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Trans-Pacific Cruise
  • Kristine Schroeder
  • Kristine Schroeder

Trans-Pacific Cruise

Carnival Cruise from Seattle to Australia Læs mere
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  • Kristine SchroederTrans-Pacific CruiseKristine Schroeder

    Rockin Through the Decades

    8. oktober, Coral Sea ⋅ 🌬 73 °F

    Tonight's show was Chris Dixon Rockin Through the Decades. He was quite an animated Brit. I loved his accent but his theatrics were a bit tiring. His voice struggled just a few times but he hit some impressive notes to make up for it. He sang some Beatles, Queen, Bon Jovi, and a few others that I can't think of right now.

    Time to prep our laundry and go to bed.    Læs mere

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  • Kristine SchroederTrans-Pacific CruiseKristine Schroeder

    Erik wants to sleep more

    9. oktober, Coral Sea ⋅ 🌬 72 °F

    It is 730am. Erik was resistant to wake up 😂 but he did anyway. He is being slow this morning. Very very slow.

    Sea depth is 1220 meters. We traveled 7741 nautical miles. We are heading at a course of 228 degrees going 19 knots. We are going SouthWest towards Sydney so each passing minute will be the closest we have been to Antarctica. There are some whitecaps on the water but not many. Waves are out there but much smaller than the previous few days.Læs mere

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  • Kristine SchroederTrans-Pacific CruiseKristine Schroeder
    Voyager burger

    Burger breakfast

    9. oktober, Coral Sea ⋅ 🌬 72 °F

    All but my dad has burgers for breakfast. He has his usual, Lucky Charms and Grits.

    I had a voyager burger which has a fried egg and hash browns. I did not eat the buns though so I felt better about that. We saw about 4 birds dive bombing into the water for some fish. That was cool. Dad said someone saw a whale this morning. I question it because there are a ton of whitecaps this morning, though, he said they saw the whale itself and not just the blowhole spray.Læs mere

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  • Kristine SchroederTrans-Pacific CruiseKristine Schroeder

    Towel animals

    9. oktober, Coral Sea ⋅ 🌬 72 °F

    Smom and I did the towel folding class. We made an elephant, a bear, and a dog. So dang cute. I really need to make these at home.

    Let's see if I can write down how to do this:

    1. Elephant
    Take big towel and have it landscape. Bring top down 1/3 and the bring bottom part up 1/3 so that there is a small strip between them. Roll the right side until it meets the middle. Do the same for the left side. Fold in half so that it stands on its own. You now have legs.
    Take small towel and have it landscape. Put your finger in the middle at the top. Roll the right side from the right top corner until it meets the middle. Do the same for the left until it looks like a carrot. Flip it over and pull the line down about half way. The long skinny piece can be manipulated into an elephant trunk while the ears can be pulled down to the side to look more floppy. Place it on top of the legs.

    2. Bear
    Leave legs as is on the long towel.
    Take small towel and have it go up and down like a building. Fold it down leaving just a strip at the bottom. Fold right and left top corners until they meet in the middle. Flip it. Roll from the bottom. Fold in half. Push the nose in so it looks like a button. Secure it in the back. Place on top of the legs.

    3. Dog
    Open big towel so that it's long in front of you like a building. Roll top down to middle and roll bottom up to middle. Fold in half. Put under arm so that bottom of legs are facing out. Pull the very middle of each leg enough that you can securely grab them later. Pull two legs with one hand and the other two with the other and pull apart. Flip it over. This is the body.
    Open the small towel landscape. Fold down in half. Take the bottom right and left corners, top of towel only, and pull them down to meet in the middle.fold the pointy part under about 4 inches. Take right and left corners and have them meet in the middle pointing at each other. Roll each side to the middle. Flip it over so that the ears are at the top. Pull the snout out a little at the bottom. Secure it in the back and place on the legs.

    Fun!    Læs mere

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  • Kristine SchroederTrans-Pacific CruiseKristine Schroeder

    Great Barrier Reef Lecture

    9. oktober, Coral Sea ⋅ 🌬 72 °F

    Today is an exciting lecture about the Great Barrier Reef. I wish we had enough time to go scuba dive the Great barrier reef. It's a true bucket list item.

    The great barrier reef is 1430 miles long. Starts at the southern parts of Queensland and goes up to Papa New Guinea.

    Daintree Rainforest is 180 million years old and kind of converges with the reef. It has the cassowary. Funny looking bird. The rainforest filters out the water before it reaches the reef, keeping it cleaner. The southern parts of the great barrier reef has rivers that converge into the ocean but they aren't filtered out so those pollutants will reach the reach.

