Random thoughts from the sea
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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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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Day 37, Grand World Voyage Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023; Sydney, Australia. On this, my sixth stop in Sydney, I “got outta Dodge,” as they say. My sisters and I took the popular day trip to the Blue Mountains, an area about a 90-minute drive west of the city. The tour
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Day 32, Grand World Voyage Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023; Wellington, New Zealand. It may seem strange, but thoughts of a Turkish peninsula provided the bookends for my day in Wellington, N.Z. The peninsula is Gallipoli, and it was the scene of a bitter World War I military campaign. The attempt
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Day 32, Grand World Voyage Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023; Gisborne, New Zealand. I make it a rule of thumb to first consider ship excursions on tender ports. Not a requirement, but being on an excursion does have the benefit of avoiding the wait for a tender if you want to
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Day 31, Grand World Voyage Friday, Feb. 3, 2023; Tauranga, New Zealand. I’m getting to know my way around the shops and restaurants in Mount Maunganui, the port village for Tauranga. The city of Tauranga is about 20 minutes away by bus, but I have yet to visit there. When
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Day 30, Grand World Voyage Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023; Auckland, New Zealand. There is so much to do in Auckland, and what do I do? Get a pedicure! I’ve been to Auckland four times now, and twice I have treated myself to a wonderful foot massage, nail trimming and a
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Day 27, Grand World Voyage Monday, Jan. 30, 2023; Nuku’alofa, Tonga. I sent my new dress from Tonga to the laundry on board the ship. I’m not sure what to expect when it comes back. I loved the fabric pattern and the simple A-line design. Its light weight, I thought,
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Day 25, Grand World Voyage Friday, Jan. 27, 2023; South Pacific Ocean Watercolor may be second only to arts and crafts in popularity on Holland America’s grand cruises. Of course, it’s not a competition. And some people, including my sisters, participate in both activities. Since my introduction to watercolor in
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Day 22, Grand World Voyage Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023; Uturoa, Raiatea, French Polynesia. As anyone who cruises much knows, the itinerary can change. Bad weather or unfavorable seas can prevent the ship from docking safely, as happened to us in Samoa a few years ago. Political unrest can make it
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