Sydney, Australia Friday, April 13, 2018
Larry and I boarded the Holland America Noordam in Sydney,
Australia in time for lunch…on Friday the 13th.
The local fences were made of drift wood.
We stopped at the first
church built on the island.
The wild flowers were plentiful.
At the end of our tour, Larry and I went to the beach for a
dip in the cool turquoise waters of Oro Bay, a popular snorkeling area.
The water was chilly, but I managed to withstand the cold water and took the plunge to get some snorkeling in. It was worth the effort to see the colorful fish and coral beds underwater. All the passengers were happy at the end of the day sharing their own snorkeling adventures.
The beach had gorgeous white sands lined with lazy tropical palm trees. It was about as scenic a paradise as you could ever want.
We ended our afternoon with some liquid refreshment at the nearby resort and slowly made our way back to the tender ride to the ship. What a great first day on a South Pacific Isle!
The tender took us onto the island of
Lifou, New Caledonia to the town of Easo.
From there we took a water taxi back to the ship.
What a spectacular day! We really enjoyed our adventure in Port Vila.
Larry and I had visited Lautoka a couple of years ago and
had visited all the touring sights… Raymond Burr’s Garden of the Sleeping
Giant, the hot mud springs, the largest Hindu Temple in the South Pacific in
Nadi, Lautoka Sugar Mill, and the resort, First Landing.
The area was rich in Indian and Chinese culture as well.
Indentured back in the 1800’s , many stayed to make Fiji their permanent home.
Typical housing outside the city.
We saw lots of locals gathering wood to cook with.
The Fijians were all friendly with big smiles.
During our next visit to Fiji, we will plan to rent a car and get an early start to visit the waterfalls on the other side of the island. The drive around the island is about 700-800 kilometers.
Larry and I were up bright and early to experience our arrival into the Pago Pago Harbor.
Clouds were lifting over the magnificent forested
mountains as the sun rose high in the sky.
Many homes rose above the main road with only foot paths to them.
After an early breakfast, we can brag that we were the first ones off the ship…we were trying to beat the heat and humidity that occurs as the day passes. Our plan was to find a taxi to take us to the National Park of America Samoa, the only national park south of the equator. The last time we were here, the park was closed due to a mud slide closing the road.
We boarded the open air buses and headed down the road to
the visitor center. It had interesting displays.
We passed by the Starkist Tuna Factory. It was quit smelly. We were told that was the smell of money.
We also passed by numerous churches. the Samoans are very devoted Christians.
Our next stops were along the curvy road that took us up and over
the mountain to the other side of the island.
What a lush tropical rain forest!
What marvelous views of the harbor and surrounding areas.
When we finally reached the other side of the mountain, we entered the national park and again saw some gorgeous scenery.
Our last stop of the day was to get a taste of the Samoan
cuisine.
Villagers opened up fresh baby coconuts giving us cold coconut milk and
fresh coconut to eat.
They also cooked up fresh taro, adding squeezed coconut
milk to the dish. All of it was very tasty.
Our two Park Rangers were very kind to us and were so happy to open the Visitor Center for us. The center is usually closed on Sundays but they made special arrangements for our small group to get a tour of the National Park.
We had a wonderful ride back to Pago Pago with lots of scenic views of the mountains and seas.
We spotted one nice waterfall shooting down the side of the mountain.
The mountains certainly do dwarf our ship.
The bus driver dropped us off at Sadies, the local inn that
had some very nice cool air.
The ship docked in the harbors offshore about 7:30am. The clouds circled the Maui mountains.
Larry and I were standing at the tender desk at 7:45am and procured the first tender boat tickets to leave at 8:00am.
The tender boat was jumping around due to rough seas (throwing one lady to the floor), but we all managed to regroup and get to shore.
Lahaina was a cute little town with lots of shops and cafes.
From there we took the Hana Highway and moseyed along the
way passing through the little town of Pa’ia. The locals in Pa'ia have surf board privacy fences. How unique is that?
It started raining about the time we got to the Millenium Legacy Trail Marker where our 10-15 mile an hour journey really began….going to Hana.
This little road was a mixture of twists and turns,
more and more waterfalls,
and
some of the most lush
rainforests in the world.
It was a pure jungle of green on this snaking, winding road with spectacular scenery.
Vines, ferns, moss, palms and blooming orange African Tulip trees dotted the mountains with Pacific Ocean views.
Larry and I came herein July, 1988.... 30 years ago on our 11th wedding anniversary. Our memories from the past visit to Maui lead us to enjoy this drive today even more.
More houses and businesses had sprung up but the natural beauty was all the same. It was AWESOME beauty!