    Mangroves also act like a nursery for juvenile species before they leave to go live out on the reef. Saltwater crocodiles live out in the mangroves. Yikes.

    Dugongs hang out near the seagrass in the northern areas.

    Heart reef is a small reef on the great barrier reef, though quite a popular destination for snorkeling or diving.

    There are over 2500 individual reefs and 900 sand cays and islands.

    Great barrier reef formed 600,000- 800,000 years ago.

    Fringing reef is close to the land mass. You can step off into the water onto the reef.

    Barrier reef is when the land mass slowly erodes away so that there is a barrier between the land and the reef.

    Atoll is when the land mass completely erodes away.

    There are over 215 species of seabirds like the brown noddy and the brown booby, and wedge tailed shearwaters and sooty terns.

    There are over 450 (probably closer to 600) species of coral like the galaxea coral, Xenia coral, Corals have a powerful smell if you smell them at low tide. They also have a mucus that protects them from the sun and can be used as sunscreen.

    Over 9000 different species live on the great barrier reef.

    30 species of whale and dolphin live on the Great barrier reef. Humpback whales included. Dwarf minke whale are quite a curious species. Bottlenose dolphins are out there. There are 6 of the worlds 7 species of sea turtles. Most common are green sea turtles. Their tissue is green. Hawksbill turtle have a hooked beak. Loggerhead turtles have a big head and chunky neck. Olive Ridley turtle and flat back turtle. Leatherback turtles is the biggest sea turtle and the only one without a hard shell.

    Raine island in the North will have thousands of turtles come to reproduce.

    17 species of sea snakes to include the olive sea snake and are venemous but also curious. Stay perfectly still so that they do not bite you.

    Box jellyfish are out there. The most venemous on the planet. An adult jellyfish can cause fatality in an adult human in 2 - 3 minutes. Irukandji jellyfish has 17 species and they are quite venous also. There is anti venom for these. One of the symptoms of the venom is impending doom. They are super tiny.

    Over 1500 fish species to include anemone fish, humphead maori wrasse, potato cod, Queensland grouper, parrotfish, bumphead parrotfish, butterfly fish.

    65 species of sharks and rays to include the whale shark, epaulette shark, white tip reef shark, black tip reef shark, tiger shark, Oceanic whitetip, manta ray, spotted eagle ray, ornate eagle ray.

    400 species of mollusk to include giant clams, octopus, cuttlefish, nudibranch.

    30,000 species of crustacean to include peacock mantis shrimp, boxer crab, decorator crabs.

    600 species of echinoderms to include crown of thorns sea star.    Læs mere

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  • Kristine SchroederTrans-Pacific CruiseKristine Schroeder

    Nap & Outback Lecture

    9. oktober, Coral Sea ⋅ 🌬 70 °F

    Erik and I had the best nap ever. He slept longer than I did and we missed the playlist performance that I wanted to go to, but he isn't feeling well so it's really alright.

    We woke up and went to the outback giants lecture at 4pm. Quite an interesting lecture.

    Mineral called zircon formed 4.4 billion years ago and is in the Western Outback. Iron rich soil gives the Outback its red color.

    Must watch crocodile dundee with Paul Hogan as Mick Dundee.

    Aboriginal Australians might have migrated from Southeast Asia over 60,000 years ago.

    Dreamtime was a spiritual aspect of aboriginal culture. Young aboriginals are rejecting the dreamtime concept.

    Dots, lines, and pattern paintings hold spiritual meaning. Dance is very sacred and might only be allowed to be performed by elders. Smoking ceremonies mark healing, birth, and death. Eucalyptus leaves and paper bark are common for smoking ceremonies.

    Uluru (Ayres Rock) is 1142 feet high for Ed over 500 million years ago. The base walk is 6.6 miles. Has the clearest view of the stars in the world.

    Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) has 36 stones rising 1791 feet. Some areas are off limits to the public. UNESCO world heritage site. Covers 8 square miles. Some dones extend below the desert.

    1 in 10 or 1 in 3 aboriginal children were taken and called the "stolen generation" . 1869 at the Victorian aboriginal protection act. They were forced to assimilate and not allowed to use birth names or cultural tongues. They were often told their families died. 1969 ended the removal policies worldwide.

    Aboriginals account for 1/4 or the outback population.

    Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills Expedition set out to cross Australia 2000 miles. They left Melbourne in 1860. Burke and Wills died in June 1861. Interesting topic about how they died and how an commission on a letter cost them.

