Solstice Live: Australia/NZ/Hawaii, Many Pix’s, Jan. 20-Feb. 3

[TLCOhio]

Good news, our flight departing Honolulu to Dallas/Ft. Worth is an hour late. That means departing at 7 pm, not 6 pm. Every extra hour helps!! Perfect weather day on the Big Island, plus, now as we wait at the Honolulu airport for our American Airlines flight. Below are a couple of my pictures to illustrate why we would much rather stay here rather than go back to Central Ohio.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 161,297 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

Here is where we were this morning on the Big Island at the pools of the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort. I used my Nikon AW110 waterproof camera (last used at Great Barrier Reef) to capture these fun images. Tested all three pools, did the waterslide downward, etc. It's hard work to test and check out such locations. It was another perfect weather today!!:

 

 

 

[Essexlass2]

Oooh Terry, I wanna be there instead of here in cold, wet and windy UK.

 

Thanks for taking us all along on your travels with you. We've had a ball! :D

[cruzingrama]

As one from the Solstice from the 'witness protection program' I would like to say that I was very happy to meet you on the ship and then 'bump' into you and Penny on the street in Aukland. I have finally found time, after the laundry was done, to check in on CC and found your blog.

What a treat to see your lovely pictures? I especially enjoyed them because they were mostly places where I didn't go! Brought back many good memories of a fabulous trip. I certainly hope we have the opportunity to 'travel' with you again,

 

Lynette

[riclop]

Thanks for your detaied review and pictures.

[TLCOhio]

As one from the Solstice from the 'witness protection program' I would like to say that I was very happy to meet you on the ship and then 'bump' into you and Penny on the street in Aukland. I have finally found time, after the laundry was done, to check in on CC and found your blog. What a treat to see your lovely pictures? I especially enjoyed them because they were mostly places where I didn't go! Brought back many good memories of a fabulous trip. I certainly hope we have the opportunity to 'travel' with you again, Lynette

 

riclop: Thanks for your detaied review and pictures.

 

Essexlass2: Oooh Terry' date=' I wanna be there instead of here in cold, wet and windy UK. Thanks for taking us all along on your travels with you. [b']We've had a ball![/b]

 

Appreciate the nice follow-up and comments from Lynette. YES, it was fun to meet and see so many from these CC boards. The challenge/bad news? Not enough time on the ship and/or during shore tours to spend much time with the many other fine folks on our cruise. It was busy, busy!! So much to do and see, both on the ship and on shore, pre and post, etc. Glad to hear the added comments from riclop and our great UK friend.

 

Our three flights from Kona on the Big Island, Honolulu to DFW and Columbus all worked well. Luggage arrived fine. Got showered at the Admiral Club at DFW after our red-eye flight from Hawaii. Felt better. Got to watch the Captain Phillips film with Tom Hanks. Good flick. Lots of interesting ship's bridge action. Our friend picked us up at the airport, but our steep drive-way for our ravine home was covered in deep snow. Had to trudge up in the snow, get my keys to my four-wheel drive Honda Pilot, drive down, get our luggage, drive back up, etc. Got our two lab dogs, Roxie and Rudy, later in the afternoon. Weather good news? It's has been super sunny here, both yesterday afternoon and today. That helps!! Watched last night an episode of Downtown Abbey, then a solid eight-plus hours of sleep. Need to head downtown to my office, get ready for a Board meeting tomorrow, two TV gigs to do on Friday, etc.

 

This live/blog is now over 26,400 views. Glad so many have tuned-in. Will have many more pictures to post and other travel "holes" to fill in/share. Finally back to having a little more time to finish reviewing many of the thousands of pictures taken. Much more to come!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now over 133,769 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[emileg]

This was one amazing blog, Terry. Along with sjayo and quilter06, we are on the Jan 4, 2015 cruise. You have no idea how much your information and pictures meant to us. A sincere thank you. Glad you had amazing travels and are back home safe and sound.

