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.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
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.
No Dunedin. Just a Boatdrill
The next port we were in was Dunedin. This is another port that required a 20 minute shuttle ride into town, but first thing that day we had a crew boat drill. So it was everyone to their muster stations and then out to the lifeboats.
After that I had to do some work, yes that happens sometimes, so by the time that was done I was looking at only an hour to an hour and a half in the town. Adding that to a very cold and windy day, which also had a bit of rain and hail, I figured it was a day to stay in. Tune in next time for an update about Dunedin.
After that I had to do some work, yes that happens sometimes, so by the time that was done I was looking at only an hour to an hour and a half in the town. Adding that to a very cold and windy day, which also had a bit of rain and hail, I figured it was a day to stay in. Tune in next time for an update about Dunedin.
Christchurch
We were in Christchurch a few days ago. You may guess that this city may have had a large church in it, and you would be correct. Christchurch is centered around the church and large city square.
There was a lot of large public art in the square and surrounding streets. And some cool street performers and art sellers. We had lunch at a sports bar that had a 90 foot projection screen showing a soccer game. Bolton beat Man City 2-0 even though Bolton is last in the league and Man City has the largest payroll in the league, including one player getting 35 million pounds a year ($75m cdn). It was a cool bar, with good local beer and homemade thin crust pizza.
We paid the $5 to climb the bell tower of the church only 164 steps, not anything like you would find in Europe but still fun to do, and it gave a great view of the city.
The weather was a mix of sun and rain, with the wind getting worse as the day went on. Crew was supposed to be back at the place where our busses dropped us off at 3:30, guests could stay longer, but when we got there, there was a long line of both guests and crew and after waiting for 20 minutes with not a single bus showing up, and everyone standing in the cold and wind, people were considering a taxi’s.
One of the crew we were waiting with flagged down a taxi van, with room for 11 people, and we all piled in. It was definitely worth the $5 rater then wait for the free bus.
There was a lot of large public art in the square and surrounding streets. And some cool street performers and art sellers. We had lunch at a sports bar that had a 90 foot projection screen showing a soccer game. Bolton beat Man City 2-0 even though Bolton is last in the league and Man City has the largest payroll in the league, including one player getting 35 million pounds a year ($75m cdn). It was a cool bar, with good local beer and homemade thin crust pizza.
We paid the $5 to climb the bell tower of the church only 164 steps, not anything like you would find in Europe but still fun to do, and it gave a great view of the city.
The weather was a mix of sun and rain, with the wind getting worse as the day went on. Crew was supposed to be back at the place where our busses dropped us off at 3:30, guests could stay longer, but when we got there, there was a long line of both guests and crew and after waiting for 20 minutes with not a single bus showing up, and everyone standing in the cold and wind, people were considering a taxi’s.
One of the crew we were waiting with flagged down a taxi van, with room for 11 people, and we all piled in. It was definitely worth the $5 rater then wait for the free bus.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Wellington
After Tauranga was a sea day then we arrived in the capital of New Zealand, Wellington.
Wellington is the second largest city after Auckland, but it is built at the foot of the mountains. Much like the North Shore of Vancouver. It kind of made me think of what North and West Vancouver will look like in 20-30 years. Lots more tall buildings and, the expensive houses up on the hills just like the British Properties, in West Van.
The shopping district is very busy, even on a weekday during the afternoon there were lots of people about.
One thing I found interesting was how driving on the left side also transferred to how people walk on the streets. I kept having to move to the left of the sidewalks because I’m used to walking on the right side.
Overall I found Wellington kind of boring, just a lot of tall buildings and none of the very interesting. The one exception was the houses of parliament which have a cool style to them. Sort of a mix of old and new.
Wellington is the second largest city after Auckland, but it is built at the foot of the mountains. Much like the North Shore of Vancouver. It kind of made me think of what North and West Vancouver will look like in 20-30 years. Lots more tall buildings and, the expensive houses up on the hills just like the British Properties, in West Van.
The shopping district is very busy, even on a weekday during the afternoon there were lots of people about.
One thing I found interesting was how driving on the left side also transferred to how people walk on the streets. I kept having to move to the left of the sidewalks because I’m used to walking on the right side.
Overall I found Wellington kind of boring, just a lot of tall buildings and none of the very interesting. The one exception was the houses of parliament which have a cool style to them. Sort of a mix of old and new.
Tauranga
I have been a bit behind in my updates, so I’m going to try to get a bit of the backlog cleared.
I have been in New Zealand for almost a week now, and it has been great.
The port we went to after Auckland was Tauranga. This is the largest town in the Bay Of Plenty region, and is built next to an amazing beach.
The beach boasts some decent size waves, enough to surf on but not very big by most standards there was one guy surfing when I was there. The sand however is just like fine white powder. And the shoreline is perfect for skim-boarding, something I plan on doing next time we get there. It is still early in the summer season, so the water is still not very warm, but it should warm up in the next few weeks.
The city also has Mount Maunganui at the far end of the beach, which looks like it will make for a great hike.
There were also a nice amount of cool stores and restaurants. This area reminded me a lot of Victoria or Nanaimo. Definitely going to have a lot of fun here this summer.
I have been in New Zealand for almost a week now, and it has been great.
The port we went to after Auckland was Tauranga. This is the largest town in the Bay Of Plenty region, and is built next to an amazing beach.
The beach boasts some decent size waves, enough to surf on but not very big by most standards there was one guy surfing when I was there. The sand however is just like fine white powder. And the shoreline is perfect for skim-boarding, something I plan on doing next time we get there. It is still early in the summer season, so the water is still not very warm, but it should warm up in the next few weeks.
The city also has Mount Maunganui at the far end of the beach, which looks like it will make for a great hike.
There were also a nice amount of cool stores and restaurants. This area reminded me a lot of Victoria or Nanaimo. Definitely going to have a lot of fun here this summer.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
High Point in Auckland
Today we arrived in Auckland, and it was also the first time we were able to get on land in New Zealand.
We were in Bay of Islands yesterday, but the crew wasn't allowed off the ship, because we had to wait for the completion of the coast guard inspection, and when that was dont there was no time (lame).
But it was sunny and warm in Auckland today and I was able to see some cool stuff.
The Sky Tower in Auckland is the at 328 meters is the tallest tower in the southern hemisphere, and now with having been up the CN tower this year (tallest in the world 553m) I have been to the tallest towers on both sides of the globe.
Auckland is a fun city, and I’m glad we will be back in a few weeks. There are a few other things that I plan to do, Zorbing, Bungee-jump off the harbour bridge, and skydiving are all available nearby.
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