    Built on the Sheeps Back and by early 1800s the world industry foundation was created. Cattle ranching also became popular. Helicopters are vital for modern cattle herding.

    Road trains often 164 feet long and hauling 100 tons will pull 4 or 5 trailers to deliver supplies. World record stretched 4800 feet long with 112 trailers just for the Guinness book of world records.

    Australia is the largest export of live cattle. Some ships carry over 20k cattle.

    Australia is the top iron ore exporter. Mining trains can stretch up to 1.5 miles long with over 300 wagons.

    The Ghana Railway stretches 1815 miles from Adelaide in the South to Darwin in the North. Opened in the 1920s.

    Royal flying doctor service (RFDS) founded in 1928 operates a fleet to get service to the outback. First radios were powered by pedals like riding a bike in order to talk to doctors.

    School of the air is how kids would be taught by teachers hundreds of miles away. They would use these pedal radios to speak to their teachers.

    Australia has the longest golf course in the world. You play a few holes , drive a few hours, and then play more. It is golf tourism.

    Rabbit proof fence stretches 1800 miles built in 1907 to stop rabbits from eating crops. Rabbits were introduced and not native to Australia. In 1931 three aboriginal girls followed the fence for 1200 miles back to their house. Award winning film represents this as the Rabbit Proof Fence.

    Cooper Pedy is the opal capital. They have underground churches, shops, and hotels.

    Unlike the rabbit proof fence, the longest fence is a dingo fence. Built in 1880s to 1950s stretches 3.5 thousand miles to protect sheep from dingos. Dingos are wild dogs. It requires constant patrol.

    Roadhouses provide fuel, meals, supplies, and shelter. They are sometimes the only establishment for hundreds of miles. For many visitors, a drink in the outback pub is a rite of passage. Daly Waters Pub has a bunch of bras hanging when in the 1980s a bus of women lost a bet and left their bras as payment. Many now leave bras and hats and other items .

    Lake Eyre is the biggest desert salt lake in South Australia.

    Land speed record in 1964 at Lake Eyre was completed by Donald Campbell of 403.1 miles per hour. He died attempting a water speed record. His record was broken by Richard Noble to 633 miles per hour.

    Silo Art is common.

    Red Kangaroo is the most iconic species as the largest kangaroo species in Australia. Can survive for days without water. Can leap 30 feet in one bound.

    The dingo is a wild dog. Often found in remote regions of outback.

    Bilby is a nocturnal marsupial nicknamed the rabbit eared bandicoot. Can dig a burrow 10 feet long.

    Common wombats are native to the outback. Nicknamed the chunky lawnmower. Can run as fast as a human when treated backward facing pouch protects joey when mother is digging. Have cube shaped droppings.

    Echidna is a spiny anteater where they lay eggs. They have spines and long snouts. They can detect faint electrical signals.

    Camels are not native to Australia but introduced in the 19th century. Over 1 million roam freely over central Australia. Australia exports camel to the Middle East.

    The perentie is the largest monitor lizard growing up to 6 feet long. Can run and breathe at the same time.

    The thorny devil is a sandy colored reptile. They are lizards that grow only to 8 inches. They can drink through their skin.

    Snakes. Eastern brown snake can reach up to 6.5 feet. Woma Python and mulga (king brown) snake are also common.

    Wedge tailed eagle can have a wing span of 8 feet.

    Budgerigars, galahs, mulga parrots, cockatiels, and zebra finches are common birds.

    The emu is the largest bird in Australia and only second in the world to the ostrich. Males will incubate the eggs whiLe the female may go and find another mate.

    The great 1932 emu war. Up to 20,000 emu moved into the farming district. The defense minister dispatched soldiers with Lewis machine guns. Emus dodged bullets and outran trucks. After 200,000 rounds fired the army withdrew. A second campaign used bounties instead of bullets.    Læs mere

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  • Kristine SchroederTrans-Pacific CruiseKristine Schroeder
    Crab cake
    Stuffed mushroomLobsterTeriyaki salmon

    Dinner is fancy tonight

    9. oktober, Coral Sea ⋅ 🌬 70 °F

    Tonight we feast on lobster and salmon, crab cakes, stuffed mushrooms, and new England clam chowder soup. All the yums! I'll probably do a banana split for dessert. We brought Root beer on the boat to make Root beer floats with their ice cream but haven't done it yet. I think we shall tonight since it's movie night. We are watching the F1 movie at 930pm. First though, we have dinner at 515pm and then an acrobat show at 730pm.

