Spending Laundered Money in South Australia

Day 52/Fremantle and Perth

Last week I used the laundry room down the hall from our cabin, where $2.00 in coins gets you a nice big load of clean, dry clothes. Whoops, I didn't check all of Watson's pockets before loading his clothes into the washer. Later, I wondered if I had won a lottery when Australian 5 and 10 dollar bills started appearing as I folded the clean clothes. No harm done. The bills have a plastic-like finish. After a night of drying on the bathroom counter, they were good as new and VERY clean.
Now, we have rounded the southwest corner of Australia. We are docked at Fremantle, which is a short drive away from the larger city of Perth.
An interesting neighbor:


This unusual ship, which was docked next to The Amsterdam, is designed for transporting livestock. Soon it will leave Fremantle loaded with 6,000 sheep. The sheep World Cruise will terminate in Saudi Arabia, where the animals will be slaughtered according to religious requirements.
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This morning we joined a narrated bus tour of Fremantle and Perth. The last of our very clean Australian money came in handy for tips and refreshments.

Beautiful cities,



Not too crowded, lots of green space and sand and water.



Now we are about to head north toward Indonesia and right past the cyclone that is brewing somewhere ahead of us. It should be over land and not a threat by the time we catch up with it.




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Ashore in Albany

Day 50/Albany, Australia
Two relaxing days at sea, enroute from Kangaroo Island to Albany, were not so relaxing for our hardworking dining room staff. They spent one whole day decorating the dining room for a medieval dinner. Next, they had to struggle into hot and uncomfortable costumes, to carry out the medieval theme.


Imagine having to serve dinner cheerfully and gracefully, while being strangled by fake chain mail. People like our waiter are the ones who keep The Amsterdam services going, and give us such a wonderful travel experience.
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Our stay in Albany is brief (7 am till 4:30 pm). It is a quiet place, especially on this drizzly Sunday. Albany once was a major whaling center. We joined a tour to Whale World, an indoor/outdoor museum that includes an actual whaling ship, whale skeletons, and all sorts of historical memorabilia.



As you can see, the exhibits are not in very good repair. And the color 3-D whale movie we tried to watch lacked both color and sound, and the 3-D glasses didn't work! Despite all that, we learned quite a bit and enjoyed the pretty waterside setting.


Some species of whales that had almost been hunted into extinction are now coming back at a rate of 10% per year. Good news for these amazing animals.



Goodbye, Whale World. We enjoyed our visit.

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A Day Among The Critters

Day 47/Kangaroo Island



Here we are, just a short distance from Adelaide but surrounded by surf and dunes and....


A sea lion napping with his harem....



A friendly Emu,
Kangaroos bouncing in the fields,
and scenery that just doesn't stop.


When we finished admiring the sea lions,




We visited Emu Ridge, a business where Eucalyptus oil is distilled and made into a whole range of products, so diverse that they can be used for everything from cleaning paintbrushes to curing sore throats. Watson was more interested in the process than in the products. He asked to see the still, and was thrilled to be given a personal tour. The company's website is www.emuridge.com.au, if you would like to check it out.

It's all good on the Island....almost. While the rest of the world worries about terrorists and meteors and global warming, the biggest problem here is a surplus of feral cats, who are gobbling up all the local song birds.

Love you, Kangaroo Island. Hope to come back someday.

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If It Is Wednesday, We Must Be Where?

Day 46/Adelaide

Maybe it is time to review where we have been and what lies ahead. We have been making our way around Australia, crossing from the Pacific Ocean to the Tasman Sea, and eventually to the Indian Ocean and our last Australia stop, Perth.




Yesterday we visited Adelaide. We spent most of our time at the South Australia Museum. Their collection of Aborigine-made art and artifacts is wonderful. A few examples...






If you look up the Museum's website, you may find more and better examples of this unique work.

For a complete change of pace, our tour took us to a chocolate factory on our way back to the ship. The samples were delicious. It was fun to watch the candies riding on a conveyor belt, like a scene from I Love Lucy. But after two months of nonstop buffets on the ship, we were not very tempted by all the giant Easter eggs and other goodies.

And speaking of food, our dinner was an Australian barbecue outdoors on the deck. There were ribs and corn on the cob and all the things you would expect at a barbecue, plus the biggest, juiciest shrimp I have ever seen. All this, plus a trio playing music and singing Australian music, made for a great evening.

Stuffed again, we went back on shore, lured by rumors of free Internet in the terminal building. Well yes, it was free, but like the Internet on our ship, it was overloaded and just didn't work. And on that subject, sorry if I haven't answered your e-mails. We do love hearing from you! Thank goodness, it is still fairly easy to send new entries for this blog. It is written offline and only takes a few minutes to send. Keep your fingers crossed that the blog will continue to behave so well



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Tasmania

Day 43/At Sea

For me, the highlight of our sea day was watching a cooking demo by celebrity chef Denise Vivaldo.



