travel

Friday Fotos – Russell shore excursion began early

October 30, 2020 By Terry Leave a Comment

Sunrise as we arrive for our Russell shore excursion — This was an early morning shore excursion, so we had to be up bright and early!

Last week I shared a photo in the post Our cruise on the MS Noordam seems so long ago showing the cruise ship from shore. This is what it was like pulling into the Bay of Islands at dawn. Our Russell shore excursion was scheduled to begin early, so the boat was buzzing with activity as people prepared.

As I said last week, Russell was a delightful little town. These days, I wonder how they’re faring with no cruise ships to come in and flood the town with tourists. I don’t know when or if we’ll take another cruise, but if we do, I hope we get to see little towns like Russell. If you want to learn more about this cool town, check out russellnz.co.nz.

More New Zealand photos

Downtown Russell — Russell is a quaint town without a lot of traffic—except for the pedestrian kind.

Totems in Russell — This garden area is maintained by a local group of gardeners

Boats and houses in Russell — Russell has a lot of hills—and boats

Sunset at Te Anau Bird Refuge — This is Lake Te Anau at sunset. The Murchison Mountains are across the lake hid one of the last populations of the takahē, a bird native to New Zealand. The bird sanctuary here is home to almost a dozen different bird populations.

Devonport in New Zealand is a quaint town — Devonport is a seaside town on an island in New Zealand with the look of an old village. The architecture of many homes and shops is classic.

New Zealand Fur Seal — This fur seal woke up when we cruised by and did a little stretch.

Meet the Moa — That is one big bird. The moa once flourished in New Zealand, but the Maori and other forces brought it to extinction.

Friday Fotos – Sydney sunset from the MS Noordam

July 26, 2019 By Terry Leave a Comment

About Sydney sunset from MS Noordam

Our sunset departure was almost behind us as we made our way out to sea. We’d caught a Sydney sunset from the deck of the Noordam, which gave us an amazing view of the Sydney Opera House at sunset. By the time we made it out of the Sydney Harbor, the sun was dropping below the horizon. This skyline photo was the last I could get. Almost in the middle of the photo is the Sydney Tower Eye, which is 1001’ tall and the tallest building in Sydney. At this point, we’d had a lovely few days in Sydney, but were ready to head back to New Zealand.

Want to see more photos from trip? Here’s a link where you can find all the entries in our travel journal.

More photos from Sydney, Australia

The Harbor Bridge shot from the Sydney Opera House — One of the attractions in Sydney is the ability to climb over the Harbor Bridge. I heard the cost was $15, but we had no time to climb!

Ferry making its run in front of the Harbor Bridge — There are actually three ferries in this photo. Can you spot them all?

The Alexander, one of the ferrys in the harbor — Ferrys traverse the bay constantly during the day..

Approaching the Harbor Bridge — Aboard the MS Noordam, as we set sail and get ready to pass under the Harbor Bridge

People watching us approach the Harbor Bridge — Those little dots on top of the Harbor Bridge are people watching us prepare to pass under the bridge.

This one's gonna be a squeaker! — We did make it under the bridge and afterward the captain came on and gave us the numbers. It's always a close call, but there's room.

Underneath the Harbor Bridge — If you've ever wondered what the underside of a massive bridge looks like, here's one!

On the far side of the Harbor Bridge — After passing beneath the Harbor Bridge, we had a beautiful sunset!

Sydey Opera House at Dawn — The iconic Sydney Opera House at dawn. Photo taken from the balcony of our cabin on the MS Noordam.

Friday Fotos – Sydney Opera House sunset from the MS Noordam

July 19, 2019 By Terry Leave a Comment

Sunset behind Sydney Opera House — The Sydney Opera House is iconic enough, but as the MS Noordam sailed by at sunset, it took on a whole new beauty.

About Sydney Opera House sunset

The Sydney Opera House is one of those iconic structures that’s known around the world. We’d taken a tour of the Opera House during our stay in Sydney, but seeing this magnificent building at sunset from the water was incredible. I got this shot right after capturing a beautiful photo of the Anzac Bridge.

Did you know the Sydney Opera House was almost never built? During our tour, we learned it was originally funded in a public-private partnership. Designs were solicited as part of a contest, and the winning design was initially rejected by the selection committee. Once this design was chosen and construction had begun, things did not go according to plan. The project took far longer than expected and the funding partnership fell apart after a change in government. Finally, after numerous cost overruns and changes to the original design, the Sydney Opera House was completed eighteen years after the design had been selected.

Want to see more photos from trip? Here’s a link where you can find all the entries in our travel journal.

More photos from Sydney, Australia

Friday Fotos – Anzac Bridge sunset during Sydney departure

July 12, 2019 By Terry Leave a Comment

Anzac Bridge in the background — Shot from the MS Noordam during our departure from Sydney, this shot shows part of Sydney’s business district backed by the Anzac Bridge

About Anzac Bridge sunset

The MS Noordam departed Sydney an hour early. (Take a look at last week’s photo, leaving Sydney during sunset. This photo captures part of the walking path along the waterway as well as the Anzac Bridge at sunset. Leaving Sydney at sunset was an amazing experience and we were fortunate, as you can see, to have clear skies. In the foreground of this photo is a resort, backed by some of Sydney’s business district, and then the Anzac Bridge. If you’re not familiar with what “Anzac” means, it’s an abbreviation for Australia – New Zealand Army Corp., and commemorates the Australians and New Zealanders who landed at Gallipoli in World War I. Over the years, it has taken on a broader meaning to honor those who have served and died in wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations. We were awed at the reverence the Australians and New Zealanders give to their fellow countrymen who have fought in conflicts around the world.

Want to see more photos from trip? Here’s a link where you can find all the entries in our travel journal.

More photos from Sydney, Australia

Friday Fotos – Sydney sunset off the rear of the MS Noordam

July 5, 2019 By Terry Leave a Comment

sunset MS Noodrem — Sunset off the rear of the MS Noordam in Sydney just after we passed the Harbor Bay Bridge .

This was the first sunset we had on our Sydney to Australia cruise. We had boarded the MS Noordam earlier in the day. Our scheduled departure time was 6 pm, but the ship actually set sail an hour early due to a rising tide that would have kept us from passing under the Harbor Bay Bridge. I must say everything worked out for the best because I never would have gotten this shot had we left on time!

Want to see more photos from trip? Here’s a link where you can find all the entries in our travel journal.

More photos from Sydney Harbor

Friday Fotos – Waikiki lights from Ala Moana Park

May 10, 2019 By Terry Leave a Comment

Waikīkī at night — On our last night we walked over to Ala Moana Park, where the lights of Waikīkī were shining brightly.

For our last night in Waikiki, we decided to take a walk to Ala Moana Park from our condo and check out the Waikiki lights. To our surprise, the walk to Ala Moana Park and even Ala Moana Mall, was an easy one. The park is a vast green space on a peninsula that sports plenty of activities. We caught the outrigger canoe club coming in. Watching the crew members jump off the canoe into the water when it was time to take the canoe out of the water gave us a momentary chill, but then we remembered this was Waikiki and Hawai‘i where the water is about ten degrees warmer than in San Diego.

Even though it was dark, there were still plenty of people enjoying the evening. Even some of the tour busses come here to park for the night. They’re done for the day and the parking lot is gigantic, so there’s plenty of space to line them up. And then there were the Waikiki lights as a backdrop. All those skyscrapers lining the water create for a beautiful display of lights.