    Tomorrow is our last sea day. How sad. I'm excited for Australia but we haven't actually solidified anything yet so this could be a wild time. We want a camper van but to pick up the camper van it's soooo far away, like an hour drive assuming we Uber and don't take public transportation. We may just get a hotel in Sydney for 2 days. Day 1 to see Sydney (which we are likely going to do a whale watching sail) and then day 2 to go to the blue mountains via public transportation (train). Then we say bye to the parentals and we take off on down the coast to probably some fun spots to snorkel. We won't get close to the great barrier reef because we just don't have enough time to do that. Perhaps some day. I'll be happy to see some nice coral and loads of fish and marine life, for now.

    The ship is out of banana so I didn't get a banana split. I had the chocolate melting cake instead. Erik did too, plus he had the grand marnier souffle.    Læs mere

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  • Kristine SchroederTrans-Pacific CruiseKristine Schroeder

    F1 Movie

    10. oktober, Coral Sea ⋅ 🌬 70 °F

    After the acrobat show we went to our cabins to grab blankets and reading material and then we sat on the Lido chairs waiting for The Proposal movie to finish. Our move F1 started at 930pm. This was a really good movie and reminds me of my hubby. He didnt race F1 but he raced Baja and that's just as cool.Læs mere

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  • Kristine SchroederTrans-Pacific CruiseKristine Schroeder

    Sleep

    10. oktober, Tasman Sea ⋅ 🌬 70 °F

    And we slept for about 6 hours. Movie ended at midnight. Erik woke up at 545am or so to take a picture of the sunrise. It's on his phone.

    Mostly the seas are flat but on occasion we will be pushed left or right.

    We are on a 229 degree heading going 17.2 knots. The ocean is 4910 meters deep. We have traveled 8175 nautical miles.

    Time to ready ourselves for more breakfast. Breakfast is getting old. I could use a donut. We get off the ship tomorrow early in the morning which is about noon back home.    Læs mere

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  • Kristine SchroederTrans-Pacific CruiseKristine Schroeder

    Second to last breakfast on board

    10. oktober, Tasman Sea ⋅ 🌬 70 °F

    Today I decided to do steak and eggs for breakfast. Erik is doing salmon lox and French toast.

    This is our last sea day brunch on this cruise. Tomorrow will be a port day breakfast.

    Luggage tags came in for tomorrow and I believe we have the customs forms delivered to our room as well. Today will be our last towel animal. 😢

    I'm excited to do fun Australia things (though, we still don't have a plan), but it's really nice to not have to worry about finding food or a bed. I'm looking forward to having my kids and dog back but I'm not excited to go grocery shopping or cook. Maybe I'm kind of interested in cooking but there is always variety on the boat so at least for dinner I'm content.

    Tonight is frog legs for appetizer at dinner. I can't wait to get the kids to try them.

    Doesn't my dad look adorable drinking his chocolate milk?    Læs mere

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  • Kristine SchroederTrans-Pacific CruiseKristine Schroeder

    Craft, Australia Planning & Debark Talk

    10. oktober, Tasman Sea ⋅ 🌬 70 °F

    We hobbled on down to the Ocean Plaza to see what was on tap for the arts and crafts for the day. I think it'll be a cute little something to surprise the kiddos with. Then we stuck around to search out a place to stay in Australia.

    We found a cute little AirBnb down the road from the port that we will dock at. They only had one room so Smom and Dad are likely booking a hotel right around the corner, and even closer to the port. That'll be really nice. I asked the Airbnb people if we could drop bags early and they said we could only if no one stayed the night tonight. If Smom and Dad get the hotel, they allow luggage storage. Either way we should be good to. Yay.

    The waves were smooth this morning and now they're quite large and rolly. I'm still hoping to see a whale but in case we don't, we are going on a whale watching tour tomorrow. With the whitecaps out today, it's hard to spot any marine life.

    We are chilling on our balcony for the next 25 minutes until we head on down to watch the Deadly Side of Australia lecture.    Læs mere

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  • Kristine SchroederTrans-Pacific CruiseKristine Schroeder

    Deadly Australia Lecture ☠️

    10. oktober, Tasman Sea ⋅ 🌬 70 °F

    Jessi gave a lecture on the deadly stuff in Australia.

    Most of Australia's organisms are found in the Australian Bush. Many plant species are germinated by fire. Australia gets lots of bush fires. Regeneration comes back rather quickly... Unlike Arizona.

