Last of the Sea Days

Sailing into Sydney at dawn: The Harbor Bridge and the Opera House beyond

ms Amsterdam
February 12-14, 2013

The three sea days between Picton and Sydney just flew by. Our luck held out: we had perfect weather and relatively calm seas save for one day that was a bit rocky. You can always tell when rough water is ahead; there are bowls of green apples and soda crackers at the front desk and little white bags discreetly hanging by every elevator. After five weeks we were quite experienced with the one-handed hair shampooing in the shower while hanging onto the safety bar with the other hand, walking the narrower halls along the stateroom decks rather than the wide open spaces of the shops/library/casino/etc deck so you can either bounce off the walls or hang on to the railings on either side of the halls and carrying a full glass or coffee cup at the Lido Buffet without spilling a drop. I'm not quite sure how we'll use these skills at home once we regain our land legs. After being on the ship for so long, when you are on dry land every once in a while you find yourself rocking with the non-existent waves on the non-existent sea.

The Tasman Sea can be quite stormy so we were more than happy to have such a smooth crossing entertained by  the occasional enormous pod of dolphins passing by.

Sea days are frequent and special on this long cruise. We've been educated by retired professors and other experts about earthquakes, volcanoes, maritime history of the Pacific, explorers, Polynesian migration, astronomy and geology. We've been entertained by singers, dancers, classical pianists and guitarists, comedians, folkloric troupes and even a magician and ventriloquist. A floating Ed Sullivan show. There is live music every afternoon and evening, from classical trios, to jazz quartets, dance bands and three different pianists at three different piano bars. And my new besties, the knitters. We met every sea day at 10 am in the Explorers Lounge for an hour to knit/crochet blankets for the Linus Project, catch up on what everyone had done in the various ports and just enjoy each other's company. I learned a lot from the experienced knitters, providing a good deal of comic relief in the process. I knitted a couple of blankets for charity, three patterned dish cloths to donate to a craft fair, five kitty snuggies for the no-kill shelter in Santa Rosa Beach, FL, plus two cowls for myself. They also pointed me toward some lovely yarn and quilt shops in New Zealand. We were truly an international group from the US, Canada, Bolivia, Brazil, Thailand, UK, NZ, Norway, Australia and more. I started to miss them the moment I left the Lounge the last sea day before Sydney.

We have had a fantastic adventure. Never in my life did I think I would cross the vast (boy, is it vast!) Pacific. And without getting seasick. I guess my grandfather and father were right; I did outgrow it!!! 40 days was a long time to be so far away from hearth and home. I was ready to go back to Kennesaw and catch up with life there but given the chance Jim would've stayed on the Amsterdam for the entire 115 days. Trust me, I will dearly miss the wonderful staff on the ship. Who will snap open my napkin at dinner and place it on my lap?

Our last night was a formal dress night for Valentine's Day. The ship was decked out from bow to stern with red hearts and streamers and flowers. We had another of the ship's officers at our table for dinner so the wine flowed. We all got a little misty-eyed when we said good bye to our table mates as well as the servers who had taken such good care of us. 81 of us disembarked in Sydney but 200 were joining the cruise so tonight two new people will take our seats at dinner.

Oh, remember Ginger? Well she and her sainted husband were on the airport bus with us this morning so I got to catch up on one last session of shipboard news: One couple had to fly home to Michigan to deal with broken water pipes that had gone all Katrina on their house but intended to catch up with the ship in Manilla, 26 people had not gotten their visas to visit China so had to spend a day in Auckland at the Chinese consulate acquiring the documents, Mary Ann's husband died shortly before the cruise started but had made her promise to take the trip anyway and so she did and has had her good days and bad days (and I have no more idea who Mary Ann is than you do!), there were several budding romances amongst the ship's staff, and Ginger and sainted husband were flying to SFO on their way home to Chico. It was only a 30 minute trip to the airport but Ginger talks a mile a minute. Jim was ready to tear his ears off but I think she's a total hoot! Plus she was wearing gold lame ballet flats for the trip home. I had to give her bonus style points for that.

This is the end of the saga. I'll put up some pictures after I get home. Thanks for sharing the past six weeks with me.

Stop the Turnip Truck, I Just Fell Off

Delta 16
Sydney to LAX
February 15, 2013

Note: I had planned to use some of the 12+ hours in the air to write a wrap up of our trip but then this happened:

We left the ship early this morning and were shuttled to the airport, arriving about 9 am. Checking in, immigration, security were a breeze. It took us 30 minutes or so to spend our 45 Australian Dollars and then we kicked back in the New Zealand Air Lounge until our flight was called about 11 am.

