Happy New Year everyone.
Down here in Australia, we will be among the first in the world to ring in 2009.
2008 was a very good year for me, so 2009 will have a lot to live up to.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
One Tour to Rule Them All
After multiple tries I was able to go on one of the 2 tours we offer that goes to Lord of The Rings film sites. This one goes to a few sites, Helm Deep, Minas Tirith, and Rivendell. Even though the main set pieces are no longer there it is still a cool tour and neat to see the sites that the movie was made. It was raining fairly badly that day, so it was not the best day to be outside and walking around the film sites, but luckily it was not raining as badly as it was in the city.
We had a tour guide who worked on all 3 movies
as well as King Kong, so he had a lot of good 
stories and behind the scenes info about Lord of the Rings. One thing he told us was how many of the big set pieces were created out of Styrofoam, and then painted. They used so much Styrofoam during the filming that Peter Jackson created his own company to produce the stuff. And then after the filming was done he had everything recycled, and it was sold as home insulation. Our tour guide had his home redone, and asked the installer if he was getting Lord of the Rings insulation. But they told him he was getting all King Kong stuff. But that’s still cool.
After the film sites tour we were taken to the local wine region, where we had lunch at a restaurant and wine tasting place. A nice assortment of local wines and food.
And then we went to 2 other wineries nearby, both specialized in Pino Noir, but they had a very nice variety of whites and reds. One of the families’s doing the tour owned a winery of their own in the Napa Valley, so the people running the tasting were interested to hear their opinions on the wines.
One thing that was interesting during our drive between the film sites and the winery’s was the mountain pass road we took. The road hugged the edge of a very steep cliff, which would have been very scenic if it wasn’t for the low lying clouds and the rain. But what was interesting was the fact that the only thing stopping you from falling down the cliff in a accident was a series of small white posts stuck into the ground, with some wire strung between them. I wouldn’t even call it a fence. Our tour guide joked that they
recently upgraded the safety of the fence… a second coat 
of paint.
This was a good tour despite the rain, and it’s one of the most sought after tours to be an escort on (lots of Lord of the Rings fans), now hopefully I can do the Hobbiton set tour next time, that one has some of the hobbit holes still there.
We had a tour guide who worked on all 3 movies
as well as King Kong, so he had a lot of good 
stories and behind the scenes info about Lord of the Rings. One thing he told us was how many of the big set pieces were created out of Styrofoam, and then painted. They used so much Styrofoam during the filming that Peter Jackson created his own company to produce the stuff. And then after the filming was done he had everything recycled, and it was sold as home insulation. Our tour guide had his home redone, and asked the installer if he was getting Lord of the Rings insulation. But they told him he was getting all King Kong stuff. But that’s still cool.After the film sites tour we were taken to the local wine region, where we had lunch at a restaurant and wine tasting place. A nice assortment of local wines and food.
And then we went to 2 other wineries nearby, both specialized in Pino Noir, but they had a very nice variety of whites and reds. One of the families’s doing the tour owned a winery of their own in the Napa Valley, so the people running the tasting were interested to hear their opinions on the wines.
One thing that was interesting during our drive between the film sites and the winery’s was the mountain pass road we took. The road hugged the edge of a very steep cliff, which would have been very scenic if it wasn’t for the low lying clouds and the rain. But what was interesting was the fact that the only thing stopping you from falling down the cliff in a accident was a series of small white posts stuck into the ground, with some wire strung between them. I wouldn’t even call it a fence. Our tour guide joked that they
recently upgraded the safety of the fence… a second coat 
of paint.This was a good tour despite the rain, and it’s one of the most sought after tours to be an escort on (lots of Lord of the Rings fans), now hopefully I can do the Hobbiton set tour next time, that one has some of the hobbit holes still there.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Olympic Restaurant
I just got back from dinner at the specialty restaurant; The Olympic.
The name comes from the fact that the wood paneling is from the old ocean liner The Olympic, sister ship to the Titanic.
The specialty restaurant costs $30 to eat at, for guests or crew, but the food is amazing.
I ordered: Goat cheese souffle, and Fois Gras as appitizers. Lobster and Scallops as my main. And lemon cheesecake and lemon sorbet as dessert.
The meal is done in the french style (meaning 3 hours long) and also had a nice cheese course with a very good selection of cheeses.
I also had some great wines to go with the courses. This will definitly push my bill I have to pay at payday into a much higher level, but it was all worth it.
Interesting note on the wine selection, there was a bottle of champagne from 1904 that was part of a shipment of many thousand that was sunk durring WWI, and remained under water for many years only to be found. The cold water perserved the bottles and the corks were intact. For the measly fee of $7000 you could have this bottle.
Also there is a bottle of red wine that has a less interesting story of being from 70 year old vines, grown at a high altitude. A mere $12,400.
My wines were not quite up to that level or cost, but still very good.
Overall it was a great meal, and experence.
The name comes from the fact that the wood paneling is from the old ocean liner The Olympic, sister ship to the Titanic.
The specialty restaurant costs $30 to eat at, for guests or crew, but the food is amazing.
I ordered: Goat cheese souffle, and Fois Gras as appitizers. Lobster and Scallops as my main. And lemon cheesecake and lemon sorbet as dessert.
The meal is done in the french style (meaning 3 hours long) and also had a nice cheese course with a very good selection of cheeses.
I also had some great wines to go with the courses. This will definitly push my bill I have to pay at payday into a much higher level, but it was all worth it.
Interesting note on the wine selection, there was a bottle of champagne from 1904 that was part of a shipment of many thousand that was sunk durring WWI, and remained under water for many years only to be found. The cold water perserved the bottles and the corks were intact. For the measly fee of $7000 you could have this bottle.
Also there is a bottle of red wine that has a less interesting story of being from 70 year old vines, grown at a high altitude. A mere $12,400.
My wines were not quite up to that level or cost, but still very good.
Overall it was a great meal, and experence.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Merry Christmas too alll and too all a good night
Merry Christmas to all.
Crazy party for all the crew.
And too all a good night
Crazy party for all the crew.
And too all a good night
Saturday, December 20, 2008
To the top of Mount Doom, did anyone remember to bring the ring?
Yesterday we were in Tauranga, one of my favorite cities we stop at in New Zealand. We decided to climb Mount Maunganui. Its not quite Mount Doom, but a good climb none the less. It was a very windy day, as we waled by the beach it was suprisingly empty for a saturday, and it would have been a great day for surfers, as the waves were good size. But I guess it being close to christmas and the 15 minutes of rain that just blew past scared away the beach goers.
Our group of people who planned to climb the mountain was smaller then the original plan, as we
left late, due to a party the previous night, keeping people in bed longer then planned, my roommate not making it our of bed at all that morning/afternoon (a not unusal occurance)
After we got back to sea level, I went to the local surf shop, and bought a skim board. The beach is perfect for skim boarding, and as we will be back at this spot many more times, I should be able to get a lot of use out of it.
