Sandy and Jim WC 24-25

  WHITSUNDAY ISLANDS (AIRLIE BEACH), AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 10, 2025 The Whitsunday archipelago emerges from the Coral Sea amid the Great Barrier Reef.  The seafaring Ngaro people called this paradise home until 1870 and hunted these waters in bark canoes.  We sailed past iconic resorts, including a golf course on the side of the mountain, and stunning natural scenery including impressive rock formations as well as the fringe reefs found around some of the region’s 74 islands.  Pure white sands meet cerulean waters, swirling together at sandbars to merge into a palette of turquoise, cream and emerald green hills. The Whitsundays provide beautifully protected habitats for humpback whales and sea turtles.

  MOOLOOLABA, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 8, 2025   Mooloolaba sits at the mouth of its namesake river, along the shores of the Sunshine Coast which is a mecca of white-sand beaches and quaint beautiful villages set amid lush rainforests inhabited by kangaroos and koalas.   The town derives its name from the Aboriginal word mulu (snapper fish) or mulla (red-bellied black snake).  We were very lucky to be able to enter this port as the weather and large swells prohibit many ships from anchoring here.   We anchored off shore because of the shallow waters and climbed aboard the ship tenders to take us to the pier.   On the way, the ocean swells lifted our tender to a 45-degree angle and bounced the tender into another swell!!!!!   That trip was a bit nerve-wracking but we all made it!!!!   It’s very tricky bringing water craft in and out of that harbor.     We then boarded a ferry and cruised the Noosa River lined with stunning and...

  SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 5-6, 2025 Celebrated for its magnificent natural harbor, the world’s largest, and its free-spirited nature, Sydney was founded as a penal colony in 1788.   We began our cruise into the Sydney Harbor from Wellington, New Zealand at 6am on February 5 and the sights are something to behold!!!   The cultural jewel is the iconic Sydney Opera House nestled harborside like a gleaming white bird taking wing and the Sydney Harbor Bridge which we climbed 25 years ago – a good thing because now if you are over 75 years of age, you are not allowed to climb the bridge.   However, bungee jumping in New Zealand is FREE if you are over 75!!!!!!        Our Harbor Cruise showcased the Royal Botanic Garden with its 70 acres of flora-lined pathways; The Rocks, a district named for the sandstone from which its original buildings were made and that once hosted drunken sailors and ex-convicts; the striking and very expensive harborside m...

  WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND Februrary 1, 2025   Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, is nestled at the southwestern tip of the North Island and is the world’s southernmost capital city of an independent nation.   Wellington’s history is embodied in a rich collection of architecture from classic weatherboard wooden cottages and the clean lines of art deco to Edwardian and postmodern wonders.   The city’s neoclassical Parliament House stands out and is listed as a Heritage New Zealand building for its history and cultural significance.   After a tour of the downtown area, we arrived at the waterfront Te Papa Museum to explore a celebration of New Zealand’s diverse landscape, cultures and nature.   The most impressive exhibit was Gallipoli:   The Scale of Our War -- WWI -- 1915  which immerses one in the eight-month Gallipoli campaign which took place in Ottoman Turkey.   This exhibition tells the story through the eyes and words of eight o...

  NAPIER, NEW ZEALAND January 31, 2025 The second largest wine growing region in New Zealand, the Hawke’s Bay area boasts more than 70 vineyards.    Napier has an impressive cityscape of art deco architecture often compared to Miami Beach.   Three of us, Sandy, Jim and Joe Buckovic, decided to take in the majestic scenery of the Tukituki Valley with a ride through Napier and along the coast to the peak of Te Mata on a custom-built Supertrike!!!!   On the way to the meeting point, we passed this playground for kids with scooters and bikes complete with traffic lights and roundabouts to teach them some rudimentary driving practices! We met our driver, Phil Kavanaugh, outside the National Aquarium of New Zealand. The people of New Zealand are among the most environmentally-conscious citizens in the world. Here is what our transportation looked like. This is a custom-built 5-seat motorcycle that was made in Christchurch and is most likely a one-of-a-kind machi...