March 2024

Down Under to Middle Earth

One ship to bind them Read more

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Trip start
March 6, 2024
Down Under to Middle Earth
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- Day 1
- Wednesday, March 6, 2024 at 11:10 AM
- 🌬 75 °F
- Altitude: 49 ft
- United States Honolulu International Airport 21.336292, -157.92437721°20’11” N 157°55’28” W
About to Depart!
March 6, 2024 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 75 °F
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- Day 2
- Thursday, March 7, 2024 at 9:32 PM
- ⛅ 75 °F
- Altitude: 95 ft
- Australia Justice and Police Museum -33.86216, 151.21284533°51’44” S 151°12’46” E
Arrival in Sydney
March 7, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F
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- Day 3
- Friday, March 8, 2024 at 12:09 PM
- ☀️ 79 °F
- Altitude: 46 ft
- Australia Gilbert Park -33.797283, 151.28944433°47’50” S 151°17’22” E
Left Hawaii to Find a Beautiful Beach
March 8, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F
Took the ferry to Manly to walk around and enjoy this pretty coastal area. Chanj and I even dipped our toes in the water.
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- Day 4
- Saturday, March 9, 2024 at 9:18 PM
- 🌙 75 °F
- Altitude: Sea level
- Australia Birrung Park -33.861403, 151.18788433°51’41” S 151°11’16” E
All aboard!
March 9, 2024 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 75 °F
Starting our adventure aboard the Noordam!
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- Day 4
- Saturday, March 9, 2024 at 10:48 PM
- 🌙 75 °F
- Altitude: Sea level
- Australia Illoura Park -33.857323, 151.19818133°51’26” S 151°11’53” E
Sydney Abridged
March 9, 2024 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 75 °F
Sydney and departing from White Bay Cruise a terminal at night and going under the Sydney Harbor Bridge (just 7’ clearance!) and past the Opera House.
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- Day 6
- Monday, March 11, 2024 at 12:34 PM
- ☁️ 91 °F
- Altitude: 36 ft
- Australia Southbank -37.821555, 144.96455337°49’18” S 144°57’52” E
Our day in Melbourne
March 11, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 91 °F
John and Carol on a city tour
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- Day 6
- Monday, March 11, 2024 at 5:17 PM
- ⛅ 95 °F
- Altitude: Sea level
- Australia Melbourne Ferry Port -37.846634, 144.93000837°50’48” S 144°55’48” E
Felt the burn in Melbourne
March 11, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 95 °F
Temps in mid-90s for a jaunt around Melbourne.
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- Day 7
- Tuesday, March 12, 2024 at 3:22 PM
- ☀️ 79 °F
- Altitude: 889 ft
- Australia Sheffield -41.383781, 146.32475341°23’2” S 146°19’29” E
1 2 1
A Taste of Tasmania
March 12, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F
Highlights from Chanj & Dennis’ HAL excursion from Burnie, TA.
Not likely you’ll find a Tasmanian Devil by digging underground. 😄 [Don]
3/12/24Reply
Very cute, I wonder if Wim would get along with Paxton & Luna. [Don]
3/14/24Reply
Looks like a kangaroo convention! [Don]
3/14/24Reply
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- Day 8
- Wednesday, March 13, 2024 at 12:11 PM
- ☀️ 61 °F
- Altitude: Sea level
- Tasman Sea -41.690594, 151.8399241°41’26” S 151°50’24” E
A ship full of drunken sailors
March 13, 2024, Tasman Sea ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F
Or at least, we appear to be. Having a pleasant two-day crossing of the Tasman Sea. However, “calm” seas here are enough to keep you on your game walking around as the ship bobs too and fro. No complaints though, and we’ve all been feeling fine.Read more
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- Day 10
- Friday, March 15, 2024 at 7:45 AM
- ⛅ 45 °F
- Altitude: Sea level
- New Zealand Anita Bay -44.567715, 167.7956744°34’4” S 167°47’44” E
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Milling about Milford
March 15, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 45 °F
Pulled in for sightseeing and to drop some fellow passengers off for an onshore overnight. Milford Sound is beautiful though not large/lengthy. Today is a day of cruising Fiordland National Park.
These are very refreshing scenes. Swimming, anyone? [Don]
3/14/24Reply
TravelerRefreshing indeed! It has been quite chilly all day. But we have enjoyed intermittent blue skies and sunshine along with cloudy conditions.
3/14/24Reply
Enough space for your ship to turn around? Impressive! [Don]
3/14/24Reply
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- Day 10
- Friday, March 15, 2024 at 6:16 PM
- 🌬 48 °F
- Altitude: Sea level
- Tasman Sea -46.304558, 166.87545846°18’16” S 166°52’32” E
Cruising Thompson Sound
March 15, 2024, Tasman Sea ⋅ 🌬 48 °F
Enjoying some (cold!) fresh air and gorgeous views in Thompson Sound.
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- Day 11
- Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 4:28 PM
- 🌬 59 °F
- Altitude: 23 ft
- New Zealand Sawyers Bay -45.814346, 170.62719745°48’52” S 170°37’38” E
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Dunedin, done
March 16, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 59 °F
Enjoyed a cold day walking around Dunedin town.
Wow! That’s one ornate train station! Almost rivals a Hindu temple exterior. [Don]
3/18/24Reply
I’m glad the Dunedin Presbys are ASPIRING to new heights. [Don]
3/18/24Reply
Traveler Proves they aren’t ag(n)othics.
3/19/24Reply
