Back to the cruise and today it's off to Wellington

The first thing each day is to work out which way to start walking as it all looks the same LOL. This is the view from outside our cabin.  When you get off the accommodation decks then they start the real onboard style of decoration, below is the foyer to the casino/art auction and library area. Lots of bling and things.

Wellington is the home of "Wellywood" and also where Peter Jackson lives and the home of some amazing studios - all built on the success of Lord of the Rings. 1 in 10 Kiwis had a direct involvement in the making of the film, either through roles as supporting casts or just the amazing assortment of poeple involved in the catering and non film activities.

Now as a LOTR tragic, having read the books 25 + times and all the other Tolkien books it was very exciting to visit the locations of the films so off we went. First stop was the special effects studio and waiting to greet us was Gollum.

The effects studio was very interesting but you were kept well away from anything that was creative and most of the time spent in a souvenir shop - shame.

From there it was off to the setting of "Rivendell" somewhere I have always wanted visit, even when it only existed in my imagination. On the bus and through Wellington to a park just on the outskirts of town. As it was the beginning of school holidays there were masses of children running around enjoying the park which totally destroyed the grace and beauty the Rivendell was meant to represent - oh well off to the park setting where Frodo crosses the river to get into Rivendell. A beautiful national park about 60 klm out of town and you could visualise the chase scene.

Last stop was the stone mountain of "Helms Deep" and the scene of the epic battle. Well it's a quarry just on the outskirts of town. Peter Jackson apparently bought the quarry for a year and with lots and lots of very clever tricks made it into Helms Deep, unfortunately now it looks like a quarry anywhere.

Off to Christchurch tomorrow.

Hello from the "Isle of Agnes"

Short break from the cruise, just thought you might like an update on what's happening here at the moment.

Agnes has been cut off from the mainland for the last 3 days with both access roads underwater. Bundy - Agnes 3 meters of water and the bridge has suffered massive damage and probably won't open for several weeks. Miriam Vale to Agnes under 2 meters of water and if it stops raining NOW "may " open in 4 - 5 days. Currently there are trees down over the roads between here and town, panic buying has started as people here on holiday realise that it will be here longer than planned and no new supplies can get through.

We have just been informed that 16 really stupid people tried to beat the floods and made a break for Miriam Vale. They got as far as the high ground between the two channels of Baffles creek (6ft over the road) and there they stay. At least most of them were towing vans so they have somewhere to sleep but if this keeps up they will go under and probably have vans and cars washed away.

Last night the deluge continued with 6 inches of rain and the forecast for the next 48 hours is more of the same so things are looking pretty grim for those in tents and living in low lying areas etc.

On a happier note our wine fridge is almost full so we can hang out for another month.

Day 5 and it's Napier

We woke to find that we were parked behind the Rhapsody of the Sea and having the two big ships nose to tail was quite impressive.

We didn't take a tour here as we had the Deco walking tour booklet courtesy of Lyn P so off we headed as soon as breakfast was finished.

This is a very pretty Art Deco city as it was destroyed by earthquake in 1934 (I think) and they had to totally rebuild almost all the central city area. Our first stop was the Napier theatre.

This is a good example of the city architecture. The foyer light fittings and carpets are all original or made to the exact same quality and design as the originals.

The light fitting in the main theatre is breathtaking. This light takes up almost the entire ceiling. The centre section changes colour very slowly so when you look up again it's like a whole new fitting. As with most of these great buildings the locals had to fight to save it from developers who wanted something "nice and new".

The lights in the foyer are a treat. Never seen anything like it in a deco building - so modern but original.
I can't possibly show you all the deco buildings as there are 93 in the CBD but if you ever get the chance to do Napier it is well worth a look.

In true sailing style Napier put on a 30's brass band to play us away. Complete with vintage cars and people in costume to wave us away. I was concerned that the band might just play "Nearer my god to thee" as we sailed away but thank god they didn't.