We spotted these colorful birds...the locals called them cardinals.
Will my man bring me back here in another thirty years?
We arrived at Nawiliwili at 7:30am. The ship was late
docking because the tiny harbor was quite a crooked maze to back the Noordam
into.
Our day in Kauai was short. All aboard time was 1:30pm. Larry and I decided that it would be a good day to take a ship excursion and let the locals worry about getting us back to the ship on time.
The Canyon was large…two miles across and 10 miles wide.
It
was wonderful to see the sunshine beaming over the colorful rocks.
A double
waterfall plundered across from our observation spot.
Helicopters zoomed around the canyon, one after another. We were so happy that our driver came straight to this state park so we could enjoy it before the masses of other tourists arrived.
Our next stop was to see the blow holes….actually three blow holes blast up through the volcanic rock beside the ocean.
The views here were superb!
Our bus arrived back at the port just in time to watch the ship maneuver out the tiny bay of Nawiliwili. The Nawiliwili pilot did an excellent job of maneuvering it around the sharp curve and out into the sea passing the scenic lighthouse.
We enjoyed the gorgeous coastline of Kauai.
We have the final five days of our cruise at sea, arriving
in Vancouver, British Columbia on Sunday. Larry and I can hardly believe that
our trip is coming to an end! What an fun adventure!
Kuto, Ile Des Pins, New Caledonia Monday, April 16, 2018
After two days of cruising the South Pacific from Sydney, we
stopped in Kuto, Ile Des Pins, New Caledonia which is known as the ‘Jewel of the
Pacific’.
Larry and I left the ship by tender about 10:30am for a little tour of the island.
Larry and I left the ship by tender about 10:30am for a little tour of the island.
We were happy to find an air conditioned bus that took us
down a narrow paved road through the lush green rainforests.
The island was
flat with many pine trees…hence the name ‘Isle of Pines’. It was very green…rain
showers occur often. Our young guide spoke somewhat broken English. The main
language of New Caledonia is French. He pointed out the middle school and
elementary school as well as a few homes of the locals.
The locals decorate their yards with shells, buoys and other sea objects.
We passed a few traditional island grass hut homes, but the vast majority of homes were cinder block stucco with metal roofs.
We passed a few traditional island grass hut homes, but the vast majority of homes were cinder block stucco with metal roofs.
We stopped at the first Catholic missionaries
landing, where the St Maurice Bay Memorial stands.
Evidence of the Melanesian
culture circled the memorial with wood carved totems.
We enjoyed seeing some of the traditional sailing outriggers that are still being built today from local pine and kohu wood.
We enjoyed seeing some of the traditional sailing outriggers that are still being built today from local pine and kohu wood.
The ceiling was unique.
A few stained glass windows were at the top of clear glass.
We also visited the old prison where convicts from the mainland were shipped.
The wild flowers were plentiful.
The water was chilly, but I managed to withstand the cold water and took the plunge to get some snorkeling in. It was worth the effort to see the colorful fish and coral beds underwater. All the passengers were happy at the end of the day sharing their own snorkeling adventures.
The beach had gorgeous white sands lined with lazy tropical palm trees. It was about as scenic a paradise as you could ever want.
We ended our afternoon with some liquid refreshment at the nearby resort and slowly made our way back to the tender ride to the ship. What a great first day on a South Pacific Isle!
Easo, Lifou, New Caledonia Tuesday, April 17, 2018
From the ship, Lifou looked like a fabulous tropical island!
Many locals had set up small tents to shows their
wares to the passengers.
Larry and I walked past the small village and up the
narrow path to the top of the hill...
to see the little chapel, Notre Dame des
Lourdes, that sat so scenically above the island.
The hike up the hill in the heat was well worth the magnificent views.
The panorama from this vista point
was unique.
Wildflowers were all along the paths.
Little village shops dotted the area selling cool drinks and snacks.
We hiked down to the calm waters of a bay where the locals were
charging a $15 fee to snorkel in the cold water. The area had a steep decline over
limestone rocks to reach the Bay of Jinek. We watched for a while and spotted
some fish and coral reefs from a lookout.
It was quite hot so we decided to go to the beach side on Santal Bay.
What a great plan! We sat in the palm trees of
shade in front of another gorgeous beach and enjoyed the calm breezes that blew
off of the ocean. It was great!
The sun, the sand, the shade, and the cool
breezes made for a leisure day of pleasure at the beach. We didn’t want to
leave….ever! It was so nice we didn’t broach the cold ocean waters today. It
was just another day in paradise!
