Cruise News Update 7 - A happy conclusion to our epic vacation

After six weeks on the Pacific Ocean, we reached our final port in Sydney, Australia, with mixed feelings. We had one unscheduled day in the city for immigration formalities, and returned two days later for the scheduled disembarkation.

This was our most ambitious journey ever and it exceeded our wildest expectations. We saw exotic sights, enjoyed impeccable hospitality and made lasting connections.

Our disembarkation in Sydney was very smooth. As we left Australian Immigration, we met Paddy McMahon, the Australian country singer who had performed on the cruise. We were able to exchange goodbyes and have a photo with him. Meeting him was special because of his lively style, infectious humor and commanding stage presence. I had met him on the cruise twice before and made a memorable connection.

A large part of our visit in this beautiful city, was the chance to view sights in downtown as well as on Sydney Harbour. We enjoyed walks on Circular Quay, took photos, walked to Sydney Opera House, visited the Botanic Gardens and stopped for fish and chips.

Two special outings for us were the Taronga Zoo, where we got close ups of animals we missed on our tours, and a visit to the popular Bondi Beach, a destination of choice for surfers as well as swimmers and sunbathers.

Taronga Zoo

Bondi Beach

While enjoying the sights of Sydney, we were privileged to reunite with Curtis' family of Alexa, Carter, Hilary and her fiance' Keegan. We met for a delicious indian lunch at Spiced in Barangaroo, Circular Quay.

Back from left: Keegan, Curtis, Carter; front from left: Moses, Cintra, Alexa and Hilary.

Perhaps the highlight of our Sydney visit was attendance at “The Magic Flute” in the iconic Sydney Opera House. Not only was the performance brilliantly presented, but the building’s unique architecture and strategic location in the Sydney Harbour was magical against the city lights, the shimmering water and the majestic Harbour Bridge.

Sydney Opera House

Cintra and Curtis also climbed the popular Harbour Bridge, the most popular landmark after the opera house. Often booked months in advance, Curtis luckily secured tickets for the climb for three of us. However, I had to miss the daring adventure due to age restriction. I think I was too young - or something like that.

They went through the required preliminaries, such as removing much of their clothes and accessories in order to wear special coveralls, temporarily storing most other contents such as phones, watches, cameras, wallets and jewelry. They underwent breath-analyzer tests and then tethered to the railing, before being escorted in a group to the top of the world famous bridge - 134 m high.

This was the highest most spectacular and expansive 360 deg view of the city and surrounding area, especially on a hot, clear day.

Harbour Bridge

After about 2 1/2 h, they met me on Circular Quay, the Harbour promenade, where I strolled, visited shops and the Sydney Opera House and enjoyed a pizza at Ship Inn while waiting.

Our visit with Curtis included a scenic drive to Newcastle, his former home, and then on a tour to Hunter Valley wine country with Carol Miles. We stopped at several wineries, enjoyed spectacular panoramic scenes, took photos, had lunch, shopped and tasted wine. The countryside was among the most picturesque we have ever seen.

On the day before we left for Canada, we took the bus on our own directly to the nearby town of Manly, known for its beach and shopping and the wharf on Sydney Harbour. We strolled the streets, viewed the popular beach, enjoyed a hot cuppa, until a thunderstorm cut our visit short.

Manly, NSW

Upon our return home, we serendipitously contacted Australian friends whom we had met on our European river cruise in 2022. We arranged a last-minute dinner with Richard and Charlotte in a Malaysian restaurant and enjoyed a heart warming reunion. This was a total surprise and a perfect ending to our vacation, as we thought they were still visiting relatives in Malaysia.

After five wonderful days, we left Sydney with indelible memories of a special connection with Curtis and his family and sights and experiences we could never have dreamed of and an unexpected reunion with friends. All this on top of an epic 40-day cruise that took us to exotic destinations that we only knew about through songs, movies, books and stories.

Dinner with Richard and Charlotte Tan and Curtis Lee ((Cintra's nephew) on final night.

