Hawai’i 2020

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Ready for adventure I
15. februar 2020, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
I woke up this morning and started getting ready for the day. Then I realized it was only 6 am Sydney time and promptly went back to bed for another two hours. Alyssa figured out that I am 17 hours ahead of Winnipeg. The condo host left a binder of information about his favourite places in Sydney as well as useful bits of information about the immediate community. So my first task was to buy some food. The nearest grocery store is 2 blocks away and is called Woolworths but locals call it Woolies. This is a full service grocery store, not like the Woolworths chain at home that I remember from many years ago. Food shopping is always interesting in a different country because of the different products available. Prices were comparable to home for some things but more for others. For example, a decent loaf of bread is $5, a litre of milk $1.29 and a locally grown mango $2.50. They don’t sell wine at the food stores but I did find a private bottle shop later and wine is expensive, even the good locally produced wines.

After breakfast I got out the map and plotted a walking route for the day. This condo is centrally located and downtown sites are very walkable. Signage is excellent because at most corners are signposts pointing out the direction to different attractions and how many minutes it would take to walk there. I always felt safe and made it back before dark.

I started with a walk through Hyde Park, a tranquil green space with fountains, wide walkways, and huge trees. There are warning signs to avoid the park after heavy rainfall or strong winds because of the risk of falling trees. From here I went to the Royal Botanic Garden, a beautiful 72 acre park with a variety of gardens.....a Fernery, Succulent Garden, Tropical Garden, as well as the usual rose and traditional gardens. There were two special events, a Tomato Festival and an exhibit of carnivorous plants. The only negative was that many of the plants weren’t in bloom.

From here I went back through Hyde Park to the ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Memorial. It is a tribute to their service and sacrifice and is very well done. As if that wasn’t enough I walked through China Town and Paddy’s Market (rows of booths selling cheap Made in China products). In Honolulu the news had reported that businesses in China Town were having to close early because of lack of business related to Coronavirus fears. Here that doesn’t seem to be an issue as it was fairly busy.

At the end of the day my fitness monitor indicated 15,517 steps (or 10.6 km). That explains why I fell asleep sitting up on the sofa when I got back to the condo!Les mer
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Ready for adventure II
15. februar 2020, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
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Sunday in Sydney
16. februar 2020, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
I got an early start today because I decided I was going to church (yes, you read that correctly!), as it would be the best way to see St. Mary’s Cathedral, just two blocks away. St. Mary’s is Australia’s largest cathedral and is English-style gothic. It was very impressive inside and out. The choir was all-male from prepubescent boys to 60ish year old men. They sang the hymns beautifully in Latin, something I hadn’t experienced since I was a child attending Sacre Coeur in Winnipeg! The Arch Bishop was in town and led the service along with his squad. The homily was surprisingly good but the service was 1 1/2 hours long. Afterwards I wandered around admiring the church and made a comment to who I thought was one of the ushers. When he said he was an atheist I was puzzled until he explained that he was the security guard! We had an interesting conversation about a variety of topics. I rushed back to the apartment as JS was having a family dinner and wanted to FaceTime me. It was a very hectic household with the three little ones but it was good to see and talk with everyone.

After lunch I headed to the touristy historic area called The Rocks. Every weekend they have a large artisans market which was very nice to admire but not buy as everything was pretty pricey. From here I walked to Circular Quay where the tour boats, ferries and cruise ships dock. It’s a popular place for weddings and wedding photos as I saw one wedding ceremony and 4 wedding parties having their photos taken. The Sydney Opera House looms in the background so this is what draws them to this location. The whole area was really busy with locals and tourists enjoying a pleasant Sunday afternoon.

I watched the Maasdam leave port. This was the cruise I had considered taking. It’s a smaller ship with a port-intensive itinerary. It appealed to me because Holland America was introducing a new format with this ship where they had lecturers on board to teach the culture and history of Tasmania and New Zealand. They would also be bringing on local entertainers from each port. I felt a little sad that I wouldn’t be sailing but so far I am happy with my decision to do a land-based vacation. I read that all the passengers had to be screened for the Coronavirus before boarding so I hope they don’t encounter any problems like the other two ships that have been in the news daily. The cyclone that had been in the forecast moved in a different direction but large swells were still expected.

