A Rainy Day in Christchurch

A new adventure begins! We fly to Melbourne where we spend a couple of days before embarking on the cruise ship Grand Princess for a 13 night circumnavigation of New Zealand. Returning to land, our holiday continues at Phillip Island and ends with one last day back where we started in Melbourne. Join me for a round trip, on sea and on land, to destinations both familiar and new.

March 2023

Ōtautahi / Christchurch

It was rainy and cold in Christchurch but we found a great way to stay dry, on a Christchurch Tram. With interesting commentary by the drivers and 17 stops around the city centre, we were able to explore in comfort. On such a wet day we chose to alight at just a few stops on the route.

As we rode along the tram driver told us about the earthquakes which struck Christchurch on 4th September, 2010 and again on 22nd February, 2011. While the first earthquake was stronger at magnitude 7.1, the second at magnitude 6.3 caused widespread devastation and killed 185 people. Our driver explained how the city is rebuilding using construction techniques designed to withstand future tremors.

To learn more about the 2011 earthquake we left the tram at Quake City, a special exhibition by Canterbury Museum. Displays explaining the science of the earthquake and the response, from both local and international personnel, gave us a greater understanding of what happened to the city and its people.

Back on the tram, we went next to Cathedral Square. After reading about the destruction of Christ Church Cathedral, it was heartening to see firsthand the ongoing restoration work, scheduled for completion in 2027.

Other stops on the tram route included New Regent Street and Victoria Square.

New Regent Street is a wide pedestrian mall with shops, boutiques and cafés on either side of the tram line. We admired the pastel coloured Spanish Mission style buildings dating from the 1930s.

During a break in the rain at Victoria Square we saw Queen Victoria and Mana Motuhake, a Māori commemoration of the Treaty of Waitangi.

We finally left the tram at the top of City Mall. Here we stopped to pay our respects to past and present members of New Zealand’s Defence Forces at the Bridge of Remembrance, a beautiful war memorial spanning the Avon River.

It was a short walk along the mall to the Riverside Market. The indoor farmers’ market, selling local produce and artisan foods was a welcome respite from the rain. We enjoyed a hot lunch and the beer lovers sampled a local brew at the Canterbury Brewers Collective.

After beginning our day in Christchurch at Quake City, it seemed fitting to finish at the Oi Manawa Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial, located beside the Avon River close to the Bridge of Remembrance. The Māori name for the memorial, Oi Manawa, means ‘tremor or quivering of the heart’.

The curved stone wall is inscribed with the names of the 185 people who died in the 2011 earthquake.

Back on board our ship late in the afternoon, the rain finally stopped and the sky was clear again. The setting sun cast a golden glow over the water as we sailed out of Lyttleton Harbour en route to Wellington.

Walking Around Dunedin

A new adventure begins! We fly to Melbourne where we spend a couple of days before embarking on the cruise ship Grand Princess for a 13 night circumnavigation of New Zealand. Returning to land, our holiday continues at Phillip Island and ends with one last day back where we started in Melbourne. Join me for a round trip, on sea and on land, to destinations both familiar and new.

March 2023

Ōtepoti / Dunedin

After three days on board the ship we were ready to do some walking, and we had all day to explore the compact city centre of Dunedin.

We started at the Octagon, a large eight-sided pedestrian precinct surrounded by shops and grand Victorian buildings.

Two contrasting sculptures symbolise the city’s cultural heritage. Ko te Tuhono is a replica of a carved entrance at the Māori meeting house Ōtākou marae, one of the locations of the 1840  signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Nearby, a statue of Robert Burns is one of four created by Scottish sculptor John Steell. The others are in Dundee, London and New York City. Dunedin was chosen as the location for this fourth statue in recognition of the city’s Scottish history.

At the Otago Settlers Museum we learned about the two Māori settlements  of Ōtepoti and Puketai and the culture of the people who first lived here.

St Paul’s Anglican  Cathedral, constructed in the early 1900s, was damaged by fire in 2020. While the beautiful stained glass windows were saved, the chancel was destroyed. Work is underway to restore the damaged areas of the church.