Room with a view

Everyone knows we are now back on terra firma and that all the cruise updates are running two weeks behind but I will do my best to cover most things that happened on the trip.

Day three

Still making our way across the "ditch" and the captain announces that there is a serious viral outbreak onboard and that the whole ship is going onto "Red Alert" to try and combat this outbreak. Of course when you have almost 2000 people with various ailments then you can only expect that hi-gene is easily compromised. Bingo, I came down with the lergy. Quarantine for 48 hours in my cabin. The advantages were that I had the cleanest cabin onboard which was cleaned 3 times a day by people in masks, goggles and large spray bottles. It did also mean that room serviced knew their way to C345 and that drinks and food (all except my dinner on night two which they totally forgot) were bought to me. They also very kindly did all my laundry FOC.

This of course included our stay in Auckland. Pictured above is all I got to see of Auckland and the people that lived in the apartments on the dock were very very happy to see us sail as I spent all day sitting on the balcony watching them LOL.

Day four 
Off to Rotarua to see some old geysers. The boat moored approximately 100klms away at a placed called Tarasomething which is on the east coast and very pretty holiday destination for most north islanders. We bussed it down to the geyser national park and had lunch on top of a scenic hill overlooking the town.  This was our first real experience of a lot of very overweight people stampeding to the buffet, not a pretty picture. The lunch also included the compulsory Maori song and dance show.

Champagne pool, very pretty with lots of colour. Most of the colour is the result of the very high levels of arsenic. The water temp here is 200 degrees. Great for doing the dishes.

One ol' geyser with another.

Barry Manilow in concert AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHH

Just like the "Love Boat" Barry gets a free ride. We went up to the top deck where all the pools etc hang out and on the big screen was Barry in full swing, it took us nearly a week to go back up there LOL

Smooth sailing ahead LOL

Well this was the sight on leaving Melbourne, but it didn't last for long. The cruise up the bay was graceful but as soon as we got out of the heads on came the wind and waves. Day two and three was responsible for a lot of sickness on board. Walking frames, wheel chairs and walking sticks laying scattered all over the place and the smell of cleaning agents permeated everywhere - very romantic LOL.

The onboard entertainment was getting a beating as those of us that could walk were still in need of distractions so the lounges, library, games rooms nightclub and various bars all got a good work out.

More tomorrow...............

Oh this is so not a good look.

Welcome to the cruise and this is the first sight that greeted us at the dock. I guess it means we get new bedding lol. The departure day was a typical Melbourne day with gales and lashings of rain and just about everyone waiting in line to go through customs etc got totally drowned.

More pics etc when we get to Auckland tomorrow as the price of internet time here is piracy LOL

Finally

Everything is in flux LOL. Yesterday we packed off 75 packages with Allied Pickfords to be dropped at Agnes sometime in January. We kept back the clarice, glassware and Gleesons to take ourselves and even Febe hitched a ride with us. The ladies are all packed and travelling by truck so Febe should consider himself very special. Will look quiet funny driving up the highway with him in the back LOL.

Sail tomorrow and can't wait. I think we have both moved on from being Melbourians and will be very happy to be on the move or back home at Agnes.

Called into the hotel last night and it just seemed sad, no more bad feelings just sad. The tree is causing a lot of trouble in the back yard and it was hinted that it might meet a nasty fate sometime in the near future. As usual the floors, doors and fixtures are moving all over the place and the landlord is being less than helpful - sound familiar? - aaaah memories LOL.



Updates from the high seas

What a week,

Melbourne is working true to form. On Thursday we headed out to do some shopping and it was pelting rain so we madly ran to Woolies to get a brolly. Off to Myer for some bits and pieces and when we came out brilliant sunshine and cooking hot LOL. Off to DFO at South Wharf and a wonderful stroll along the river before heading in to get some clothes for the trip and when we came out it was the end of the world. Black clouds, raindrops the size of eggs and lots and lots of Thor and Zeus action.  Off for a late lunch with Tom at the Steak and Veg on Southbank and watched the weather change every half hour, oh we must be back in Melbourne.