I did a lot of steps again today (10 km) and was pretty exhausted by the time I got back to the apartment. Evenings are for relaxing with some TV (poor selection of channels), my iPad, and a glass of Australian Pinot 🥂Les mer
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Remember the rocks, circle key, Sydney opera house . Brings back good memories. Cold beer / glass of wine Great people watching area
18.02.2020Svar
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An artsy day
17. februar 2020, Australia ⋅ 🌧 24 °C
Today I visited the Art Gallery which is free. They had a special display of indigenous artwork, all of which was created with dots of paint. It looked like it would be very painstaking and monotonous. The most interesting display was submissions by Australian high school students. Some of the artwork was very creative and made me think of Veronica.

After that I visited the State Library. It filled a whole city block. There was also one gallery floor here as well but some of the exhibits were closed for the day. The building was impressive.

I hit rush hour on my way home and was swarmed by hundreds of office workers rushing to the underground stations to find their way home. The downtown areas in AU and NZ are referred to as the CBD, Central Business District. In addition to the office towers there are restaurants, shops and more shops, the majority being expensive designer stores. Some of the larger stores have several floors which extend two stories underground. The supermarket I went to was also two stories underground. The tunnels to the underground trains are lined with shops and restaurants and I was told the whole CBD is a series of tunnels. One thing I noticed was that the escalators, like the roadways, are opposite to ours with the down escalator on the left. When I cross the streets I’m frantically looking in all directions!Les mer
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Would love to have seen the aboriginal artwork . Reminds me when I taught that Australia unit for the grade fours .
18.02.2020Svar
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More neighbourhoods
18. februar 2020, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
The host of my AirBnB provided a list of his favourite places in Sydney and I have been to most of them. One favourite is Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair, named after a spot that was also the favourite of the Governor’s wife in 1810 as it has great views of the city. One of his favourite suburbs is Potts Point and I took a long, roundabout route to get there passing through an underprivileged neighbourhood and a homeless camp under one of the bridge spans. I did eventually get to Potts Point which was an upscale, gentrified neighbourhood. Adjacent to this area was Kings Cross so I walked through that neighbourhood also. It was once the red-light district but in 2014 the government introduced “lockout laws” meaning bars had to close at 1:30 am to reduce alcohol-fuelled violence. As a result many bars closed shop but the area still has a roughness to it. There is a safe injection site here but also some art galleries and a theatre thrown into the mix. Chinatown actually had a more red-light feel to it with massage parlours and a hotel that offered one-hour reservations! It was the hottest day at 29 as well as the most humid day of the week and I was exhausted by the end of my walk.

At 11 o’clock a fierce storm blew through Sydney and the surrounding area. Being on the 27th floor it looked like the intense lightning was at the same level as I was. I wanted to take photos but the wind was so strong that the single-pane glass windows were rattling and I know to stay away from windows during a storm. I swear the 45 story building was swaying. The heavy rainfall was horizontal and I could hear things below being tossed about. I later learned that there were wind gusts of 110 kmh and 74,000 lightning strikes were recorded! Sadly, a 37 year old businessman coming out of a pub in The Rocks area was hit in the chest by a large propane cylinder that was blown off of an apartment balcony. He later died. How freaky is that?! I was glad that the storm only lasted 15 minutes and the power failure didn’t affect this building but did affect 80,000 homes.Les mer
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I remember kings cross . It was a busy place ! I also remember some thingS that can’t be mentioned. That was quite the area in 1981 .
19.02.2020Svar
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Manly Beach
19. februar 2020, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
I got a late start today as I FaceTimed Alyssa and family at her request. It was a good time because little Leila was jabbering and very active. Then I had to deal with my finances as my debit card got rejected when I tried to make an ATM withdrawal, the cheapest way to get foreign currency. I had checked with the credit union before leaving home so there shouldn’t have been any issues. Since I arrived I have been using my Visa card but it would be nice to have cash for any small purchases. After 3 tries I was able to find a bank that would exchange my USD for AUD ($50 USD = $71 AUD).