The famous Renaissance-style façade of the Dunedin Railway Station was covered due to restoration works but the building was still open. The magnificent interior features Royal Doulton cherubs and foliage on the walls, 750,000 Royal Doulton tiles on the mosaic floor and stained glass windows on the mezzanine.

All these beautiful buildings are surrounded by expansive parks and gardens.

Queen Victoria overlooks her namesake Queens Gardens and the spectacular 28 metre high Dunedin Cenotaph. Close to the war memorial is another small memorial dedicated to New Zealand recipients of the Victoria Cross.

With two beer lovers in our party of four, our walking tour of Dunedin would have been incomplete without a visit to Speight’s Brewery and Ale House. Knowing that beer has been brewed here since 1876, their expectations were high.

And they weren’t disappointed!

Joining Jo for Monday Walks

Scenic Cruising in Fiordland

A new adventure begins! We fly to Melbourne where we spend a couple of days before embarking on the cruise ship Grand Princess for a 13 night circumnavigation of New Zealand. Returning to land, our holiday continues at Phillip Island and ends with one last day back where we started in Melbourne. Join me for a round trip, on sea and on land, to destinations both familiar and new.

March 2023

Te Rua-o-te-moko / Fiordland National Park

Our day of scenic cruising in Fiordland National Park started early. An average of 7 metres of rain falls every year in the national park but at 7.45 a.m. on this day a pretty sunrise gave us reason to be optimistic. Hopefully we would have fine weather.

Even with the sun shining the air up on deck was icy cold – we were well prepared with warm coats, gloves and hats.

Fiordland National Park includes 14 spectacular world heritage listed fiords; on this day we sailed through five. The first was Piopiotahi / Milford Sound, where the steep forested slopes rise up to 1,200 metres on either side of the water. Low hanging cloud enhanced the fiord’s rugged beauty.

The tiny town on the water’s edge also known as Milford Sound was dwarfed by the surrounding mountains.

After retracing our route to leave Piopiotahi / Milford Sound, the ship sailed south along the coast before entering Te Awa-o-Tū / Thompson Sound. We sailed through this fiord and into Patea / Doubtful Sound, a journey of 21 kilometres.

Where Piopiotahi / Milford Sound was dominated by steep slopes and sheer cliffs, these waterways were broad and the mountains not quite so steep. At midday, the cloud was higher but the temperature had only risen by a few degrees.

We travelled further south again and at 3 p.m. sailed through Te Puaitaha / Breaksea Sound into Tamatea / Dusky Sound. Together these are the longest of the fiords; the ship took 90 minutes to sail 40 kilometres from end to end.

The weather changed as we entered the fiord. Even though the misty rain and fog enveloped us we stayed out on our balcony, rugged up against the bitterly cold wind. Nothing was going to prevent us from seeing this spectacular scenery.

Finally, as we left Tamatea / Dusky Sound, the weather changed again. The sun broke through the clouds, illuminating Seal Islands and Five Fingers Peninsula in the distance.

After a day of varied weather, the Tasman Sea sparkled in the late afternoon sunshine. Next stop: Dunedin!

Sea Days

A new adventure begins! We fly to Melbourne where we spend a couple of days before embarking on the cruise ship Grand Princess for a 13 night circumnavigation of New Zealand. Returning to land, our holiday continues at Phillip Island and ends with one last day back where we started in Melbourne. Join me for a round trip, on sea and on land, to destinations both familiar and new.

March 2023

Crossing the Tasman Sea

Two sea days onboard while we sailed from Melbourne to our first New Zealand destination gave us time to

• explore the ship

• go for morning walks on the Promenade Deck

• watch new release movies under the stars

• fill the champagne tower

• enjoy drinks and desserts on our balcony

• eat more dessert at the restaurant

• and look out over the ever-changing ocean

especially at sunset!

Crossing the Bay

A new adventure begins! We fly to Melbourne where we spend a couple of days before embarking on the cruise ship Grand Princess for a 13 night circumnavigation of New Zealand. Returning to land, our holiday continues at Phillip Island and ends with one last day back where we started in Melbourne. Join me for a round trip, on sea and on land, to destinations both new and familiar.