Edited February 11, 2014 by emileg

[TLCOhio]

This was one amazing blog, Terry. Along with sjayo and quilter06, we are on the Jan 4, 2015 cruise. You have no idea how much your information and pictures meant to us. A sincere thank you. Glad you had amazing travels and are back home safe and sound.

 

Appreciate this kind and helpful feed-back. Glad to be of help. Will have much more to post here in the coming week or two. Feel free to ask any questions. Glad you and others are planning ahead to research and prepare for such a trip in this area. Lots of great options to consider.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

If Venice is one of your future desires or past favorites, you might look at this earlier posting that I did on the Italy board that shows many options and visual potentials for this city that is so great for "walking around", personally sampling the great history and architecture. This posting has now had 33,177 views and I appreciate those who have dropped by and tuned in.

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

[boingy300]

Yes Terry this has been great as we plan our 2016 cruise, same course I hope (sans Hawaii due to work schedule). I've also enjoyed your Venice review! I really appreciate that you took us along. I'm so glad you did the bridge climb too! (Sorry I missed it originally).

Karen

[jpres]

Terry just finished reading your blog. Loved it and your pics. I am having cruise withdrawl. Hope to meet again one day on the sea. 😌

 

Sandra

[kbert92069]

Loving your trip report and all the fabulous photos. We are planning this same trip next month and are looking forward to hearing more about your Celebrity excursion to Queenstown when you have time to fill in travel details. We value your thoughts/review/photos to help us decide whether to include it ourselves.

[scubacruiserx2]

Thanks Terry we're looking forward to more great visuals and a full report. Have you ever thought to yourself " where do Australians vacation " ? Well we found out on our cruise to South America and Patagonia in December. The ship was filled with Aussies ,Germans ,Japanese , Russians and a few North Americans. For more pictures and a full review.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1958814

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TLCOhio]

Thanks Terry we're looking forward to more great visuals and a full report. Have you ever thought to yourself "where do Australians vacation " ? Well we found out on our cruise to South America and Patagonia in December. The ship was filled with Aussies ,Germans ,Japanese , Russians and a few North Americans. For more pictures and a full review.

 

kbert92069: Fabulous journal. Loving your trip report and all the fabulous photos. We are planning this same trip next month and are looking forward to hearing more about your Celebrity excursion to Queenstown when you have time to fill in travel details. We value your thoughts/review/photos to help us decide whether to include it ourselves.

 

jpres: Terry just finished reading your blog. Loved it and your pics. I am having cruise withdrawl. Hope to meet again one day on the sea. 😌 Sandra

 

boingy300: Yes Terry this has been great as we plan our 2016 cruise' date=' same course I hope (sans Hawaii due to work schedule). I've also enjoyed your Venice review! I really appreciate that you took us along. I'm so glad you did the bridge climb too! (Sorry I missed it originally). Karen [/quote']

 

Appreciate ALL of the added follow-ups and comments. Clearly, the supposed "maintenance" period in the past day shut these CC Board things "down". It is good to be back!!

 

YES to scubacruiserx2, I would love to do some major things around the South America Cape, Antarctica, etc. Kind of torn on whether to do just that Cape tour, see the fjords there . . . OR . . . go all of the way down to Antarctica and do it well with an explorer type of cruise. Choices, choices??!! Plus, Alaska, SE Asia, China, etc., are on the "must do" future want lists. Lots of great options to consider and do in the coming years. Great pictures that you posted on those areas that Aussie like to visit. Thanks for the encouragement and proving why it would be so good.

 

Yes, I will have lots more on our Celebrity excursion to Queenstown. The quick bottom line is to . . . DO IT!! Really interesting and worked well. Just the first stop of going into the rainforest area with its great waterfalls near Milford Sound affirmed that smart choice.

