Tasmania

Hobart

When you berth at the wharf in Hobart, you are not far from where the yachts that compete in the Sydney Hobart yacht race park each year at the completion of the epic race. The mooring areas present great reflections in the early morning light, well a little later than early morning. Our voyage across from Fiordland in New Zealand to Tasmania was quite calm for most of the journey (others in the cabin would say otherwise about the ripples in “the ditch” between the two countries).

We took a wander around the shops for a few hours before getting back on board for the last few days of our cruise.

Burnie

Surprisingly, Burnie had one of the most user friendly welcomes to the cruise passengers you could experience. The shuttles had a volunteer on board to point out interesting points about the town. There used to be a paper mills in the town employing many locals. Now the wood chips are exported for paper making.

Then as we arrived at the drop off point, the City Mayor got on the bus to welcome us to the city. She gave us a brief history of Burnie and invited us to walk the foreshore area where hidden in the rocks along the shore were tiny penguins waiting for the evening to go out to fish for food for their young in their nests. There was a handcraft market just beside our pickup point, all made in Burnie.

That evening, we chose to dine with a couple from Kentucky who had sat near us each evening and tonight was their 50th wedding anniversary. That’s a time when restaurant waiters come around the table and sing best wishes to the couple. There had been quite a number of couples on the ship who were celebrating weddings.

Tonight was our last night on the cruise for us but other things got in the way. I went to our room safe to grab the tip money to give to our waiters and “stuffed” up the procedure and our safe went into “sleep mode”. Oh well, call security for an alternative method of access. We waited 3 hours for the safe to be free to access our passports and money.

The crossing of Bass Strait to the mainland was “very gracious”.

Melbourne

Although our cruise was to end in Sydney, we thought it best to get off in Melbourne to attend a funeral of a friend who had passed away while we were in Milford Sound.

A good cruise always has lasting memories and we have plenty after visiting so many destinations we had worked at or visited before. The highlights for Lyn were returning to Tonga and meeting up with work bosses and colleagues from Honiara. My highlights were meeting work colleagues in Honiara and getting to Tonga. Meeting friends in Napier from 60 years ago and have a first time meet with two cousins in Dunedin.

The Milford Sound in the rain was a different but impressive way to view that great inland passage of water.

The thing that made the biggest impression on me was the umbrella that hit my head with too much force. At least I’m alive, just another long rehab to endure.

Another cruise is over and we are very thankful we had a cruise full of nostalgia and great cruising weather, in the main. Thanks for being with us and please keep safe. God Bless all.

Napier

After a huge earthquake in 1931, the city was rebuilt in beautiful Art Deco style — it’s basically an open-air museum of 1930s architecture. Napier holds an annual art deco festival when everyone gets dressed deco and polish their old 1930s cars to bring memories to life again. There are Long coastal walkways, gardens, beaches, and that classic relaxed holiday feel.

Another nostalgic visit. I had never been to Napier but a guy who lived with us in Dunedin in 1962 has been following me on facebook for years and noticed that our cruise was taking us to Napier. He now lives across the other side of the north island and insisted he come to Napier to show us around. We hadn’t seen each other for 60 years but I “picked him” as the bus arrived at the shuttle drop off point.

John and his wife Marcia showed us around the Hawke’s bay and up to the high points around Napier. We finished our touring with a great New Zealand ice cream. Thanks John for the pleasant meetup.

Wellington

This is the capital of New Zealand but still have heaps of logs at the wharf to be exported mainly to China and other Asian destinations. We didn’t get off the ship as I wanted to get my claim in to the bus company whose bus had caused me to be knocked out in the bay of islands. I’m not noticing any improvement in my balance and speed. Seems like I have regressed somewhat (just more for Lyn to be concerned about).

Timaru

It was from Timaru that our family moved to Hobart in mid 1962. We wandered around in the sunshine and enjoyed a morning tea on the sidewalk. There was a couple of young girls across from us from Denmark who were touring New Zealand and working at fruit orchards. Would you believe they were both knitting woolen hats from NZ wool? Interesting sisters.

On the beachfront, a game of polo was happening. Apparently, next week, an Australian team will be here to compete against New Zealand.

Dunedin

I did 4 years of schooling in Dunedin in the late 50s and early sixties. My mother had three brothers in this town. One of them had 8 children, many of my cousins I had never met. Paulette and Colleen were here enjoying Waitangi day (New Zealand’s national day) and we interrupted their day but had a lot of laughs and humorous stories to catch up on. The most interesting story is that one lady made contact with the family when she was 83. Unbeknown to the family, their mum and dad adopted her out before the rest of the family turned up. There mum and dad were not around anymore to answer the “please explain” question. But they all got along for the last few years of their lives. (Oh, the things that happened in the old days)

Thanks Paulette and Colleen for the laughter and hospitality. Might have to do it again one day.