March 2023

Port Phillip

In November 2022 we spent a few days exploring Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. This narrow strip of land, at its widest just 20 kilometres across, is surrounded by water on three sides – Western Port to the east, Bass Strait to the south and, on the west, the huge expanse of Port Phillip.

The largest bay in Victoria, Port Phillip covers an area of 1930 square kilometres. It may be large but it’s also very shallow, with half being less than eight metres deep. Opposite Mornington Peninsula is the Bellarine Peninsula, its coast just visible on the horizon.

While its 264 kilometre coastline is dominated by the cities of Melbourne and Geelong, there are several pretty seaside towns around the bay. We stayed at the peninsula’s largest town Mornington where the views of the bay were superb, especially at sunset.

The two peninsulas end at Point Nepean on the east and Point Lonsdale on the west. The 3.5 kilometre gap between the points, called The Rip, forms the only entrance to Port Phillip. One day we drove out to Point Nepean National Park and hiked to the end of Point Nepean.

We watched in fascination as large vessels negotiated the tricky waterway, guided by experienced Port Phillip Maritime Pilots.

In March this year, it was our turn to sail across Port Phillip on the cruise ship Grand Princess. We said farewell to Melbourne and left Station Pier at 5 p.m. before sailing in a south-eastly direction alongside Mornington Peninsula.

It took almost three hours before we arrived at The Rip. After seeing this narrow entrance from land, it was fascinating to be on the water as we sailed through between Point Lonsdale and Point Nepean.

We could even see where we had stood watching the container ships pass by.

Due to large variations in depth and tides, the Rip is notoriously dangerous. As we left the sheltered waters of Port Phillip and entered Bass Strait, the ocean changed almost immediately and we were glad to know there was a skilled pilot on board.

We took a south-easterly course across Bass Strait towards Tasmania as the sun set behind us. It was time to settle in and enjoy our sea days on the way to New Zealand.

With this last ocean sunset photo, I’m joining Denzil for his Nature Photo Challenge #11: Yellow

Gold and Silver

Queensland Road Trip, May 2022

Let’s go on a road trip! Come with us to Townsville and west on the Savannah Way to Karumba on an adventure in far north Queensland.   

Welcome to Karumba! 

Located at the mouth of the Norman River, Karumba is famous for fishing and sunsets. While we were there, the sunsets lived up to their reputation and we got up close to every fisherman’s dream catch, the barramundi. 

We stayed out of town at Karumba Point, where the Norman River flows into the Gulf of Carpentaria. The beach where the river meets the sea is a popular spot for those hoping to catch a barra or a king salmon.

Salt water crocodiles also favour this area. We didn’t see any but we heard stories in town about a very large croc who had recently been coming closer than he should. 

Karumba is one of just a few places in Queensland where the sun sets over the ocean so, on our first night, we joined the crowd on the beach. Staying well away from the water’s edge in case that crocodile was lurking, we watched as the setting sun burnished the sky.

The golden glow lingered long after the sun had slipped below the horizon.

The next morning we learned about Karumba’s other claim to fame, at the Les Wilson Barramundi Discovery Centre. Originally established as a venture to restock the waterways around Karumba with barramundi fingerlings, the centre now houses an interactive educational display focussing on the barramundi and its environment. 

Entry to the centre is free but we chose to buy tickets for a behind the scenes tour of the barramundi hatchery. We learned how the breeding stock is kept strong and healthy, and followed the process from gathering fertilised spawn to caring for fingerlings before releasing them into the waterways around Karumba and elsewhere in northern Queensland.

We also had the chance to hand feed the huge silver fish. Glen found out that big fish make a big splash when they’re focussed on snatching their dinner. 

In the afternoon we joined a Ferryman Gulf Sunset and Wildlife Cruise to see Karumba from a different perspective. First we sailed upriver towards the town, passing buildings constructed as part of northern Australia’s defence system during World War Two.  

At the wharf a ship was preparing to carry freight to islands in the Gulf.

Further along lay an another boat, long ago abandoned to the elements.

