Dunedin

Dunedin, New Zealand – March 9, 2014

Dunedin is New Zealand’s first city. It is perched on the southeastern coast of the South Island and its Maori name is Otepoti which means “place beyond which one cannot go.”  It boasts many firsts...including the first university in New Zealand, the steepest street in the world, and this large albatross colony.  Yes...those white specks on the hillside are indeed albatrosses, including a mom and her chick.  Sorry, this is as close as we could get!

The Taieri Gorge Railway travels out into the countryside and the mountains and offers spectacular scenery….so we grabbed our cameras and hopped on.

Chuck was a hero when an elderly gent lost his balance getting off the train at a scenic stop. The gent slid down a gravel embankment until Chuck and another passenger grabbed his arms just in time to keep him from falling into a ravine! (And Chuck wasn’t even wearing his super-hero cape!!)

Wellington

Wellington, New Zealand – March 10, 2014

We spent a glorious sunny day in Wellington including a visit to Te Papa, New Zealand’s national museum. We were told that if you only visit one place in Wellington, this informative and interactive museum will most certainly not disappoint. The museum’s full name, Te Papa Tongarewa, literally means “container of treasures.” We learned about the Maori culture, saw Te Papa’s famous colossal squid and got a shake-up in the Earthquake House.

It was energizing running into this rambunctious group of New Zealand schoolboys! (Wonder what all those medals and badges are for?!?)

Needless to say, we were astounded at the size of the egg that the female Kiwi has to carry around!! Yikes!! How are they not extinct??

Tauranga

Tauranga, New Zealand – March 12, 2014

It was another gorgeous day here in the Bay of Plenty... and we signed up with our friends for an excursion to Hobbiton, the outdoor movie set designed for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings productions. It was comprised of over 1,200 acres of picturesque hobbit holes….

This one is where Bilbo Baggins lived….

….and Susan has dibs on this one!

Our guide stressed that the one thing we needed to remember was, “DO NOT GO OFF ON YOUR OWN!!” But when we saw this sign….

….we just couldn’t resist heading over the river and through the woods to The Green Dragon for some cold beer!!

We have now been thoroughly pampered for two months….and are hardly capable of making any decisions greater than what to have for dinner. Well….except for occasionally deciding to be scofflaws….i.e. “DO NOT GO OFF ON YOUR OWN!!” So we’ve determined that this clueless gesture is our very appropriate tribal trademark….

Thank goodness we were delivered back to our ship and aren’t destined to wander Middle-earth forever!

Auckland

Auckland, New Zealand – March 13, 2014

As with Napier and Wellington, this port is another revisit from our 2008 world cruise. And again, the weather far exceeded all expectations. BUT….it seems we’ve been enjoying the calm before the storm. It appears that Cyclone Lusi is bearing down for a direct hit on the northern coast of New Zealand. We were informed by our Captain that we will not be able to make our scheduled stop at the Bay of Islands. This was a new port for us so we’re disappointed. We will now be taking a circuitous weather avoidance route to the Kingdom of Tonga.

But it’s a heavenly day here in Auckland and the sun is still shining, so….Carpe Diem!! We took a relaxing ferry ride out to picturesque Waiheke Island and did a wine-tasting and vineyard tour. Perfection!!

Good news! We haven’t lost our survival skills! We remembered to bring back some bottled vineyard products to get us through the stormy days ahead!!

Tonga

Nuku’alofa, Kingdom of Tonga – March 17, 2014

After a roller coaster ride, compliments of Cyclone Lusi, it seemed a good omen to pull into the harbor in Tonga and see this rainbow!!

The word “Tonga” means “south” and indicates that the original Tongans came from the north, most probably Samoa. (Our next port!) They are set apart from many other Pacific Islanders by the fact that they never indulged in cannibalism. (Yep….feeling better already!) A statistic that surprised us is that 99.9% of the population are pureblooded Tongans! Wow….that is an unsullied gene pool!!

Uniquely among the nations of the South Pacific, Tonga has never been subject to direct European rule. Religion is by far the strongest influence on the islands. Sunday is a day designated for church….both work and noise are out of the question. Even though we were being chased by Cyclone Lusi, we were not permitted to visit the island on Sunday. Therefore, Queen Victoria had to bounce around in the elements until sunrise on Monday!