Fiordland

After some rocking and rolling around the southern point of New Zealand, Noordam made it into the Fiordland region for us to cruise around. The skies were not real kind and very grey. But still, the Milford Sound is majestic with waterfalls along the fjords.

Here’s some info about New Zealand logging exports

Export Values by Product (2024)

From the forestry export breakdown:

Logs: ~NZ$3.23 billion

Sawn timber & sleepers: ~NZ$885 million

Pulp: ~NZ$629 million

Panels: ~NZ$374 million

Paper & paperboard: ~NZ$361 million

Woodchips & other products: smaller amounts Total forestry exports: ~NZ$5.75 billion (2024 actual) 

Tonga

Neiafu, Vava’u Island

A long night at sea took us to a lovely harbour in Tonga: Neiafu, Vava’u. It is a favorite natural harbour of sailors in the South Pacific. It is also one of the most laid back island time towns that one could wish for. Tourism is making its way felt but the council needs to improve the roads and facilities for tourists. Then there will be a willingness of tourists to leave their dollars as they visit.

It is an access point for scuba divers to untainted coral and marine life, caves and beaches. International yachts make this place a high point of their voyages.

Humpback whales visit here during their migration period, July to October, each year. Church life is well engraved in their lifestyle. There is not a lot of industry in the region so the people live a subsistence lifestyle with plenty of fruit and vegetables.

A welcome dancing group of girls invited us to enjoy Neiafu while here for the few short hours. We walked up a street about a kilometer and found some tropical blooms along the way. On our return to board the ship, we were farewelled by a group of agile male dancers.

While at Neiafu, this cruise ship “Odyssey” arrived in the harbour. The dream of many who cruise regularly is to own a room or unit on a ship like Odyssey, and “see the world” for the rest of their lives in luxury. (Maybe it’s cheaper than a nursing home). A quick search found there is a unit for sale at $140,000; any takers?

Nukualofa

After another night of cruising, we arrived at the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga, Nukualofa. What a difference to any of the previous ports we have visited; clean and ready to make friends of the tourists who bring so much money to the country. (The second biggest income earner for the kingdom is the funds returned to Tonga by younger people harvesting fruit and vegetables in Australia. Amazing really!)

Just a little info before saying what we did in Nukualofa. Lyn’s mum and dad moved to the Kingdom of Tonga for work when she was 11. They had a house girl named Vavae. A young guy, Palu, was thrown out of his family because he wanted to become a Christian. Lyn’s Mum and Dad offered to care for him in his early years and into high school. Over time, Palu married Vavae and they had 4 kids. One of them was named after Lyn’s sister, Earlene May. Earlene Anne married “K” and they have 6 children. The family have kept in contact with Earlene May over the years and it was our turn to meet up with Earlene Anne and “K” in Nukualofa. Tongan hospitality went into gear and today we enjoyed the day with plenty of laughter and stories from way back. The family hasn’t had regular meetups and when they do meetup, there is much laughter as they/we catch up. This meetup was going to be no different. Earlene May met up with them in Nukualofa in 2023 for a day while cruising back to Sydney from San Diego.

We went out for breakfast first thing, and then started our tour of the island. We learned so much about their family history and life. Memories were recalled as well as made for latter “retrieval” when we meet again. Our sides are still sore from laughing. (Sorry to all those who don’t understand the genuineness of Tongan hospitality and meetups).

While touring Tonga after a two-hour breakfast, it becomes obvious that the Tongans all go to, or are, members of a church. There are so many church buildings around.

Christian faiths make up the vast majority of the population’s religious identity in and around Nukuʻalofa: 

Protestant – the largest group, with a variety of denominations: Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga — the single largest denomination.  Free Church of Tonga Church of Tonga Seventh-day Adventist Assembly of God and other smaller Protestant churches.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) — a substantial Christian group in the city.  Roman Catholic — a notable Christian presence with established churches such as the Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua in Nukuʻalofa. 

We visited a few touristy spots and a school at Beulah. A hidden secret is the awesome blowholes .

While in Tonga as a 9 year old, Lyn and the Princess were good friends. We found where she now lives but the Princess was attending a funeral and Tongan funerals can take more than a few hours. Her servant was happy to swap details to get in contact again.