We boarded, I opened what I thought was a nifty slot for laptops, etc. so put my iPad in and then heard it slide down and hit bottom. Uh Oh. Yes, indeedy, I had opened the tray table compartment and now my iPad was MIA. The flight attendant tried to reach it but no luck; the pilot tried, same result sooooooo two British Airways mechanics arrived to remove the panel below the tray table and retrieve my toy.

I had been on the plane less than five minutes.

Note: Four hours into the flight. I had put away the iPad and wireless keyboard to have lunch and then had a nap and then watched a few TED episodes before deciding to return to the trip wrap-up.

I can't find the keyboard. I've searched the various cubbyholes and nada. I've looked through my "purse", a commodious travel bag, and my carry-on up in the overhead. Nada. My dear friend Cassie gave me a little flashlight a while back and it's always with me. I've used it to find my glasses under another airline seat (Maybe I should limit myself to travel by road or sea), loaned it to a TSA agent to find a drivers license lost on the X-ray machine conveyor belt and today to find the keyboard that had slipped between the chair and the wall to the floor behind my seat. This time it was reachable, no mechanics required.

Jeesh. I've been flying for nearly 60 years. I've got close to a half-million miles on Delta yet it seems I just fell off the turnip truck.

Jim says that next trip, no toys. I will sit with my hands in my lap and feet on the floor.

Picton, New Zealand

The Cloudy Bay Winery in Picton, New Zealand

Picton, NZ
The South Island
ms Amsterdam
February 11, 2013

Since the earthquakes in Christchurch on the south end of the South Island, some of
the cruise ships are starting to call in Picton which is on the north end of the South
Island. It's a tiny little community of 2,000 people and 2,000 boats (New Zealanders love
their water sports) but just over the coastal mountains is the Marlborough Valley, one of
the premier wine making regions in New Zealand.

For a long time, this valley was planted with apples, nuts, stone fruits, corn and probably
squash, too. They grow a lot of squash in NZ. It looks so much like the Napa Valley with
coastal mountains on one side and dryer hills on the other side but much, much bigger.
There are still lots of apple orchards and corn fields and of course sheep (the sheep
population is ten times the people population) but now tens of thousands of acres are
planted with grapes, specifically sauvignon blanc and pinot noir.

We opted for the Wine and Garden tour which, happily, was in the afternoon. I'd rather
taste wine at 2 pm than 10 am! We visited two vineyards, Cloudy Bay and Wither Hills
and had grand tasting experiences at both. Cloudy Bay is closer to the wetter coastal
hills while Wither Hills is named for the mountain range on the dryer side of the valley.

We did our tasting by candlelight in the barrel cellars at both wineries (reminded us
so much of the setting for our niece Erin's wedding at the Wente Winery in California)
starting with sparkling wine at each working our way through young to aged sauvignon
blancs then finishing with a pinot noir. Many of the people who were staying on the ship
for the entire cruise went back with several bottles from each winery.

Like the California wineries, each has a distinct architectural style and beautiful
grounds. They also serve light lunches which can be eaten as picnics on the grounds.
Although we didn't partake, we saw lots of people sprawled under the towering
eucalyptus trees at Cloudy Bay and the wisteria arbors at Wither Hills enjoying the day,
the place and the wine. There aren't near as many wineries as in Napa/Sonoma, but
there are quite a few throughout the valley, many offering "Accommodations" as well as
wine and food. Most on the tour voted for the Wither Bay offerings.

On the way back to the ship we stopped at Upton Gardens, a private garden planted
and maintained by a couple who had bought the property 25 years ago to renovate the
Victorian cottage located there. When the house was finished, Barbara Upton started
planting. The garden covers about an acre and a half with "rooms" defined by sharply
trimmed boxwoods and red cedar. There is a classic knot garden, a perennial garden,
an olive grove, vegetable garden and fruit orchard of apples and citrus and with pears
espaliered on a used brick wall. Completely untrained in landscape design, Barbara has
created a jewel of flowers, fruit and greenery. It was the perfect way to end our day in
the Picton region. Now to Sydney and home.

Leaving Wellington

Leaving Wellington on the way to Picton

I took this from our balcony last night about 11:30 as we left Wellington and headed to Picton, about 70 nautical miles away. I did NOT get up at 6 am for the colorful commentary as we headed into port; figured I'd catch it on the way out this evening at cocktail time.