White egrets perched on overhanging branches, intent on catching a late afternoon snack.

Just before sunset the boat turned, sailing back downstream and into the Gulf of Carpentaria. 

The sun set as quickly as it had the day before, slipping below the horizon in a matter of minutes. 

Everyone sat in silence, watching the play of colour in the west. Behind us in the east, the moon rose in a dusky sky.

Back on land after our cruise, we went in search once more for barramundi – at the local fish and chips shop!

A Different Perspective

During Becky’s April Bright Square photo challenge I opened the archives to December 2019 and January 2020. Now I’m sharing more of our pre-pandemic holiday in California and Nevada with stories that just couldn’t be squared!

Postcards from America

We descended from the lofty heights of Twin Peaks and made our way to sea level for our next view of San Francisco. A cruise around the bay on a Red and White Fleet boat showed us the city from a completely different perspective.

We took the green route on the Bridge2Bridge tour. Leaving from Pier 43½ in the city, we sailed east to the Golden Gate Bridge before looping back past Alcatraz towards to the multiple spans of the Bay Bridge.

As it sank low in the sky the afternoon sun glowed, embellishing the bridges and the city skyline with a gilded trim.

20 A Clear View

As part of Becky’s April Bright Square Photo Challenge over at The Life of B, I’ve opened the archives to January 2020 to share our 19 day trip to USA. Join me on a pictorial travelogue of the best and brightest of our pre-pandemic adventures in California and Nevada! The rules of the challenge are simple: most photos must be square and fit the theme word bright. Look for #brightsquare.

Postcards from America

We’d heard that the Golden Gate Bridge is often shrouded in cloud. Lucky for us the bridge was clearly visible for the six days we were in San Francisco. 

On the afternoon of our harbour cruise, its bold colour was accentuated by the clear blue sky above. 

Somewhere Out There

Square Perspectives Photo Challenge ~ Australian Landscapes #5

Destination: Shoal Bay, New South Wales

Whale watching is a risky business. There’s never a guarantee you’ll see any, and in Australia there are maritime regulations protecting marine animals. Boats are not permitted to approach whales, so you have to wait for the whales to come to you.

At first you spend a lot of time scanning the ocean, looking for signs of life. Every whitecap catches your eye.

Suddenly there’s a telltale spray and you know there’s a whale beneath the surface.

There might just be one,

but often a pod passes by, usually a female with a couple of male escorts.

Sometimes it feels like the whales are putting on a show just for you.

You and all the other excited whale watchers!

 

 

While our travel plans are on hold I’m joining in every day with Becky’s July Square Perspectives Photo Challenge over at The Life of B. The rules are simple: photos must be square and fit the theme of perspective. My posts represent the definition of perspective as a vista – seeing something over distance or time.

Up and Down the River

Western Queensland Road Trip #19 St George

It’s easy to fall in love with a place when the locals share their passion for their home.

One afternoon we joined skipper and tour guide Brett on a Sandytown River Cruise along the Balonne River. We were hardly settled in our seats before he started his commentary in praise of his town and its beautiful river.

We sailed upstream from the Jack Taylor weir towards Beardmore Dam, past flood markers indicating the river’s record levels. Large homes set far above the high water mark looked down over enviable water views.

Like the other guests on our tour we’d brought some treats to enjoy on the boat, but I was far too busy looking for the wildlife Brett pointed out.

Welcome swallows darted to and fro in front of the boat and whistling kites soared gracefully overhead. Sulphur crested cockatoos perched high in the treetops and royal spoonbills watched us gliding by.

We weren’t the only people enjoying the river on this sunny afternoon. Younger children swam and splashed in the shallows while their older and more adventurous siblings paddled canoes further out. Speedboats raced past, towing skilful water skiers in their wake.

As afternoon gave way to evening it was time to turn round and sail back to town. The colour of the water deepened and the clouds reflected the brilliance of the sun as it set behind the trees.

Once more Brett declared his love for the river. “We’re so lucky to have it. I never tire of seeing the river in all its different forms.” And we were lucky that Brett shared the river with us.