Port Vila, Efate, Vanuatu Wednesday, April 18, 2018
The ship arrived in Port Vila, the capital city of Vanuatu
at 7:45am. Larry and I walked off the ship around 9:00am to find a huge market
of tents with local crafts. What a maze of things....key chains, baskets, hats,
ukuleles, sarongs, a little bit of everything a tourist could ever want!
About 20 taxi drivers approached us as we walked out of the
port area. We hired a driver, Moses, to take us on a tour.
He took us up a bumpy, muddy rutted road where the view was spectacular of the island. It was quite a thrill wondering where Moses was taking us.
Once on top of the mountain Moses pointed out the island where the locals lived and Irirki Island, a tourist resort.
He drove us
to a manicured golf resort on the outskirts of Port Vila....
as well as the shadier side of town.
We passed by the new
Parliament House.
Moses took us to the top of the mountain on the east side of the city to see the WWII Memorial. It too had spectacular views.
Larry and I ended our day on the waterfront. We walked down the promenade observing the locals having lunch under every bit of shade that could be found.
The water taxis dotted the harbor.
It was HOT so we stopped for some liquid refreshment
and enjoyed the DJ in a local pub.
Larry and I loved visiting the local market
with loads of fresh fruits and vegetables.
The vendors were squatting behind
their tables almost hiding but ready to sell you any and all of their wares.
He took us up a bumpy, muddy rutted road where the view was spectacular of the island. It was quite a thrill wondering where Moses was taking us.
Once on top of the mountain Moses pointed out the island where the locals lived and Irirki Island, a tourist resort.
Moses took us to the top of the mountain on the east side of the city to see the WWII Memorial. It too had spectacular views.
Larry and I ended our day on the waterfront. We walked down the promenade observing the locals having lunch under every bit of shade that could be found.
This place was super busy with locals buying their veggies for the day.
From there we took a water taxi back to the ship.
What a spectacular day! We really enjoyed our adventure in Port Vila.
Lautoka, Fiji
Friday, April 20, 2018
After a sailing day at sea, our ship pulled into Lautoka,
Fiji (known as the Sugar City) at 8:00am. Lautoka has the largest sugar mill in
the Southern Hemisphere.
The sugar cane crop has been harvested and railed to the mill by
train in June through November since the early 20th century. The sugar mill was right next to the port making export very easy.
We walked off of the ship into the port with a
few shopping booths set up on the dock. Larry was approached by
several locals to take us on a tour and he decided to spend the morning with a taxi
driver, Abdul, father of two teenage sons and a daughter. Abdul took us for a
ride through the city to the mountains.
Many cows were tied up on the roadside, to keep the grass short.
Abdul showed us the
sights in Lautoka. We walked through part of the town before heading back to
the ship.
How lucky we were to have a cloud covering most of the day. The bright sun was quite hot when it peeked out from behind the clouds.
How lucky we were to have a cloud covering most of the day. The bright sun was quite hot when it peeked out from behind the clouds.
During our next visit to Fiji, we will plan to rent a car and get an early start to visit the waterfalls on the other side of the island. The drive around the island is about 700-800 kilometers.
Dravuni Island, Fiji Friday,
April 21, 2018
Dravuni was a fabulous island with a long beach extending
from one end of the island to the other.
Larry and I tendered onto a floating
dock that the villagers pull onto the land once the tourists are all back on
board. We were greeted by the friendly natives saying “Bula” meaning hello in the Fijian language.
The beach was narrow because of the incoming tide, but it was banked with lots of shady palms. We found a nice piece of shade to throw our towels down under and headed out to the water.
The shore was a big drop off with waves that enjoyed knocking you off your feet. The water was a welcome relief from the hot sun.
The beach was narrow because of the incoming tide, but it was banked with lots of shady palms. We found a nice piece of shade to throw our towels down under and headed out to the water.
No worries. Larry and I packed up our little beach bag and
hiked across the mountain to the other side of the island.
Here the water was much calmer and relaxing as well as very secluded. We talked with some fine folks from Texas and enjoyed swimming about in the salty seas.
Snorkeling was an option, but a little too far from the beach for me to attempt comfortably.
About 1:30pm we headed back to the tender boat passing by all the village
massage huts and tourist memorabilia.
About 200 Fijians inhabit this little 2 mile long island of tropical paradise, no cars or roads. The sail away was gorgeous with a fantastic sunset.
Here the water was much calmer and relaxing as well as very secluded. We talked with some fine folks from Texas and enjoyed swimming about in the salty seas.
Snorkeling was an option, but a little too far from the beach for me to attempt comfortably.
This beautiful blue star fish was found....so cool!
About 200 Fijians inhabit this little 2 mile long island of tropical paradise, no cars or roads. The sail away was gorgeous with a fantastic sunset.