 

On pictures, I did a quick tally. From my new Nikon D7100, I took 7854 pictures. Then with my underwater Nikon AW110, that was a total of 321 pictures. That means a grand total of 8175 pictures taken during this month-long trip. Of course of that massive number, many got blown off quickly as when I was checking on the camera viewer. I could see blurred and/or otherwise unusable images. Then, to preserved hard drive space on my laptop, many of the marginal, duplicate pictures have been eliminated. But, it does mean many, many more images are available than can be posted here. My view/rule is to only post the "best of the best" and those that help share the story, aid other to consider their options for the future, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 161,524 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[Jazzbo]

Terry -- Many thanks for this labor of love. I have thoroughly enjoyed following your fabulous journey. Your photos enhance your narrative, enhance your photos, and your complete enjoyment is infectious! This cruise is now on my bucket list. i also loved your review of the Baltic cruise. We've sailed

Solstice once, and had a wonderful time. Now we're looking forward to a TA on Eclipse -- more shiip, less port-intensive than your cruise, but we're looking forward to it. Cheers! and looking forward to the rest of the story.:)

[TLCOhio]

Terry -- Many thanks for this labor of love. I have thoroughly enjoyed following your fabulous journey. Your photos enhance your narrative, enhance your photos, and your complete enjoyment is infectious! This cruise is now on my bucket list. i also loved your review of the Baltic cruise. We've sailed Solstice once, and had a wonderful time. Now we're looking forward to a TA on Eclipse -- more shiip, less port-intensive than your cruise, but we're looking forward to it. Cheers! and looking forward to the rest of the story.:)

 

Appreciate BOTH the above kind comments on my live/blog . . . AND the patience as I have been "catching up" with work and home duties after arriving back Monday afternoon. Thanks to our "Hawaii stop-over plan", the time zone/sleeping adjustments have been doing fairly well after this long trip 14-16 times zones away. Somewhat caught up now on work issues/needs. AND, most important, with ALL of the snow on the ground in Central Ohio, there has been no wasted time doing silly things such as mowing the lawn, planting flowers, painting the house, etc. How's that for "spin" on having reasons/excuses to deal with the cold and snow??

 

Now with that outside weather and a three-day weekend, I am getting a chance to "catch-up" for the many pictures and details in connection with these postings. Just got done doing an "inventory" for these postings, the pictures shared so far, etc. There have been 263 posts on this thread, of which I did 69 of them. Many of my posts included pictures that I had taken. It totals 204 of my pictures that I have posted here, SO FAR!! Some areas such as Sydney, Hobart/Tasmania, Auckland, Cape Kidnappers, etc., have been fairly well covered. BUT, for many other aspects with certain ports/stops and other options to consider for the future, plus on the ship, more need to be posted. Will be working ahead on those "tasks".

 

Plus, preparing an index on what is where, added details for those we used for certain tours, contacts, etc.

 

This posting is now at 28,368 views. Don't be shy with any questions, suggestions, comments, etc.

 

In checking today, the Wall Street Journal has the Aussie dollar at $0.9033. The New Zealand dollar is at $0.8369. Fortunately for us during our travels, we were at or paying around 88 cents in Australia and 82 cents in NZ for our exchange rates/costs. Not sure if these recent currency upswings are more about our dollar's weakness and/or their rising value improvement.

 

Don't say that you haven't been properly warned that much more in pictures and info will be coming in the next few days.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now over 133,976 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Edited February 15, 2014 by TLCOhio

[TLCOhio]

Now, to start some of the "flood" of added pictures and details for many of our stops where our sailing time was too limited to keep totally current. Needing to sleep is a serious challenge and limitation!!

 

We docked near Tauranga, NZ, very, very early on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 5:30 am and had to be back for ship sail-away at 4:30 pm. Tauranga and its nearby port are "OK", but the real prize is Rotorua. It is a little over an hour away and has great geothermal wonders, plus is the heart of native Maori culture. Our visit included Te Puia for a Maori concert. Rotorua was developed inside a crater and has 16 different lakes with very dramatic scenery, waterfalls and many other wonderful photo opportunities. Some sources call it the top tourism destination for NZ's North Island. Below are the first of four sets of pictures.