Not wanting to go back to the ship the broadcats manager and I stayed in town for a few beers, and talked to some locals about how great our jobs are. Nothing beats getting paid to go to the beach and drink beers in town. We made it back to the ship in the last few minutes before the crew call time. Which still left us with lots of time before the ship actualy left, as our call time is before the guest call time.
Our group of people who planned to climb the mountain was smaller then the original plan, as we
left late, due to a party the previous night, keeping people in bed longer then planned, my roommate not making it our of bed at all that morning/afternoon (a not unusal occurance)After we got back to sea level, I went to the local surf shop, and bought a skim board. The beach is perfect for skim boarding, and as we will be back at this spot many more times, I should be able to get a lot of use out of it.
Not wanting to go back to the ship the broadcats manager and I stayed in town for a few beers, and talked to some locals about how great our jobs are. Nothing beats getting paid to go to the beach and drink beers in town. We made it back to the ship in the last few minutes before the crew call time. Which still left us with lots of time before the ship actualy left, as our call time is before the guest call time.
Jet Boat and more
When I was in Christchurch I went on a excursion that involved Jet boating and a winery and pub stop. This tour was undersold so we sent 2 crew as escorts.
We as usual started leaving the ship for a long bus ride to our first destination, a winery in the region. We did a wine tasting and I got to try a bunch of wines from the region. Then it was back on the bus to head for the place we were having lunch.
We had lunch at a hotel close to the area we were going to go jet boating, it was a good buffet
lunch, and we had a bit of time afterwards to look around the small town we were in.
After that we headed to the river that had the jet boats. A jet boat is basically a small speedboat with 2 V8 engines that is built to zoom around the river.
We had 16 people in a boat that can fit 20 so we were not squished in Which was good because this was not a leisurely ride down the river. The driver told us first not to put our hands outside the boat, don't stand up, hold on to the hand rail etc.
But as we left we soon found out that keep your hands inside was not just something he was saying, as we passed within a few inches of the cliff sides of the rive, and it wouldn't have taken
much to lose an arm. Also we did more then 5 360's, during different areas of the river.
I was not willing to risk bringing my camera on the ride, in the end it probably would not have been to risky, but luckily we were able to get some pictures taken by guests who did take their camera, and a guest that bought the pictures that were taken by the jet boat company offered to let us copy them.
The ride was very thrilling, the driver was obviously very skilled and knew what he was doing
but he still left the guests unsure exactly what he was going to do, and many shouts of shock were heard as we passed close to rocks and cliffs, and a few times some surprised ducks, that had to swim fast to get out of the way.
After the jet boat we started heading back towards the ship, and our last stop was at the oldest pub in New Zealand. Dating back to 1860. We were a bit pressed for time, but we still had enough time for a beer and a snack.
On the was back to the ship, we rather then go through the tunnel through the mountain (built in 1960) we took the over the mountain route. Much more scenic, but wouldn't be very good for actual shipping of goods.
We as usual started leaving the ship for a long bus ride to our first destination, a winery in the region. We did a wine tasting and I got to try a bunch of wines from the region. Then it was back on the bus to head for the place we were having lunch.
We had lunch at a hotel close to the area we were going to go jet boating, it was a good buffet
lunch, and we had a bit of time afterwards to look around the small town we were in.After that we headed to the river that had the jet boats. A jet boat is basically a small speedboat with 2 V8 engines that is built to zoom around the river.
We had 16 people in a boat that can fit 20 so we were not squished in Which was good because this was not a leisurely ride down the river. The driver told us first not to put our hands outside the boat, don't stand up, hold on to the hand rail etc.
But as we left we soon found out that keep your hands inside was not just something he was saying, as we passed within a few inches of the cliff sides of the rive, and it wouldn't have taken
much to lose an arm. Also we did more then 5 360's, during different areas of the river.I was not willing to risk bringing my camera on the ride, in the end it probably would not have been to risky, but luckily we were able to get some pictures taken by guests who did take their camera, and a guest that bought the pictures that were taken by the jet boat company offered to let us copy them.
The ride was very thrilling, the driver was obviously very skilled and knew what he was doing
but he still left the guests unsure exactly what he was going to do, and many shouts of shock were heard as we passed close to rocks and cliffs, and a few times some surprised ducks, that had to swim fast to get out of the way.After the jet boat we started heading back towards the ship, and our last stop was at the oldest pub in New Zealand. Dating back to 1860. We were a bit pressed for time, but we still had enough time for a beer and a snack.
On the was back to the ship, we rather then go through the tunnel through the mountain (built in 1960) we took the over the mountain route. Much more scenic, but wouldn't be very good for actual shipping of goods.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
New Canuck
I just read on the cbc news website, Sundin signs with the Canucks.
Hopefully he can add some scoring durring the time we must still use our backup goalies.
Go Canucks Go!
Hopefully he can add some scoring durring the time we must still use our backup goalies.
Go Canucks Go!
New readers
Welcome to new readers.
Got a new post in the comments section from my parents next door neighbour.
Stay warm all those in Vancouver under all that snow.
Got a new post in the comments section from my parents next door neighbour.
Stay warm all those in Vancouver under all that snow.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Best meal this week
I'm sure I have posted in the past about ordering from the main dining menu. They put the menu in the staff mess, and you can order a 3 course meal, and all it costs is having to tip the waiter.
Well it can be hit and miss sometimes, but today was a great meal.
Cod Fritters, Pan seared Macadamia nut crusted Ahi Tuna, and lemon meringue tart. All for $1. Which is the standard amount that is expected to be tipped.
I have been meaning to take my camera to the mess to show some of the food we get, but I keep forgetting.
Well it can be hit and miss sometimes, but today was a great meal.
Cod Fritters, Pan seared Macadamia nut crusted Ahi Tuna, and lemon meringue tart. All for $1. Which is the standard amount that is expected to be tipped.
I have been meaning to take my camera to the mess to show some of the food we get, but I keep forgetting.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Quick lets save 6 cents
Just a quick post on something interesting I watched on the ship the other day.
We have some coke machines on the ship in the crew areas, but they never are plugged in or filled with any pop.
This is not an issue as the staff bar is always open and you can buy a coke there if you want one.
Well the other day they filled the coke machine.
I witnessed lines of people crowding around the machine and many were walking away with bags full of pop. By the next day the whole thing was sold out.
Now it’s not like there is a shortage of pop to be had, if someone wanted a bag full of pop you can get it just the same in the staff bar.
The only difference I could see was that the pop machine cost 60 cents and the staff bar costs 66 cents.
The people that were the ones buying the pop were mostly the lower wage earning crew, so I guess the savings were worth while. But if your that worried about saving money why are you buying bags full of cokes.
We have some coke machines on the ship in the crew areas, but they never are plugged in or filled with any pop.
This is not an issue as the staff bar is always open and you can buy a coke there if you want one.
Well the other day they filled the coke machine.
I witnessed lines of people crowding around the machine and many were walking away with bags full of pop. By the next day the whole thing was sold out.
Now it’s not like there is a shortage of pop to be had, if someone wanted a bag full of pop you can get it just the same in the staff bar.
The only difference I could see was that the pop machine cost 60 cents and the staff bar costs 66 cents.