Pago Pago, Tutuila, American Samoa Sunday, April 22,
2018
After an early breakfast, we can brag that we were the first ones off the ship…we were trying to beat the heat and humidity that occurs as the day passes. Our plan was to find a taxi to take us to the National Park of America Samoa, the only national park south of the equator. The last time we were here, the park was closed due to a mud slide closing the road.
We found the national park had a booth set up on the port
for an excursion to their visitor center and to the park. Larry signed us up to
meet with the group to go on the tour at 9:30am. Since it was only 8:15, we
walked over to the village market.
These locals had dressed up to greet the passengers. They were already damp from the morning humidity.
The locals had set up lots of booths with clothes, jewelry, and other wares. By the time we walked back to the port, our tour had filled with 30 fine folks.
The locals had set up lots of booths with clothes, jewelry, and other wares. By the time we walked back to the port, our tour had filled with 30 fine folks.
Next, our park guide took us to observe the only native
mammal on the island ; the Fox Bat.
We spotted many hanging from some wispy
looking pine trees.
We passed through many small villages. Each had an open air meeting pavilion.
Our two Park Rangers were very kind to us and were so happy to open the Visitor Center for us. The center is usually closed on Sundays but they made special arrangements for our small group to get a tour of the National Park.
After getting ourselves refreshed, we walked back through Pago Pago to the ship…., the sun was high in the sky and extremely hot.
We have some great memories of Samoa and feel so fortunate
to have been able to spend the day in the National Park of American Samoa.
The sunset sail away was quite remarkable!
NEXT.... Five full days at sea till our next port, Honolulu.
The sunset sail away was quite remarkable!
NEXT.... Five full days at sea till our next port, Honolulu.
Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii Saturday, April
28, 2018
The ship arrived at 7:00am at Aloha Tower in Honolulu, the
southernmost major city in the US.
Larry and I were excited to rent a car and head to the west end of the island, an area we had never explored. This excursion had been planned two years ago after driving the full north to east to south circle on the other side of the island. Enterprise picked us up at the port to take us about five blocks to their office to finalize the paperwork. Little did we know that it was so close or we would have taken a stroll to it.
This aloha statue looked pretty good after being at sea
for five full days.
Larry and I were excited to rent a car and head to the west end of the island, an area we had never explored. This excursion had been planned two years ago after driving the full north to east to south circle on the other side of the island. Enterprise picked us up at the port to take us about five blocks to their office to finalize the paperwork. Little did we know that it was so close or we would have taken a stroll to it.
We took the car heading west, past Pearl Harbor on Moanalua
Road.
It was impossible to get lost driving down the four lane highway because we didn’t need to take any exits.
We
passed so many gorgeous beaches along the way.
The day was overcast which kept
the sun from interrupting the most perfect 75 degree temperatures.
Our destination was to drive through Wai’anae down the Farrington Highway till the road came to an end, at Yokohama Beach. The mountains were a lush green to our left as we rode with the ocean waves crashing to our right.
We had a great little lunch on the beach and stopped at a cave that wandered back into the mountains.
Then we headed back to turn the car in by 4:30pm….! During the evening we had a lovely dinner on the back of the ship, enjoying the lights of the harbor and the homes that dotted the distant mountainside.
All the lights were quite a sight to enjoy during the evening with a full moon. What a FABULOUS day!
It was impossible to get lost driving down the four lane highway because we didn’t need to take any exits.
Our destination was to drive through Wai’anae down the Farrington Highway till the road came to an end, at Yokohama Beach. The mountains were a lush green to our left as we rode with the ocean waves crashing to our right.
We had a great little lunch on the beach and stopped at a cave that wandered back into the mountains.
Then we headed back to turn the car in by 4:30pm….! During the evening we had a lovely dinner on the back of the ship, enjoying the lights of the harbor and the homes that dotted the distant mountainside.
In contrast to the lush Hawaiian scenery that
we found today, Honolulu boasts an impressive skyline with more than 400 high
rises, ranking fourth in the nation.
All the lights were quite a sight to enjoy during the evening with a full moon. What a FABULOUS day!
Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
Sunday, April 29, 2018
Larry and I were standing at the tender desk at 7:45am and procured the first tender boat tickets to leave at 8:00am.
The tender boat was jumping around due to rough seas (throwing one lady to the floor), but we all managed to regroup and get to shore.
Larry called an Uber to take us to the local Enterprise Car
Rental, they did not provide a pick up at the pier.
Our Uber driver picked us up in four minutes and we were on our way for a fifteen minute drive out of the little tourist town of Lahaina.
