TravelStream™ news feed for member tlbuster on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/tlbuster en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:42:48 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tlbuster/7/1258360567/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tlbuster/7/1258360567/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tlbuster/7/1258360567/tpod.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:42:48 -0500 67 Day Grand Voyage Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific

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Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand

The tradition of wearing poppies for November 11th should find its way to the USA.  I found this day especially meaningful to see everyone wearing a red poppy in remembrance of all the soldiers who fought and died in WWI and WWII.  A special bridge here in Christchurch bears the name, Bridge of Remembrance and it wore festive drapes of flowers and memorials today.I began the day out of town at Mandeley Farm watching a sheep round-up, shearing and having a lovely spot of tea with the lady of the house.  The breathtaking scenery firmed my desire to visit NZ again, and hopefully soon.  This remains my favorite country in the world for beautiful scenery and lack of crowds and big cities.  I am nature girl and this place suits me perfect!Back in town we stopped at the Christchurch Botanical Gardens and here I wandered for a good 2 hours or more.  The peaceful location lent itself to quiet reflection and introspection while meandering among the roses and rhododendrons.I found some interesting trinkets in town and then hopped the shuttle back to the port city of Lytleton, NZA wonderful day that I hope you may experience at some point for yourself.-T
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tlbuster/7/1258355776/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tlbuster/7/1258355776/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tlbuster/7/1258355776/tpod.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:25:45 -0500 67 Day Grand Voyage Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific

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Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand

Couldn't say April showers bring May flowers, it's spring now in New Zealand!  Dunedin basks in Scottish flavor in all its architecture and zeal.  The charming train station welcomes travelers to this lovely city twice a day, a local crafter's market provides opportunities to pick up handmade trinkets and souvenirs.I discovered a nondescript bead shop, just happened to walk by, and found beautiful paua shell pieces for $.20 each NZ currency.  I am going to make up some jewelry from it, paua shell is my favorite type of shell for all the beautiful pastel teals, pinks, tans, and swirls not found in a lot of other shells.After wandering around town I went to the Cadbury chocolate factory and took a tour of how chocolate gets made.  The smell is deliciously overpowering and samples found there way into my bag all along the tour, what's not to love about that!  After the tour I walked across the street to the local grocery store and purchased chocolate bars much cheaper than at the factory!  I remembered that tidbit from the last time I was here :)I also visited the local museum.  Free admission and a place to get out of the rain drew me in and charmed me with a couple of interesting exhibits.  The most interesting depicted what life would have been like crossing the ocean from Scotland on the old sailing schloops.  They recreated the cabin quarters that the passengers would have stayed in and also had re-enactment videos about the life and times of the people during the long 3 month voyage with predominantly rocky seas.  Yikes.Great day overall in a lovely city.-T
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Milford Sound, South Island, New Zealand

This is my third visit to Milford Sound and Fjordland's National Park and I may happily report that the weather was perfect.  The past 2 visits socked the Sound in with fog and drizzle, but today the sun shined and the air was very nice.  Gorgeous day to watch the scenery.  I walked out to the bow, almost got blown overboard, but took some scenic shots for a few moments and then blew myself back into the ship. 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tlbuster/7/1257501029/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tlbuster/7/1257501029/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tlbuster/7/1257501029/tpod.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:07:33 -0500 67 Day Grand Voyage Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific

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Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

The sun shined in Tasmania today.  I grabbed the shuttle in to town and walked around a bit and did some shopping.  I went to Target!  Tasmania is the only state in Australia that I've seen Target, both this trip in Hobart and last time in Burnie, and love to shop there.  I needed a pair of jeans and a couple of tops.After shopping I stopped at a Vietnamese cafe that sold toasted sandwiches as well as noodles and sides and ordered a ham, tomato, and cheese toastie.  It tasted delicious and fueled me up for my trek to the Royal Botanical Gardens about 30 minutes away - walking.The grounds housed many different collections of flora from NZ, AU, England, and more.  I enjoyed the cool breezes blowing and the sun shining while I traipsed among the fern gardens and roses.Didn't get to see the Tassie devils, but I still enjoyed Hobart and all it offered the happy travelers visiting her.  -Tps.  Crossing the Tasman Sea for the next 2 days...hope it proves less adventurous than last crossing, but we are already starting to pitch and roll.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tlbuster/7/1257308850/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tlbuster/7/1257308850/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tlbuster/7/1257308850/tpod.html Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:36:38 -0500 67 Day Grand Voyage Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific

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Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

I slept 3 hours and then woke up to start the last adventurous day off in Sydney...too soon to say good-bye but I've loved every minute spent here.I trekked to the Botanical Gardens, next to the Opera House.  Most of the sights didn't open until 10:30 and it being only 8:15 I meandered slowly along the paths and then went out into the city.  I walked down to Darling Harbor and enjoyed a frozen Coke at Mc D's (I heard that McDonald's most successful market is Australia) and walked near the Chinese Garden.  I didn't want to pay $6 to enter, so I took a few shots from outside and then went to the Aquarium and Wildlife Encounter parks.It's great having a crew ID, many places offer an industry discount for crew members and so I did get a nice discount on the price of both admissions for the attractions.After checking out the local fauna I walked up to Chinatown and went to the ... MALL.  I needed another portable hard drive.  I go through them very quickly with the large file sizes I take with my cameras.  I found one store that didn't overcharge horribly, considering the exchange rate and the fact that it was a US product in a foreign country.I picked up a couple of souvenirs as well and then started to make my way back to the Circle Quay (pronounced K-E-Y) harbor in time to grab my computer and get a few minutes of internet time off the ship.  Unfortunately the speed was even slower than on the ship, if that is even possible in today's world.  After 60 minutes of frustration I gave up and got back onboard and then we sailed towards Melbourne.I won't have time off the ship in Melbourne, I'll catch up with you again in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.  Tasman Sea, here I come...I don't think I'm ready to play "rock and roll"....oh well, not much I can do about it so hopefully my stomach will survive it.-T
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Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

I don't often have the opportunity to go out at night, working on a cruise ship, but today marked the start of the second half of our Grand Voyage.  Embarkation day schedules work a bit differently and I finished work by 8 PM.  I grabbed my camera gear and headed out until about 11 PM enjoying the sights and sounds of this beautiful city after dark.My conclusion is that Sydney is a city that never sleeps.  The town continued to thrive with young families, young lovers, old lovers, and tourists of all sorts until well after I called it a night and went to bed.So great to stay in a city longer than a few hours.  Tomorrow I hope to visit the Botanical Gardens and the Aquarium.-T
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tlbuster/7/1257050157/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tlbuster/7/1257050157/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tlbuster/7/1257050157/tpod.html Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:51:56 -0400 67 Day Grand Voyage Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific

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Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

What a gorgeous city on a gorgeous day.  The temp climbed to about 23 C today, a lovely summer day in the famous port of Sydney, Australia.Mom, I learned a math problem today...to convert temperatures from C to F double the temp and add 30.  So the temp in Fahrenheit equals...76!  I didn't even need a calculator, but I sweated bullets while trying to do it :)I ran out to the tour bus early in the morning to see the Opera House, Bondi Beach, The Gap, and the highlights of the city.  Lovely day, lovely tour guide, worth every penny I didn't pay for it :)Sydney opera house facts:*  Thought to cost about 7 million dollars, final total about 100 million dollars - paid for entirely by the Sydney lotto.  They love to gamble and it paid off in this venture.*  There are 5 theaters and each theater can be turned around 2-3 times a day with different shows.  All the scenery arrives in flat packs (think ready to assemble furniture kits you buy from Wal-Mart or Ikea).*  The Opera House hosts the opera company 8 months a year and the national ballet 4 months a year.*  The acoustics are so fabulous due to birch ceilings, floors and seats that singers are never micro phoned, only dialogue needs a mic. Bondi Beach:Tourist hot spot for college age kids to backpack to and camp at over New Year's, kids from US especially.After the tour I grabbed a bite of free lunch (whoever said there is no free lunch never lived on a ship!) and headed back out to make an afternoon trip to the Taronga Zoo on the other side of the harbor.I purchased my return ferry ticket (aka. round trip ticket) and jumped on the 12 minute ferry straight to the zoo.  I then purchased a sky ticket for the buckets that lifted me up to the top of the hill and got a lovely aerial view of the zoo while getting to the entrance.  The zoo is built on the side of a hill, so working your way through the zoo naturally moves you back down to the ferry terminal - good system and you can't get lost that way either.I had a great view of the Sydney harbor from the giraffe exhibit.  You definitely should consider getting that location if you visit here.  Where else could you potentially photograph the Opera house, cruise ships, and giraffes at the exact same time!After a delightful afternoon I meandered around the downtown area a bit and then got back on the ship and prepared to go to work for the last night of the first half of the cruise.  We are officially now in part 2.  In just over a month from now we'll be sailing back in to the port of Los Angeles.  For now though, I'm thoroughly enjoying my time "down under".-T
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tlbuster/7/1256708936/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tlbuster/7/1256708936/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tlbuster/7/1256708936/tpod.html Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:55:48 -0400 67 Day Grand Voyage Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific

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Cairns, Queensland, Australia

I ran off the ship to grab a few hours in port this afternoon and walked along the scenic Esplanade area of Cairns.The main attraction worth noting is the Lagoon.  This zero depth entry pool attracts all ages to its sparkling waters and provides refreshment from the hot sun of summer.  Even better, it's free for all to enjoy!I continued walking up the road a piece and heard distinctive chattering in the trees.  At first one might think it's birds chirping.  In reality there is a creature here called the flying fox, a type of very very large bat, that feasts on fruit and helps pollinate the mango trees.  Their faces look like a fox, their bodies are very fuzzy and wooly, but they are distinctly bats when you see them wrap their enormous wings around their bodies.  Very interesting to see and not dangerous in any way.Overall this day provided a bit of calm and relaxation in the midst of some busyness here on board as I prepare Windows 7 Launch Parties for the sea days prior to Sydney Australia.-T
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Cairns, Queensland, Australia

What a lovely crossing from Vanuatu to Australia.  The shining sun and perfectly still ocean lulled me into a false sense of security for what is still to come in a little over a week's time...the Tasman Sea!It truly was gorgeous traveling weather, though, and pulling into Cairns, Queensland, Australia at 5 PM showed off the beauty of the port in the "Golden Hour" of the day.I managed to jump ship around 6 PM and ran around the harbor area to capture the essence of the port city at twilight.  Not knowing where to go, I could have done a little better probably, but I still really enjoyed this lovely city.The people welcomed us warmly and the city felt extremely safe, actually other than the tourists I think everyone else was home it was that quiet.The Night Markets area stays open daily from 4:30-11 PM, great place for food, fun, souvenirs, and local flavour (notice the spelling of the word - flavour, colour, etc. are spelled different over here).I enjoyed a homemade crepe with fresh strawberries and vanilla ice cream wrapped up into a ice cream cone shape .... mmmmmmm delicious!I found a few trinkets that called out my name, as a rule I don't collect a lot of stuff in my travels, but these items were bargains for local wares.I thoroughly enjoyed this town by night and look forward to getting out for a bit tomorrow during the day.-T 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tlbuster/7/1256203857/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tlbuster/7/1256203857/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tlbuster/7/1256203857/tpod.html Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:21:58 -0400 67 Day Grand Voyage Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific

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Port Vila, Vanuatu

I successfully kept from being eaten by cannibals today in Vanuatu, but did have a great cultural experience.Starting my day in Port Vila proved a bit stressful.  The cabbies in Vanuatu reminded many of the guests of being in Jamaica...very pushy and in your face to get your business.  That first impression didn't sit well with me, but thankfully I don't often let first impressions rule my overall opinion.  I always leave room to change my mind.A group of 10 crew members climbed into a cab and headed in to town for some sightseeing.  The rest of the group headed to a local island, by water taxi, to go swimming in a resort pool.  I had no aspirations for swimming today, I've been having fun capturing images for all of you for these blog postings.I wandered around the bustling town for probably about an hour to an hour and half.  Colorful buildings, sumptuous odors wafting from local restaurants, and local vendors hawking their wares greeted me at every turn.  Drivers have the right of way here, so vigilance when crossing the street kept me alert behind my camera lens.Craving more than the city sights, I wandered through a local artists' market and talked with the locals.  One lovely grandma asked me how my day was.  I told her I enjoyed my time so far, but would really love to experience the village culture in addition to the city.  She asked me if I would like to hire a driver for a private island tour.  I thought about it and agreed.  She called her daughter, about my age, and had her arrange a cab driven by a family friend for she and I and her little brother.We went all around the island and stopped at a cultural village for some insights into village life in Vanuatu.  This lifestyle still prevails here on the islands, arranged marriages, grass skirts, males buying wives for a certain number of pigs... But they no longer practice cannibalism, or so they tell the tourists - :-DI hope that you enjoy the slideshow of images from my day.  There is a button on the slideshow window to enlarge the window to full screen, try clicking that button for a better viewing size.-T
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