Wellington: Hang on to Your Hat!

We're on top of Mt. Victoria with Wellington behind us. Our ship is just to the right of Jim's arm.

Wellington, NZ
ms Amsterdam
February 10, 2013

Once again we're at a pier in the commercial port area. NZ exports a lot of timber and
produce and whatever else is hiding in all those containers. HAL and the city have
provided a fleet of buses to shuttle people into the central city. Right across the pier is
the big, round sports stadium where they play professional rugby. No game today or
tonight. Would've been fun even if we would be clueless about the rules.

There are a lot of earthquakes in this part of the world. Wellington has on average
one a day. Of course most are so small you wouldn't know. But when they have a big
one, they are on a fault so as well as shaking, the earth literally rises a meter or more.
Evidently they are glass half full people because they say, "Oh, look. We now have
more land along the shore so let's go build something there." And they are certainly
optimistic because most of the houses are built on the sides of the hills around the
harbor. It's like San Francisco but with a lot more trees.

In fact, we rode a little red cable car from downtown up a steep cliff to the Botanical
Gardens. Since it's still summer here, the roses were spectacular. And since it's
Sunday, there were a number of locals in the gardens, too. They have a fabulous
Begonia House beautifully planted in drifts of color. The docent confided that the
begonias are nurtured elsewhere on the grounds and brought to the display when they
are at their peak.

We also stopped at Old St. Paul's, the original cathedral in Wellington, constructed
entirely of wood. It's used now just for weddings, funerals and other ceremonies. Inside
the docent pointed out a Marine flag and 48-star US flag hanging together. During WWII
over 70,000 Marines were in Wellington before going to battle. In fact, they lived in tents
on the grounds of the now-Botanical Gardens. They presented the flags that flew over
their temporary quarters to St. Paul's in gratitude for the hospitality extended by the
locals. The docent said it was very much a mutual admiration society.

Our driver took us all the way around the harbor to Mt. Victoria. Somehow he got that
bus up that narrow, winding road to the top and somehow most of us managed to climb
the 72 steps for a spectacular view of the entire city. Because it was Sunday, there were
all kinds of people walking, running or biking up that mountain. New Zealanders are
quite the outdoorsy group. There is a big half-marathon race around the bay next week
end (lots of posters and billboards about) so a lot of pre-race training going on.

We're in port until 11 tonight which is quite unusual and gives passengers and crew
alike time to spend ashore. This evening there is a big Food and Wine of New Zealand
party on the Lido (pool) Deck so we'll bypass our usual 8 pm in the dining room dinner.
As it happens, tomorrow in Picton, our only stop on the South Island, Jim and I are
going on a Wine and Garden tour which won't be until after lunch so we won't have to
set the alarm for an early departure. It will be fun to watch the ship leave port at night.
the ms Amsterdam may silently arrive at a port in the dawn's early light, but when this
ship leaves it does so with deep blasts of its horns that echo around the harbor (I need
my Chapman's to remind me of which toots mean what) and a band playing on the top
deck.

Picton is also our last port before we disembark in Sydney early on the 15th. So
many people have asked us if we wished we were staying aboard longer. It's been an
unbelievable adventure but we both think 40 days is enough for now. Of course if they
could bring a couple of crates of those strawberries on board I might reconsider...

Napier, New Zealand

The view from Cape Kidnappers in Napier, New Zealand

Napier, NZ
ms Amsterdam
February 9, 2013

"Jim, would you please go up to the bridge and tell the captain that I am not pleased
with the current location and to move the damned boat to the proper dock as promised."

Into each life some metaphorical rain must fall and today it's our turn. First of all we
had to leave Tauranga late because of the tides which meant bouncing along at 20+
knots instead of our usual regal 15 to 18. We still arrived about three hours later than
scheduled in Napier and thus lost our spot at the spiffy, close-to-town cruise dock.
We are in the commercial port surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of containers,
many of which are refrigerated so make a lot of noise as do the giant lift trucks that
are constantly in motion moving the containers from here to there and making a loud
beep-beep-beep whenever they are backing up. And it smells like diesel. And everyone
who just wanted to spend the day wandering through the streets admiring the Art Deco
architecture (the entire town was destroyed by an earthquake in the 30s and rebuilt in
the style of the day) has to take a 20 minute shuttle from pier to downtown. Because it is
a commercial pier, passengers and crew are not allowed to walk off but must be driven
through the gates. We had to do this in Lima, too, so when we return to the ship an
official will board the bus, count noses and make sure each person has a ship ID card
before opening the gate.

