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Grand Voyage 2014

January - April 2014
A 111-day adventure by Peteranderica Read more
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  • TravelerGrand Voyage 2014
    Day 39

    Auckland, New Zealand

    February 11, 2014 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Not the hottest days, starting at 18C but expected to climb to 23C. Quite a number of passengers left the ship here, only to be replaced by others, some only travelling as far as Sydney. After disembarking, we took the ferry to Devonport, only a ten-minute ride across the bay. This is a quaint, old part of Auckland with attractive wooden houses, craft shops and cafes. We had a very relaxing stroll around before taking the ferry back to the city, where we headed for Sky Tower for some fantastic views across the city. I am not too good with heights, but still enjoyed it. We walked to Albert Park, which contained a number of illuminated Chinese figures and dragons in celebration, no doubt, of the Chinese New Year. We like Auckland. Very friendly.Read more

  • TravelerGrand Voyage 2014
    Day 40

    Bay of Islands, New Zealand

    February 12, 2014 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    The Bay of Islands are situated in the North East of North Island. Again the temperature started at 18C but was predicted to rise to 23C. We left the ship by tender, arriving at Waitangi. From there we walked to the local town of Paihia where we spent about an hour walking around the craft stalls and shops. We then took the ship's shuttle bus back to Waitangi. Waitangi was the location of the signing of the historic pact between Great Britain and the Maori chieftains in 1840, which affirmed Maori rights and also established the foundations of New Zealand. We bought tickets to enter the National Reserve, costing NZ$25 each. The reserve is beautifully maintained and lovely to walk through. We viewed a Maori canoe, called 'Ngatokimatawhaorua, built in 1940 and 120 feet long. We visited the house where James Busby, who did much to bring the treaty about, lived with his family and also stood by the Flagstaff, which marks the location where the treaty was first signed. We attended a performance of a selection of songs and dances performed by a group of Maoris in a beautifully ornate meeting house. It was a very stimulating and moving experience. It was a fantastic culmination of a visit to a country we had never previously visited and will leave a lasting impression.Read more

  • TravelerGrand Voyage 2014
    Day 43

    Sydney, Australia

    February 15, 2014 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    We arose at 4.30am to witness our progress into Sydney and the ship docked directly opposite the Opera House and just by Sydney Bridge. Could not have been better located. The forecast was for drizzle for some of the day so we decided to take the hop on, hop off bus for a tour of the city and surrounding areas. The tickets cost Aus$30 each (a discount as we were aged!). The bus took us through the main shopping and business areas. We then changed buses and took the one for Bondi Beach. This was a disappointment. The beach itself is lovely - wide and clean, but the surrounding area needs a lot of refurbishment. We then continued to Dover Heights, which overlooks the harbour and then to Rose Bay and then back into the city. We changed buses again and hopped off at Darling Harbour, a bustling, attractive and interesting area, which contains the Maritime Museum and a replica of Captain Cook's ship 'Endeavour'. We continued to 'Paddy's Market', a large indoor market, down George Street and then to the 'Rocks' area, an old part of Sydney.

    The following day, we took the ferry to Manly, situated on the far side of the very large bay. The journey cost Aus$15 each and took thirty five minutes. This is a much more attractive resort than Bondi Beach and there was a surfing competition taking place. The town was full of people. We returned by ferry close to the Opera House and went inside. It is a stimulating building from the outside but inside it felt cold and uninviting, due, I think, to its construction of wood and concrete. We then walked through the botanical gardens, which are beautiful. Great city.    Read more

