thefouramigosblog

Last night we ate at Las Farolos.  Bruce had pepian and I had a Guatemalan lasagna.  It was a great place and dinner was only $19.

We woke early this morning and headed to Caoba Farms, where we had breakfast and bought some vegetables and farm eggs.

We ran into a few friends and then took a walk around the farm.

At Caoba Farms they also have a few farm animals.

We spent the day walking the streets and taking in the sights.  Bruce had a cigar in the park, an event I photograph on every trip.

There was this darling little girl in the park.  She was so intrigued by the quetzals we gave her.

We ate a great meal at DeVines.  We had pasta with pesto and chicken and hibiscus tea.  Our meal was under $20.

After dinner we strolled back to the park.  It was alive with music and protestors, families and sellers.

It was another wonderful day in Antigua!

We finally returned to Sydney after 11 days cruising around New Zealand.  The Sydney Opera House was outside my balcony when I woke this morning.

What an amazing place.  Linda and Stan are staying with us one night before they fly home.  Bruce and I have another five days.  Our Airbnb is quite cute.  It blends the old with the new.

Since it was early when we disembarked from the ship, we decided to go out for a little breakfast.

We decided to take the train over to Bondi Junction to get cherry strudel.  Unfortunately, the strudel they had was not good so we disappointingly settled for something else.

We returned to Newtown and walked around getting familiar with the new neighborhood.

We stopped at a pub for steak dinner.  We’ve found the places don’t look great but the food is good and cheap.  By the time I took this picture I had already finished most of the salad and half the steak.

After dinner we we returned to the apartment.  We played cards and just chatted.  At 7:45 am we saw Linda and Stan off.  We sure are going to miss them!

 

Today we anchored in the Bay of Islands in Northern New Zealand.  This was a beautiful area although we did not get to see the blue green waters because the sky was cloudy and gray.  But even so, it had the majestic feel that so many bays have where the mountains come nearly to the water’s edge.

We didn’t know what we were going to do today and Linda and Stan were thinking of staying on the ship.  While Bruce and I were pondering what to do, several pods of dolphins began swimming around the ship.  The next thing we saw were the tour boats coming out by our ship to see the dolphins.

We took the tender to land and a free shuttle bus took us to Paihia.  We walked around, went to a craft show and ate some ice cream.

 

There were several things we thought about doing but nothing seemed to work out. We decided to head back to the ship.  Lazy us went in the hot tub and pool and later played cards with Linda and Stan.  That was eventful enough for us.

I think the dolphin siting this morning was the highlight of this stop.  However, the sky started to clear a bit when we set sail.

Today was a sea day so we didn’t do much.  We did have formal night tonight and I had two lobster tails.  Yummy!

I woke up with a migraine this morning and when I looked out my balcony window at the port, I decided to sleep in a bit more.  Auckland has to be one of the ugliest ports so far.

Once I was up though, I was committed to give Auckland a try.  We didn’t book anything, so the four of us figured we would do what we usually do. Walk around aimlessly and see what pops up in front of us.

I did have a brilliant idea to find the best bakery in Auckland.  We stopped by one place, recommended by a security guard at the terminal, but there was no seating.  So more wandering until we found Dunkin’ Donuts.  Now I love Dunkin’ Donuts but that wasn’t what I had in mind.

Next door was an entryway with escalators up one level.  Of course we followed.  Walking past a sushi joint, a massage parlor and some other undefinable establishment, we ended up on a back street.  We crossed the street, entered another alley and there was Gloria Jeans Coffee.

I had a cappuccino, Bruce and Stan had smoothies, Linda had a long black and we ordered two raspberry/rhubarb tarts.  Yummy.

After our little indulgence we were ready for more exploring.  There was a wall exhibit dedicated to suffragettes.  I believe  the women of New Zealand were the first women worldwide who gained the right to vote in 1893.

Further on we entered Albert Park.  Guess who Albert was?  There was a big statue of Victoria in the park.

Next we went to the Clocktower at the University of Auckland. It was an interesting old building with mosaic floors.

Linda and I love to look at old churches.  We found St. Paul’s. Unfortunately it was all locked up.  One of the stained glass windows was a knight.

We walked past the sky walk and apparently you can jump from this sort of like bungy jumping.  We didn’t see anyone jumping today.

After our walk, we headed back to the ship where we spent the afternoon in the pool, hot tub, and sleeping on the loungers.

We played cards, had dinner and now off to bed.  One more port in New Zealand!

Today I was looking forward to seeing a friend I made during a Transatlantic crossing two years ago.  So often we meet people and promise to keep in touch but never do.  Now with Facebook it is so much easier to maintain some form of communication.  So we coordinate a time and place and I made sure I could find the place.

But first we woke up to a very strange port.  It actually looked like a lumber mill.  Poles and poles of wood by the acre.

We caught a shuttle to Dunedin from the Port which was about a 20 minute drive.  When we arrived in Dunedin we had about an hour before we were to meet up with Dale.  Of course, we went to a local coffee shop.  And walked around the area.

