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Hardest Part is Saying Goodbye … and Packing

Posted on November 22, 2022 by Jo Johnston

Day 51, South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand Cruise Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022; Tasman Sea. Of course I put off my packing until the very end. And it was made much the harder by our rough passage through the Tasman Sea between New Zealand and Australia. At one point the

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2022 South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand
17 comments

Not Enough Time to do Auckland Justice

Posted on November 21, 2022 by Jo Johnston

Day 49, South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand Cruise Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022; Auckland, North Island, New Zealand. The original itinerary for this cruise had us spending a day in Auckland before going to the Bay of Islands, making a smooth northerly transit up the coast of New Zealand’s North

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2022 South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand
3 comments

The Ports Keep Coming, But I Rebel

Posted on November 20, 2022 by Jo Johnston

Days 46-48, South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand Cruise Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 17-19, 2022; Gisborne and Tauranga, North Island, New Zealand. After a flurry of new-to-me New Zealand ports since leaving Sydney more than a week ago, I’m back in familiar territory. I’ve been to some northern New Zealand cities and

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2022 South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand
8 comments

Gannets Squawk, Preen, Swoop, Dive, Nest and Fight

Posted on November 18, 2022 by Jo Johnston

Day 45, South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand Cruise Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022; Napier, North Island, New Zealand. As we neared the top of the hill, our driver said, “If you are really quiet, we might be lucky and see a gannet.” We crested the hill and thousands of very

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2022 South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand
6 comments

From Tragic WWI Battle to Bucolic Sheep Station

Posted on November 15, 2022November 18, 2022 by Jo Johnston

Days 43 and 44, South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand Cruise Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 14-15, 2022; Wellington, North Island, New Zealand. There are so many things I know little about, and World War I is one of those subjects. So, the amazing exhibit on the 1915 campaign at Gallipoli

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2022 South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand
5 comments

Earthquakes Leave Trail of Empty Lots in Christchurch

Posted on November 13, 2022 by Jo Johnston

Day 42, South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand Cruise Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022; Lyttelton/Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand. Of course I remember reading about the destruction in the Christchurch area of New Zealand caused by earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. I was interested in seeing the aftermath. But – duh

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2022 South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand
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Train to the Taieri River Gorge

Posted on November 12, 2022May 28, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 41, South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand Cruise Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022; Port Chalmers/Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand. As I was just about to publish this post, some news broke. The Majestic Princess, with 4,600 guests and crew, docked in Sydney this morning after a cruise to New Zealand

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2022 South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand
5 comments

Running Out of Words to Describe Stunning Landscapes

Posted on November 11, 2022 by Jo Johnston

Day 40, South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand Cruise Friday, Nov. 11, 2022; Milford Sound, South Island, New Zealand. Today’s destination is acclaimed to be New Zealand’s most famous tourist destination, a world’s top travel destination and the eighth Wonder of the World (the latter according to Rudyard Kipling). And

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2022 South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand
17 comments

A Room With a View, and What a View!

Posted on November 9, 2022May 28, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 37, South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand Cruise Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022; Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Our serendipity of docking at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in Circular Quay in Sydney was everything I could have imagined. We pulled in at noon and I lucked out, as my stateroom

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2022 South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand
12 comments

Ports: You Lose Some, You Win Some

Posted on November 6, 2022 by Jo Johnston

Day 35, South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand Cruise Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022; Moreton Island, Queensland, Australia. Yesterday the captain warned us that tendering at Moreton Island might be tricky. I wonder if he knew then it would be impossible and was just preparing us for the news. The seas

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2022 South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand
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