  • TravelerGrand Voyage 2014
    Day 46

    Brisbane, Australia

    February 18, 2014 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    The departure from Sydney was impressive. The Harbour Bridge was fully illuminated and so was the Opera House as we slowly left the dockside and headed out of the harbour. our journey to Brisbane was reasonably smooth and we arrived at about 7am.The temp was 25C but due to rise to 29C. We had booked a tour to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and headed there by coach leaving at 8.30am. It was already very humid. The sanctuary was fascinating. Erica had a photograph taken holding a koala bear, which she said was extremely heavy and we also fed some kangaroos. There was an interesting collection of wild life and birds and because some of the site was heavily shaded, it was relatively cool. On the way back we stopped at Mount Coot-Tha, the highest point near Brisbane for some great views and then drove through the south bank of the city before crossing the river to view the city sights. Brisbane is quite compact and mostly modern but with some architecturally striking buildings. A lot of passengers had left the ship that morning and several hundred new passengers had embarked. We will have to make new acquaintances and perhaps friends.Read more

  • TravelerGrand Voyage 2014
    Day 48

    Airlie Beach, Australia

    February 20, 2014 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    On our way to Airlie Beach, the ship took on board a reef pilot to assist in guiding the ship through the Great Barrier Reef. At 7am it was already 29C and humid. We had booked a rigid inflatable boat trip to one of the Whitsunday Islands for swimming and snorkelling. It was a fast and bumpy ride to the island, where we then anchored off the beach. We put on our stinger suits to prevent us being stung by jelly fish and dropped into the water. The whole experience was disappointing. There must have been a storm some days earlier because the water was very cloudy and the visibility was poor. I did manage to swim to the reef and saw quite an abundance of fish but it was not the best I have ever seen and my wife, because of the poor visibility, was not happy swimming at all. So we did not spend long in the water. On the way back we stopped at another island for refreshments and we spent time walking and looking at the views, which I have to say, were disappointing. Perhaps we had not come to the best part of the Whitsundays. After arriving back in Airlie Beach, we strolled around the town, which we thought was lovely and it has a great man made swimming lagoon close to the sea. If we come again, this is where we will spend our time.Read more

  • TravelerGrand Voyage 2014
    Day 55

    Manila, Philippines

    February 27, 2014 on the Philippines ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    We left Airlie Beach and made a brief stop, anchored off Cairns to allow Australian Customs / Immigration officials to embark, do their work and disembark and then we headed north to The Philippines. On the way we had an extraordinary day. The sea was flat calm and bright blue. Slowly it turned to turquoise and then a bright green before turning to silver in the evening. It was a spectacle that amazed all the passengers. We headed to the northernmost point of Australia before turning west into the Torres Straits with Papua New Guinea on the starboard side. We sailed past Borneo before passing through the Sulu archipelago, the southernmost region of the Philippines. We arrived in Manila at 8am and it was 28C. We were given a wonderful welcome by a large band of musicians playing on the quayside and locals dressed in colourful costumes. We had booked a tour to see old Manila and off we went, firstly to St Augustin Church, a UNESCO world heritage site, which was a lovely building, richly ornate. We then visited the Casa Manila, a house furnished as it would have been in the C16th. We saw Fort Santiago and the tropical gardens and then Rizal Park, a large park named after Dr Jose Rizal who had been executed by the Spanish in the 1890s for rebellion. Lastly, we went into the Hotel Manila for some rest. A beautiful hotel! As we left the quayside in the ship, a large band was playing. We had a most friendly welcome and departure!Read more

  • TravelerGrand Voyage 2014
    Day 59

    Shanghai, China

    March 3, 2014 in China ⋅ 🌙 5 °C

    We arrived in Shanghai early so that by 7.15am all the formalities had been dealt with. Our tour was booked for 9am. The temp was 7C with a clear, blue sky. At the appropriate time we joined our coach and after a hour's journey we arrived at the 'Yu Gardens', constructed in 1559 during the Ming Dynasty. The gardens are quite small but stunning. Very colourful and peaceful. We then walked to the old town, full of traditionally constructed Chinese buildings. It was very busy but fascinating and we spent quite some time just wandering around taking in the sights. We then rejoined the coach to visit the Jade Buddha Temple complex, a little way-out from the centre of the city. The complex consists of a number of traditional Chinese temples, containing giant figures of Buddha in richly decorated rooms. The highlight was the figure of Buddha made from jade. No photographs were allowed.Read more