The center of town is an octagon shape.  We met Dale in front of the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.  The first place she took us to was the world’s steepest street.

Dale took us to a lovely old cemetery that overlooked the ocean.  There was a tree that was perhaps 500 years old at the entry.

As part of our tour she took us to the botanical gardens.  The rhododendrons were in bloom and they were twice the size of any I’ve seen back home.

Dale took us to the campus of Otago University.  This is where she went to school.  It was interesting to see the old and the new architecture.

Our last stop before lunch was the old railroad station.  It is still used for train tours. The main lobby has beautiful mosaic tiling and stained glass windows.  It also houses an art gallery.

We had a wonderful lunch at a Thai restaurant and spent a bit of time chatting.  It was great to see Dale and I hope our paths cross again in the future.

As we walked back to the Octagon we saw a bit of street art.

Before we returned to the ship by shuttle we visited two churches.  St. Paul’s Cathedral was located on the Octagon. Some young man was playing the organ while we were in the church.

The second church we visited was the First Church of Otago.  A fragrant rose garden adorned the outside of the building.

From our balcony, we were serenaded by bagpipers as we set sail.

At dinner tonight our waiter Manuel showed us a balancing trick.

Another wonderful day!

I wasn’t expecting much when the itinerary said we would cruise through Milford, Doubtful, and Dusky Sounds but there would be no landfalls today.  So what I woke up to this morning was majestic mountains rising from the blue green waters of the sea.

 

The sun was just shining through as I stepped out on my balcony this morning.  I was overwhelmed with the beauty before me.

We were entering Milford Sound, where the Maori, the native people of New Zealand, believed had been carved by a godly mason.

At every pass was a breathtaking mountain view or waterfall.

The peaks of the mountains were covered in snow.

As the sunlight began to reflect on the water it turned from deep blue to turquoise.

Later in the morning we entered Thompson Sound and followed it through to Doubtful Sound.

Our last Sound was Dusky Sound where we caught a few seals lounging in the sun.

What a magnificent day!

 

It was an action filled three weeks touring Australia seeing Kangaroos, Wallabies, Koalas and of course the Great Barrier Reef.  Sometimes it was tough driving for Bruce with his newly fractured clavicle, but he did a great job getting us everywhere in one piece.  However, he wasn’t too sad about relinquishing the automobile at Cairns Airport.  He was ready to let someone else do the driving.

We arrived at our new home for the next eleven days, looking forward to cooked meals, beds made, and being plain lazy.

Sydney Harbor has to be one of the most beautiful harbors in the world.  It’s clean and the old and the new make for such an interesting backdrop.  And you can’t forget the iconic Sydney Opera House.

Of course our first night we had to eat escargot.  I missed it these last few weeks.  Actually you would think I’d be sick of it after eating it for 22 days.  But I wasn’t.

Our first full day on the ship we went to the gym.  Linda and I did a stretching class and Bruce and Stan worked out with weights.   Afterwards breakfast.  Like old times.    We played cards by the indoor solarium pool.  The only place it was warm.

Tomorrow is another day at sea.  More relaxation!

 

If you travel to Australia, you must snorkel or dive the Great Barrier Reef.  It was the one adventure we planned for on this trip but we were worried about the weather.  No worries.  We had a great time out on Divers Den and great weather.

We were the first to arrive.  In fact, twenty minutes early but we’d rather be early then miss the boat.  It looked like it was going to be a beautiful day.

I squished my body into the wet suit.  I wasn’t planning on it but when everyone else had one on, including crew, I thought I better.  It was for protection against the killer jellyfish.  Bruce went in without one but he did wear a shirt which is protection.  Apparently you can die from the box jellyfish within minutes,  Yikes!

Our first snorkel sight was on Saxony Reef, with its beautiful coral and vibrant fish.

The water was a little wavy but it was still wonderful.

We had lunch on board.  The Reef from the top deck was amazing.

They moved the boat to another spot after lunch.  Unfortunately, the sea was much rougher so the water was churned up quite a bit and the colors were not as vivid as in the morning.

It was an amazing day on the Reef.  And nobody was stung by jellyfish although I saw a few of the harmless kind.

 

Linda and I can never have enough of the wildlife.  Whether it’s kangaroos, koalas even a scary croc, we’d be excited to see it.  Maybe a little too excited to see a croc.  So today we went for a hike in the Cattana Wetlands.

It was a short drive from the condo although we did manage to get lost once.  Apparently my GPS didn’t distinguish between Cattana Road and Cattana Wetlands.  Or maybe I wasn’t conveying the information correctly.

Walking through the Wetlands felt like walking through a jungle.  Tall trees with climbing vines perched over stagnant waters, home to crocodiles, at least the signage indicated so.  The cackle and singing of birds flitting high and low, a bit shy but also a bit curious to the trespassers into their world.

