2009. DECEMBER CRUISE AUSTRALIA-NEW ZEALAND

December, 2009 Sydney and Auckland stayovers. Cruise Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand (1st time Down Under) (3 weeks)

Problems with internet (v e r y s l o w) on board Princess Diamond--and a certain lethargy--prevents daily blogging so Reuel determines to display some representative photos when downloading is opportune.

Princess diamond Itinerary.

December 22, Aukland NZ

December 21, Tauranga NZ.

December 20, At Sea

December 19, Lyttleton (Christchurch) NZ

December 18 Port Chalmers (Dunedin) NZ

December 17, Fjordland (Cruising)

December 16 At Sea

December 15 (At Sea)

December 14 Hobart (Tasmania) AUS

December 13 (At Sea)

Special Pub lunch. Bangers and Mash for Reuel and Ploughman's supper for Bob at The Savoy for lunch--accompanied by Guiness of course. We're beginning to think that the food and service on board is really quite fine--so unlike our memory of the Princess Regal cruise around Asia. Much to do onboard--we pass up Ceramics at Sea but catch a little of the Special Interest lecture presumably about Aussie culture--but as far as we're concerned about the ineptitude of the speaker; we're there for laughs--Where did they find her? is on everyne's lips--a travel agent and motivational speaker who knows nothing about Australia but a lot about her daughters--or so we learned on an earlier "lecture". Reuel catches some of the cocktauil demo--anything to sell sell sell, but then these cruises are largely about abetting the consumeristic impulses of the passengers and we can plead Guilty with Pleasure. Bob catches a snatch of a bad movie--Angerls and Demons--then off to a wine tasting and another session of meeting the LGBT'ers aboard.

 December 10. Sydney/Princess diamond. It's time to leave Sydney. We purchase our liquor for in-suite cocktails from our now familiar and chatty wine merchant--who tells us we won't be treated as criminals for doing so on the Princess line. Wheel our luggage from the hotel past the Aboriginals and their mournful, spooky diggery do melodyizing's on the harbour to the Overseas Passenger Terminal a few blocks away. And everything--lo and behold--passes smoothly. Beautiful--huge ship, 2600 passemgers--great mini-suite with a separate sitting room and large balcony. Our steward Briccio--an 18 year veteran of the seas from the Phillipines of course--greets us as Doctors (Reuel indicated we were on the forms and so we will be for the duration though we will fail to attend the Doctors and Nurses get together later on. We tour our new home--this confusing behemoth--note that the staff are putting up Christmas decorations--more Christmas than we found in sydney, much motre focussed on NYE (New year's eve). We note many wonderful places to drink and have our martini's (to filch the glasses for our in room libations--a trick we learned from that veteran of cruises Brian--the server, Francisco, performs magic tricks and balances our glasses on his forehead--more than we expected with our simple order. this will be fun. We say bywe to the Opera house--now looking magnificent and iconic in the evening and plunge into the world of the ship by attending the Welcome Aboard show, cruise director simon--rolly poly comic introducing hios crew--snippets from the singer dancers, a very hetero/slick comedian--that will be the challenge, dealing with that set of expectations--where's the wife?--and finding our own good time--(we will as it turns out)--and then g'night.

December 9, Sydney. At the Opera--dressed up--Reuel gets to inaugurate his new lime green jacket--a nice cocktail at the very busy opera cafe, the place apparently for all youn Sydney to meet. There are dozens of these restaurants along the harbour--all expensive. But it's neat having drinks and gazing out over the harbour at sunset. We see a roue feeling up the leg of the older woman he's with. HJow louche. To the sublime: We see/hear Haydn's Creation. Follow the libretto. Adam and eve still happy in this famous version. Very well done--pleasure in having seats (planned months in advance) over the orchestra--and chorus. Afterwards a cafe band playing Let's Get Phydical without much enthusiasm.

December 9.Wednesday. Sydney. Reuel swims again 6-ish. Breakfast again (we're natives) at Brew. Waiter remembers Reuel gets Chai and Bob "flat" coffee. Reuel's Muesli and fruit and yogurt is exceptional (really). We foot it to the Contemporary Museum--small collection--some modern Aboriginal art. Next: Royal Botanic gardens--exotic (at least to us) birds just wandering aroundlots of viney fig-type trees. Next stop: Art gallery of NSW. Very big--impressive collections ranging from19th Century Aussie to contemporary to Asian. We decide to lunch--Japanese--andbottleofwine--at the Victoria arcade--indoor mall, actually incredible 19th c. edifice renovated at 70 million--comparable and more ornate than Moscow's famous GUM department store (name dropper). Not much Xmas in this city--a few displays. The big thing seems to be NYE (New Year's Eve) preparations. Note of Sydney. Very much like Seattle--sorry--a city of similar age--at least from point of view of the white man.

December 8, Sydney. Reuel gets to swim in hotel's outdoor pool--warm jacuzzi. After breakfast at Brew--excellent and decent value--comparably--recomended by Princess cruises lady at the hotel. Although we're "independent"as she puts it, this hotel is being used by Princess passengers--she claims she's lonely, few cruisers--hmm. Time for our hop-on, hop-off. Quite a good tour, lasting all day, of Sydney and Bondi Beach, the high point. We get to walk cliffside. One American girlstops usto say it's the most beautiful thing she's ever seen. Quite. An old Aus. man stops to tell me about a grafitti memorialI'm photographing. Everywhere Ausisare friendly and open. Lunch at a rest/bar we on the window adjacent to gorgeous bay watching the passing--young--scene. Evening scope out the iconic opera house (never realized the facade is tile) and bustling waterfront area. Martinis in the now-familiar hotel bar.


December 5-7 . San Diegoto Sydney, Aus. Thank goodness it's an evening flight. Time to prepare--last minute bills, business memos, etc. Commuter flight to LA. Seemingly endless corridors to our gate. Then jumbo (United)jet to Sydney.Luck out with exit aisle seats. Loads of legroom. Bob-a radiologist-sits next to Reuel, who is one of few on the plane who cannot sleep and must endure mediocre films--although one --a cartoon about an old man (voice of Ed Asner)and a boy is touching about old age, depndency, expectations, the usual important stuff.Reuel sniffles as Bobsnores. Conversations with the old doctor--a RickWarren fundamentalist--about health care. He of course thinks doctors are underpaid. Everyone has a dog in this fight.

Four Seasons Sydney is 70's luxe with those 4 Season's details to satisfy rich people (wish we were, especially considering that Aus prices are high and the USdollar is low--oh Wormwood,wormwood). We Drink while our room is being prepared--not huge but nifty view out over the Opera/harbourwhich is theidea of course. We wander the neighborhood--absolutely central to harbour and the Rocks area.Take the ferry to Manly--great weather--lovely lunch at Hugo's, chatty, friendly maitre d'--overlooking bay. pizza margherita--they claim it's world's best. Later sandwiches, wine in our room. Ambien helps correct wacky sleep patterns.