The people that were the ones buying the pop were mostly the lower wage earning crew, so I guess the savings were worth while. But if your that worried about saving money why are you buying bags full of cokes.
'Come to Tazmania' 'Down in Tazmania' 'We mean you!'
Today we docked in Hobart, Tasmania.
I didn't go on any tours at this city, and I already got to see some tasmanian devils from previous 
cruises.
cruises.I am going to post a few pictures that are leftover from my blue mountains tour.
Me petting a Koala
Southern Cassowary
Wombat
Dingo
Family reunion in Sydney
While we were in Sydney this last cruise, we had 2 overnights. This was a nice change from the standard; into a port a 7am out by 6pm. It also gave us a chance to go out and enjoy some night life of Sydney. Also we docked in the main part of the city so it was really easy to go out and do things.
On the second day of the overnights my sister
came into the city from the school she was attending in a nearby town. We were able to meet in the area in front of the ship, a fairly good landmark, being the largest thing in the harbour. She came aboard and I gave her a tour of the ship, showed her all the good food we get to eat, where I work and what I do, and the cabins we squeeze ourselves into.
We got to tell each other all the cool stuff we have been doing; lots of beaches and surfing for her, lots of tours and sightseeing for me.
I also got to meet some of the people she is going to school with who also came out to Sydney that day. We all walked around looking for a place to eat, and eventually found a really good restaurant, that had really great wood fired pizza ovens. I got a pizza that was a lot like the Californian pizza from Earls at home; I even had them add pesto to drizzle over the top of it.
I also went to go see the new James Bond movie. I had planned to see it in the ‘Gold Theater’ which is a special cinema that most theaters have these days. It costs more then regular seats, but it only seats 40 people and they are all given big leather recliners, and there is waiter service and you can order things like pizza and beer. When we got there it was 9:10 and the gold theater started at 9:00, so we went with the regular.
On the second day of the overnights my sister
came into the city from the school she was attending in a nearby town. We were able to meet in the area in front of the ship, a fairly good landmark, being the largest thing in the harbour. She came aboard and I gave her a tour of the ship, showed her all the good food we get to eat, where I work and what I do, and the cabins we squeeze ourselves into.We got to tell each other all the cool stuff we have been doing; lots of beaches and surfing for her, lots of tours and sightseeing for me.
I also got to meet some of the people she is going to school with who also came out to Sydney that day. We all walked around looking for a place to eat, and eventually found a really good restaurant, that had really great wood fired pizza ovens. I got a pizza that was a lot like the Californian pizza from Earls at home; I even had them add pesto to drizzle over the top of it.
I also went to go see the new James Bond movie. I had planned to see it in the ‘Gold Theater’ which is a special cinema that most theaters have these days. It costs more then regular seats, but it only seats 40 people and they are all given big leather recliners, and there is waiter service and you can order things like pizza and beer. When we got there it was 9:10 and the gold theater started at 9:00, so we went with the regular.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Blue Mountains and more
I completed the cruise a perfect 6 for 6. A tour for every city, this last one was a close 
call, with my alarm not going off, or my not hearing it. I got called at the last second and had to rush to the bus. But all was good and I made it on time.
This tour was to the Blue Mountains, and a wildlife park. The first part was a 2 hour bus ride to get to, which was perfect for me because I could catch up on my sleep. We arrived at the Blue Mountains at 11am, and first had some time at the lookout point for pictures, and shopping. The area was made up of large cliffs and sandstone formations. The name Blue Mountains comes from the blue tinge the range takes on when viewed from a distance.
Blue Mountains National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage sight. Adding another one, to the list
that I have seen during these cruises also including; Cartagena Colombia’s old town, the Volcanoes of Hawaii, Fiordland National Park, in New Zealand, and the Sydney Opera House.
After everyone took photos, we were taken down the road to a gondola sight that would take us across the gorge. This gondola is unique for having the world’s first glass floor that can be changed from opaque to clear. I stood on the glass floor as they changed it while we were crossing over the gorge. The ride across only took about 5 minutes.
Once we were across, we were given lunch in the revolving restaurant on the other side of the gondola. The food was very good, and best of all I got to try kangaroo. It was very tasty, kind of like a mix of beef and lamb. But as it was cooked thinly sliced in a stir-fry style was kind of hard to tell its true taste.
After lunch we went to the wildlife sanctuary. I have been to one the last time we were in Australia, and I enjoyed it very much but there were a few animals that I didn’t get to see. This park however was far and away better then the one I went to in Melbourne. First of all as we entered an employee was holding a baby wallaby, and we could pet it and take our pictures with it.
Once we got inside we soon found out that the kangaroos and other various animals can be found
walking around all over the place. They did have their own pens that had barriers, but they were just small logs that were more to tell the guests where to stay out of. We found many animals just walking around or in the case of kangaroos lying in the shade, and they thought nothing of letting people go up and pet them, and take pictures.
I also got to see Tasmanian devils, and wombats. 2 animals that I didn’t get to see last time.
Also interesting were the huge Varity of birds that the park contained, many that I had never seen before or even herd of.
One of the best parts was the employees took koalas out of their trees and put then on small trees so we could pet them and have our pictures taken with them. They felt as soft and fuzzy as they looked, and as long as they had a branch of eucalyptus to chew on they barely noticed we
were there.
I took so many pictures, and there were so many interesting things that I never bothered to turn the camera off, that by the end of our time there I was getting the flashing battery warning light, and was worried that it wouldn’t make it to the end of the park.
I have done a lot of tours this trip, but this one is definitely in the top 3 of all the ones I have done.
call, with my alarm not going off, or my not hearing it. I got called at the last second and had to rush to the bus. But all was good and I made it on time.This tour was to the Blue Mountains, and a wildlife park. The first part was a 2 hour bus ride to get to, which was perfect for me because I could catch up on my sleep. We arrived at the Blue Mountains at 11am, and first had some time at the lookout point for pictures, and shopping. The area was made up of large cliffs and sandstone formations. The name Blue Mountains comes from the blue tinge the range takes on when viewed from a distance.
Blue Mountains National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage sight. Adding another one, to the list
that I have seen during these cruises also including; Cartagena Colombia’s old town, the Volcanoes of Hawaii, Fiordland National Park, in New Zealand, and the Sydney Opera House.After everyone took photos, we were taken down the road to a gondola sight that would take us across the gorge. This gondola is unique for having the world’s first glass floor that can be changed from opaque to clear. I stood on the glass floor as they changed it while we were crossing over the gorge. The ride across only took about 5 minutes.
Once we were across, we were given lunch in the revolving restaurant on the other side of the gondola. The food was very good, and best of all I got to try kangaroo. It was very tasty, kind of like a mix of beef and lamb. But as it was cooked thinly sliced in a stir-fry style was kind of hard to tell its true taste.
After lunch we went to the wildlife sanctuary. I have been to one the last time we were in Australia, and I enjoyed it very much but there were a few animals that I didn’t get to see. This park however was far and away better then the one I went to in Melbourne. First of all as we entered an employee was holding a baby wallaby, and we could pet it and take our pictures with it.