 

Cruise ships actually dock at Salisbury Wharf at the Port of Tauranga, which is in the town of Mount Maunganui. Nice mountain there and a cute resort town with lots of retiree living here. Great beaches in this area. It was 7:30 am as the time from tour pick-up in order to be back at the ship by 3:45 pm or so. Our excellent guide was Matt from Grumpy's Transfer's & Tours Ltd. You can reach Robert at this e-mail of: Grumpy@Grumpys.co.nz.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 161,734 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

Our first stop before reaching Rotorua, was this dramatic waterfall that could be seen both from a higher, overall vantage point and then up close to its dramatic action. Very fast, lots of loud sounds!:

 

 

 

 

 

This is one of the many scenic lakes in the Rotorua area. This is the Blue Lake. Right nearby is the Green Lake. Both are wonderful and very inspiring. A narrow strip of land separates these two lakes and provided an excellent vat age point to enjoy these sights. The Green Lake is considered sat Sacred to the Maori people. :

 

 

 

Rotorua sits on a large lake created by a volcano. That volcano is not active now, but the ground under this area still creates lots of "hot action" that is highly visible and can be smelled (sulfur), too. Here is one of the local museums there in what was originally a spa. Second is a picture on these grounds of Government Garden where locals, dressed properly in white, enjoy lawn bowling and other activities. This town seemed very neat and well-organized.:

 

 

 

 

 

In Rotorua in the late 1800's they planted a massive grove of redwood trees from California as a test site. These trees (and the pines from Monterey) grow at a rate about three times faster than in their native areas. Karen is shown here enjoying these redwoods and giving some sense for their size and height after only about a hundred years of growth. These redwood grew well, but the quality of the wood was not as successful as they got from the pines. Log production of these pines is now one of NZ's most successful crops in their fertile soils helped by this volcanic enrichment.:

 

[TLCOhio]

What worked out to be the "star" nearby to Rotorua was the Maori Arts and Cultural Center called Te Puia. Lots of offer, absorb, enjoy and experience here. Natural wonders, culture, history, etc. The Eyewitness NZ book offers two full pages of pictures and details on what's here. Well worth the visit and cost for the admission, plus the performance in the Wahiao Meeting House.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now over 133,976 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

At Te Puia, here are some examples of the large wood carvings, flax being prepared and woven, a resulting skirt item being examined by my wife and Sharon from our group. :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are two examples for the carvings at Te Puia. There is a carving school here where their members are trained in this skills and producing item for Maori use.:

 

 

 

[TLCOhio]

Now we are getting to enjoy the really "good stuff" at Te Puia. Based on other reviews, there was so doubt as to whether this program would be worth. Erase any doubts. We got an excellent production and learned so much about their culture, history and traditions in the process. Some very good voices and the older lady shown was the "leader" making sure that thing were done correctly and according to the Maori traditions.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

This Maori performance starts its ceremonies outside and then we enter the Wahiao Meeting House. Fortunately (with some skill), I was in a prime front row seat to be able to get great pictures, video, etc. Plus, experience the quality for how these members share these cultural traditions.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TLCOhio]

Here is part four from Rotorua and the Te Puia area. Seeing these thermal "wonders" is very amazing. Plus, as the pictures show, we had wonderful weather to enjoy these sights and sites. In our group of sixteen, it was nice to have plenty of time to ask questions, learn more about the area, the productive agriculture from this region, etc. Our guide, Matt, grew up here and knew the area well.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

This picture from the Maori performance can be a little misleading unless you understand the history and traditions for these natives who did much to settle a large portion of the South Pacific. Sticking tongues out is not cheap "theatrics". It was part of preparing for battle and used to intimidate the enemy. In many cases it worked well (prior to white folks having guns). Both here and at the national museums in Wellington at at Auckland, we learned much on these Maori traditions, use of facial designs, etc.:

 

 

 

Here are a series of different views of the dramatic geyser, water and bubbling rocks/mud as featured at the Te Puia thermal displays. Very interesting and tied to the activities of New Zealand. It is called the "Shakey Isle" because there is lots of steam, hot rocks and superheated water right under the surface of these lands. The biggest at Te Puia is Pohutu Geyser. Pohutu means "Big Splash"!! It erupts 10-25 times a day and shoot up to 98 feet in height.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mightytraveler]

Terry:

I've just begun to look at your postings about your Auss/NZ cruise. The pix are amazing and the notes so exciting. Do you have a separate site just for your blog or can I only find you here on CC. I would love to read your blog in its entirety unbroken with other CC comment.

