Darwin, AUS                                    Friday, Feb 26, 2016 (2 pm local time)

Yesterday we visited Darwin, at the “Top End” of Australia. Darwin’s proximity to Asia and its position at the top of the outback country give it a very different feel than Brisbane or Sydney; less British history and development, more Aboriginal and Chinese influence through today. The Top End (Northern Territory) has a wet season and a dry one, and they are characterized by extremes in weather, vegetation and animals – everything from monsoons to brush fires in dry season, crocodiles, watefalls, termite mounds and anthills that are as tall as people, rain forests, and feral animals of all types in the outback. The Northern Territory is not populous enough to be a State in Australia, so the Territory is self-governing (unless the federal government overrules it).

We learned a lot about Darwin’s history, which started when telegraph cables were extended underwater and overland throughout the English empire, connecting Australia with the rest of the world. This ability to communicate over the wires allowed Australians in the sparsely populated interior to stay in touch with the developing coastal cities, as well as providing a means for radio-delivered education of children in the interior. Darwin was named after Charles Darwin, by the way.

Darwin is the seat of government for the Northern Territory, and it’s a town with a history of recovering from disasters and starting all over. Darwin was a key base for US military in WWII, and WWII airstrikes from Japan destroyed most of the city, but it was rebuilt. Cyclone Tracy destroyed much of the city in 1974, and an historic airlift of citizens resulted, but the city was rebuilt. The city has a wide and deep harbor, and its location is great for commerce. There are many gardens and parks in the downtown, and the city has been described as “cosmopolitan but casual.”

We toured the Territory WildLife Park yesterday, and saw a very cool bird training session with owls, emu and eagles (Joe will post some pictures).

Darwin’s history includes a lot of activity related to the pearling industry. Interestingly, the pearls were not the first item sought as this industry evolved – the clam shells were (for use in buttons, table utensils and other decorative items). Giant clams were harvested until they nearly became extinct – the shells are 3 or more feet wide.

In recent years, Darwin is seeing an increased US military presence as the US commitment to NATO allies is reinforced. Oddly enough, the port of Darwin has recently been leased to the Chinese government, so that situation will require some careful management of US activity.

We are now in the Timor Sea on our way to Bali. The air and sea are both 88F/31C, and the humidity is very high. There are phenomenal lighting displays at night, and we expect some rain today.

Hope all is well with you – Best, MA

Sunday in the Whitsunday Islands, AUS                Feb. 21, 2016

Early this morning our ship anchored in the Whitsunday Islands, off the northeastern coast of Australia, and we took a smaller boat from Hamilton Island to explore the Whitsunday passage. This area is magnificent, and it’s hard to find the words to describe how this small area on a map is so tremendously vast and beautiful. The Whitsunday Islands are 74 volcanic islands that stretch out over an area of about 200 miles. The Islands are about 40 km west of the great barrier reef (that coral reef that is so large it can be seen from space), and 7 of the 74 islands are developed (but only lightly developed). They are named in honor of Whitsunday, aka Pentecost. The islands are almost entirely national parks/conservation areas (land or marine), but development takes place through land leases.

Hamilton Island is home to several very posh resorts, a beautiful marina filled with nice yachts, and an airport. Nearby Dent Island has a golf course that appears to be somewhat challenging. Looks like these are fine places to go if you want a really exclusive vacation.

We cannot stop thinking of how Captain James Cook (who discovered these islands in the 1770s) must have marveled that as far as his eyes could see, there were high forested mountains (Huon Pine trees grow out of the rocks along the shore and up the hills), beautiful beaches, safe coves and harbors, and such potential for the land. Captain Cook found Aboriginal people in these islands, as well as kangaroos, as he navigated the coral reef and claimed the islands for His Majesty King George III.

What continues to amaze us on this trip is how vast the Pacific Ocean is, and how intrepid early sailors must have been to venture out to find new lands. Very brave folks with a great sense of adventure!

Best,

MA

Brisbane, AUS (“Brizzy” to the locals)

Feb. 19, 2016

We visited Brisbane yesterday, and saw another penal colony success story, a’ la Sydney. Brisbane is north of Sydney, still on Australia’s east coast, and it’s about half the population of Sydney (approx. 2 million, vs. 4 million in Sydney). It’s got a beautiful wide river that snakes through the city, and a lot of modern construction (commercial and residential) surrounds the classic old buildings from about 180 years ago. The Australians are quick to remind Americans that our USA history post-independence is twice as long as this newer country’s.

Brisbane has a very large new cultural center on the south bank of the river, with spaces for performing arts, visual arts and museums – it’s architecture is clean and functional, like Lincoln Center. We saw a range of upcoming performers, shows and exhibits that was tremendous.  But of course Brisbane is the town where the Bee Gee brothers grew up, so maybe music is just in the air here.  In March, the World Science Festival will be held in Brisbane.