Once we got inside we soon found out that the kangaroos and other various animals can be found
walking around all over the place. They did have their own pens that had barriers, but they were just small logs that were more to tell the guests where to stay out of. We found many animals just walking around or in the case of kangaroos lying in the shade, and they thought nothing of letting people go up and pet them, and take pictures.I also got to see Tasmanian devils, and wombats. 2 animals that I didn’t get to see last time.
Also interesting were the huge Varity of birds that the park contained, many that I had never seen before or even herd of.
One of the best parts was the employees took koalas out of their trees and put then on small trees so we could pet them and have our pictures taken with them. They felt as soft and fuzzy as they looked, and as long as they had a branch of eucalyptus to chew on they barely noticed we
were there.I took so many pictures, and there were so many interesting things that I never bothered to turn the camera off, that by the end of our time there I was getting the flashing battery warning light, and was worried that it wouldn’t make it to the end of the park.
I have done a lot of tours this trip, but this one is definitely in the top 3 of all the ones I have done.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
One for every port of call
So just to keep up with my shore excursion for every port; I did one last one, totaling 6 over the 
last 2 weeks.
This one was called Jackaroo, and Jillaroos. A jackaroo is what farm workers were called, and for our tour we went to a private farm out in the country. The farm covered over 11,000 acres.
The owners were extremely friendly and made the experience a great time.
The first thing we did upon arriving at the farm was to go into their house for coffee, and snacks.
After that a bunch of sheep were headed into the shearing area and he showed us how it was
done. It was very cool when he was finished and he threw the whole pile of wool onto a table, and it all stuck together in one big piece. You could still identify the areas of the legs and head.
The best part of this tour was when our bus was taken out into fields and then, using an ATV hundreds of the wild kangaroos that live on the farmland were herded past where we were standing. I got some great videos and pictures and, I’m really glad for the 10x zoom lens on my camera.
After that we went back to the house for lunch. The lunch was all cooked in the house, and
included food from the farm, like lamb chops and lamb sausages. The lunch was very good, and we were also given local wine, and beer.
After we were done eating our host played the didgeridoo, and then told us how 10 years ago when he wanted to first start playing, he didn’t want to buy one before he knew he could play one properly. So he said that he practiced using his grandmother’s old vacuum cleaner hose. Then to prove he wasn’t kidding he pulled out the hose and actually played it. It actually sounded fairly
good, and I even checked it to see if it was rigged or something. I have videos of both for everyone to see when I get home.
This tour was really fun, and it was the hospitality of the owners that made it so great
last 2 weeks.This one was called Jackaroo, and Jillaroos. A jackaroo is what farm workers were called, and for our tour we went to a private farm out in the country. The farm covered over 11,000 acres.
The owners were extremely friendly and made the experience a great time.
The first thing we did upon arriving at the farm was to go into their house for coffee, and snacks.
After that a bunch of sheep were headed into the shearing area and he showed us how it was
done. It was very cool when he was finished and he threw the whole pile of wool onto a table, and it all stuck together in one big piece. You could still identify the areas of the legs and head.The best part of this tour was when our bus was taken out into fields and then, using an ATV hundreds of the wild kangaroos that live on the farmland were herded past where we were standing. I got some great videos and pictures and, I’m really glad for the 10x zoom lens on my camera.
After that we went back to the house for lunch. The lunch was all cooked in the house, and
included food from the farm, like lamb chops and lamb sausages. The lunch was very good, and we were also given local wine, and beer.After we were done eating our host played the didgeridoo, and then told us how 10 years ago when he wanted to first start playing, he didn’t want to buy one before he knew he could play one properly. So he said that he practiced using his grandmother’s old vacuum cleaner hose. Then to prove he wasn’t kidding he pulled out the hose and actually played it. It actually sounded fairly
good, and I even checked it to see if it was rigged or something. I have videos of both for everyone to see when I get home.This tour was really fun, and it was the hospitality of the owners that made it so great
One other thing I noticed was that there were tons of wild cockatoo all around the farm. The people there said that they are a big pest and they cant plant any grain because they would eat it
all. Its funny how back at home many people pay a lot of money for these birds, but here there are hundreds of them, almmost like seeing crows back at home.
all. Its funny how back at home many people pay a lot of money for these birds, but here there are hundreds of them, almmost like seeing crows back at home.Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Trains tours
In keeping with my efforts this cruise to do an excursion for every port of call, I did another two during our last two stops.
Both were train trips: The Tranz Alpine Train, in Christchurch, and the Taieri Gorge Train, in Dunedin.
The Tranz Alpine Train goes through what are called the Southern Alps, and crosses over them
to the other side of New Zealand. Our trip only took us half way, and then we boarded a bus that took us back to the Ship. The train ride was great and the scenery was awesome, very lord of the ringish. Huge mountains and valley’s. Rivers crossing over large flat gravel beds. This was my first train ride since I was in Switzerland and went on the Jungfrau Railway to the top of the real Alps. The tour I went on was what was called the deluxe tour so it included an extra few stops after the train ride.
First we stopped at an old farm, the Homebush Homestead. It is a 6th generation family owned working sheep farm, we had lunch here, and it was a very good meal that included wine, and
dessert. After that we did some standard touristy things, like seeing sheep shearing, and watching the sheepdog round up a flock of sheep. Watching the dog chase all the sheep around was a great time, you could tell he was having a great time and I got some good videos of it.
After lunch it was back on the bus and we headed for a garden’s that used to be a summer house for a sheep station owner, called Mona Vale. This had a river running through the gardens and a few guests with some kids had a great time feeding the ducks.
Lastly we did a quick tour through Christchurch, and then it was back to the Ship.
Another great tour, but a very long day, off the ship at 7:45 and back only 20 minutes before last call for guests to be back.
The second train trip we did was at Dunedin the following day. There were also a lot of guests
doing this tour that had also been on the other train tour yesterday.
This one was more about being a scenic train tour then a functional railway. As this one only goes up the mountains and then back down, rather then crossing the mountains like yesterdays tour.
The train is a historical one with wooden cabs, rather then the more modern trains we used yesterday.
The trip began with a fairly basic ride in the country, lots of sheep, and cows, and a few llamas. But as we started to climb up the mountains the scenery got more interesting. Steep cliffs and
mountains on both sides, and there were many large bridges made of cast iron, including the largest one in New Zealand. Our cab was at the back of the train so we were able to get some really good pictures of the bridges from the back window. We made a few stops for pictures, and at the top of the railway the locals had setup a craft fair where guests could buy stuff, while the rail crew switched the locomotive to the other side of the train for the trip back down the mountain.
On the way back down we were served lunch, it was a boxed lunch that was ok, but nothing compared to the one form yesterday.
My tour also had a city tour included, and this has its own very interesting story, but I think its best I don’t post it here. Ask me later.