We reported that our flight to LAX to join the cruise was marred by delays and missing luggage. Our return flight Feb. 20 was the longest we have ever traveled - about 30 h. However, it was good to return home in good health (and all our luggage), though exhausted.

We enjoyed sharing our memories with you and hope you found our updates informative and entertaining. Thank you for joining us on this dream adventure and our best wishes to you.

Moses and Cintra

Cruise News Update 6: Special Aussie Memories

Being in Australia is an experience we never imagined. But this South Pacific and Australia cruise was hard to resist. It seemed to offer everything we ever hoped for. And in retrospect, it is much much more.

Our cruise was scheduled to end in Sydney where we would meet Curtis, Cintra’s nephew, for a short visit and sightseeing. The cruise did not have any excursions planned for us on our disembarkation day in Sydney.

However, the cancellation of the stop in Hobart, Tasmania, meant the cruise had to make an earlier than planned stop in Sydney just to process our entry documents for Australia.

Quite surprisingly, the cruise offered us a free shuttle to browse the city and a tour of the Sydney Harbour on a luxury ferry. We couldn’t believe this unexpected treat. And, we still get to return to Sydney later for our own personal tour.

After the immigration formalities, we joined two friends on an outing in the Chinatown area of the city. This included brief stops at the Chinese Garden of Friendship and the Paddy Market and parts of Chinatown. With Chinese New Year on the 10th, there were Chinese decorations throughout this part of the city.

Chinese Garden of Friendship

On our return, we boarded the ferry from which we viewed highlights like the iconic Sydney Opera House and Sydney Bridge, Botanical Garden, Amusement Park, temporary home for dignitaries, beaches, luxury homes and waterfront condos. The city skyline from the harbour was itself breathtaking.

Sydney Opera House and Sydney Bridge, skyline, Botanic Garden, bridge with climbers, amphitheatre, amusement park.

After this bonus treat in Sydney, the cruise headed to Phillip Island to see the baby penguins when they emerge from the water at dusk. We arrived at Phillip Island in the late afternoon but had to wait about two hours before the famous penguin parade.

On the way to the beach where the penguins would appear, we glimpsed some of the wildlife, in particular wallabies. This was the first time to see wallabies and some of the island birds. At first, I thought the marsupials were kangaroos, until I was corrected. They do look similar.

From a bright sunny day, we waited until near dark before we saw the first penguin. Several minutes later, about six more waddled out of the water and labored their way across the sand and up to the grassy hill on their way to their underground homes. Some lived in tiny wooden houses.

It was an interesting experience to view this famous Penguin Parade as these foot tall amphibious birds make their way to the safety of their nests in the sand dunes after a day’s fishing. However, we were not allowed to take photos. The small number of penguins was unusual as sometimes they come in significantly larger numbers.

1. Wallabie, 2. Waiting for parade, 3. Arrival beach, 4. Parade sample photo (not taken at the time).

Next excursion two days later, was was our excursion to Geelong, a town about an hour away from Melbourne. Much of our tour explored Geelong, the second largest city in Victoria after Melbourne. Geelong khas a rich history including gold mining, industrial development and the wool industry. It was described as Melbourne’s playground.

We were treated to a coach tour ending in Queenscliff, Bellarine Peninsula. Along the way, we saw beautiful towns, historic buildings made of bluestone, and lush countryside where we saw our first mob of kangaroos - the real thing. They are much darker, bigger and stronger than the wallabies we saw on Phillip Island.

Queenscliff, Bellarine Peninsula

Back on the ship, we had enough time to catch some of the Super Bowl on the big screen in the Star Theatre.

Super Bowl Cake

Later, we had a pleasant supper with two couples who occupy the two staterooms to the left of us. With two days left in the cruise, we wanted this to be a farewell dinner. It was touching to share memories over the past five weeks on the Viking Sky. We were invited the next day to have a farewell lunch with three other couples.

The choir on the ship is getting close to a performance of a Rogers and Hammerstein medley, but it will happen after we leave the cruise. It was fun just rehearsing under a world class director.