Joe will likely post some great pictures of Brisbane, and a few of mine accompany this post. Brisbane is another town that is worth a second look, in our view; lots to see and do, amid a beautiful setting with many botanic gardens and natural green spaces.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Best,

MA

Day 2 in Sydney                                                                    Feb 17 2016 4pm

Another lovely day in Sydney – weather was breezy, sunny, dry and warm.   We left the ship early, and took a short tour of Sydney’s Rocks District. This is the area near Sydney Harbour where the “First Fleet” landed in 1788; 11 ships carrying 776 prisoners (male and female, mostly convicted of theft and other non-violent crimes). Since the USA had declared its independence from England, another location had to be found so that England could rid itself of troublemakers, and Oz was just the place.

These prisoners were transported to Australia during a period of 80 years (over 162,000 people). They had the opportunity in most cases to work and earn their freedom. Many elected to stay in Oz because the prospects for work and success were greater than in England, and the Australian social system was more forgiving than the British social system (you didn’t need to be born into the elite classes in Oz, you had the chance to succeed on your own merit). This independence and self-reliance are still cherished traits here in Australia.

So the First Fleet lands, and in 10 days the sandstone hills (the “Rocks”) around part of the harbor are cut and assembled by the male convicts into buildings to house the convicts (women and children were allowed off the ships once housing was ready for them). Over time, the Rocks area develops and grows into a huge slum, before it is redeveloped with proper plumbing and other systems. Many of the streets and buildings from the 1800s are still in use (after their modernization), and the area is filled with boutique shops, restaurants and pubs, offices and residences.

We visited the first Anglican Church in Sydney, which has three entrances: one for soldiers, one for the convicts, and one for the free settlers.

We learned a lot of history today about the development of Australia, including the explorers who discovered the land in the mid-late 1600s, Captain Cook’s arrival in 1770 and his discovery of fresh water near the Sydney Harbour, the gold rush of 1850, the various British governors (including Macquarie, whose vision for Sydney’s future led him to create Australian currency, and whose name now graces one of Australia’s large financial institutions), how the Aboriginal people (in Oz since 28,000 BC) were dealt with, and how eventually the Commonwealth of Australia was established in 1901. By the way, the coat of arms of the Commonwealth includes 2 endemic animals (the emu and the red kangaroo), chosen because they are unable to walk backwards, and must therefor go forward, as the nation will.

We also visited Sydney’s downtown area – bustling with business, shops, restaurants, etc.  It’s filled with people but doesn’t feel overly crowded, despite construction that blocks some walkways and rush hour traffic.  A very vibrant downtown with harbor views and lots of green space – very enjoyable.

We are resisting posting 1000 pictures of the Opera House, but it is an attractive target for the camera. We’ll try to find some interesting ones tomorrow, when there is time because we are at sea, on our way to Brisbane.

Hope all goes well with you.

Best,

MA

Sydney, Aus (“Oz”)                                         Tuesday Feb 16, 2016 6:30 pm

Well, we made it to Australia, the place we wanted to see so much, and the reason we are on this cruise. We arrived this morning in Sydney at about 5 am, and it was magical – the sun was not yet up, the sky was dark but getting rosy, and the shoreline of Sydney Harbour was aglow in lights from the beautiful buildings, bridges and boats that we could see from our room. Think of seeing your favorite city skyline just before dawn, and that’s the way our day

started. It was a bit dreamy, and those iconic Sydney images (the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House) are just as lovely as they appear when you see them on postcards.

So, after about 14 hours in Oz, we can officially say that we love it.   Sydney is like the best of all familiar western great cities – London, New York, Chicago, San Francisco – it has great old places and elegant new places; it makes the most of being on the water; it is well organized and very clean; there are people here from all over the earth; and of course the local accent is the best!

We spent the morning heading north and east through Sydney suburbs to the Featherdale Wildlife Park, which was terrific. We saw tons of gorgeous and colorful birds, and lots of animals endemic to Oz: kangaroos, billikins, wallabies, wombats, Tasmanian devils (who run around in circles as if they are possessed, and are very funny to watch), emus, platypuses, dingos, cassawaries, crocs and other reptiles and, of course, koalas. There was also a porcupine kind of animal that has a name I cannot recall. It was all very interesting and we learned a lot. But it was crowded, as the lunar new year is here, and many visitors from Asia are celebrating in Oz.

Mid-day we ambled about the Sydney Harbour and then took a tour of the Opera House – what an interesting and pretty building. Its history was new to us – there was an international competition for the design, and the lead judge was late to arrive for the selection of the winning design. The other judges showed him their short list of finalists and he asked to see the “rejects.” From that group of rejects the winning design was selected.