[TLCOhio]

Terry: I've just begun to look at your postings about your Auss/NZ cruise. The pix are amazing and the notes so exciting. Do you have a separate site just for your blog or can I only find you here on CC. I would love to read your blog in its entirety unbroken with other CC comment.

 

Appreciate the follow-up and good question from our Georgia friend. YES, an unbroken series of posts/pictures has its advantages. BUT, this is what I have done here and don't have it posted on another website or in a "pure" format. There are trade-offs, advantages either way. In this setting with Cruise Critic, it gains wider audience exposure, plus the potentials to hear questions, share info, exchange viewpoints, etc. Being "interactive" takes up space, but it can be helpful and more interesting to others and me. Will think ahead on other future options. In a few days, after getting the rest of the pictures posted, I will do an "index" that will make it easier to find certain ports and posts of interest to individual needs.

 

Below are the first of three groups of visuals and added details from our sailing "adventure" while the Solstice was tendered in the Bay of Islands. You can see more on our craft and its history at:

http://www.zindabar.co.nz

The Zindabar was built in in 1998 and is a proven offshore yacht that has cruised extensively in New Zealand, voyaged to Tonga, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Fiji, etc. We had a great lunch prepared and served at sea on the ship. Another touch of class and fun. This ship carried a dinghy, kayak, snorkeling and fishing equipment, etc. Lots of options for this day at sea.

 

In 1769, famed Captain James Cook came to New Zealand, extensively mapped/charted both the North and South Islands. He gave the Bay of Islands its present name. Long before Captain Cook, Russell was an established settlement of various Maori tribes. From the early 1800s, South Sea whalers found it ideal as a provisioning port. The town grew, gaining a reputation as a lawless and bawdy port. Some called it the "Hellhole of the Pacific" and Russell was a busy, busy port. It expanded as a provisioning/refitting location for whaling ships. Russell was the country's first capital before it was moved to Auckland (and later finishing at the current Wellington. From the early 1900s Russell became known as a quiet historic town. The famed American writer, Zane Grey, lived here and promoted this area for big game fishing. Russell now has a population of about 1000 people.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

If Venice is one of your future desires or past favorites, you might look at this earlier posting that I did on the Italy board that shows many options and visual potentials for this city that is so great for "walking around", personally sampling the great history and architecture. This posting has now had 33,177 views and I appreciate those who have dropped by and tuned in.

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

 

 

At the Bay of Islands, where the Solstice is tendered, here is the view from our balcony of the sunrise. This is an excellent, scenic location and this sunrise was a nice start/sign for a wonderful day ahead.:

 

 

 

Here is Murray, one of our two Captains, guiding the 60’ Zindabar sailing vessel out from the docking location at Paihia. This is not a deep-water port and we had to scoot out quickly before the tide went out that morning. This ship has a fairly deep keel. You can see the Solstice tendered in the background.:

 

 

 

They said we might get lucky and be able to see some dolphins. Did we? Seeing is believing!! Murray (and his daughter, Sharon, also a Captain) knew these waters and how to draw these dolphins closer to our boat. We loved the results (and good luck), especially seeing multiple dolphins jumping and flipping. Plus, these cute creatures coming so close to our sailing craft. Great fun!! On Captain Sharon, she was a sailor for New Zealand at both the 1996 Atlanta Olympics (where she sailed off of Savannah) and the 2004 Athens Olympics. Both were excellent and very experienced for this waters, sharing its background, history, insights, etc.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TLCOhio]