My plan for today was to take the ferry to Manly Beach, a 30 minute cruise through the harbour, at a reasonable price of $13 return. Unfortunately, as I approached Circle Quay my ferry was just pulling out, meaning I had to wait 30 minutes for the next ferry. It was nice to see the city from a different perspective.

When I arrived at Manly Beach I stopped at the Tourist Information office to get a map and recommendations. The man I spoke to gave me very poor advice which really spoiled my afternoon. First I went to Manly Beach and walked about a km on the boardwalk. My only other objective was to see Quarantine Beach where immigrant ships and convicts were quarantined with infectious diseases, particularly the European plague, from the 1830s until 1984. The property has been converted into a hotel and conference centre maintaining all the original buildings. The Tourist Office told me I could get there by bus or by a 25 minute walk. I chose to walk the route he had recommended but he didn’t tell me that it was over 2 km straight uphill! Nor did he tell me that the Visitor Centre and buildings closed at 4 o’clock! The map I was given was very poor and when I encountered a young man on the road he too was confused. After walking for over an hour I eventually ran into two couples who were staying at the hotel so they invited me to join them. It turns out they were all teachers who once taught in Cold Lake, Alberta. Unfortunately, all the museum buildings were closed as well so all I got to see was a short tour of the property from the mini-shuttle bus provided by the hotel. What a disappointment after all that effort! The teachers were fun though and I did get to see an echidna!

I wisely took the bus back to the wharf where the ferry was waiting. I didn’t get back to the apartment until 8 pm after a long, frustrating, poorly planned day.Les mer
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I remember doing a book report on echidnas in like grade 4, haha.
11.03.2020Svar
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Bondi to Coogee
20. februar 2020, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
While yesterday was a bit of a disappointment, today’s adventure more than made up for it. I took the public bus to Bondi Beach, which was a 40 minute ride through suburban Sydney. The bus fare was only $7.50 return as fares are based on km travelled. Bondi is world famous amongst surfers. Although the beach is massive there are signs all along saying no swimming allowed. The only place for swimming is a short stretch between the flags where the lifeguards are and they patrol the beach to enforce this. “Between the flags” applies to all the public beaches and there is actually a clothing shop in Bondi with this name that sells expensive t-shirts.

The coastal walk extends for 6 km along the Eastern shore and is well marked. There are six beaches along the route as well as an underwater nature trail. The sand is fine and white. Most beaches have surf clubs with seawater pools. The surf club at Bondi is called Icebergs because the members swim year round. The clubs offer a lifesaving program whereby indigenous youth are learning to be lifeguards.

The condition of the walk is very good and is popular with mostly young tourists and locals who use it for fitness walks. There are a lot of ups and downs, including stairs and steep inclines, especially the last km which is all uphill. It is estimated to take 2 hours but it took me 3 hours as I stopped for rest breaks, a picnic lunch, and to take in the awesome views. It was the most unforgettable walk!

I walked around Coogee and then hopped on the bus. As if I hadn’t done enough walking, I walked around the CBD before collapsing in the apartment around 8 pm. The best part of a winter holiday.....Steps 19,644, 13.7 km! I would never do this in Winnipeg in February!Les mer
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We never got to Bonnie beach 39 years ago . Glad you made it . No topless beach beauties .
21.02.2020Svar
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More of the stunning cliff walk
20. februar 2020, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
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Still walking
20. februar 2020, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
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So long Sydney
21. februar 2020, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
Sydney is an amazing international city where I could hear multiple foreign languages spoken as I explored. It was very clean and I always felt safe. They have a homeless problem as most cities do these days but I did see outreach workers talking with individuals lying on the sidewalk. In many areas there were buskers and the instrument of choice seemed to be the keyboard, not the usual guitar. When walking down the street I noticed that people walked on the left side of the street as they do when driving. The streets were busy with people from morning until evening. It’s sad that our downtown doesn’t have the same vibrancy.