Yesterday Agnes (Home) got slammed with 300ml of rain and is cut off from the world. Gladstone also got hammered and the airport is shut down and most roads apart from the highway are closed, glad we're down here.

Yesterday we started making plans for the trip home with the glassware and china only to find that Budget, Avis, Hertz etc are ALL on STOP sale for one way rentals anywhere let alone to Gladstone or Bundy. Even with our contacts at Budget we couldn't get anything. Panic starting to rumble just below the surface as I realised that we could very well be stranded here in Melbourne and we are hosting xmas day lunch up in Agnes.

Denise to the rescue, I told her our dilemma and being someone that won't be beaten she headed off on the web and found us a small 4wd at Europcar so now we can get home. Tks D.

Calendar of events is starting to fill with dinner tonight with Noddy and Paul, Lunch up at Warby tomorrow, Monday packing day with the removalists and us taking the extra stuff to the auction rooms, Tuesday Lunch with D and D, dinner with Mc B and Marie and finally Wednesday Lunch with Julie and Bailey and then we sail for a rest LOL.

We're NOT in Kansas anymore

A room with a city view LOL. We made it down south again and it's a very strange feeling being here, it's almost like coming home except we don't have one .

The trip from Gladstone was on a Dash 8 and the security at Gladstone International airport was stifling, well maybe that is an overstatement - there was none. Brisbane on the other hand was over the top as only Brisbane can be. I got the works including the explosive residue tests and was secretly hoping that Walker had touched my bag at some stage just to see what would happen.

Melbourne is sunny and 24 and last night we headed out to have dinner at a Greek restaurant in Lonsdale st, by the time we had finished we were very happy that we had jumpers with us. Today is the start of getting things organised for the move up north.

Hans just saw a cross to Zurich, - GET RID OF THAT WHITE STUFF BEFORE WE GET THERE.

Only a mother could love this one

Our collection of exotic creatures continues to grow daily with new discoveries under every bush LOL. We have just had three days of rain and that has bought a whole new mix of critters around seeking high ground and even though we welcome visitors warmly, there are limits LOL.

We are off to Melbourne on the weekend and it will be great to catch up with everyone for xmas.  Stay tuned for the next trip which kicks off on the 8th with the cruise around the "Land of the long white cloud" so lots of pics and hopefully daily updates again.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA   GET ME OUT OF HERE

A non paying passenger. Luckily Ron was also on board and saved the day by removing the freeloader to the nearby bush. You can see by the pic that he was large, very large. 

Below is  something you don't want to see when you live in the bush. A fire.

Luckily it was a "controlled burn off" and we all have heard the stories of those things going very very wrong. These pics were taken from my bedroom and I spent all last night fire spotting as it kept burning and spotting all night.

What's green and hiding ..................

I guess when you are a wee bit small it comes in very handy to disappear into the local foliage.  When I was out in the garden yesterday I found this little fellow on a Banksia leaf and wondered why prop there ? it seemed a precarious place to nap, but little did I know what was on the prowl.

Godzilla

was out and hungry, so I guess it makes perfect sense to blend in.

It's a family Garden

The last 24 hours has been rain and more and more rain and it is coming in "dump" mode LOL. This morning at breakfast the rain eased off and 3 pretty faced wallabies came into the garden for their breakfast. They stuck around for most of the morning and then another dump occurred and they took off for dryer places.

Just before lunch we were out in the garden and the resident roos dropped in for their lunch nibble and we got our first sight of a new member. We had suspected that the little family group was expanding and today we got the proof. As you can see it was two for lunch.

but eventually the temptation two explore the surrounds won out and out popped joey.

But like any self respecting joey the adventure of romping through wet grass didn't appeal and back into the pouch it went.

There here!!!!!!!

Walking along the beach yesterday and we found these tracks in the sand !!!!!! someone driving a tractor out of the surf? an invasion by the Indonesians ? Boat people ? Lost Kiwi's ? all wrong.