    Top 10 Most Deadly in Australia

    1. Saltwater Crocodile
    2. Box Jellyfish
    3. Inland Taipan Snake
    4. Eastern Brown Snake
    5. Blue Ringed Octopus
    6. Coastal Taipan Snake
    7. Sydney Funnel Web Spider
    8. Cone Snail
    9. Common Death Adder Snake
    10. Stonefish

    SPIDERS

    Sydney funnel web spider very deadly venemous spider. It is #7 on top 10 deadliest. The most venomous on entire planet. They are common around Sydney. Only 13 deaths total from this spider. None since 1981 because of anti-venom. Males will bite you. Females do not wander.

    There is a Southern funnel web and Newcastle Big Boy spider. It is twice the size as the Sydney funnel web spider

    Redback spiders are also all around Australia and in urban areas. Check boots if left outside. They kind of look like black widows. The females are the only ones that bite. About 250 cases per year. No one has died from this spider for decades because of anti-venom.

    Huntsman Spider has venom but not enough to cause problems. They will give you a mild heart attack. They are huge which is why. They have a 15 cm leg span. Not dangerous but terrifyingly big.

    Peacock Jumping Spider is adorable and only found in Australia. Not going to hurt you.

    SNAKES

    Coastal Taipan is #6 in Australia's most deadly. 3rd most venomous on planet. 3 meters in size. 13mm fangs. Anti-venom is created otherwise it would be a 90% chance of fatality in 30 minutes. Lots of terrifying symptoms. Nervous species.

    The Inland Taipan are much more dangerous as they are #3 on Australia's most deadly. Most venemous snake. Can be fatal in 45 minutes. No one has died from it. They are far inland in Australia, in the outback. Shy species. The head changes color with the season.

    Eastern Brown Snake are #4 on Top 10 Most Deadly. 5 fatalities since 2022. Second most venomous snake on the planet. Very fast and aggressive. They can be found in the urban areas. Venom causes paralysis and can someone to collapse in minutes. Lots of anti-venom to counteract venom.

    Common Death Adder is #9. Fastest striking snake on planet. Excellent camouflage as they like to stay still. Tail has different coloration with a tiny lure to attract prey like lizards and mice. Venom is neurotoxin which causes respiration issues. 60% chance of fatality without anti-venom.

    Tiger snake is responsible for second highest snake bite. Found in major cities like Melbourne. If left untreated, will cause pain in neck and feet, respiratory, and fatality. 17% of all snake bites. 4 fatalities ever before 1930. Many adults have stripes.

    Olive Sea Snake is in the water. Over 70 sea snakes in Australia. They have a flat end of the tail that acts like a paddle. Can hold their breath for 30 minutes to 8 hours.

    KANGAROO

    Kangaroo are usually docile and not often as pets. About 40 attacks on humans in the last decade. Big males can be dangerous. They balance in their tail to give a powerful kick. They have sharp fire laws, also. Do not corner a kangaroo. Hitting a kangaroo in a car is as dangerous as hitting an elk. 100% of kangaroo fatalities occur from cars.

    DINGO

    Introduced about 4000 years ago. They are wild dogs. Rare that dingoes will attack humans. Do not feed or pet dingoes. Frazer Island had a large quantity of dingoes. 35 attacks since 2021. Don't leave small children around dingoes. A 9 month old baby was attacked in 1980 by a dingo.. "A dingo ate my baby!"

    BIRDS

    The cassowary is a dangerous bird. They've been around 60 million years. Can be about 200cm in size. Very fast. Very long and sharp claws and powerful legs if kicked. The only bird among ostriches and chickens that have caused human fatalities. 2 recorded attacks leading to fatalities in 1929 who was hunting one and one in Florida in 2019. They live in the Daintree Rainforest.

    Magpie has beautiful songs early in the morning. Nesting season these birds will be dangerous. Wear sunglasses on the back of your head. Don't travel in groups. It is an annual turf war. Birds will swoop down and attack anything that looks like a threat. They go towards bicyclists and children. Nesting season is right around right now. Yay.

    Platypus is also dangerous. Adult males are the dangerous ones. They have a spur on each hind leg around their ankle with venom sacks that cause severe pain and swelling.

    MARINE LIFE

    The Blue Ringed Octopus is #5 on the top 10 deadly. They have 3 hearts and pump blue blood. Most venomous on the planet. Venom is around the beak. So do not pick it up. Dizzy, numb, hard to talk and then hard to breathe. When threatened their blue rings become more intense. Only a few people have died from it. Dying while still awake is awful. Perform CPR and wait for paramedics to save their life.