After these 2 days of riding trains, I’m all trained out. It’s a good thing too, because there was
one other train tour that I could have done, an overnight tour that went to Milford sound, where we pickup the guests from there just before our crossing to Australia. Well as we approached the sound the captain decided that it was too rough to enter the sound, and so the 40 guests and escorts were left behind in New Zealand. They will have to be taken to Queensland, and then flown to Melbourne where they will rejoin the ship. Kind of an interesting experience for them, but one that will no doubt cause many complaints. Also it will end up costing the company a boat load of cash.
Pictues to come soon
Both were train trips: The Tranz Alpine Train, in Christchurch, and the Taieri Gorge Train, in Dunedin.
The Tranz Alpine Train goes through what are called the Southern Alps, and crosses over them
to the other side of New Zealand. Our trip only took us half way, and then we boarded a bus that took us back to the Ship. The train ride was great and the scenery was awesome, very lord of the ringish. Huge mountains and valley’s. Rivers crossing over large flat gravel beds. This was my first train ride since I was in Switzerland and went on the Jungfrau Railway to the top of the real Alps. The tour I went on was what was called the deluxe tour so it included an extra few stops after the train ride.First we stopped at an old farm, the Homebush Homestead. It is a 6th generation family owned working sheep farm, we had lunch here, and it was a very good meal that included wine, and
dessert. After that we did some standard touristy things, like seeing sheep shearing, and watching the sheepdog round up a flock of sheep. Watching the dog chase all the sheep around was a great time, you could tell he was having a great time and I got some good videos of it.After lunch it was back on the bus and we headed for a garden’s that used to be a summer house for a sheep station owner, called Mona Vale. This had a river running through the gardens and a few guests with some kids had a great time feeding the ducks.
Lastly we did a quick tour through Christchurch, and then it was back to the Ship.
Another great tour, but a very long day, off the ship at 7:45 and back only 20 minutes before last call for guests to be back.
The second train trip we did was at Dunedin the following day. There were also a lot of guests
doing this tour that had also been on the other train tour yesterday.This one was more about being a scenic train tour then a functional railway. As this one only goes up the mountains and then back down, rather then crossing the mountains like yesterdays tour.
The train is a historical one with wooden cabs, rather then the more modern trains we used yesterday.
The trip began with a fairly basic ride in the country, lots of sheep, and cows, and a few llamas. But as we started to climb up the mountains the scenery got more interesting. Steep cliffs and
mountains on both sides, and there were many large bridges made of cast iron, including the largest one in New Zealand. Our cab was at the back of the train so we were able to get some really good pictures of the bridges from the back window. We made a few stops for pictures, and at the top of the railway the locals had setup a craft fair where guests could buy stuff, while the rail crew switched the locomotive to the other side of the train for the trip back down the mountain.On the way back down we were served lunch, it was a boxed lunch that was ok, but nothing compared to the one form yesterday.
My tour also had a city tour included, and this has its own very interesting story, but I think its best I don’t post it here. Ask me later.
After these 2 days of riding trains, I’m all trained out. It’s a good thing too, because there was
one other train tour that I could have done, an overnight tour that went to Milford sound, where we pickup the guests from there just before our crossing to Australia. Well as we approached the sound the captain decided that it was too rough to enter the sound, and so the 40 guests and escorts were left behind in New Zealand. They will have to be taken to Queensland, and then flown to Melbourne where they will rejoin the ship. Kind of an interesting experience for them, but one that will no doubt cause many complaints. Also it will end up costing the company a boat load of cash.Pictues to come soon
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Back to winning at poker
After a dry spell of 3 games, I am back to my winning ways at poker.
Played 3 games last night, and made it to the final 2 on the first 2 games. Both times we decided to split the pot rather then play to the end because the other guys were itching to get back into the game again.
The second game I had only 1/7 of the chips when we entered heads up and doubled up twice so we ended up even.
I also went on 2 shore excursions the last 2 ports of call, so stay tuned for those updates.
Played 3 games last night, and made it to the final 2 on the first 2 games. Both times we decided to split the pot rather then play to the end because the other guys were itching to get back into the game again.
The second game I had only 1/7 of the chips when we entered heads up and doubled up twice so we ended up even.
I also went on 2 shore excursions the last 2 ports of call, so stay tuned for those updates.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Shore Excursions
I have gone on 3 shore excursions in the last few days.
The Seal Coast Tour in Wellington
We left from the port in a 4x4 and went up the hills heading for the coast on the other side of Wellington. At the top of the mountain there is a large windmill that is a test project for using wind power in the city. It was built in 1993 and can power 60 homes. It has been successful and a new project for 60 more that are twice as large is going forward in the near future.
We headed down the back roads down the steep hills we arrived at the coast, and carried on along the coast until we arrived at the area where the New Zealand Fur Seals hang out. There were about 10 that were really up close. There were more during the first tour but they scared away a few of them. But there will still some, including a really big one that allowed up to get really close. They would bark and hiss at us if they felt that we were getting to close, and eventually the biggest of them decided that it was time for him to go for a swim, and I got a great video of him jumping into the water and swimming off, spinning in the water as he went.
We left taking the coastal beach route, and we passed by some great scenery including passing through a small rock opening between the cliffs and the beach.
The tour was really cool, and I got some great pictures.
The tour I went on yesterday was the Rotorua Wonderland and Maori Experience.
This was an all day tour that had 3 different parts.
First was the Rotorua Wonderland, which was a park that had geysers and boiling mud ponds. It also had Maori carving and traditional clothes making. Also there was a Kiwi sanctuary that housed a pair of breeding kiwis. They were behind enclosure but they were right at the front so we good to see them up close.
The geysers are pretty cool, and were quite active, but they were nothing like Yellowstone. The whole area was very cool, and had tons of New Zealand tree ferns, and other native plants.
The second place we went is the Maori Village. This village that showed the traditional ways of the Maori people. We were greeted with the traditional greeting that one tribe would give another. This is a show of strength that was used to intimidate the other tribe in case they came looking for war and not peace. It involved displays of strength and fighting from the tribe’s warriors, and then our chief (someone picked from our tour) was to either show that they were here for peace or war by taking the offering placed by the warrior and backing away showing we were here for
peace.
After this we were invited into the village. Inside they had Maori people showing traditional cultural things like weaving, battle weapons, and training, and arts and crafts.
We went into the main meeting hall to watch some displays of song and dance from the Maori people.
After this we went into the dining hall for a traditional Maori meal. The food was fairly basic nothing weird or strange; Lamb, fish, mussels, chicken, some type of New Zealand yam. Everything was very tasty.
Then last part of the tour took us to the Trout, and Kiwi experience. This was a collection of trout ponds that were connected to Lake Rotorua. The trout were hatched in smaller ponds then transferred to the main ponds, they are free to go through the river back in to the main lake, but most stay because they know they get fed regularly. There were a lot of birds and reptiles as well.
The best part of this tour was the Kiwi experience. This was a Kiwi hatchery. They take eggs from the wild Kiwi’s and bring them back so they can be raised in safety; they say in the wild
there is only a 5-10% survival rate, because of predators that like to eat the newly hatched kiwis. These are of course, like so many stories in this part of the world, non-native species that were introduced for reasons that seemed like a good idea at the time. The hatchery has a 95% survival rate. The Kiwi used to number over 12 million, and now there are less then 100,000. And it’s very likely that in 20-30 years there could be no wild kiwis left. There are a few smaller islands where kiwis were moved to and are safe form the non-native species.