The Turtles are here.

The season has started and so far at least 5 turtles have made it up on China beach to lay their eggs. Apparently it is very early for them and is usually a sign that the wet is going to be long and wild LOL. Gary (neighbour) has suggested that we get involved in the process of keeping track of them and we probably will do it. It means an eco course at Rocky for 5 days and lots of walking along the beach at night but it sounds like a great thing to help out with.

At last it's raining,

After weeks of threats about the weather last night the rain arrived and a welcome sight it was. We have been very busy over the last couple of weeks with visitors dropping in helping us to explore the surrounds and encouraging us to drink too much.

As well as the in-house visitors we have also had the locals at Sunrise over for drinks and meals and of course there was the Melbourne Cup luncheon. The locals are starting to get a bit suspicious because Ron has now won the betting on the Grand Final and the sweep for the Melbourne Cup. I think they are beginning to wonder about the organisation of these events LOL.

Only a couple of weeks before we head off to Melbourne to finally organise the transport of the rest of our gear from Melbourne. We should have everything up here early new year and then will finally feel totally at home.

We're back (from outer space)

Jonathon (Mac) is back and working beautifully so we are finally back in touch with the world. We headed off to Brisbane last Saturday for Denise's 50th party which was at the Plough Inn on the Southbank. Neither of us had been to Brisbane for 35 years so it was quite a different town that we drove into. Freeway madness, lots of skyscrapers but it still has a big country town attitude LOL.

Sunday was a wee bit slow as the heads were not great, so off to the Valentino dress exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art. As you probably guessed there were lots of women and very very very few blokes, but that didn't stop us wandering around ooooh and aaaarrring with the best of them LOL.

Really the exhibition is amazing and if you ever get the chance to see these fab clothes do it. From there we headed over to the rivercat and spent the next two hours wandering along the Brisbane River.

Along the way we came across some bowling friends so dropped in for a chat (Pic) always time for a billy tea with friends LOL.

The trip along the river was quite an eye opener. We had no idea that there was so much development along the river. Thousands of apartments, one on top of the other. The Jacs were in full bloom which made the river banks very colourful and hid some of the concrete LOL.

After the cruise we ended up at Kingsleys restaurant at the Riverside and what a great find that was. Overall a pleasant trip to the city. From there it was off to the Brass coast for a night to catch up with Di and the local gossip. Yesterday (Tuesday) was spent on the road as the trip home was 7 hours. Waiting for us as we drove in was another orchid out in flower. AAAAAHHHHHH it's sooooo good to be home.

Sorry Mac is in hospital, hopefully back this weekend will update the blog then -da

Good morning from the not so sunny central coast. I suppose by now most of you know that south east Qld has been getting hammered by rain and severe storms which have caused flooding and landslides around the sunshine coast. Well the good news is we have missed most of it and only in the last 24 hours have we had any rain and then not much, but the winds !!!!!!!!!!! they get your attention.

On the critter front things keep getting more and more interesting. Last night was our first green frog (very cute), several lace monitors and Ron saw his first giant frill neck lizard. I also staggered onto the world's biggest spider as I was crossing from one house to the other the other night. He would have been about 10 - 12 inches across and I am not sure who got the biggest fright LOL. If you know how I get on with spiders you will surprised that I am still alive LOL.

Almost all of the little annoying things have now been fixed, we have a washing machine with an on/off button that works, a dish washer that has an on switch, solar panels that are finally pumping back into the grid, flood lights on the pool deck and the decks have all been oiled. Ron and I have also stained the outside furniture and it all looks great.

The garden is coming along heaps and bounds. So far 24 grevillea (yellow, pink and red), several banksia, ferns, local grasses, a couple of tiny Blackboys and now some orchids have all been planted. The herb garden on the other hand has been decimated by the local bush turkeys, bloody things.

Our resident kookaburras are expecting and are very happy to let the world know at 4.30am each day how the long awaited hatching is going LOL.

It's very sad...........