    Cone Snail are #8 on most deadly. There is no anti-venom for these snails. They fire barbs / harpoons into prey at around 31 miles per hour. Toxins are so specialized. Do not touch. 36 documented fatalities for a snail. A snail.

    The stonefish is #10 on top 10. Most venomous fish on planet. Venom is painful. Swelling and fatality if left untreated. They bury themselves in sea floor and often get stepped on which is how humans get attacked.

    Bluebottle jellyfish are also venomous. These are also the Portuguese man of war in other parts of the world. Nasty sting. Don't touch! They have 4 species. It is made up of a lot of organisms that live together. Only deadly if stung around throat, neck, or face. Not fatal but very painful. Peeing on a jellyfish sting does not work. Common household vinegar does work. It won't stop the pain, it'll just stop the stinging cells. Pour on, do not rub it on.

    Box jellyfish are #2 on most deadly. They are the most venomous on the entire planet. The pain is awful like having a kettle of boiling water poured on body x10. In 2-3 minutes you will die. They have 24 eyes that can see through their bodies. They don't have a brain. Found in northern parts of Australia.

    Irukandji jellyfish are found in northern parts of Australia. 17 species. Nasty sting. Don't notice sting until 30 - 60 minutes after stung. Symptom is impending doom.

    Reef Sharks are not actually as dangerous as they are more like puppy dogs.

    Bull Sharks can be dangerous as they can survive in both brackish and ocean water.

    Tiger Sharks eat everything.

    Sharks have all their sensory organs on mouth which is why they bite sometimes.

    Great White Shark attacks are 47 unprovoked shark attacks. Only 4 of which were fatal. Australia has 15 unprovoked, 1 was fatal. This year 11 attacks and 4 were fatal.

    Saltwater Crocodile is #1 on top 10. They are #1 even though they cause 2 to 3 fatalities per year. If grabbed by one, you will not survive. Nicknamed a giant salty. Only 30 seconds before you die. They can climb trees and gallop. They can get up to 19.6 feet in length. Also intelligent creatures.    Læs mere

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  • Kristine SchroederTrans-Pacific CruiseKristine Schroeder

    Remembering Madre 😇

    10. oktober, Tasman Sea ⋅ 🌬 70 °F

    Though we are a day ahead of the US, today we honor our lovely Madre. She passed 3 years ago. We love and miss her dearly. She was a wonderful grandmother to the kids and such a good mama to my hubby. She was a very accepting and loving mother in law, also. I got very lucky with her. A man who has a loving relationship with his mother is likely going to treat his woman very well. That holds true to Erik. I wish he had his parents, still. I dread the day I lose mine. If we had a Dairy Queen we would have a blue raspberry float for you, Madre. Maybe this week in Australia, assuming they have one in Australia.Læs mere

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  • Kristine SchroederTrans-Pacific CruiseKristine Schroeder

    Nap and Sydney Lecture

    10. oktober, Tasman Sea ⋅ 🌬 70 °F

    Erik took a nice one hour nap. I put together some crafts for the kiddos and then watched some TV.

    Time for the Sydney lecture at 4pm.

    Sydney is the capital of New South Wales. It has more than 5 million residents. Canberra is Australia's capital.

    $1 USD = $1.50 AUS
    Not a tipping nation

    Over 1500 aboriginal rock engravings around Sydney

    Arrival of first fleet in 1776 with convicts and a few women.

    In 1932 the Sydney Harbor Bridge opened. It took 1400 workers and 8 years. Paul Hogan worked on the bridge before ever becoming Crocodile Dundee.

    Sydney Opera House won a 1957 competition, finishing in 1973. 14 times over budget. Estimated at 102 million dollars.

    St Mary's Cathedral near Hyde Park is the longest church in Australia. Foundation laid in 1868.

    Queen Victoria Building completed in late 19th century. Knows as QBD. Houses markets and cafes. Located on George Street.

    The Australian Museum is a natural history and science museum. It has artifacts like dinosaurs and is free.

    Street art is common. People don't typically like graffiti but they like street art.

    Local cuisine: fresh seafood: prawns on the barbi, barramundi, Sydney rock oysters

    Kangaroo and bush tomatoes are also featured.

    Australia is one of the only countries in the world that eats the animals on its flags.

    SYDNEY SIGHTS

    1. Sydney Opera House. Hosts 1500 performances annually. You can walk all the way around the building. It sits right next to the Botanical Gardens. Local seal lices at the steps by the back of the Opera House. Rent is playing this week, starting at $40. Some guy trains dogs to chase all the pigeons away so that they don't eat your food.