Our final port of call was planned for Eden, Australia on Wednesday the 14th, Valentines Day. However, due to strong winds and choppy waters, they were unable to dock the ship. instead, the captain had to cancel and return to Sydney. We will meet Cintra’s nephew in Sydney for five days of sightseeing and family time and report on that phase in our next cruise update next weekend.

For now, we have mixed feelings about the impeccable hospitality we enjoyed on this cruise, the unbelievable sights, scenes and experiences in every port, and perhaps most of all, the special bonds were created with the passengers and crew. However, we are also looking forward to being home and seeing family, friends and community connections.

Thanks for joining us on this historic journey. Moses and Cintra

Cruise News: Update 5 - Saga in the South Pacific

Kia Ora.

Our saga in the South Pacific seems to be getting better and better. In our previous four blogs, we shared our exciting sights and experiences in Santa Barbara, CA, Hawaii and French Polynesia.

As we continue our South Pacific and Australia Cruise on Viking Sky, we are happy to share highlights of the exquisite service on our floating hotel as well as memorable sights and experiences in New Zealand, more specifically Bay of Islands, Auckland, Waiheke, Tarangua, Wellington and Nelson.

It may seem unnecessary to write about food on a cruise, because it is always exceptional, but soon after we left Tahiti, we were treated to the most spectacular brunch we have ever seen, including a display and judging of ship building by passengers. The creativity and skill of participants was extraordinary.

Food sculptures and winning model ships

Our “on sea” hospitality continued to be filled with memorable events like concerts by talented singers, musicians and dancers. One of the most moving of these was presented by Māori singers and dancers.

Our first stop in New Zealand was the historic Bay of Islands, known for its lush countryside, rolling hills, farms and interesting vegetation.

The Bay of Islands comprise some 150-some islands. We stopped at Waitangi, the city where the Treaty of Waitangi by British officers and Māori chiefs was signed in 1840. We saw the historic Kerikeri Basin and the ornate Hundertwasser public bathrooms, an iconic work of art that includes a living tree that grows through the center of its stalls.

Kerikeri Basin

After Waitangi, we were finally able to see Auckland, the cultural capital of New Zealand’s North Island. Auckland is also known as the “City of Sails” for its residents’ love of boating and its marinas brimming with world-class yachts.

A highlight of any visitor’s itinerary in Auckland, is the Auckland Domain, the city’s largest park, including the Auckland Museum, home to the world’s largest collection of Māori and Polynesian artifacts, including an 82-foot-long Māori canoe or "waka" carved from a single tree.

The Museum is home to the impressive War Memorial Exhibition. We had time to explore the museum’s exhibits on our own, and paid respects at the War Memorial display, located just outside.

Much of the 75-acre Auckland Domain is the crater of a volcano, now converted to a beautifully designed multi-use park for the museum as well as sports, concerts and other community events.

Waka display in Auckland Museum

On our second bus tour, we stopped at a memorial to Michael Joseph Savage, New Zealand's first Labour prime minister, 1935–1940, overlooking the Waitemata Harbour. Like the Massey Memorial in Wellington, it is built on the site of a former gun emplacement dating from the 'Russian Scare' of the 1880s.

It is a beautifully designed flower garden and pond with a spectacular view of the Harbour and surrounding areas.

MJ Savage Memorial Garden

We were fortunate to be accompanied on parts of our tour of the city by a professional friend, Jillian de Beer, a resident of Auckland and intimately knowledgeable of all things New Zealand.

One of our most memorable outings with Jillian was a trip by ferry to the resort of Waiheke Island, where we walked, visited shops, strolled on the beach, and enjoyed a gelato on a beautifully sunny and hot day.

Another exciting highlight for us was the world famous Sky Tower, known as much for its height and breathtaking views as for iconic bungee jumping from the top.

We were happy that Jillian took us to visit the St. Mary’s Cathedral in the Parnell area of Auckland. Among other reasons, this church has deep historic significance for the fact that it was literally moved across the street adjacent to the main cathedral building. The building, in a engineering feat, was set on a chain of logs to roll across the street.

