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Experiencing the Colors of Mauritius

Posted on March 3, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 58, Grand World Voyage Thursday, March 2, 2023; Port Louis, Mauritius. Today we visited Mauritius — one of the small island countries scattered around the Indian Ocean on the eastern side of Africa. I didn’t know much about this island or the nearby La Réunion, which we will visit

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2023 Grand World Voyage
4 comments

Sailing West Through Uncharted Waters — For Me

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 57, Grand World Voyage Wednesday, March 1, 2023; Indian Ocean. I guess these waters of the Indian Ocean are charted – and probably well charted given satellite technology – but they are new to me. Today is our seventh day at sea since leaving Fremantle, Australia. The month of

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2023 Grand World Voyage
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Who Knew We Would Grow to Love Fremantle?

Posted on February 23, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 50, Grand World Voyage Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023; Fremantle, Western Australia My last memories of Fremantle were of our abrupt end to the 2020 Grand World Voyage as the cloud of coronavirus descended upon us in late March. We never planned to visit here, but there we were rushed

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2023 Grand World Voyage
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Reflecting on the Crew We Left Behind

Posted on February 20, 2023February 20, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 48, Grand World Voyage Monday, Feb. 20, 2023; At Sea, Great Australian Bight. Leaving the ms Amsterdam suddenly almost three years ago was traumatic for the 1,000-plus passengers. We knew little about this mysterious virus coming from Asia. No one on our ship was sick, but reports from a

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2023 Grand World Voyage
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“Tie Me Kangaroo Down” – On Kangaroo Island

Posted on February 18, 2023February 20, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 45, Grand World Voyage Friday, Feb. 17, 2023; Penneshaw, Kangaroo Island, Australia. Okay, there was no tying down of kangaroos on Kangaroo Island. But the song kept running through my mind today. Kangaroo Island, just off the coast of Adelaide, is a tender port that takes us into the

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2023 Grand World Voyage
5 comments

Adelaide: A Little German, A Little Australian

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Days 43 and 44, Grand World Voyage Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 15 and 16, 2023; Adelaide, Australia. Summertime, and the living is easy. Easy is the word that comes to mind in describing our last few weeks of cruising. Australia, and New Zealand before it, are wonderful destinations. And they

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2023 Grand World Voyage
3 comments

Live Tweeting the Super Bowl from Down Under

Posted on February 13, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 41, Part 2, Grand World Voyage Monday, Feb. 13, 2023; Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Super Bowl Monday? That’s what it is here in Tasmania, with the kickoff live at 10:30 a.m. local time. The Zuiderdam’s World Stage is about one-third full as the game is about to begin. Many passengers

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2023 Grand World Voyage
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In the Midst of Wooden Boats, Tall Ships

Posted on February 13, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 41, Part 1, Grand World Voyage Monday, Feb. 13, 2023; Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. My knowledge of Hobart before coming here was as the terminus of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, one of the classic offshore yacht competitions (along with the Newport-Bermuda Race and the Fastnet Race). It also

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2023 Grand World Voyage
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Lavender, Wine and Cliffs – not Devils – in Tasmania

Posted on February 12, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 40, Grand World Voyage Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023; Port Arthur, Tasmania, Australia. Tasmania is an island southeast of the main Australia island. This will be the farthest south of our voyage – 43 degrees south latitude. Cape Town, South Africa, is at 34 degrees south. In May, we will

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2023 Grand World Voyage
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A Sydney Day at The Rocks, Chinatown, Darling Harbor

Posted on February 12, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 38, Grand World Voyage Friday, Feb. 10, 2023; Sydney, Australia. What can top a sail out of Sydney, passing under the Harbor Bridge, by the Opera House and wending your way to the cut between the heads, finally entering the Tasman Sea? Throw in spectacular weather and yacht races

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2023 Grand World Voyage
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