We were the first to arrive and were excited to be
able to get a convertible Mustang for the day. What a car to enjoy the
sights of Maui on the Road to Hana.
With the top down we hustled up the highway to the other side of Maui….a three and a half hour journey.
We drove past the
Kahuluui Airport and stopped at Baby
Beach in time to spot a turtle crawling out of the sea! SOOOOOO COOL!
Our Uber driver picked us up in four minutes and we were on our way for a fifteen minute drive out of the little tourist town of Lahaina.
With the top down we hustled up the highway to the other side of Maui….a three and a half hour journey.
It started raining about the time we got to the Millenium Legacy Trail Marker where our 10-15 mile an hour journey really began….going to Hana.
This little road was a mixture of twists and turns,
numerous one lane bridges,
loads of streams,
It was a pure jungle of green on this snaking, winding road with spectacular scenery.
Vines, ferns, moss, palms and blooming orange African Tulip trees dotted the mountains with Pacific Ocean views.
Larry and I came herein July, 1988.... 30 years ago on our 11th wedding anniversary. Our memories from the past visit to Maui lead us to enjoy this drive today even more.
More houses and businesses had sprung up but the natural beauty was all the same. It was AWESOME beauty!
After driving three and a half hours we arrived at the Hana Beach...nice black sand.
We turned the car
around and headed back down the same mountain road to enjoy the spectacular scenery one
last time heading back to the ship....3 1/2 hours back.
No Kidding!
We stopped at Ho’okipa Beach
Park to take a stroll out to see the tremendous ocean waves pounding the beach.
They were enormous! Signs were up to beware of the undertow.
Larry and I made it back to Lahaina Harbor just in time to
catch the last tender back to the ship at 5:00pm.
Would you believe that the sun came out at the end of the day? Amazing! Our rental car guy told us if we had had a sunny day, we would have not had the waterfalls. It was a sun shine day for us thirty years ago.
We got back to the pier just in time for a fantastic sunset and a slow easy going sail away from one of the most beautiful islands in the Pacific. Now I'm wondering .....
We got back to the pier just in time for a fantastic sunset and a slow easy going sail away from one of the most beautiful islands in the Pacific. Now I'm wondering .....
Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hawaii
Monday, April 30, 2018
Our day in Kauai was short. All aboard time was 1:30pm. Larry and I decided that it would be a good day to take a ship excursion and let the locals worry about getting us back to the ship on time.
Anyway, Larry and I spent our 11th anniversary on
Kauai 30 years ago. We were eager to see if civilization had overtaken this
virtually untouched piece of the calm, peaceful paradise.
We loaded a bus to go to the Grand Canyon of the South
Pacific! With an hour and half drive to the canyon, we left the ship at 8:45am. After our long drive yesterday around Maui we were happy to view the island from the wide windows of a bus and let the tour guide
do the driving.
We were amazed at the growth! Kmart and other major stores were organized into a huge public shopping Mall. That certainly was not here 30 years ago.
Loads of new housing dotted the still double lane highway. Larry and I had driven this highway from one end of Kauai to the other years ago. At that time there were very few commercial businesses. Fields of coffee farms lay to the left and right of our road. The days of raising sugar cane and cattle were long gone since the 80's.
We were amazed at the growth! Kmart and other major stores were organized into a huge public shopping Mall. That certainly was not here 30 years ago.
Loads of new housing dotted the still double lane highway. Larry and I had driven this highway from one end of Kauai to the other years ago. At that time there were very few commercial businesses. Fields of coffee farms lay to the left and right of our road. The days of raising sugar cane and cattle were long gone since the 80's.
Helicopters zoomed around the canyon, one after another. We were so happy that our driver came straight to this state park so we could enjoy it before the masses of other tourists arrived.
We were surprised to see lots of hens and roosters on
the island. During a past hurricane they had escaped their coop and survived
the storm. They quickly became wild and were taking over the island. Our guide told us that no one hunts these chickens because their meat is so tough causing the feathered population to explode.
Our bus arrived back at the port just in time to watch the ship maneuver out the tiny bay of Nawiliwili. The Nawiliwili pilot did an excellent job of maneuvering it around the sharp curve and out into the sea passing the scenic lighthouse.
Vancouver, British Columbia Sunday, May 7, 2018
We took the bus to the Vancouver Airport and boarded a 1:00pm flight to Dallas/Fort Worth. From there we flew to Tampa, Florida where our Uber friend, David met us at 12:30am to take us back to our own little piece of paradise, Clearwater Beach.
The next day we spent our first evening watching the sunset over the Gulf of Mexico....one of the most beautiful sunsets of all.
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