She made a simple appetizer of spinach, feta cheese, and crumbled sausage wrapped in a filo dough package. Delicious! While cooking, she kept us entertained with stories of famous clients such as Elizabeth Taylor and Frank Sinatra. She has written several books. I intend to look them up when we get home.
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Day 44/Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

This morning, we woke up in Tasmania! I can't believe I got this old before learning that Tasmania is one of Australia's eight states, not a separate little country. Better late than never. I think I have it straight now.
After breakfast we boarded a bus for a tour of the area.




See the tall antenna near the top of the tallest mountain in the background? After a drive through pretty neighborhoods and up a winding road bordered by Eucalyptus trees, we found ourselves at the base of that antenna. The wind was fierce! Some of us retreated back into the bus. Watson was among those who risked being blown off the mountain. Everyone was impressed by the stunning views.



Back at sea level, we visited a winery and later explored the neighborhood near our ship.
At 3:30 in the afternoon the gangway was removed and we began our journey toward Adelaide. We saw this unusual ship as we pulled away



from the dock. The printing on the side says Institut Polaire. Another thing to look up when we have better Wi Fi access.

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Sydney Days

Days 41 and 42/Sydney
We spent our first Sydney day touring all around the city on the local Hop On Hop Off. Some of the sights were familiar to us, but there is always something new to see.



Old buildings are being renovated. New ones are under construction. We walked the crowded downtown streets and visited a department store. The merchandise and prices were similar to what we would find at home.




Our second Sydney day was cool and cloudy. Watson went for a walk, but took shelter under an awning when the rain started pouring down.
Back onboard, we watched an Australian movie, Red Dog. Supposedly based on a true story, it is a real tearjerker but very well done. After the movie, we dried our eyes and hurried to the Lido deck to watch the sail away out of Sydney Harbor.



This photo was taken just as we passed under the Sydney Harbor Bridge. The face in the foreground marks the entrance to the Luna Park amusement park. To me, it looks a bit like a setting for an Alfred Hitchcock movie.





We waved a fond goodbye to the bridge,



gasped as some daredevil sailors tried to see how close to The Amsterdam they could come,



And finally passed the last point of land. Goodbye, Australia! Hope to see you again soon.

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How Do We Spend Our Time At Sea?

Days 38, 39, 40/At Sea

Having visited 5 ports in 5 days, we were ready for a few days on board, to enjoy all that the ship has to offer. Here, in no particular order, is a sampler of some of the available activities:


There is always some occasion to celebrate. On Tuesday The Amsterdam was decorated for Mardi Gras. Today, Valentine's Day hearts are everywhere.

But we don't party 24/7. Well, most of us don't. The photo below was taken just before an ecumenical discussion featuring our resident minister, rabbi, and priest. Yes, all three are on board for the entire cruise. Each holds regular services as well as lecturing or leading study groups.



This event attracted an overflow crowd. By popular demand, a return engagement will be scheduled.




This is Debby Bacon, our favorite entertainer. Most evenings after dinner, we head to the piano bar, where Debby sings and plays piano, saxophones, and flute. If you look up her website, don't miss the short video of Debby as a 6 year old amateur contest winner.

Good Morning, Amsterdam! is the name of the ship's daily live talk show.



Hosted by Cruise Director Bruce and Hostess Adele, the show attracts a standing room only audience. Ship's officers and crew members often appear as guests. We learn about the behind the scenes workings of such a big ship, and about the people who choose to live and work on the ship.

More about shipboard activities in future posts. Our next few days will be spent in Sydney. Will let you know what we see and do there.


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Picton, New Zealand/Day 34

Wellington was our last stop on the North Island of New Zealand. This morning we woke up on the South Island, known for its beautiful scenery.


As we left the ship this morning this sign greeted us. Kia Ora is a Maori term that means Hi, How Are You, and OK. Local ladies welcomed us. They gave each of us a tiny, handmade corsage, complete with a small hat pin for fastening.

We took a shuttle the short distance to town.



An art fair had been set up in the park. My favorite booth featured fine woodwork.



We walked some more, saw an Irish pub ( not open) and a quilt shop (open!!!). I got some nice New Zealand wildlife fabric to share with my quilting buddies back home.



The day couldn't get any better than that, so we said goodbye to Picton and headed back to The Amsterdam.




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Great Day In Wellington

Day 36/Wellington, New Zealand

Today we rode the free shuttle bus from The Amsterdam to Wellington's downtown area. We had spent a few days here in 2011, so we decided to explore on our own rather than go on a tour. We walked down to the waterfront.



This is a pretty area with wide walking paths bordered by restaurants and shops on one side. We saw a sign advertising ferry boat rides. Minutes later, we were on a small mail/ passenger boat, heading across the bay.