Visitors are also not permitted on the grounds of the Royal Palace (lots of rules here!) but it is located right next to the port and we had an excellent vantage point from our balcony on the ship.

Tapa-making and mat weaving are major occupations of the female population.

When you’re in the South Pacific and need a pick-me-up what do you order?? Right!! Coconut milk!!

Tonga is located almost on the International Date Line and claims to be the first place in the world to see the sunrise. You might have noticed by the date above that we are in Tonga on St. Paddy’s Day. We will pass over the Date Line tonight and….yes!...tomorrow will also be St. Paddy’s Day! Chuck is trying out the green beer on offer in the Golden Lion Pub….and looking forward to doing it again tomorrow!! Timing is everything!!

Pago Pago

Pago Pago, American Samoa – March 18, 2014

American Samoa is a volcanic island with dramatic cliffs that plunge almost straight into the sea and is the only American territory in the southern hemisphere. Pago Pago is another redo from our 2008 cruise. (www.waterunderthebridges.blogspot.com)

Chuck is thinking of getting a lava-lava like these Samoan policemen!

Don celebrated his birthday here at Tisa’s Barefoot Beach in 2008 and we were all eager to enjoy another birthday party with our toes in the sand! Intrepid souls that we are, we hired this funky bus to take us on our own magical mystery tour….up to the summit of Rainmaker Mountain for the scenic views…and then on to the beach.

Hmmmm….maybe we should have paid more attention to that skull on the side of our chariot!

We hadn’t gone more than a mile or two before our driver pulled over to the side of the road. He ran into a convenience store and came out with a big jug of water to pour into our overheating radiator! Oh no!!....we haven’t even begun to climb the mountain yet!! The smell of burning rubber became more and more pervasive as we made our way up the jungle-covered mountain. We were all relieved to jump out at the top for our photo op!

And then, after a white-knuckle trip down the mountainside, we were able to head to the beach. Our route took us past the busy tuna canneries that provide employment for a third of the population in American Samoa. Ruthanne was NOT a fan of the odor!

It was a relief to finally arrive at Tisa’s!!

We were even able to get our same table from 2008!

 We were especially glad to see that Tisa’s was in good shape….there was a sizable earthquake just off of Samoa in September of 2009 that produced a damaging tsunami on the island. Tisa’s husband, Candyman, regaled us with tales of that day.

And finally….the birthday boy….in his birthday attire!

Hawaii

Hilo, Hawaii - March 24, 2014

Back in the USA....and feeling a little bit giddy!! When we got our feet onto American soil, some of us broke out into a spontaneous verse of "America."🇺🇸


We read that the #1 attraction here is the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park. It is a World Heritage Site and boasts two active volcanoes: Mauna Loa and the more volatile Kilauea. We voted for "more volatile" and headed for Kilauea which has been erupting continuously for the last 20 years! It's gigantic crater is called "The House of Everlasting Fire." We only wish our visit could have extended into the evening hours so we could view its fiery glow.

It was a bit chilly at the higher altitude, but the steam vents warmed us up. As rainfall trickles into the ground, it is heated by the scalding temperature of the solidified hot rock. The rainfall is boiled and emitted as steam and sulfurous gas....kind of eerie!!

We were also able to fit in a visit to the Pacific Tsunami Museum. Hilo experienced great loss of life by two disastrous tsunamis that struck in 1946 and in 1960 (just one year after Hawaii became the 50th state of the USA.) Both of these events were caused by distant earthquakes. We learned that tsunamis can reach speeds of up to 600 miles per hour! That's as fast as a commercial jet!! The museum was founded by a survivor of a tsunami as a way to remind local people of the possible consequences of future tsunamis.

....and when we got back to the ship....something we don't ever see in Naples or Marblehead....

 





Honolulu, Hawaii - March 25, 2014

Honolulu was the venue for the gala over-the-top black tie dinner organized by Cunard for the 700 people who are doing the full world cruise. On the bus that was transporting us to the Hawaiian Convention Center, Chuck and I decided it was about time that we tried our first "selfie".....

Chuck was quite fond of this young lady who greeted us with colorful leis!

The spectacular outdoor venue was complete with mai tais, Hawaiian music and adorable little hula dancers. And, of course, we were summoned to dinner by a warrior blowing a conch shell.

....WOW!!  What a night!