Here is part two for our great Sunday sailing day on the 60' Zindabar. This area is about 110 miles north of Auckland. This historic bay has a spectacular charm connected with its unspoiled, simple character. Nearby are the Waitangi Treaty Grounds that we passed after getting off of the Solstice tender and going to meeting our sailing charter. It was at this Waitangi Treaty Grounds we saw where the first permanent contact happened between the native Maoris and the Europeans. This "treaty" is much debated for its fairness to the natives and how it created later tensions in this country.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

How does shoretime on an outlying island in the Bay of Islands sound? Seems like fun!! First, here is our group's Sharon, who was fearless, going out on the kayak to explore these waters and this island, doing snorkeling, etc. And who goes out in the dinghy? It's John, Mike and me who are preparing to go ashore to explore and climb to the top of the "mountain" that is there on this island!:

 

 

 

As the three of us brave leaders got ashore in the dinghy, we walked past this scenic cove with a mother and daughter enjoying this great setting. Then, we had to climb up the Motuarohia Trail to the TOP!! How tall was this challenge? Officially, it is 450 meters or 1476 feet. BUT, by the time we got back on the boat, with bragging skills learned in Australia, that "mountain" we conquered had grown greatly up to 2414' in height. Inflation? Sure! Just makes the stories better to those who stayed on the sailing craft. And the views from up, UP there? See a couple of examples below to prove the great achievement.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here was one of the unique NZ birds on this island. Interesting??!! Anyone know the name of this bird we saw on the beach there?:

 

 

 

Here is the view of the Zindabar as we returned to it and our fellow crew members who had been enjoying lunch on the ship. They didn't wait for us! Food was great, especially in this scenic location and after we had worked up such a great appetite with our big climb and such exploring!:

 

[cruzingrama]

I am wondering why I can't open this link?? I saw that Terry had just posted but after several attempts, I couldn't see anything???

 

Lynette

[TLCOhio]

Did we do any real sailing, including going out into the nearby Pacific Ocean? Yes!! See the proof and success below. It was both a perfect weather day and such fun sampling this great region of northern NZ.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

It was not until mid-day, after lunch, that the winds were up enough to use effectively the sails. One of the options for those in our group on this custom, private sailing was to help to do as much (or as little as desired) in helping make this sail experience happen. In the first picture, you can see John helping Captain Sharon in raising the front, jib sail. In the foreground of this picture, you can see Sharon from our group doing the cranking to raise and adjust the main sail. The second shows Murray guiding the ship from this vantage point on the back of the Zindabar.:

 

 

 

 

 

Pictured here is Amy helping Captain Murray as she reads off the numbers from the depth gauge for this boat as it sails ahead. Second, on the back of the ship, are Ed, Diane, Penny and Susan from our Central Ohio group enjoying the great fresh air, sea breezes and wonderful views. In the fourth picture below, here is 82-year-old Izzy, who does not swim, but he is doing a great job taking the wheel of this sail boat out in the open Pacific Ocean. He loved it and did a great, steady job. It was wonderful to have such great involvement and sharing of experiences for all who were sailing with us on this excellent day in the Bay of Islands.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we sailed back into the Bay of Islands, we crossed paths, again, with the Solstice. Which ship is bigger and better?? For having more fun for us, there is no doubt in my mind about which ship we liked better on this exciting day. In control are Captain Sharon (in pink) and her father, Murray. Both were super for this sailing fun.:

 

[TLCOhio]

I am wondering why I can't open this link?? I saw that Terry had just posted but after several attempts, I couldn't see anything??? Lynette

 

Keep trying, Lynette! Things are working fine for me. Lots of new pictures and fun examples posted.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in France, Italy, Kotor and Dubrovnik, I have pull together a number of wonderful visuals of the Solstice, its features, food, entertainment, options, etc. We are now at 16,088 views for this shorter version of my larger full review of that cruise and all of the port pictures/details. Check these postings and added info at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1803477

[boeckli]

 

Here was one of the unique NZ birds on this island. Interesting??!! Anyone know the name of this bird we saw on the beach there?:

 

 

 

Did a quick Google search and it appears to be some kind of Oystercatcher.