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- Day 12
- Sunday, March 17, 2024 at 9:16 AM
- ☁️ 52 °F
- Altitude: 56 ft
- New Zealand Kensington -44.409294, 171.25280844°24’33” S 171°15’10” E
John and Carol tour Timaru
March 17, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F
Visited botanic garden
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- Day 12
- Sunday, March 17, 2024 at 10:45 AM
- ☁️ 54 °F
- Altitude: 56 ft
- New Zealand Timaru Railroad Station -44.395927, 171.25332644°23’45” S 171°15’12” E
Damp Timaru
March 17, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F
Dennis & Chanj walk about Timaru town and Caroline Bay. Unfortunately, the penguins leave the bay during the day so no sitings today. ☹️
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- Day 13
- Monday, March 18, 2024 at 8:18 AM
- ☀️ 57 °F
- Altitude: Sea level
- New Zealand Komakohua Islands -41.099075, 174.28617941°5’57” S 174°17’10” E
We picked a beautiful day in Picton
March 18, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F
Making our final port stop on South Island today, along the northern edge. Woke up to a beautiful clear blue sky day and a hilly, tree-lined fjord-like channel into the Picton port.
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- Day 14
- Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at 9:22 AM
- 🌬 54 °F
- Altitude: 135 ft
- New Zealand Thorndon -41.279945, 174.77613841°16’48” S 174°46’34” E
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Windy Wellington!
March 19, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 54 °F
They say Wellington is one of those cities where you can experience all four seasons in the same day. We can attest that is true. Cold, windy, rainy, and also some beautiful sunshine, all over about 4 hours.Read more
Look at that shade of blue in the water! Very good job with the camera angle. [Don]
3/18/24Reply
Traveler Thanks Don
3/19/24Reply
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- Day 15
- Wednesday, March 20, 2024 at 2:08 PM
- ☁️ 63 °F
- Altitude: 49 ft
- New Zealand Napier City -39.491573, 176.91371239°29’30” S 176°54’49” E
Nipped into Napier
March 20, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F
Cute art deco town of Napier. Have an extended stay here today as the Captain has cancelled our tender stop in Gisborne tomorrow due to forecast high winds and waves, giving us an unplanned sea day instead.Read more
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- Day 17
- Friday, March 22, 2024 at 1:13 PM
- ☁️ 66 °F
- Altitude: 26 ft
- New Zealand Maunganui Roads -37.64283, 176.18209837°38’34” S 176°10’56” E
Tauranga, but not Tauranga
March 22, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F
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- Day 19
- Sunday, March 24, 2024 at 9:35 AM
- ☁️ 57 °F
- Altitude: 1,677 ft
- New Zealand Kaiteriria Bay -38.242895, 176.31339138°14’34” S 176°18’48” E
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Auckland to Tumunui
March 24, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F
Left our lovely Noordam in Auckland yesterday to begin a land adventure on North Island.
Bambi and Daffy Duck 🦆 would not be amused, but it sure does look tasty! [Don]
3/25/24Reply
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- Day 19
- Sunday, March 24, 2024 at 9:42 AM
- ☁️ 57 °F
- Altitude: 1,677 ft
- New Zealand Kaiteriria Bay -38.242897, 176.313438°14’34” S 176°18’48” E
Woodstock Farm
March 24, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F
Lovely rental house on a sheep farm overlooking Green Lake.
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- Day 19
- Sunday, March 24, 2024
- ☁️ 64 °F
- Altitude: 1,670 ft
- New Zealand Rotorua District -38.242902, 176.3135638°14’34” S 176°18’49” E
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Rotorua!
March 24, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F
So many gorgeous green landscapes! Have a safe trip Tuesday back home! I’m sure it’s not easy to leave idyllic places to return to crazyland, otherwise known as the USA. [Don]
3/25/24Reply
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- Day 20
- Monday, March 25, 2024 at 12:41 PM
- ⛅ 66 °F
- Altitude: 397 ft
- New Zealand Mangapapa Stream -37.85958, 175.68075537°51’34” S 175°40’51” E
Into a Hobbit Hole
March 25, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F
Great visit to the Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit movie set. So cool!
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- Day 20
- Monday, March 25, 2024
- ☀️ 70 °F
- Altitude: 433 ft
- New Zealand Mangapapa Stream -37.857365, 175.68223637°51’27” S 175°40’56” E
More Hobbiton photos!
March 25, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F
The movie set tour to Hobbiton was so fun and cute and photo-op rich! Couldn’t stop snapping pics!
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- Day 22
- Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at 12:04 AM
- ⛅ 55 °F
- Altitude: 1,677 ft
- New Zealand Rotorua District -38.24292, 176.31355338°14’35” S 176°18’49” E
Leaving Auckland
March 27, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F
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- Day 25
- Saturday, March 30, 2024 at 5:48 PM
- ☀️ 73 °F
- Altitude: 522 ft
- United States Booth Spring 21.339259, -157.83066121°20’21” N 157°49’50” W
Inside a hobbit hole!
March 30, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F
Got to tour the inside of a hobbit hole. Interactive set. So cute!
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Trip end
March 26, 2024