We made a few stops at small island communities considered Wellington's " Playground By The Sea ." Most of our fellow passengers were family groups on their way to have a Sunday picnic at the small island communities that are considered Wellington's " Playground By The Sea."



I took this picture of the side of a wharf just because I liked the colors of the weathered metal. Taking a closer look, I was surprised to see something that looks like a face, in the upper left-hand corner. Can you see it?

Back on land in Wellington, we walked all the way to the beautiful Te Papa museum. We discovered that an art gallery near the museum was featuring the works of Dr. Seuss! Photography was not allowed inside the building, but the window decorations were fair game, so---







Too bad we didn't have $ 10,000.00 to buy one of the prints made from his original drawings!

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A Visit to Napier

Day 35/ Napier, New Zealand

In 1931 the city of Napier was destroyed by a 7.8 earthquake followed by a fire. It was rebuilt in the Art Deco style that was popular at the time.



Today on a walking tour of the city, we saw examples of this style of architecture. Napier and South Beach, Miami are considered the two best-preserved Art Deco towns in the world.




An Art Deco Festival is held here every year. People dress in period costumes. Antique cars are brought from as far away as England. The Festival will be held next weekend, so we were able to see some of the preparations.




And---Napier has another claim to fame! It was the first city in the world to see the sun rise on the new millennium. The site is marked by a Millenium Arch on the beach.

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Tauranga Travels

Day 34/Tauranga, New Zealand

At dinnertime yesterday The Amsterdam pulled up its anchors and sailed away from Auckland. This morning we woke up in Tauranga. We have visited this part of New Zealand before, but there is always more to see. We decided to explore the area on Tauranga's version of the Hop On, Hop Off bus service. This seems to work well for us. We have reliable transportation. We can stop at the attractions that appeal to us, stay as long as we like, and move on when we are ready.

Our first stop was at The Classic Flyers Aviation Museum, which consisted of three hangars and a large outdoor space filled with lovingly restored old airplanes, plus a glider and a small helicopter.



Museum volunteers answered our questions and showed us their works in progress.


Watson looked right at home in the cockpit of this plane. Do you think he is having a good time?
The museum's website : www.classicflyersnz.com

Next stop: The Cargo Shed, a onetime warehouse which has a new life as an arts and crafts cooperative. One woman had brought an example of Yarn Bombing, a sort of knitted graffiti which pops up in unexpected places.



Saying a reluctant goodbye to the colorful bike, we moved on to our next destination, downtown Tauranga. Like every bit of New Zealand we have seen so far, this area was attractive, spotless, and filled with friendly people. We had a look at the shops and restaurants, and then we visited the Tauranga Art Gallery where we saw a collection of costumes designed for the Royal New Zealand Ballet.

Back to the ship for dinner and departure for our next destination.

As a dramatic end to this nice day, we just passed quite close to a volcanic island that is predicted to explode very soon. We could see the island's outline in the twilight. We could see and smell the smoke pouring from its summit.

Tomorrow: Napier, NZ

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Around Auckland

Day 33/Auckland, New Zealand

We arrived here Tuesday evening, delighted to be docked right in the middle of downtown. Here's the view from our ship:


We hurried off the ship to have a quick look at downtown and the waterfront area---clean, attractive, full of friendly people.

Wednesday morning we did some more exploring on foot, finding some much- needed shoelaces for Watson, then boarded the Hop On, Hop Off bus for a tour of this city of lovely bays and gardens and attractive houses.
Back at the ship,we watched a Maori presentation that was entertaining and also provided a good introduction to Maori culture and history.




Today, Thursday, we hopped back on the Hop On, Hop Off bus and made our way to MOTAT, Museum of Transportation and Technology, where we spent the day looking at beautifully restored old cars, train engines, and other mechanical wonders.






The website is www.motat.org.nz, if you would like to read more about the museum.
Now, we are back on The Amsterdam, with an hour to spare before we leave for our next stop, Tauranga.




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If It's Monday It Must Be Super Bowl?

Day 30/Monday, February 4

Figure this out: Late on Friday, February 1, we crossed the International Dateline. When we woke up the following morning, it was Sunday, February 3. We had totally missed Groundhog Day!
Also, we find that the Super Bowl has migrated one day into the future with us. In this alternate shipboard universe, the game will be broadcast live this Monday afternoon on a big screen, or we can watch it on the TV in our room.

I wonder, where is the day we lost? Is it being held in escrow somewhere, to be returned at some future date? And where oh where is the poor groundhog? If this is our biggest worry, maybe we have been at sea too long. That will change soon, as we are approaching New Zealand, where we will visit several ports.



In the meantime, some passengers work on gigantic jigsaw puzzles,


Some knit or crochet items to be sent to Project Linus, for children in need,



And all enjoy the great food that is available all over the ship.




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