My apartment was in a great location where I could walk everywhere and the design of the city made it easy to navigate. In 1968 it was the tallest residential building in the Southern Hemisphere according to a plaque in the front lobby. I felt a little anxious being on the 27th floor, especially when the building manager came to test the new fire alarm system and it wasn’t working in my place. The AirBnB host had left instructions to open the window when cooking because if there was a false alarm I would be charged the $1800 fee that is billed by the fire department. There are no screens so two insects flew in one evening and promptly got squished but then I saw a bird fly by and I immediately wondered what I would do if it flew in the window! Although I found most people friendly and helpful, it was apparent that it is not appropriate to talk in the elevator. I made that mistake the first day and got strange looks. One thing I didn’t like about the apartment was the rude awakening every morning around 8. That was when the jackhammers would start up. There is a big construction project down the street but with the single pane windows it sounded like the workers were right in the apartment with me.

My bags were packed and I was out the door by 11. It was moving day!Les mer
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Hello Hobart
21. februar 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
The train, which is what the locals call their subway or underground system, was only two long blocks away. I got on what I thought was the airport express but on the way to the first stop I realized this was not the right train. So I hopped off, as well as one lugging a 20 kg suitcase can hop, and I was on my way on the next train. Security at the airport was much more lax than I am used to. Shoes don’t have to be removed and I was allowed to bring my full bottle of water with me. The main thing they were concerned about was aerosols, such as puffers.

It was a smooth two-hour flight to Hobart, the capital of the state of Tasmania. I purchased a return fare on the Sky Bus for $33, which took me within three blocks of my next home. I was able to get a last-minute reduced rate on a one-bedroom apartment at the Mantra Hotel, a 1920s heritage building. For less than the price of a hotel room I have a large apartment with a partial kitchen plus the added bonus of a washer and dryer, much needed at this point. On check-in I asked about the possibility of insects as I was getting tired of being on alert for them. I was happy to hear that there would be none as it is generally too cold in Tasmania for most bugs, unlike the tropical environment in Sydney.

I headed to the local Woolies to stock up on food. On my way I came across a free Friday evening music event at one of the parks. The music was the blues so I stopped and listened for awhile. It reminded me of the Grand Forks concerts as there were all age groups there.

The population of Hobart is just over 240,000, 45% of the total population of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a British penal colony it is the second oldest city in Australia, second only to Sydney. The city is hilly and of course my hotel is situated at the top of a hill. The temperature is going to be much cooler here and it will definitely be a more relaxing week than in Sydney.Les mer
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Exploring
22. februar 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
The Saturday morning Salamanca Market is the largest in Australia and is a major attraction in Tasmania. There was a little bit of everything....garden produce, artisans, local foods, locally produced gin, food booths and entertainment. I was impressed but there were so many people there, in part because a large cruise ship was in port.

After lunch I took a leisurely stroll along the waterfront and discovered another free music event. This was a Blues, Brews and BBQs Festival sponsored by a local brewery. There were a lot of people crammed into a small space so I listened to a couple of songs and then moved on.

It was warm and sunny. I slowed my pace down and enjoyed a relaxing day. For dinner I walked across the street to a locals hotel and pub called The Welcome Stranger Hotel and ordered a pizza for take-out. The pizza wasn’t the best but the experience was worth it.Les mer
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Look at all those different beers .js
20.03.2020Svar
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Museum & gardens
23. februar 2020, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
First stop was the Tasmanian Museum & Gallery. I wasn’t expecting much but they had three floors of exhibits and it was very well done. I spent three hours there learning about indigenous culture, the extinct Tasmanian tiger, history of Tasmania, and so much more.