Leaving Tonga was a little like repeating our departure from Solomon Islands in 1989. As Tonga faded into the distance behind Noordam, the same sort of tears came again. Another home away from home was deeply in our hearts.

Our next port of call was The Bay of Islands in New Zealand.

Fiji

Although the distance from Lautoka to Suva is not far, cruise ships manage to still arrive after sunrise with time to spare to get all the shore furniture ready for guests to disembark soon after breakfast. Our docking point in Suva is at a container wharf with shipping containers stacked up to 7 high. Next door is the central Suva bus station. Buses are the main public transport system for Fiji.

Suva

Suva is the capital city of Fiji, located on the southeast coast of Viti Levu, the country’s largest island.

Population: ~90,000 (about 330,000 in the greater Suva–Nausori urban area) Role: Political, administrative, and commercial centre of Fiji Climate: Tropical rainforest – warm and humid year-round, with frequent rain Port: One of the South Pacific’s most important ports

Quick facts:

What Suva is known for:

Government & diplomacy – Parliament House, embassies, regional organisations Education – University of the South Pacific (USP) main campus Shipping & trade – major container and cruise port Health services – Colonial War Memorial Hospital Urban life – markets, nightlife, museums, and a strong Indo-Fijian and Pacific cultural mix

Beside the bus station is a very active farmers market which seems to run day and night. The shopping centre is beyond the market. This enables us to walk to town or catch the free shuttle bus. All the tourist buses come onto the wharf to collect or drop off excursion passengers. The wharf precinct is very busy as you can imagine.

We took the shuttle bus to town in the morning and returned to the ship for lunch.

Negotiating a price and what was on offer can be tricky and without much knowledge of where we will visit, at the end of the negotiation process. We “did a deal” thinking we would be departing within a few minutes. Not to be. The bus was a 20 seater and each seat represented a different deal that had to be made in order for the tour of the city to start. We waited for 40 minutes for that process to be completed. (Fiji time).

Fortunately, a tour guide accompanied us as the driver’s job is to drive and grunt. We were shown most of the cities important landmarks and buildings and made it to a waterfall up some “hairy” roads; roads that I would never consider driving our motor home on.

A tradition that used to be normal for departures by cruise boats from Suva was that the Fiji Police Band would play for 30 minutes prior to the casting off; that has been deleted from the farewell procedure which used to be a highlight.

Our next destination had to be changed due damage at the tender wharf at Dravuni Island. Near to Viti Levu is the town of Savu Savu on the second largest Fijian island of Vanua Levu. Our captain decided that was a good alternative. All these little towns on the islands are very busy with what seems to be, a town where you go to if you’re not fishing or in the garden.

The shuttle tender was quite crowded and the town only required a couple of hours to explore and experience the culture of their way of life.

Or next destination was in the Kingdom of Tonga.

VANUATU –

We have been in overcast weather all the way from Honiara to Luganville Vanuatu. However, on our side has been the ocean. It’s amazing what a request to “stay calm please” does. (Nice to have an obedient ocean.)

Vanuatu became an independent country on 30 July 1980.

Before that, it was known as the New Hebrides, jointly administered by Britain and France under a unique system called a condominium. Independence in 1980 made Vanuatu a sovereign nation within the Commonwealth.

We crept into Luganville in the early misty hours. When the fog lifted, we were able to enjoy a brilliant tropical morning for breakfast on the outside deck of the ship.

In Vanuatu, blue holes are deep freshwater ponds formed where underground springs rise through limestone rock to the surface. The clear, pure water absorbs longer light wavelengths, making the holes appear vividly blue — almost unreal in colour. Many are surrounded by jungle and accessed via paddling up rivers or through forest tracks.  

Our excursion to the blue holes took us along country potholed roads for 45 minutes. The water was blue and crystal clear. We were in a group of 20 – 30, some swam and even Lyn had some time in the cooling water.

Prior to leaving Luganville, the captain advised that he had changed our itinerary due to the buildup of strong storms west of Vanuatu and we would be missing Vila and Mystery Island. It is better to be unhappy and safe than happy and go through storms in the captains view. (Good on the captain.)

This means that we will reach Lautoka earlier by a few days but will have an overnight berth at both Lautoka and Suva. Tropical storms can be devastating and turn into cyclones and “riding” through them is not anybody’s choice.

The entertainment has been varied through the cruise with a request to not film the shows. I managed to get a shot of the last scene last night (naughty naughty).