Almost reminds you of a teenagers bedroom, doesn't it LOL, but someone is still celebrating.

For the first time in 3 weeks we have the house back to ourselves, it has been great having all the visitors but now we can get those annoying bits fixed. We are making headway with things like the washing machine, dish washer, gas certificate (so we can get some more gas, sort of important) decks are being oiled as I type so we are almost finished.

Plotting and planning the new painting and I promise it will be a much happier subject than the last one. I have entered "Out in 2010" in a competition at the Bendigo Art Gallery so it will be interesting if I make it to the final cut.

For those of you that are interested, it's the Laird's 30th birthday this month and Southern Star (newspaper) have done a big story on it - of course Saunders gets lots of credit LOL LOL LOL LOL and of course we get a passing mention LOL LOL LOL. You can see it online.

Yes I am scared ----less with spiders and the one the size of a dinner plate that greeted me on the landing last night certainly got my attention, but this little fella is fab. I think I might adopt him/her as my new pet.

Guess who's looking at you.......

Just couldn't get past those great eyes, LOL. Well Bailey and Julie have returned down south and the trip home was interrupted with the explosives truck rolling over on the highway and catching fire.  The highway was closed all afternoon and then only one lane all the next day.

But while I was stranded in Rocky I found a fantastic display case at Harvey Normans, marked down from $1600 to $600 because it was ex floor stock, so now the Clarice has somewhere to live when it arrives in Dec.

Dirk and Denise and the local neighbours will be joining us for the Grand Final round 2 so we have been busy getting more sausage rolls and party pies ready. Balloons and streamers all over the place and not a piece of "red" anywhere LOL.

I'm sure there are pixies at the bottom of our garden because the rain stopped and the sun came out and there wonderful highrise homes burst out of the ground.

The planting continues with this hibiscus that has very large white and red flowers. Bailey decided that Ron needed some assistance with the site selection and planting.

Wallen goes "Black and White" for grand final day. Denise and Dirk and some of there friends joined us for the great day. Sausage rolls and party pies were the cuisine of choice and lots of beverage was consumed. By now you probably know that the game was a draw so we do it all again next week. Hope the balloons last LOL.

We have them tooooooooooooooooo

Our local orchids are throwing spikes madly and today started to open up. We have a fallen log in the front yard which has 3 orchids growing in it.

Julie and Bailey arrived Tuesday and it hasn't stopped raining since !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and the forecast for the next week is "RAIN", "Showers" and more "Rain".  At least we are not in the caravan park.

OUT

This will offend some people but this depicts what is happening around the world to gay people by states controlled by religions.

People are shot

Imprisoned

Stoned to death

Hung

All because of the way they love.

More new neighbours

We decided that the weather was so good that a BBQ down at the pool with Caroline and Mark was the order of the day. So we positioned ourselves in one of the treetop huts and look who came to put on a show. First came this couple, a mother and calf and then about half an hour later another pod of 3 or 4 adults appeared swimming from the south and then they did a massive U turn in front of us and headed back south. Great day

I don't think this pic needs any comment other than "We did buy this place because it had a great bush garden" LOL LOL LOL

New neighbours at Sunrise

First off you go see Lord of the Rings and do a tour of a Hobbit house, then you get yourself a very very big truck and put your version of a hobbit house on it.

 Ooops dam, there is this thing called a gate...............

Oh well, let's just have a look at how big that gate really is ......................................

hmmmmmmmmmmm  I don't think this is going to fit, but never fear Supertruck is here.................................

Why don't we just jack up the front and bring it over the gate ..................

Well that's the front in now for the back, up we go ..............

See it's easy, ooops who put that blasted tree in the center of the road !!!!!!!! So a roll to the left

Then a roll to the right...

and we are on our way to...

a home among the gum trees


This was the third piece of the new house that had to be lifted over the gates. This section is the kitchen and lounge area. There was some very anxious moments for the owners, architects and removelists but everything is now on the block waiting to be put back together. Our new neighbours should be at home in about a month.