Then I walked to the Royal Tasmanian Botanic Gardens. The map said it was only 2 km but it was all up-hill and the signage was poor so I ended up taking a roundabout route, eventually finding my way with the help of an elderly Scottish lady walking her dogs. The gardens were very nice but not many flowers were in bloom considering it was the end of summer. There was a Tasmanian Wine Festival with live music in one section of the garden so I got to hear music as I walked about. There were many intoxicated men leaving the gardens at the end of the day, and these weren’t youngsters. Tasmanians really seem to love music! After walking several km I was glad it was down-hill all the way back to the apartment.Les mer
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“Grind rogues into honest men”
24. februar 2020, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
One of my main reasons to visit Tasmania was to learn about the history of it being a penal colony. So I booked a van shuttle to the Port Arthur Historic Site which was a 1 1/2 hour drive from Hobart. Tour companies use the tourist office just down the street from me as the main pick-up point so it was convenient. Tasmania is seeing strong growth in tourism which supports 17% of total employment. One day there were nearly 5,000 cruise passengers in town from two cruise ships. The place was hopping. I think because of the demand the tour companies are charging a lot for their tours. This company charged $60 for the shuttle ride to and from the historic site. There was no commentary as the driver’s microphone wasn’t working. Petrol averages $1.50 AUD a litre but I still saw this fare as excessive.

The route to the site was on a narrow, two-lane winding road but our young driver, Maddie, seemed to have good driving skills. As we left the Hobart area the landscape changed to rolling hills, forests, and so many lakes....huge lakes. I saw cattle, horses, goats, llamas and two echidnas, but no kangaroos. We drove through the Tasman National Park which is popular for recreational activities like camping, hiking, boating and fishing. There is a well-known hike in this area called the Three Capes Track, a one-way 46 km track with overnight huts. The coastal area is rocky and rugged and looks beautiful in the photos. Two couples my age had just completed the track and were in our van returning to Hobart. They were loud and boisterous as they relived the experience. It was something I would have enjoyed doing.

We arrived at Port Arthur at noon. The admission fee was $40 AUD and there was no discount for seniors unless you could prove AU or NZ residency. This included a 40 minute guided walking tour and a 30 minute harbour cruise to the Isle of the Dead cemetery and the boys prison. Our tour guide was a man from California and he was very entertaining, not the usual dry, fact-laden talk. The site was chosen because it was at the south point of the Tasman Peninsula making it difficult to escape from. It was established in 1830 and initially used male convicts to produce logs for government projects. In 1833 it became a punishment station for repeat offenders from all the colonies, including Canada. The youngest prisoner was 9 years old and one of the boys that Oliver Twist was based on was a resident at the Boys Prison. By 1840 more than 2000 convicts, soldiers and civil staff lived here. It all ended in 1853 and Port Arthur became an institution for aging and physically and mentally ill convicts. Some of the administrators believed in hard labour and punishment but later they introduced solitary confinement which broke a lot of the men. The settlement closed in 1877 and tourism began, becoming a World Heritage site in 2010. In 1996 a gunman took the lives of 35 people, wounding 19 others in and around the site, adding to the tragic history of Port Arthur. There are 11 sites across Australia that show the world’s first conscious attempt to build a new society on the labour of convicted prisoners. What a concept! Most Tasmanians today are descendants of these convicts.

We had to return to the city at 4 o’clock so that really only allowed about 2 hours to independently tour the buildings. I made it to most of them but not all. It was a pricey but fascinating day.Les mer
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Port Arthur Historic Site
24. februar 2020, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
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Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary I
25. februar 2020, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
I arranged another day trip so that I could see some of the Tas wildlife that I unfortunately haven’t seen in the wild. The company was Heart of Tasmania Tours, the only one that offers a shuttle. Again the cost was high....$35 for a 30 minute drive to the Sanctuary at the edge of town. There were other tours that took you to a historic village as well but they were twice the price. Public buses don’t go to this area so it was my only option. Admission was $31. The tour company allowed 90 minutes to view the animals and it was ample time.

Bonorong is Tasmania’s largest 24 hour wildlife rescue service and has the first wildlife-only hospital. It is funded entirely by entry fees. Many of the animals are being raised for release but some would not survive on their own. They are also part of a “breed and release” program. Australia has one of the highest species extinction rates in the world. Knowing this took away some of the sting of the high entry fee! We were supposed to get a guided tour but all we got was a quick two minute introduction. There were staff available throughout the sanctuary, some more helpful than others. I didn’t go to the Sydney Zoo because the admission to it was $49 so I was glad that I got to see some of the animals unique to Australia.Les mer
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Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary II
25. februar 2020, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
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A surprising end to my day
25. februar 2020, New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
After Bonorong I went for a walk along the waterfront and then to a historic neighbourhood called Battery Point. I came across a circular street called Arthur Circus with a small green space in the middle and a ring of renovated seafarers cottages dating from the earliest days of Old Hobart Town. It was so pretty and unexpected.