The kiwi’s are about the size of a chicken, and yet their eggs are about 3-4 times the size of a standard chicken egg. We saw an x-ray of a kiwi with an egg, and it took up nearly half of its body.
We got to see many Kiwi’s up close and not behind glass enclosures. I got within a few feet of one. They are very funny little birds, hopping about poking their beaks into the soil searching for bugs. I loved just watching them scamper around. The kiwi is nocturnal and is shy, for these reasons we were not allowed to take pictures.
This was a very cool tour and it had a lot of different parts to it. It was a great day and one of the best tours so far.
Today we were in Napier. The city reminded me a lot of Kelowna, but more like what Kelowna would have been like 15-20 years ago. Lots of farmland, growing apples, peaches, and grapes. Many small houses and no large towers. A cool downtown with lots of nice shops.
This was the first time we were in this city and I did a tour called Hawkes Bay Town and Country. This also was a multi part tour. First we went to a farm, and saw some of the things that they grow there and did a tour around the orchard. They had a huge range of different apples, peaches, apricots, and berries. This was an ok tour, but more suited to people from big cities like New York, or Hong Kong. People that never get to see farms.
Second we went to the highest peak in the city. We drove through the suburbs to get there. In 1931 there was a large earthquake in Napier, and it pushed up all of the land that we crossed. Over 1 million acres were created from the seabed. This land because it came from the harbour, belonged to the port authority, and they sold and leased it to people to build houses on. Making them the richest port authority in New Zealand at the time.
The peak is shaped much like the sleeping giant in Kelowna, and the Maori legend says that a chief, who wanted to marry another chief’s daughter, was given many tasks before he could marry. He accomplished all but the last which was to eat his way through the hillside. And there he lies today.
The views from the hill top were spectacular. The drive to the top was along a very narrow road, which could only fit cars/busses going one way. So a motorcycle goes down or up first to make sure the way is clear. They are also in contact with the people at the top and bottom.
The last place we went to was a chocolate factory, and museum. This was a good way to end the tour, getting first a free sample of chocolate and then seeing them make the chocolate that we just ate. The museum was also interesting, giving the history of chocolate, and how it was made and used throughout the ages.
Thats the rundown on the tours I have gone on durring our last 3 ports.
I have gone on 3 shore excursions in the last few days.
The Seal Coast Tour in Wellington
We left from the port in a 4x4 and went up the hills heading for the coast on the other side of Wellington. At the top of the mountain there is a large windmill that is a test project for using wind power in the city. It was built in 1993 and can power 60 homes. It has been successful and a new project for 60 more that are twice as large is going forward in the near future.
We headed down the back roads down the steep hills we arrived at the coast, and carried on along the coast until we arrived at the area where the New Zealand Fur Seals hang out. There were about 10 that were really up close. There were more during the first tour but they scared away a few of them. But there will still some, including a really big one that allowed up to get really close. They would bark and hiss at us if they felt that we were getting to close, and eventually the biggest of them decided that it was time for him to go for a swim, and I got a great video of him jumping into the water and swimming off, spinning in the water as he went.
We left taking the coastal beach route, and we passed by some great scenery including passing through a small rock opening between the cliffs and the beach.
The tour was really cool, and I got some great pictures.
The tour I went on yesterday was the Rotorua Wonderland and Maori Experience.
This was an all day tour that had 3 different parts.
First was the Rotorua Wonderland, which was a park that had geysers and boiling mud ponds. It also had Maori carving and traditional clothes making. Also there was a Kiwi sanctuary that housed a pair of breeding kiwis. They were behind enclosure but they were right at the front so we good to see them up close.
The geysers are pretty cool, and were quite active, but they were nothing like Yellowstone. The whole area was very cool, and had tons of New Zealand tree ferns, and other native plants.
The second place we went is the Maori Village. This village that showed the traditional ways of the Maori people. We were greeted with the traditional greeting that one tribe would give another. This is a show of strength that was used to intimidate the other tribe in case they came looking for war and not peace. It involved displays of strength and fighting from the tribe’s warriors, and then our chief (someone picked from our tour) was to either show that they were here for peace or war by taking the offering placed by the warrior and backing away showing we were here for
peace.After this we were invited into the village. Inside they had Maori people showing traditional cultural things like weaving, battle weapons, and training, and arts and crafts.
We went into the main meeting hall to watch some displays of song and dance from the Maori people.
After this we went into the dining hall for a traditional Maori meal. The food was fairly basic nothing weird or strange; Lamb, fish, mussels, chicken, some type of New Zealand yam. Everything was very tasty.
Then last part of the tour took us to the Trout, and Kiwi experience. This was a collection of trout ponds that were connected to Lake Rotorua. The trout were hatched in smaller ponds then transferred to the main ponds, they are free to go through the river back in to the main lake, but most stay because they know they get fed regularly. There were a lot of birds and reptiles as well.
The best part of this tour was the Kiwi experience. This was a Kiwi hatchery. They take eggs from the wild Kiwi’s and bring them back so they can be raised in safety; they say in the wild
there is only a 5-10% survival rate, because of predators that like to eat the newly hatched kiwis. These are of course, like so many stories in this part of the world, non-native species that were introduced for reasons that seemed like a good idea at the time. The hatchery has a 95% survival rate. The Kiwi used to number over 12 million, and now there are less then 100,000. And it’s very likely that in 20-30 years there could be no wild kiwis left. There are a few smaller islands where kiwis were moved to and are safe form the non-native species.The kiwi’s are about the size of a chicken, and yet their eggs are about 3-4 times the size of a standard chicken egg. We saw an x-ray of a kiwi with an egg, and it took up nearly half of its body.
We got to see many Kiwi’s up close and not behind glass enclosures. I got within a few feet of one. They are very funny little birds, hopping about poking their beaks into the soil searching for bugs. I loved just watching them scamper around. The kiwi is nocturnal and is shy, for these reasons we were not allowed to take pictures.
This was a very cool tour and it had a lot of different parts to it. It was a great day and one of the best tours so far.
Today we were in Napier. The city reminded me a lot of Kelowna, but more like what Kelowna would have been like 15-20 years ago. Lots of farmland, growing apples, peaches, and grapes. Many small houses and no large towers. A cool downtown with lots of nice shops.
This was the first time we were in this city and I did a tour called Hawkes Bay Town and Country. This also was a multi part tour. First we went to a farm, and saw some of the things that they grow there and did a tour around the orchard. They had a huge range of different apples, peaches, apricots, and berries. This was an ok tour, but more suited to people from big cities like New York, or Hong Kong. People that never get to see farms.
Second we went to the highest peak in the city. We drove through the suburbs to get there. In 1931 there was a large earthquake in Napier, and it pushed up all of the land that we crossed. Over 1 million acres were created from the seabed. This land because it came from the harbour, belonged to the port authority, and they sold and leased it to people to build houses on. Making them the richest port authority in New Zealand at the time.