FIJI

With the adjusted schedule, our arrival through the reef was in daylight around 3pm with a “tie up” around 5:15pm. We are in Fiji now.

As we disembarked, we were welcomed with smiles and offers of massage. Which do you take? What tour excursion is available and where to. We booked a taxi to take us to Fulton University tomorrow, where Lyn’s dad was the Chairman of the Board years ago. Oh! We took a $20 leg massage be fore getting back on the ship for the night.

Fulton University is a new campus away from the coast win a beautiful setting. With over 1000 students, 300 boarders as well as many studying in their home countries around the South Pacific. The lecturers go to those countries for intensive classroom sessions during the school year.

The return trip and “look around” took about 3 hours. Tonight we cruise around the island to Suva for two days and a night.

Kiriwina

Kiriwina Island, Papua New Guinea

Located in Papua New Guinea’s Milne Bay Province, Kiriwina is the largest of the Trobriand Islands and home to the majority of their 12,000-strong indigenous population. The picturesque island is steeped in history and is famous to many as a site of U.S. occupation during World War II. In fact, various relics of the war, including the remains of an American plane, can still be seen on this the island. But Kiriwina is home to far more than history. Here, you’ll find an idyllic traditional lifestyle, incredibly friendly locals and a fascinating social structure that’s based on matrilineal clans, with unique marriage and courtship rituals. Many aspects of life revolve around the cultivation and exchange of yams.There’s also mesmerizing scenery, from crystal-clear waters to jungle-covered cliffs. Hire a dugout canoe, hike to the burial caves, peruse exquisite carvings and explore the coral-filled offshore islands. Be sure to stop and watch a game of Trobriand cricket, an innovative spin on the game. Whatever you choose to do, it’s bound to be an eye-opening experience.

Today was going to be a wet and windy day and hoping into a tender boat to get to the island wasn’t in our thoughts. A few tender loads of passenger managed to make to the island before a fierce wind squall hit us. The captain closed down the passenger transfers and eventually ordered all passengers back to the ship. Some passengers were held in the tenders for over 90 minutes until the squall subsided to a safe level to transfer back to Noordam.

From Kiriwina islands it takes a sea day to get to Honiara port in the “Hapi Isles”; Solomon Islands. The entertainment for the evening was a Spanish Guitarist from Melbourne. The rocking and rolling of the ocean didn’t affect our smooth sailing in the Solomon Sea.

Eventually, Honiara came into sight and my heart skipped a little as a reason for this cruise is to relive our days of enjoying life here in the 80s. We have managed to “find” friends on facebook and arrange to meet during the day. As we came off the ship, the traditional bamboo band was playing the sounds of the “hapi isles”.

Just nearby, Julie and her husband Kevin had been waiting to show us around our old “hometown”. We worked here for 4 and a half years 1985 to 1989, with two years at Atoifi Hospital on Malaita Island. Julie had been the head in the School of nursing at Atoifi Hospital

and is now teaching nursing in Honiara. Her sister, Encie, worked as a secretary in an office I also worked, and has recently retired from being principal of a 600 student school.

Bradley came from the western Solomons by boat to Honiara just to meetup. He had been the manager of a carvings industry at Betikama High School which was my privilege to be the CFO while also the CFO at Atoifi Hospital.

What reunion chatter the day brought as we drove around the pot holed town of Honiara. The school at Betikama High School was on vacation

While living in Honiara, Lyn worked at Guadalcanal Travel agency so we dropped by for a visit. All past employees have moved on to other ventures.

As we left Honiara, our hearts knew that they had fond memories of the beautiful people that we had both worked with and had fun together. Thank you Julie, Encie and Bradley for being such a fun ingredient to our day of nostalgia. Keep safe guys.

Our Honiara day didn’t end at the wharf, it ended when the pilot boat headed back to the town. The pilot is Encie’s son.

We have another sea day to travel to our next port Luganville, Vanuatu.

Due to an evolving tropical cyclone, our entry into Cairns was delayed until 6pm. The seas were calm but the harbour master wouldn’t allow large ships to berth until the exact direction of the cyclone was known. It made landfall about 400 km to the south of us.

We had a plan to meet up with a travel colleague but due to our change of plans Liz changed hers and wasn’t available on the Sunday. However, after a shop around the Cairns Shopping Centre (thank goodness for air conditioning), a haircut and a few needed items, we met up with Hilary and a catchup on her goings on since last year.

Of course, we managed to partake of our favorite ice cream from Bobbins Baskin. (Would you believe, for morning tea?