    2. Royal Botanic Gardens. The Prime Minister sometimes goes running here.

    3. Sydney Harbor Bridge. Nicknamed the coat hanger. Carries 8 lanes of traffic, 2 train lines, a cycle and a pedestrian lane. Workers balanced high above the harbor without harnesses. The bridge climb takes you 440 feet above sea level. You must pay to go up on this. 360 degree panorama. You can't take photos or cameras up on top of the bridge. The oldest recorded climber was 100 years old. The pylon lookout is on the southeast tower. You can bring the camera and phone on this one to see a 360 degree view. Take the elevator or stairs from Cumberland Street in the rocks.

    4. The Rocks. Cobbled lanes, sandstone terraces, and even some cottages and argyle cut carved by convicts. Old part of Sydney. 1796 gave first legal drinking ticket. Legal drinking is 18.

    5. Circular Quay. Recommend to go by ferry instead of bus to see things. Ferrys, trains, buses and other transport can be found here.

    6. Darling Harbour. Ferry can take you. Good place to stay away from protest. Has some Chinese gardens. Has a dragon wall. There is also a tea house. Garden was a gift from city's sister city Quang Sho in China. Sea Life Sydney Aquarium has over 13,000 animals of over 700 species. Sydney Wildlife Zoo shows Koalas from the Koala rooftop. Not allowed to hold them. Has a kangaroo walkabout. Crocodile Billabong is home to Rocky one of the largest Crocs in captivity. T-Rex growl in Jurassic Park was actually a koala. National Maritime Museum showing aboriginal canoes to modern naval history. You can even board Captain Cook's Endeavor.

    7. Taronga Zoo. Home to native and exotic wildlife. Nocturnal and platypus house. The zoo is built on a hill. Must walk up hill unless you take the bus service to be dropped off at the top of the zoo.

    8. Cockatoo Island and Balmain Wharf. Cockatoo Island was a convict penal settlement.

    9. Watson's Bay. Oldest fishing village. Easily accessible by ferry.

    10. Manly Beach. Ferry can take you to this beach. Wharf to walk along. Ocean Beach.

    11. Northern Beaches - Summer Bay. Can hike or go to the beach. Palm Beach. The Basin Ferry. Can find kangaroos, wallabies, monitor lizard, birds. Swimming hole with shark net.

    12. Hyde Park Barracks. UNESCO world heritage site. Built by convicts. Now operators as a museum.

    13. Bondi Beach. Famous for strong rifts. 5000 rescues per summer. Always swim between red and yellow flags. Nice cliff walk. Bondi to Coogee Beach Walk. 3.7 mile walk. Takes 2-3 hours at a relaxed pace.

    14. Sydney Tower Eye. 1000 feet above the city. Sydney's tallest structure and Australia's second largest. Sky walk glass floor platform. Dining inside revolving restaurant.

    15. Blue Mountains. About 470 million years old. Blue Haze. Wentworth falls has waterfall and you can go down chains to get to lower level. Leura is a garden village of the blue mountains. Katoomba is the largest town at the blue mountains. Carrington hotel built in 1883. Three sisters rock formation. Scenic world is also here. Boardwalk and waterfalls.

    Other areas of interest might be:
    - Maitland Bay Hike
    - Pearl Beach
    - McMasters to Copacabana Beach

    1988 first fleet reenactment retracing 1788 voyage. Original fleet had 11 ships. Reenactment had 9 ships.    Læs mere

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  • Kristine SchroederTrans-Pacific CruiseKristine Schroeder
    Adrian, Angelina and Joseph

    Last dinner on the ship

    10. oktober, Tasman Sea ⋅ 🌬 70 °F

    Tonight is our last dinner on the ship. Erik and I are both having Kermit, aka frog legs. We are both eating the jerk spiced pork chop. I am getting the baballoo cake and Erik is getting a rainbow of sorbet.

    Frog legs tasted like chicken. The tomato stuff they sat in was pretty good, too. The pork chop was okay. It didn't taste like it had jerk seasoning, at all. We got fried tomatoes also and they were over-breaded.

    So sad this is our last dinner. I have to figure out what to eat for dinner after this. Yikes.    Læs mere

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  • Kristine SchroederTrans-Pacific CruiseKristine Schroeder

    Aussie Aussie Aussie

    11. oktober, Australien ⋅ 🌙 68 °F

    We made it. 8551 nautical miles. We docked honestly not that long ago and it's 615am right now. I woke up about 445am and then 5am to make sure I could snap some night photos of the Opera house. We are docked right next to it. Kind of cool and boy is it much bigger in person that you would imagine it to be.