Further down the street I saw a sign in front of St. George’s Anglican Church. I crossed the street to see what it said....”Shrove Tuesday Pancake and Soup Night”. It started at 5 and when I looked at my watch it was 5:03. I hesitated when a young dad with his child walked up behind me and encouraged me to join them as it was open to all. I was hungry and it was only $5. With food in hand I sat at a table and was given a brief history of the church from an older woman who was originally from Zimbabwe. She left and a young Japanese woman sat across from me. She was a nurse who worked in the ER so we had lots to talk about. Her name was Saya. Three other young people joined us...a web designer, a teacher in training, and a woman from Nepal. We had such good conversations! When it was time to go the ER nurse offered to take me up to Mount Wellington to see the sunset. Sounded good to me because I was planning to do that the next day but with a forecast of rain it may not happen. It would also save me $35 for the tour. It only took us 25 minutes to get to the top by a very narrow winding road with no lane markings, bordered by flimsy wood rails. It was darn chilly at the 4170 foot peak as we weren’t dressed for the occasion but the view was amazing. On the way down I saw an echidna at the edge of the road and pointed it out. In 8 years living in Tasmania this was only the 4th one Saya had seen. It was my 4th sighting in less than 2 weeks! My new friend dropped me off at my apartment and I let her know how grateful I was for her kindness.Les mer
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Museum Of Old And New Art....OMG!!!!
26. februar 2020, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
From all that I read and had been told by several locals, I would either hate or love this museum, known just as MONA. One UK tourist I met said she lasted less than half an hour and had to leave. I’m reluctantly leaning towards the “love” camp because at times it felt more like a fun house than a serious museum though I was glad that I had experienced it.

The museum is owned by David Walsh, a millionaire Tasmanian, who describes it as a “subversive adult Disneyland”. He got his millions from gambling at casinos and the race track as he is apparently a math genius. MONA opened in 2011 and Lonely Planet ranked Hobart as one of the top ten cities in the world to visit mainly because of the museum. It is the largest private museum in the Southern Hemisphere. The museum is located on the waterfront and you take a 20 minute ferry ride to get there. The cost of the ferry and admission is $45, free to Tasmanians. At the dock you have to climb 99 steps to the entrance. Once you enter you are directed down 3 levels as the museum is built into the side of a cliff. There are no windows and it is dark except for the lights on the exhibits. They give you a portable audio guide called “O”, which looks like an iPhone, and headphones. It can detect where you are in the museum and will provide a commentary on each exhibit, both from the artist and Mr. Walsh’s viewpoints. No map is provided as they want you to “get lost” and explore freely. I did get lost and may not have seen all the exhibits because it is built like a labyrinth with different wings and ramps. At times I couldn’t even tell which level I was on!

The museum is designed to engage all your senses. After 3 hours of exploration I felt like I had sensory overload and disorientation, maybe a sign of my age! At the last exhibit I had to walk into a dark room alone where a pharaoh laid in a coffin, beside it another coffin with a 3 dimensional image done on a CT scanner which showed what remained of the body inside the shroud. To get to the “art” you had to carefully walk on stepping stones that were surrounded by water. I couldn’t do it! I felt anxious and off balance. I returned to the entrance of the exhibit and the staff person insisted I must see it so she led the way and held my hands to guide me! It was fascinating but at this point I knew it was time to take the ferry back to the city.Les mer
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MONA II
26. februar 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
Would you love it or hate it??? I kept wondering what Garrett and Veronica would think of MONA.
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How bizarre! Defn not for everyone. KJ
02.03.2020Svar
Garrett SammReminds me of that Salvador Dali museum we went to in Spain!
11.03.2020Svar
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Hobart to Sydney to Auckland
27. februar 2020, New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
It was time to move on to a different country. I really enjoyed my time in Sydney and Tasmania. There was so much to see and do and the people were wonderful. The temperatures averaged in the mid-twenties, mostly sunny/partly cloudy, and the couple of times it rained was late in the evening or overnight. Although I did encounter other solo travellers some people were curious about my spontaneous journey and I got a lot of encouragement. My accent was mistaken for being Irish and British but the funniest was when a MONA staffer asked where I was from. He thought I sounded like the actors in the movie “Fargo”. When I told him I lived about 300 km from the city of Fargo we both laughed but I did emphasize I was Canadian!