Our ship departed around 6:00pm through the Great Barrier Reef and into some moderate seas with a few bumps thrown in. With my walking poles, I have an ‘all clear’ passage as other folk “get out of my way”. Yes, if you see someone coming with walking aids, you make a swift move to the left or right of the walkway, especially in the lido dining room. The next day is a sea day and we find a quiet spot in the library to play 5 crowns and enjoy what the barista does for us.

During each woken moment during the night, I check Google Maps to see our location at that point. It was noticeable when we came through the reef into the lagoon near Conflict Islands; the bouncy rocking ceased. We were back in Papua New Guinea after 40 years absent. I had never been to Milne Bay Province when we lived in PNG in the early 80s, but it’s a very nice harbour and a very busy little town. Not sure why there’s no resort here but it would be a great spot.

After we disembarked for a walk around the town, we quickly found out that most of the locals speak English. I had expected to use my limited Motu language or some Tok Pisin but the two little kids that latched onto us didn’t seem to know either. So English was the way we communicated while walking around the town. Found out later that Motu is not used at all in Alotau.

The streets are typical PNG style. Lots of broken pavements and rubbish. Noticeable are the “keep Alotau Clean bins” and the list of fines for chewing or spitting betelnut.

The places for eating are not too hygienic so we made our way back to Noordam for lunch, cool downs and an afternoon nap. Our departure for Kiriwini Islands is for 5:30pm.

Alotau, Papua New Guinea

The sprawling town of Alotau, spectacularly located on Papua New Guinea’s southeastern tip, is an ideal introduction to the relaxed charms of the region. The capital of Milne Bay Province, Alotau is also the main port for the 600 islands that encompass the area.

The buzzing harbor, just a short walk from town, is a hive of activity, with ships, boats and canoes transporting passengers and plying their trades.The town was the site of the 1942 Battle of Milne Bay, resulting in Japan’s first defeat in the Pacific during World War II. Milne Bay was a major Allied base, and some of the war’s fiercest fighting took place in Papua New Guinea. Although there’s not much to see now, a fascinating Battle of Milne Bay tour combines historic war stories with locals’ tales of how modern warfare changed their world.

More broadly, Alotau is an excellent place to gain insight into Papua New Guinea’s cultures and traditions; don’t miss the Cultural Festival excursion in which you’ll see everything from warrior dances to gospel choirs to traditional drumming. For even more local flavor, wander through Alotau Market with its mounds of betel nuts, which many islanders chew.

Moreton Island (Mulgumpin) is a large sand island off the coast of Brisbane, Australia, known for its pristine beaches, towering sand dunes (including the world’s highest coastal dune, Mount Tempest), and clear lagoons, making it a popular destination for 4WD adventures, camping, and wildlife encounters like dolphin feeding at Tangalooma. 98% of the island is a national park, offering activities like snorkeling the Tangalooma Wrecks, sand tobogganing, and exploring its natural beauty, accessible by a 75-minute ferry from Brisbane.

What a calm sea we have “endured” for the last 36 hours as we head north up the coast of New South Wales towards Queensland; a bit like a glass of tonic, shaken but not stirred at all.

I looked out our deck door at 4:00am to find the pilot boat making its way to the ship to help the crew in the ship’s bridge navigate the sand bars of the Moreton Bay. We went through a period of graze-cruising in the early morning light with the sun threatening to show its light source and imply “I’m now in control” for the day. We had, before the cruise, decided, or should I say “suggested”, that if we were to enjoy the inventions of the Noordam Chefs, an early morning visit to the gym was necessary. The score is 1 out of 2.

We chose to miss the tender transfer to Moreton Island and to take another morning with ease on Noordam after breakfast. Our afternoon had us improving the tan on the stern deck.

Don’t the lounge beds look like rows of Starlink satellite receivers?

Sea days are always a good time to relax and realize that life doesn’t have to be rush, rush, rush.

On our arrival into Brisbane, we had Bob and Lyndell pick us up at the new Brisbane Terminal to spend the hours together. Bob and I started work at the same place in the 60s in Sydney. It’s always good to catch up with their lives whenever we can. Our ship departed around 4 pm and headed towards Townsville in the north.

We have a couple of clients on board with us who haven’t traveled for some time due to health complications that prevented them getting away. We are having dinner together each evening and finding some interesting menu items to choose from. They have a sense of humor too.

Our arrival into Townsville has been cancelled due to the coming cyclone, and so our itinerary may change as far as docking in Cairns for the night. Oh well, best to keep everything and all the passengers safe.