a talent show put on by the staff.  Enjoyable.

 I boarded the tender at 8:15 this morning to get ashore so I could reach you.  Hopefully with the future ports of call I will be able to reach you more often.  The really next big stop is Sydney.  i have requested to lead a tour to the Opera House to see Carmen.

I am going to try and send a few pictures with this blog.  Hopefully it will work.

Take care.

   Bill