With all the sounds and smells, we saw very little today.  I saw a little red bird I believe was some kind of finch, a bird that looked very much like our white egrets, I heard the raucous sounds of either parakeets or lorikeets, and of course the turkeys which are everywhere.  But with all that not a croc to be found.  Not a kangaroo to be seen or any other endearing creature.

It was a lovely walk, however, albeit the mosquitoes which were a pesky lot.

In the afternoon we headed to the Cairns Botanical Gardens.  We had coffee and scones in the little tea house followed by a short stroll around the lush and colorful gardens.

Our next adventure was to the Atherton Tablelands.  We needed an early start because it was a long drive.   I might say a long, harrowing drive with its serpentine road ascending a tall mountain, rarely any guardrails and cars descending going like bats out of hell.  Bruce clutched the steering wheel tight and said, “I know how pilots feel with people’s lives in their hands.”  Quite unnerving and never ending.

We stopped at Heales Lookout to take in the majestic view.

Finally making it to flat ground, we needed to take a break.  We found a quaint place on Lake Barrine which is in Crater Lakes National Park.

There is an old fashioned tea house restaurant on the lake that is surrounded by colorful gardens.  It reminded us of Maine with its wooden porch adorned with wicker furniture and country charm.

For a mid morning snack, we shared a banana filled crepe with bacon and pineapples.  It was delicious.

From Lake Barrine we traveled on to a small town called Yungaburra.  Our Lonely Planet guide said not to miss this place, especially if we had limited time.

At the visitor center, the volunteer gave us a brochure which mapped out the wildlife and botanical walking trail.  We set out looking for platypus and tree kangaroos but found ourselves in a rainfall.  And where were our rain jackets?  Tucked nice and safe in our car? So we did get wet and didn’t see much but a wet trail and a creek.

At the end of the trail we walked over a suspension bridge which lead us into a neighborhood and we were lost.  Luckily a woman was on her porch and gave us some direction.

All that walking we were hungry again.  And it just so happened that we walked right into the backyard of a cute little cafe.  More coffee and scones.  And the owner gave us a hint on where to see the platypus.

Off again we went to Peterson Creek to find the platypus.  And we did.  Very, very exciting.  Unfortunately, she was swimming under the bridge and the light was poor so our pictures were not great.  I didn’t want to use a flash and startle her.  It is always so much more fun seeing wildlife in their natural habitat.

Back on the road again we saw a sign for curtain fig tree.  We decided to stop.  It was amazing.  This tree is 500 years old.

We visited several waterfalls on our way home.  Malinda Falls, Millaa Millaa Falls and Mungalli Falls.

Our last stop was the Crawford Overlook.

Tomorrow we look for Nemo!

Today we decided to take it easy and relax by the pool. We woke up late, after a much needed night’s sleep. It’s been a lot of driving for Bruce and we hoped that he could go a day without driving.

We went in the lukewarm jacuzzi and stayed in there awhile until we were overrun with little ones. At that point the pool was empty so we ventured over there.  But not long after, the tiny tots invaded once again. Enough for resting around the pool.

For some reason Bruce and I are not good at resting so we needed to find something to do. Already early afternoon, we decided to go downtown and walk the Esplanade, which is the avenue by the ocean in Cairns.

We walked around the Saturday market and checked out the lagoon. There were a lot of people, especially kids in the lagoon, so we decided to pass on going in for a swim.

We were all getting hungry so we checked prices at the restaurants along the Esplanade. We found a hotel with a casino and restaurant. Bruce, Stan and I had fish, chips and salad for $15. Linda had pot roast, potatoes and vegetables for $15. It was a great deal.

We played a little in the casino and then watched the pelicans on the beach.

At the end of the day it was time to go food shopping.   That was quite the experience.  The big grocery store closest to our condo closed at 6pm and we arrived at 6:20.  So we headed back towards the Esplanade to find another Cole’s grocery store. We finally found one but had difficulty figuring out how to get in.   Instead of the four amigos shopping we should be called the four stooges.  Wandering aimlessly around the supermarket, Linda and I have a tendency to go into lalaland, staring into space.  However, through it all we managed to fill our basket and have items to make several meals.

After a long day we had grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for dinner.  We played a game of cards and called it a night.

The next day we drove to Crystal Cascades  for a nice hike and to see some waterfalls. It was a beautiful morning, sunny and not too hot.  There were several natural pools to swim in but we decided we weren’t hot enough to get wet.

After our hike we went to the Esplanade to check out a tourist info center that was supposed to be the only legitimate one, according to Lonely Planet.  We went to eat at the restaurant in the casino because the food is good and the price is right.  We played in the casino and Bruce’s name was called. He ended up participating in a slot tournament and the first round he won a $20 gift certificate for the restaurant. Second round he won the same. Third round he won $30 in cab fare. And he ended up winning $500 coming in second place. All our reef trips are now paid for with the winnings. We left after the tournament and visited a few tourist information places trying to sort through the myriad of options for reef trips and then checked out the boats on the pier.  What a beautiful end to a lovely day!