Perhaps just as significant is the blending of Māori cultures, teachings and values in the church decor and ministry. This integration of the deep connection of mainstream and Māori culture and teachings is evident almost everywhere in all of New Zealand. Māori language is one of three official languages of New Zealand, the other two being English and New Zealand Sign Language.

An unexpected but captivating experience for us, was a visit with Jillian to the Auckland Art Gallery, where we saw the most amazing art show of extraordinary fashions by globally renowned fashion designer Guo Pei.

We were fortunate to witness this Aotearoa New Zealand exclusive exhibition, featuring breath-taking fashions by Guo. There were more than 60 of Guo Pei’s unique garments, including her Yellow Queen gown worn by Rihanna to the 2015 Met Gala.

Designs by Guo, including Rihanna's gown on right.

Our next major stop in North Island was the city of Tauranga, one one the mosr scenic cities and popular resort in New Zealand. This visit was on one of our hottest days, ideal for a walk along the boardwalk on Pilot Bay and for Cintra, an even longer hike around the base and part way to the top of the magnificent Maunganui Mountain.

Apart from its majestic presence overlooking the Bay of Plenty, Mt. Maunganui, is an extinct volcano that helped shape this spectacular region of white-sand beaches and azure waters.

We enjoyed a fuller experience of Tauranga when we joined the coach tour to Te Puke. Pronounced “tay-pookey,” this is New Zealand’s premier region for the production of the nation’s namesake fruit, the kiwi.

During our panoramic ride, we visited a local village community hall, enjoyed refreshments and a taste of locally picked kiwi. We were introduced to gold and green and told about red kiwis, being grown for the Japanese market.

Members of the local Māori tribe shared an entertaining insight into their culture in song and dance. We had the opportunity to chat with the performers and joined them in a photo.

Maori dancers

The day turned out to be extremely windy, forcing the captain to cancel the next scheduled stop in Napier and the nearby Hawke’s Bay region, one of the “Great Wine Capitals” of the world. We had to miss the wine tasting of three New Zealand prized vintages.

Our next New Zealand stop was Wellington, the capital of the country. The city’s neoclassical Parliament House, called the Beehive, stands out and is listed as a Heritage New Zealand building for its history and cultural significance. It is widely acclaimed for its unique architectural design.

The Beehive, Parliament Building

With some free time in the morning we took the shuttle and walked downtown, stopping along the way to view the Wellington Museum that displays the stories of the region in a beautiful 1892 heritage building.

It displayed the Bond Store, where bonded cargo was held; explorations of the Polynesian people over centuries; nautical interactive exhibits; the Wahine disaster in 1968; theatrical illusionist techniques that tell Māori creation legends.

Later we enjoyed a panoramic drive and visited the more contemporary styled Te Papa Museum, where we explored a celebration of New Zealand’s diverse landscape, cultures and nature and viewed the museum with its exhibits that highlight the natural world and geology of New Zealand’s islands, as well as the Māori culture and traditions.

Te Papa Museum of New Zealand

The panoramic 360 degree view of Wellington was breathtaking. And to make our tour complete, we were treated to exceptional story telling by our Maori coach driver and guide.

Panoramic views of Wellington

Before departing this exquisite country, our cruise stopped in Nelson,on the South Island at the geographical center of New Zealand. The city is renowned for its year-round sunshine, long golden beaches and beautiful national parks. It is one of New Zealand’s oldest cities, having been founded in 1841.

We went into the city on our own with another couple and walked to a Japanese garden, the nearby Sumter Art Gallery, the downtown shopping district and mall and the Nelson Cathedral.

Nelson Cathedral

We took a brief tour of the city with very helpful information from our coach driver and guide. The tour ended at a privately-owned car museum where we viewed one of the country’s finest collections of classic, antique and more recent cars such as Jaguars, Cadillacs, Excalibur, Delorean and Triumphs all in pristine condition.

Excalibur at car museum

We ended our delightful visit to New Zealand with a upbeat and rousing concert of southern favorites by the Viking Sky Singers and band.

Viking Sky Singers

As the sun set on New Zealand, we started on our four-day journey to Australia.

A Viking Sky on our last evening in Aotearoa New Zealand.