I had an early flight to Sydney and was concerned about the morning rush hour traffic so I bolted out of my apartment in time to catch the 0730 Skybus to the airport. The pick-up spot was only 2 blocks away but it was all uphill. Just as I reached the intersection the bus pulled away :( Fortunately he saw me and waited until I crossed the street. I got to the airport so early that the Virgin Australia staff hadn’t even arrived.

The flight to Sydney was only 1.5 hours. I struck up a conversation with the woman beside me as she was my age. We had a lot in common and talked non-stop making the flight go quickly. Later her husband thanked me for keeping his wife occupied! My layover was 1.5 hours but Sydney is such a big airport, especially since I had to go from the Domestic to International terminal, that as I got to the gate they were boarding people. The flight to Auckland was only 2 hours and there was no one sitting in the middle seat. Shortly after take-off my seat mate started a conversation with me as he saw me working on my blog. He was 28, from France, and travelling to several countries in the world for one year. Such an interesting man. Again we talked for the whole flight, sharing photos and travel tips. He was impressed with the Hawaiian wedding photos, thinking they were from the professional wedding photographer :)

When I went through customs in Auckland I declared that I had some nuts in my carry-on. They announced on the plane that no food was allowed into New Zealand so I made sure to eat the apple that I had in my bag. And wouldn’t you know it, the agriculture dog zeroed in on me. The dog handler had to go through my bag looking for whatever the dog had sniffed out. I explained that I was taught well by my CBSA daughter and son-in-law. She laughed and said the dog must have picked up the scent of the apple.

I had reserved an airport hotel for the night because I didn’t want to arrive in a big city at night, thinking back to the issues I had when I arrived late in Sydney. On the shuttle bus I met a couple from Atlanta who had travelled for 42 hours to get to Auckland. We had dinner together that evening and good conversation.

Now I had to adjust my watch again as we were 2 hours ahead of Australia. I am giving up on trying to figure out what time it is at home, in Alberta, in BC, and in CA, all places where friends and family are. It’s just too mind-boggling!Les mer
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Hawai’i 2020 Reisende
Auckland
29. februar 2020, New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
The Skybus stop was right in front of my apartment hotel, CityLife, so I was thankful for that. The hotel was conveniently located right in the middle of Queen Street, similar to our Portage Avenue. That was the only similarity as the streets were crowded with shoppers and the many restaurants were busy. I explored the downtown area as well as the waterfront, which was undergoing a massive expansion project with an anticipated completion date in 2021. It was a mess to navigate and unsightly. The marina had several bars and restaurants that were alive with mostly young people going out for drinks after work or for the evening.