So before we leave on our excursion, postponed until the afternoon I will take just a little
time to whine, bitch and moan. I'm overdue.

Okay. All better now.

We can't remember why but we booked a shore excursion to Cape Kidnappers and the
gannet bird breeding colony. We had an adventure! In fact, we went on a Gannet Safari.
We drove all the way from one side of Hawkes Bay where the town of Napier is clear
around to the other side and Cape Kidnappers Station. This is a huge chunk of property
that has gone through several hands and is now owned by an American. He made a
lot of road improvements, planted timber (they grow a pine related to the Monterey
Pine that is harvested and exported mostly to Asia) and built a lodge and golf course.
Lemme tell ya, you REALLY have to want to play that course because it is a good 45
minutes from the station entry gate (a station is essentially a sheep or cattle ranch) on a
winding, hilly, narrow road to the road leading to the lodge and course.

We went past that, the end of the paved road, and went on an even narrower gravel
road the rest of the way. The sheep are all over the place; I really don't see how they
keep up with where they are. Some cattle, cows and calves are also grazing. This
ranch (think the size of the Ponderosa but looking more like the coastal hills of central
California) is also a protected area and when they say protected they mean from
predators. The owner had a fancy-pants fence built entirely around the place. It's about
four or five feet tall, made of metal with metal screening that is buried 20 inches into
the ground. This is to keep out rats, ferrets, stoates and cats so the rarer and nearly
extinct native birds can be relocated inside of the fence and flourish again. Especially
the kiwi. The kiwi is a chubby, flightless, defenseless bird that is nearly extinct. There is
a national movement to Save the Kiwi so the search is always on for a location without
predators. Happily they seem to be thriving at Cape Kidnappers.

After another 45 minutes or so we arrived atop the point at Cape Kidnappers and
the gannet breeding ground. You can hear and smell them before you see them but,
Bam!, there they were, hundreds of them. One breeding area is on top of the bluff
and the other way, way down on a promontory at sea level. They look like large gulls
with golden heads but are actually a type of booby bird. They nest on the ground with
the male and female taking turns sitting on the egg. We saw a lot of the chicks easily
differentiated by their fluffy down. Our guide told us that they weigh about 50 grams at
birth and will gain another couple of kilograms before they make the one migratory trip
in their lifetime before returning to their breeding ground. There was a lot of swooping
around and then lots of bird kisses when each bird returned to its nest and mate.

And the views. Spectacular! There are very steep, tall cliffs at this end of Hawkes Bay.
The water is a milky jade green color close to shore and then darkens to a Prussian
blue as it gets deeper father out. The water is a bit brisk (lots of mental translation
between C and F!), high 50s, low 60s. We reluctantly boarded our little safari buses to
go back down that winding road---one way in, same way out.

We thought we would be driven straight back to the ship, but when we got back to sea
level we made a "comfort stop" at the safari headquarters and were surprised with a
bountiful and delicious tea---cakes, cookies, muffins, tea or kiwi or orange juice, a big
variety of stone fruit and the. best. strawberries. ever. E.V.E.R. As each of us bit into
one our eyes widened in disbelief. Beyond lip-smacking good.

This area of New Zealand is quite temperate, gets 50 or 60 inches of rain and 300+
days of sun each year. It seems they can grow everything. We drove past apple, peach
and plum orchards, nut trees of all kinds, citrus, kiwi, vineyards and acres of vegetables.
There are little villages spotted around the bay. Napier appears to be a very popular
beach resort and has a flat pedestrian/bike-way that runs for miles and miles and miles
along the bay. Next time we're definitely going to rent bikes!

And once again, lovely, cordial people everywhere. No wonder New Zealand makes
potential immigrants jump through hoops otherwise half the world would relocate down
here. I'd do it for the strawberries alone!

Maori Excursion: Tauranga, New Zealand

Maori Performance: This song and dance is to scare off any enemies instead of fighting.

Tauranga, NZ
ms Amsterdam
February 8, 2013

"Glorious Bay of Plenty: Rich Land, Rich Culture" is the title of the shore excursion
we took today. We were to visit a Maori family, descendants of the migrants who first
arrived by ocean-going canoes (wakas) from central Polynesia more than 650 years
ago, spend time at a kiwi farm and finish at a "stunning coastal headland site of a
centuries-old Maori fortification." We chose this a couple of months ago evidently
thinking we should learn more about the Maoris. Well, fooled us. Our guide, Charlie,
went rogue.