The peak is shaped much like the sleeping giant in Kelowna, and the Maori legend says that a chief, who wanted to marry another chief’s daughter, was given many tasks before he could marry. He accomplished all but the last which was to eat his way through the hillside. And there he lies today.
The views from the hill top were spectacular. The drive to the top was along a very narrow road, which could only fit cars/busses going one way. So a motorcycle goes down or up first to make sure the way is clear. They are also in contact with the people at the top and bottom.
The last place we went to was a chocolate factory, and museum. This was a good way to end the tour, getting first a free sample of chocolate and then seeing them make the chocolate that we just ate. The museum was also interesting, giving the history of chocolate, and how it was made and used throughout the ages.
Thats the rundown on the tours I have gone on durring our last 3 ports.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
A day in the life of an Interactive Television Manager.
One of the best things about my job is that I make my own schedule.
I usually like to give the ITV system quick check in the morning to make sure that everything is working fine.
After that its up to deck 10 to get some breakfast. Breakfast ends at 11:30 and I usually get in there around 11. This is a good time to get in there because there usually won’t be many guests around and no line at the buffet.
It’s a really great to be able to get up in the morning and have bacon, eggs, and hash browns waiting for you. Sometimes I will get a custom omelet or waffles, but usually just the quick bacon and eggs is enough.
After breakfast I will usually take care of some outstanding issues with the ITV system, one problem with the itinerary that we are on is that if I need some help from another ship or head office in Miami, the time difference makes it hard to coordinate.
I am on call for most of the day, so if a guest complains to the front desk then they relay the issue to me, most often a PPV movie issue, and I will go check out that happened.
Sometimes a room will have their ITV black box break, and they won’t be able to access the system. This means that I will have to go check the room and see what went wrong. Usually they are not broken, and just doing the old electrical fix (resetting it) is enough to fix it. Sometimes it’s an issue with the cabling or the plug has come out. Failing that I will replace the box. There are usually only a few rooms each week that will have issues.
Basically there is just keeping an eye on the system, so as long as things are working in the morning, I can take some time to go into port wherever we may be that day.
I like to have dinner around 8-9pm depending on where I plan to eat that day.
One of the best meals I have found on the ship is in a place I originally shunned, that is the staff mess. It turns out that you can order off the menu that the guests get in the main dining room. There is a waiter in the staff mess that will get whatever you want from the menu, 3 courses: appetizer main, and dessert, and all you have to do is tip $1.
The busiest days I have are the End of Voyage/Start of Voyage days. I have to create a report on what was sold on the ITV system, then the next day I have to be in the office early to settle any discrepancies that may come up from the guests.
The other busiest day is the day I change over the old PPV movies to the new ones. This involves creating the movie names into the system, and adding the preview videos, and then removing the old movies and putting in the new ones. Then boxing up all the old stuff that needs to be sent back to head office.
Pictues of my room and the office to come soon
I usually like to give the ITV system quick check in the morning to make sure that everything is working fine.
After that its up to deck 10 to get some breakfast. Breakfast ends at 11:30 and I usually get in there around 11. This is a good time to get in there because there usually won’t be many guests around and no line at the buffet.
It’s a really great to be able to get up in the morning and have bacon, eggs, and hash browns waiting for you. Sometimes I will get a custom omelet or waffles, but usually just the quick bacon and eggs is enough.
After breakfast I will usually take care of some outstanding issues with the ITV system, one problem with the itinerary that we are on is that if I need some help from another ship or head office in Miami, the time difference makes it hard to coordinate.
I am on call for most of the day, so if a guest complains to the front desk then they relay the issue to me, most often a PPV movie issue, and I will go check out that happened.
Sometimes a room will have their ITV black box break, and they won’t be able to access the system. This means that I will have to go check the room and see what went wrong. Usually they are not broken, and just doing the old electrical fix (resetting it) is enough to fix it. Sometimes it’s an issue with the cabling or the plug has come out. Failing that I will replace the box. There are usually only a few rooms each week that will have issues.
Basically there is just keeping an eye on the system, so as long as things are working in the morning, I can take some time to go into port wherever we may be that day.
I like to have dinner around 8-9pm depending on where I plan to eat that day.
One of the best meals I have found on the ship is in a place I originally shunned, that is the staff mess. It turns out that you can order off the menu that the guests get in the main dining room. There is a waiter in the staff mess that will get whatever you want from the menu, 3 courses: appetizer main, and dessert, and all you have to do is tip $1.
The busiest days I have are the End of Voyage/Start of Voyage days. I have to create a report on what was sold on the ITV system, then the next day I have to be in the office early to settle any discrepancies that may come up from the guests.
The other busiest day is the day I change over the old PPV movies to the new ones. This involves creating the movie names into the system, and adding the preview videos, and then removing the old movies and putting in the new ones. Then boxing up all the old stuff that needs to be sent back to head office.
Pictues of my room and the office to come soon
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Poker king
I won another game of poker.
I had a full house and someone called me all in, and won. Then I got a strait and got called all in. Ended up winning after losing the chip lead durring heads up.
Then the second game I lost after being ahead with a 2 pair then the person I was against caught a lucky 5 to win with a 3 of a kind vs my 2 pair. Lucky. He ended up winning the game after another few lucky calls.
I have won 2 of the 4 games I have played
I had a full house and someone called me all in, and won. Then I got a strait and got called all in. Ended up winning after losing the chip lead durring heads up.
Then the second game I lost after being ahead with a 2 pair then the person I was against caught a lucky 5 to win with a 3 of a kind vs my 2 pair. Lucky. He ended up winning the game after another few lucky calls.
I have won 2 of the 4 games I have played
Friday, November 14, 2008
Day to day, working on the ship
I have had a few requests for post telling what its like to work on the ship, day to day.
Now that I have been to most all of the places we will see in the coming few months, I will write about the ship life.
Stay tuned for the next update about a day in the life of working on a ship.
Now that I have been to most all of the places we will see in the coming few months, I will write about the ship life.
Stay tuned for the next update about a day in the life of working on a ship.
Sydney
Here we are in Sydney Harbour.
We happened to dock in a fairly nice and recognizable area of Sydney. Right between the Harbour bridge and the opera house.
They city is amazing for its scenery and just sitting in the deck 10 restaurant and watching the activity in the harbour is great.
Also if you look closely you can see some people doing to Sydney Bridge Climb.
Unfortunately this time abound I didn't have much time to do the standard touristy things, I was stuck on board for the first day, and the second day I took most of my day trying to buy and then finally buying a laptop.
If you are going to travel somewhere and plan on making a big purchase, Then its a good idea to tell you credit card company, so they actually let the transaction go through. I had to do a bit of walking back and forth to the ship to get some money rather then just being able to buy the laptop with the visa. Oh well.
This was the first overnight our ship did in Sydney, we will have a few more during the coming 
few months. And we were lucky enough to be in the harbour when the full moon was seen to rise over the Opera House. Unfortunately by the time I could get my camera some clouds rolled in and the picture isn't as great as it could have been.
few months. And we were lucky enough to be in the harbour when the full moon was seen to rise over the Opera House. Unfortunately by the time I could get my camera some clouds rolled in and the picture isn't as great as it could have been.Working
Just to clarify my last post. I'm not saying that I worked until 4am, but rather that I did some work at 3am-4am.
