70th Birthday Adventure

The Tasman Sea       "Just as many Americans and Europeans refer to a trans-Atlantic journey as "hopping the pond", Kiwis and Aussies refer to the Tasman Sea voyage between their countries as "crossing the ditch".  The Tasman was named for Dutchman Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first European to set foot on New Zealand and the island of Tasmania in the 1640s.  Sailing to trade spices for the Dutch East India Company, he was also in search of "Beach", a fabled land recorded by Marco Polo to overflow with gold.  Later, British explorer James Cook sailed these waters, famously passing by the entrance to Milford Sound, one of New Zealand's most breathtaking inlets, believing it too narrow to lead anywhere." Friday, 1/31 Last night we once again moved our clocks and watches ahead one hour. New Zealand's 2 main islands, North Island and South Island, both lie in the same time zone. So, to figure out what time it is back home....I just have ...

   TE WAHIPOUNAMU      "New Zealand's most pristine coastal region, Te Wahipounamu stretches about 280 miles along the West Coast of the South Island.  The Maori named this breathtaking expanse "the place of greenstone", as this was the source of the precious stone they harvested to make tools and jewelry.  This wonderland of alpine peaks hosts hundreds of active glaciers, snow-capped summits, azure lakes and deep-cut fjords fed by countless rivulets and thundering waterfalls.   Te Wahipounamu embraces four of the nation's national parks, including Fiordland, home to Milford and Doubtful Sounds, and the renowned Franz Josef Glacier.  Isolated and untouched for millennia, it is thought to harbor the purest flora and fauna species from the primeval super-continent of Gondwana."   Thursday, 1/30 and Friday, 1/31      2 days at sea traveling from Hobart, Tasmania, Australia to Dunedin, New Zealand -...

     Wednesday, 1/29/2020      "The fabled island of Tasmania, Australia's smallest state, was named after Dutch explorer Abel Tasman.  Its capital, Hobart,was founded as a penal colony for some 300 inmates.  Today, the charming city boasts the world's second-deepest natural harbor, a mild climate and a picturesque setting on the banks of the Derwent River.  Its remarkable preserved architecture, particularly that found in the Salamanca Place district, dates to Georgian and Victorian times, and traditional pubs transport visitors back to Old England."                    Salamanca Place district Leaving port    Leaving Tasmania      waiting for sunset  Good-bye to the day, and Good-bye to Australia!

Tuesday, 1/28, we are at sea....traveling from Melbourne to Hobart, Tasmania - 322 nautical miles (about 371 miles), through the Bass Strait.      "Separating mainland Australia from the island of Tasmania, the Bass Strait was discovered by British explorers George Bass and Matthew Flinders in 1799. The discovery allowed merchants and explorers to cut 700 miles off their journey from Europe or India.  There are more than 100 islands that dot the strait.  The largest archipelago in the waterway's eastern reaches, the Furneaux Islands, once formed a land bridge between Tasmania and Australia.  Granite mountain ranges can be seen against the horizon.  In the strait's western region, King Island host several settlements and is on the migration route of several bird species."          Sunset over the island of Tasmania.

Monday, 1/27 was a full-day/evening in Melbourne.      Capital of the Australian state of Victoria, Melbourne has been called the world's most livable city.  It enjoys a scenic setting on the large bay of Port Phillip. Soon after Victoria declared it a city in 1847, the rush to find gold in its rivers and streams made it one of the world's largest and wealthiest cities.  Today, it is celebrated as the country's cultural capital of the arts and exudes a rich and lively British flair, from its narrow shopping lanes in the city center to the fanciful Victorian buildings along Collins Street.  A literal slice of England can be found in Fitzroy Gardens, 64 acres of beautifully designed topiary and blooms."                 The Yarra River runs through Melbourne.  The city has a number of beautiful parks - including Fitzray Gardens.....with its many trees and f...