    Time to go stuff out our faces.    Læs mere

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  • Kristine SchroederTrans-Pacific CruiseKristine Schroeder

    Goodbye Carnival Luminosa

    11. oktober, Australien ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    We are off the boat! Waiting to go through customs. Lines are there but rather quick and smaller than I'd expect.

    We declared our medications and our shells. They didn't scan any of our baggage, at least not our carry ons. Since we declared shells, they had us talk to these other ladies who didn't really seem to care about our shells. All in all, we probably could have had a small animal as we got off the boat.Læs mere

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  • Kristine SchroederTrans-Pacific CruiseKristine Schroeder

    Marriott Luggage Drop Off

    11. oktober, Australien ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    We dropped off luggage at the parentals. Their hotel room was ready before 9am. Wild. They are on the 16th floor and have a slight few of the bay. Not too shabby. We sat around and charged phones for a bit and then headed out to walk around the Opera house.

    But first - we needed food. We walked through a souvenir shop and eyeballed some stuff we want to buy our kiddos. Then we went to the very famous McDonald's 😂 honestly we only went inside to see how it differed from the US. They have Mcpops which are little doughnuts with filling inside. They were pretty good. We also got a kit Kat mcfrappe because we need the caffeine.    Læs mere

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  • Kristine SchroederTrans-Pacific CruiseKristine Schroeder

    Packed

    10. oktober, Tasman Sea ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    We started packing and received our laundry around 830-9pm. We finished the packing session, which was difficult because Erik felt we should put the small roller carry on inside the medium size one to make it easier to travel to the air bnb. This was not what I expected we would do so it was a bit hard to do. We managed though and our bags are now outside our room.

    I only have internet through tomorrow but then Erik will have internet so maybe I'll be able to hotspot off of him and I'll be able to use wifi at the air bnb.

    Tomorrow we plan on being at breakfast at 630am and then will head back to our room to grab bags and then head off the boat. Parentals are staying at a Marriott so we will keep our bags there. Erik and I are going on a sailing whale watching tour at 1pm but Dad didn't want to go so I'm not sure what he and Smom will do. Hopefully they find something fun and we can meet up after we get back.

    Have a good night! See you tomorrow Australia.    Læs mere

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  • Kristine SchroederTrans-Pacific CruiseKristine Schroeder

    Opera House & Botanical Garden

    11. oktober, Australien ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    Next up, we walked to the opera house. It is HUGE. The seal that rests on the stairs was not there. Erik and I might try to go see Rent at the Opera if we have time. Just to say we've done it.

    Then we walked to the Botanical Garden. This place is beautiful. I love that it's free to walk through. The governor has a residence / office on the grounds or right off the grounds (not sure which). They offer tours but not today or tomorrow because there are events on the grounds.

    There were so many trees and flowers and even the prettiest bird and a magpie. Plus those birds with the funny beaks. We realized to walk to our sailing point would take 1.5 hours so we headed back another way to get to the ferry.

    Currently we are at the ferry, waiting to board.    Læs mere

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  • Kristine SchroederTrans-Pacific CruiseKristine Schroeder

    Whale watching

    11. oktober, Australien ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    We met up with our whale tour guide. We had 5 others on the boat with us, as tourists, plus the captain and his first mate. The captain was hard to hear but I've only got one ear working right now. My other one is clogged.

    He gave us a few tidbits of information about things around the harbor but Erik and I could barely hear him. He took us straight out to the ocean and almost immediately we found some whales. At least two adult humpbacks and a calf! There was a larger ferry there with a ton of people on it. There was also a smaller motor boat that kept going very close to the whales. It was frustrating.

    After watching the calf breach the water and the adults slap their fins for over an hour, we all opted to go hunting for whales elsewhere where there were less people. We didn't get as lucky, though. We saw some water spouts and breaching from far off but nothing as we came closer. It was still quite enjoyable. The weather was beautiful. I took a ton of video but can only upload a few minutes on here. The video was so hard to take because the sailboat was rocking side to side.

    On the way back in we looked for seals but we didn't see any. We only mildly sailed, but we absolutely motored the whole time. So we motor sailed for a bit and motored the rest. Erik thought the captain was grumpy but I thought he was good. He and Erik were talking up a storm. Go figure, right?

    Smom did see a nude guy at which point we found out there was a nude beach close by. 🫢    Læs mere

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