The problem with being in Australia is that if there is a problem that needs help from the shore side people, it means that I need to take into account the time difference from here to Miami.
The problem with being in Australia is that if there is a problem that needs help from the shore side people, it means that I need to take into account the time difference from here to Miami.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
working at 3am
well its 3:38 am and i have been working since 3 am so anyone who thinks i dont do any work. There you go. Here I am working at almost 4am
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary
Today we were in Melbourne and I went to the Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary, as a shore excursion escort. There were a lot of people going on the tour. There were at least 4 busses going. 
The bus ride out was fairly long around 70 minutes, but the tour guide was very good. Lots of good information about the city and the animals that we were going to see.
Once we got to the sanctuary we joined up with a guide that worked at the park. The park was set up in a ring so we could walk and see most everything fairly easily. The local guide was very good, and had lots of infomation of everything in the park.
The Emus were the first thing we saw, then the koalas which were pretty cool, all relaxed hanging out in their trees. The kangaroos were relaxing under some trees. There were many varieites of kangaroos, from the very large to smaller ones to the extremely endangered.
The platypuses were one of the hardest things to see, because the habitat was dark, because they are nocturnal, and they said no flash photography, so taking pictures of them was not happening. But even getting a glimpse of them was hard and I only saw one for a few seconds.
The Rock wallaby of which there are only 50 left in the wild was being elusive only popping his head up from behind a rock a few times, and every time he did I missed getting a picture. So all I got was a picture of his ears.
Here is a dingo, there are very few full blooded dingos these days because of interbreeding with regular dogs.
The sanctuary was built on a natural area, so many of the habitats are real and not simulated with a lot of the natural plants trees complimenting the animals.
The Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary was a really cool excursion; the only thing was we were a bit rushed for time, so we couldn't linger for very long at each habitat. But there was still plenty of time to see almost everything there. Definitely a very cool day
The bus ride out was fairly long around 70 minutes, but the tour guide was very good. Lots of good information about the city and the animals that we were going to see.
Once we got to the sanctuary we joined up with a guide that worked at the park. The park was set up in a ring so we could walk and see most everything fairly easily. The local guide was very good, and had lots of infomation of everything in the park.
The Emus were the first thing we saw, then the koalas which were pretty cool, all relaxed hanging out in their trees. The kangaroos were relaxing under some trees. There were many varieites of kangaroos, from the very large to smaller ones to the extremely endangered.
The platypuses were one of the hardest things to see, because the habitat was dark, because they are nocturnal, and they said no flash photography, so taking pictures of them was not happening. But even getting a glimpse of them was hard and I only saw one for a few seconds.
The Rock wallaby of which there are only 50 left in the wild was being elusive only popping his head up from behind a rock a few times, and every time he did I missed getting a picture. So all I got was a picture of his ears.
Here is a dingo, there are very few full blooded dingos these days because of interbreeding with regular dogs.
The sanctuary was built on a natural area, so many of the habitats are real and not simulated with a lot of the natural plants trees complimenting the animals.
The Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary was a really cool excursion; the only thing was we were a bit rushed for time, so we couldn't linger for very long at each habitat. But there was still plenty of time to see almost everything there. Definitely a very cool day
Monday, November 10, 2008
Melbourne
We arrive in Australia tomorrow. Another country to add to the list.
We have a system on the ship that allows you to sign up to be an escort for shore excursions. Basically it gets you onto the excursions, that are going to be busy to help out the guests. I have signed up for one in each of the ports of call, but I haven’t gotten picked for any yet.
Well I finally got picked for one. I will be going to the Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary, to see platypuses, kangaroos, koalas, Tasmanian devils, and all that other crazy aussie stuff.
So I’m charging up my camera, and emptying out the memory card, in preparation for a fun filled day at the zoo.
Stay tuned for some crazy pictures of Quatchi and I with the quintessential wildlife of Australia.
We have a system on the ship that allows you to sign up to be an escort for shore excursions. Basically it gets you onto the excursions, that are going to be busy to help out the guests. I have signed up for one in each of the ports of call, but I haven’t gotten picked for any yet.
Well I finally got picked for one. I will be going to the Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary, to see platypuses, kangaroos, koalas, Tasmanian devils, and all that other crazy aussie stuff.
So I’m charging up my camera, and emptying out the memory card, in preparation for a fun filled day at the zoo.
Stay tuned for some crazy pictures of Quatchi and I with the quintessential wildlife of Australia.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Crossing the Tazman Sea to Australia
We have two sea day while we cross over to Australia.
I can say for sure that the seas have been the roughest since I came on board, even the middle of the Pacific Ocean wasn't anything close to this.
The wind started gusting yesterday night, and crew were scrambling to bring in all the tables and chairs of the outside seating area on the deck 10 restaurant.
My cabin is on deck 2 at the back of the ship, which puts it in a fairly stable area, but it was still fairly shacky last night. I have a friend on deck 9 at the front and that is the worst place to be if you get seasick
Also I was at the most southern point of the world I'm likely to get last night, at 45 degrees south.
Adding that to the 66 degrees north I was at this year in Dawson City Yukon, I have covered more then 100 degrees of latitude in this year.
I can say for sure that the seas have been the roughest since I came on board, even the middle of the Pacific Ocean wasn't anything close to this.
The wind started gusting yesterday night, and crew were scrambling to bring in all the tables and chairs of the outside seating area on the deck 10 restaurant.
My cabin is on deck 2 at the back of the ship, which puts it in a fairly stable area, but it was still fairly shacky last night. I have a friend on deck 9 at the front and that is the worst place to be if you get seasick
Also I was at the most southern point of the world I'm likely to get last night, at 45 degrees south.
Adding that to the 66 degrees north I was at this year in Dawson City Yukon, I have covered more then 100 degrees of latitude in this year.
Fiordland
Yesterday we were in the Fiords of New Zealand. Dusky Sound, Doubtful Sound, and Milford 
Sound. These fiords created by glaciers 20,000 years ago, are incredibly deep but their entrances are mostly blocked by rocky debris. So only the top 20-30 meters of water pass into the ocean. This allows a lot of sea life to exist in the sounds that usually is only found in deep water of the oceans.
Sound. These fiords created by glaciers 20,000 years ago, are incredibly deep but their entrances are mostly blocked by rocky debris. So only the top 20-30 meters of water pass into the ocean. This allows a lot of sea life to exist in the sounds that usually is only found in deep water of the oceans. Fiordland has been classified as a World Heritage Site, and is also one of the wettest places in
New Zealand, with up to 7.5 meters of rainfall a year. So we were very lucky to have a sunny morning for the first 2 sounds, and only a little bit of rain in Milford Sound. The sounds have huge mountains and cliffs, with countless waterfalls; it looked a lot like the cliffs of Squamish but on both sides and stretching for kilometers.
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