A Danish architect (Jorn Utzon, 38 years old at the time) created the design based on spherical concepts, though his father’s influence as a naval architect probably was felt. The architect could not confirm that his design was sound from an engineering point of view, but the committee selected the design nonetheless and put engineers on the project to make it happen. The construction was well over budget and greatly delayed, and the opera house eventually was opened in 1973. The considerable debt to build it was erased in 18 months by a state lottery game. Before his death, Mr. Utzon was one of only 2 living architects ever to learn that his creation was deemed a UNESCO world heritage site. In more recent years, the architect’s son has cooperated with the Oz government and has overseen renovations and changes (for example, making the Opera House accessible to people with disabilities).

The Opera House is a lovely structure inside and out, and it gets a workout – not only do Australian opera companies and ballet companies perform regularly, but it hosts performers from all over the world.  Today we saw signs for an upcoming show by Prince, and one by former Beach Boy Brian Wilson. We had the good luck today to hear part of a rehearsal by the strings for a Beethoven concert – the sound in the hall was tremendous.

On a different note: Joe’s had enough of my “suggestions” about good pictures for this blog, so last night he bought a little point and shoot camera for me. I didn’t bring a camera with me on this trip because I really wanted to absorb things without trying to create a record of it all, especially since Joe has all the expertise and good gear.  But enough was enough, and now I have my own camera. That means I’ll probably put up some pix on this blog, which will be amateurish, but maybe will add something of interest. We can only hope….

Tomorrow starts the second leg of our tour – one more day in Sydney and then a lot of stops around the east coast of Oz before we get to Indonesia (Komodo Island and Bali).

Hope you are all had a nice long weekend, and are doing well.

Best,

MA

New Caledonia                                                          Sat. Feb 13, 2016 4pm local time

Yesterday and today we visited 2 islands that are part of New Caledonia (NC has 4 large islands and many smaller ones). NC was discovered by the Brits but later became a French territory. (Caledonia was the old name for Scotland, hence the New Caledonia name.) France used the large island of Grande Terre as a penal colony in the mid-1800s, and convicts built much of the island’s infrastructure. Grande Terre was the South Pacific headquarters for the US military during WWII.

As with many other islands in the South Pacific, early migrations from Africa and then from China provided the forerunners of the indigenous peoples, but New Caledonia is slightly different because the African/Chinese background is melded with European influences and more recent and current French ties.

New Caledonia sits on a large portion of the world’s nickel reserves (nickel is used to make stainless steel, among other things), and the nickel is mined in a cooperative arrangement with several other countries. New Caledonia is still heavily forested (pine trees and coconut palms are everywhere). The locals are enjoying the benefits of mining nickel, but wary of the long-term environmental results.

New Caledonia is surrounded by a coral barrier reef, so the entire country is effectively one large lagoon of over 9000 square miles. The water colors run the gamut, and Joe will try to post some pictures that provide a sense of how vivid and clear the water is.

Yesterday we anchored off of the small island of Mare’ and enjoyed a nice visit to a lovely beach and small town. Mare’ is home to 7000 people (29 tribal villages, with chieftains), and is largely undeveloped (by that I mean that there are roads and elements of the modern world, but still a lot of trees and forests between the small settlements. The beach we visited had a few rustic beach bars, and there were a number of shuttle vans to collect people from the local dock and get them to the most popular beaches. I noticed a lot of satellite dishes at residences, and large bins for residential trash pickup that look like anything you’d see in NJ or elsewhere.

Today was different – we docked in Noumea on Grande Terre, a busy modern port, and it looked like we were back in Honolulu. The City has a population of 100,000 (there are about 270,000 on the entire island of Grande Terre), and is a sophisticated city where French influence is strong. The French government has an unusual power sharing arrangement with the locals in New Caledonia, and there are provisions to harmonize French and EU rules with local and tribal customs and practices. NC is considering a resolution to declare itself independent of France, but apparently this is a decision that the New Caledonians are finding difficult, as France supports the territory strongly.

We visited the Botanic Gardens in Noumea and saw a lot of beautiful plants, birds, peacocks, iguanas, etc. Hopefully Joe will post some pictures that he deems worthy of your view.

One last note – we had a chance to chat with the Hotel Director of the ship the other evening, and he was telling us about some of the logistics of taking care of 1000 guests over an extended period of time – definitely harder than planning a dinner party! He also told us that in many of these smaller port stops, the local chieftains have welcoming ceremonies and gifts are exchanged. In Mare’ Island, the captain of our ship received an enormous wooden spear – not exactly what we might think of bringing to a visitor….

Happy St. Valentine’s Day to you all!

Best,

MA

Just a note about cannibalism, in case you are interested.  Our guide in Fiji told  us that the reason cannibalism was practiced in Fiji was because of the belief that if you did not consume the person you wanted to kill (your rival or enemy), that person’s spirit  would just be transferred to his sibling, child, other close living person.   So you had to consume to get rid of the bad spirit.

MA