The museum was also closed for renovation and the Art Gallery charged a $20 admission for tourists but free if you lived in AU or NZ. So I saw neither. I soon realized that allowing 3 days in Auckland was far too much. I had intended to do day trips but the prices were exorbitant. A 12 hour day trip to Hobbiton (The Lord of the Rings film site) and Waitomo Caves (to see glow worms) was $369 NZD! The bus ride was 3 hours each way. When I went to the tourist office for information I was handed a bunch of brochures with equally pricey tours and told to come back when I was ready to book. They work on a commission basis and aren’t really helpful.Les mer
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Remember queen street walking along the harbour . Js
05.03.2020Svar
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Wonderful Waiheke Island
1. mars 2020, New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
A 40 minute ferry ride from Auckland is the beautiful Waiheke Island with it’s 30 wineries and olive grove. I reserved a combo package which also gave me access to the Explorer Hop-on Hop-off bus on the island. The island is only 19 km long and varies from .6-9 km wide but it is all hills. It’s a good thing I abandoned my other option of renting a bike for the day! The population is 9200 people but this increases with seasonal residents. I walked the longest beach, Onetangi, a 1.8 km stretch of light, fine sand. While I ate my picnic lunch I looked for Little Blue Penguins that come ashore here but saw none, later learning that this only occurs in the Spring when they lay their eggs. I was amused by the Sealegs, a boat on wheels! There was the small village of Oneroa, good for browsing in the few tourist shops. My plan was to do one of the hiking trails until I learned that it was actually a “bush walk” and the bush was dense. I chose to hop-off at two of the top-rated wineries and wasn’t disappointed. I drank no wine but the setting alone was worth the stop. Tastings were $15-18 for 4-5 varieties. I spent 5 hours on the island and became familiar to the bus tour guides, one remarking that I was “very energetic”! I was, but I also made sure that I got my money’s worth from the $68 tour package fee! It was a fun day and a welcome break from the city.Les mer
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Sulphur City....Rotorua
2. mars 2020, New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Two days ago I decided I had better come up with a plan for my short time left in NZ. I chose 3 cities that I would travel to and reserved seats on the Intercity bus. Finding reasonably priced accommodation was quite a challenge as it is still considered peak season, although the children are back in school so fewer families are travelling.

My first destination was Rotorua, 360 km south of Auckland or 4.5 hours by bus. The fare was only $42. The bus was scheduled to depart Auckland at 8 am so another early rise as the depot was 4 blocks away. Three of those long blocks were up a steep hill again! The bus was clean, comfortable and the passengers were multigenerational, both local and tourists. The route took us to the town of Matamata, where several got off to visit Hobbiton. There were 2 or 3 other small town stops. The highway was a very narrow, two-lane winding road and I was thankful I wasn’t driving a rental car. The bus driver pointed out the spot where a tourist bus didn’t make one of the sharp curves and tumbled into the deep ditch, killing 6 Japanese passengers. I would have preferred that he not share that bit of news!

My hotel, the Jet Park, was a 20 minute walk (on flat ground for a change) from the downtown area. More centrally located hotels were over-budget. Once settled, I set out to explore this smelly city. They say you get used to the odour after a few hours, which I found unimaginable at this point, but it did prove to be true to a degree. Rotorua is part of a geothermal field resulting in spouting geysers, bubbling mud pots and volcanic crater lakes. The hydrogen sulphide emissions is what causes the rotten egg smell. In the centre of the city is Kuirau Park with its fascinating display of geothermal activity, while children play in the adjacent playground and sports fields.

Rotorua has become a major tourist attraction compared to when I was here 39 years ago. There are now so many non-geothermal activities, such as canopy tours, go-carting, mini-golf, etc. After a tiring day I decided to try a plant-based Rebel Whopper at Burger King next to the hotel, something I rarely do but I didn’t want to walk back into town. It tasted okay but a few hours later I was trotting back and forth to the toilet. Not a fun night :(Les mer
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Sorry but I laughed at your bathroom trouble . What were you thinking that stuff totally new to your gi tract . Be more careful . Should have had fish . Js
05.03.2020Svar
ReisendeMore likely improper food handling based on the timing.
05.03.2020Svar
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Hawai’i 2020 Reisende
Whakarewarewa
3. mars 2020, New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
I reserved a $45 tour of the Living Maori Village.....why is everything so darn expensive?! I passed on the traditional Maori hangi meal for an additional $25. The village was 2 km from the hotel and it was a nice warm day for walking. Our tour guide was one of the elders who did struggle a bit with his memorized speech. He would have been better off speaking from the heart. There are about 50 people actually living in the village but many of the homes have been converted into gift shops. The retailers pay rent but have to be a lineal descendant of the tribe. The tour was followed by a 25 minute performance by Maori singers and dancers. You are welcome to spend additional time walking through the village. On the way out I stopped at one of the gift shops and had a very interesting conversation with one of the staff who was about my age. We discussed politics, education, health care, and social issues, comparing the two countries. I learned there is so much similarity in the issues that face the Maori and our indigenous people.Les mer
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