  • TravelerGrand Voyage 2014
    Day 61

    Xiamen, China

    March 5, 2014 in China ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    We arrived at 7am. The temp was 14C, cloudy but dry. We took the shuttle bus to the dropping off point in Xiamen, a journey of only ten minutes. We passed some lovely gardens close to the waterfront. As Xiamen is sub tropical, although it did not feel like it, there were plenty of palms and other exotic plants. Firstly we headed into the shopping area, expecting to find traditional Chinese goods but, in fact, almost all the shops sell western products, which was disappointing as we wanted to buy a few traditional items of clothing to bring back with us. Having failed in our attempt, we walked to a ferry terminal to take the local ferry to Gulangyu Island, a very popular destination for the locals and visitors. The short journey cost the equivalent of .80p return. The boat was crammed full of, mainly, Chinese visitors but, amazingly, we began to talk to a man standing next to us with his bride and they were going to have their photographs taken on the island. He spoke excellent English but she spoke none at all. Gulangyu Island does not allow any motorised vehicles except golf buggies, so most people just walk. We walked for a long time along narrow lanes between shops and houses until we stopped at the Cezanne cafe, where Erica had a coffee and I had a very large glass of green tea. Nobody spoke English but we managed. The owner very kindly gave us two postcards of the cafe to take home with us. We returned on the ferry, braving the scrum, and headed back for the ship on the shuttle bus. A very good day.Read more

  • TravelerGrand Voyage 2014
    Day 63

    Hong Kong, China

    March 7, 2014 in Hong Kong ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    The weather was 15C and overcast. The ship docked right next to the Star Ferries Terminal and the view of Hong Kong island was amazing. We had booked a tour to see some of the highlights and we headed off at 9am accompanied by our Chinese tour guide called Patrick! Very funny man with a dry sense of humour and excellent English and knowledge of Hong Kong. Our first stop was at a Tao temple. The incense was almost overpowering but very colourful and peaceful. We then headed for Hong Kong Island, passing through a tunnel and stopped at the Victoria Peak tram terminus. We took the tram to the top, quite an exciting ride but when we reached the top of the peak, there was very low cloud, a strong wind and it was cold. We could not see anything of Hong Kong. It was a disappointment but quite usual so we were led to believe. From there, we headed down to Aberdeen harbour for a ride on a sampan boat around the harbour. It was fun and fascinating. We then strolled around Stanley Market, interesting but we did not buy anything. After returning to the ship, we made our way to the main shopping area and finally found a shop selling traditional Chinese ware, where we bought some silk garments to bring home. That evening, we watched a laser light display over Hong Kong. It was spectacular.

    The following day, we took the ferry to Hong Kong island at a cost of the equivalent of 23p each single and took a tram to the end of the line, which took us through much of the main part of the island, costing 28p each single. The journey took one hour and twenty minutes. At the end of the line, we wandered through a Chinese market and had a coffee in McDonalds (there seriously was nowhere else!). We visited another Tao temple for another heady mixture of incense and then boarded the tram for the return journey and back to the ship. Fantastic two days.    Read more

  • TravelerGrand Voyage 2014
    Day 66

    Halong Bay, Vietnam

    March 10, 2014 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 2 °C

    15C and slight drizzle with mist covering the tops of all the islands. It was a disappointment not to see this wonderful part of the world in all its glory, but we did the best we could. Whilst Vietnamese junks moored alongside the ship to carry passengers around the islands, we joined our friends Steve and Maureen and hopped on the tender to take us ashore. We then walked along a very nice palm fringed wide promenade which overlooked the bay and eventually came upon quite a large market and after some haggling, bought a couple of small pictures to bring back home. Everybody was very friendly and some of the traders spoke in broken English. We then stopped for coffee and green tea in a stylish cafe before slowly walking back. We passed several restaurants and would have loved to have gone in for a meal but time did not permit. This was a very friendly resort and thoroughly enjoyed our brief stay.Read more

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