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

[TLCOhio]

For finishing up on Kangaroo Island, here are a few additional visuals, plus a little more info/background.

 

For getting to Kangaroo Island, there are two options (assuming you are going to swim). We did one of the several daily air flights from Adelaide's main airport. There is also a ferry service that operates out of Cape Jervis. Most guests choose to fly. They met our early-morning Regional Express (REX) flights from Adelaide. Regional Express operate Saab 340's (34-passenger, twin-engine turbo-prop). It was a short, easy flight of about 17-minutes in actual flying time.

 

What was our airport security for the flight back to Adelaide? No shoes off, no scanners, etc. Just look at a sheet of paper and say we don't have any of the "bad" stuff. Unusual?

 

Adelaide is a nice, interesting town. We had limited time there, but things worked well. Might post some pictures from there later. Nearby to Adelaide are some outstanding wine locations.

 

From the Daily Mail in London, they had an interesting article on Kangaroo Island earlier this month. You can find it at:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2555266/Australia-holidays-Kangaroos-cuisine-South-Australia.html

Among the story highlights are: "There's nothing like running on a beach. And if that beach is on South Australia's Kangaroo Island, with its pristine sands and turquoise waters, then it's a truly wonderful sensation. KI is roughly the size of Kent, and a microcosm of different Australian landscapes. It's the place to see the best of Australia if you don't have time to see the whole country. Even on our short trip from the airport, we glimpsed bushland, eucalyptus woods, white sandy dunes and spectacular seascapes."

 

Here is more that this writer shared: "The guided tours in 4WD comfort with Exceptional Kangaroo Island were superb. A third of the island is a national park, with stunning natural features such as the wind-sculpted Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch in Flinders Chase. There, we watched seals being hurled against the rocks before swimming back to do it all again. Then we went to Seal Bay and found ourselves within touching distance of these wonderful mammals. It's one of the rare places on Earth where you can actually walk with sea lions on the sands. No wonder they call this area the Galapagos of Australia. Ogling animals in a zoo is simply not the same as viewing them in the wild. We saw koalas munching away in eucalyptus trees, dolphins frolicking and seal pups learning to swim."

 

Nice to know this UK writer used the same tour folks as we did, plus visited many of the same wonderful locations on this island.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

First is one of the birds we saw on Kangaroo Island where the name is not sure in my memory bank. Any ideas or suggestions? Second is a Raptor that we saw soaring high in the air. Got lucky to capture this image. There are 24 types of Raptors native to Australia. They use their powerful feet to catch and kill their prey.:

 

 

 

 

 

Below shows the narrow passage of rocks where we needed to squeeze through in order to reach the wonderful section of beach where Amy, Milt and my wife are pictured at this scenic location. Much better place to be than winter in Ohio. Was not sure that I was going to make it through this narrow passage, but fortunately I did. And, back out again, later.:

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, here is another cute bird example from Kangaroo Island, but a type where I cannot remember the exact name. Any help or suggestions?:

 

[May B]

"In post 321 Crimson Rosella is correct. 326 is more interesting, though. The first and third are White-faced Heron and Rainbow Lorikeet respectively. The second looked like a parrot more than a raptor to me due to the bill shape and stubby wings, but could not find a bird that looks similar on Kangaroo Island, parrot or raptor. It confused me until I decided to look at the parrots in all of Australia instead, when I found out it was either a Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo (Short-billed Black-Cockatoo) or a Baudin's Black-Cockatoo (Long-billed). I think it looks more like a Baudin's, but either would be interesting, assuming that this was at Kangaroo Island, as both of them are endangered and found only in south western Australia. I believe it is most likely that this was an escaped pet, although I certainly don't know what should be done about it, nor do I know if it was legal or not to capture it. Here is a map of sightings reported to eBird of both Carnaby's and Baudin's."

 

I couldn't see anything on the eBird maps, so I didn't post the links.

 

Terry, thank you for your incredible trip report. It has brought back so many wonderful memories (from 2007 and 2012) to me!

 

--May

Edited February 25, 2014 by May B

[May B]

No wonder my grandson was surprised to see the cockatoo on Kangaroo Island.

 

Here's the link to the places the Baudin's Black Cockatoo has been spotted:

 

http://ebird.org/ebird/map/whtblc1?neg=true&env.minX=102.56702953359195&env.minY=-37.06977480228609&env.maxX=132.58167797109195&env.maxY=-26.801176740457382&zh=true&gp=false&ev=Z&mr=1-12&bmo=1&emo=12&yr=all&byr=1900&eyr=2014

 

And now that I understand what I'm looking, here's the link to the areas where the Carnaby's have been spotted.

 

http://ebird.org/ebird/map/slbblc1?neg=true&env.minX=102.56702953359195&env.minY=-37.06977480228609&env.maxX=132.58167797109195&env.maxY=-26.801176740457382&zh=true&gp=false&ev=Z&mr=1-12&bmo=1&emo=12&yr=all&byr=1900&eyr=2014

 

When he said southwest Australia, he wasn't just kidding.

 

I wonder if the cruisers on the Feb. 3rd Solstice out of Auckland saw any! Their cruise ended in Perth!

[TLCOhio]

"In post 321 Crimson Rosella is correct. 326 is more interesting, though. The first and third are White-faced Heron and Rainbow Lorikeet respectively. The second looked like a parrot more than a raptor to me due to the bill shape and stubby wings, but could not find a bird that looks similar on Kangaroo Island, parrot or raptor. It confused me until I decided to look at the parrots in all of Australia instead, when I found out it was either a Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo (Short-billed Black-Cockatoo) or a Baudin's Black-Cockatoo (Long-billed). I think it looks more like a Baudin's, but either would be interesting, assuming that this was at Kangaroo Island, as both of them are endangered and found only in south western Australia. I believe it is most likely that this was an escaped pet, although I certainly don't know what should be done about it, nor do I know if it was legal or not to capture it. Here is a map of sightings reported to eBird of both Carnaby's and Baudin's." I couldn't see anything on the eBird maps, so I didn't post the links. Terry, thank you for your incredible trip report. It has brought back so many wonderful memories (from 2007 and 2012) to me!--May

 

Appreciate so much from our Florida friend, May, this helpful info on the birds shown earlier on this thread. Will use this background to update my files. Two of the persons in central Ohio travel group, Janet and Dennis, are super great bird lovers, but they were not on this portion of our pre-cruise visit to Kangaroo Island. They looked over the pictures and gave me some tips. Part of the fun for these two countries are the variety of new, different wildlife there.

 

Am working on Solstice pictures, including [b added, fun "food porn"[/b] visuals. More to come, soon!!

 

Don't be shy with any questions, added info, etc., from what has been posted so far.

 

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 162,630 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

[TLCOhio]

During our cruise earlier this year, one of the fun, interesting options was doing the speciality dining locations that we had enjoyed during first Solstice cruise in June 2011. Here is a visual sampling from our evening at Murano. Great food, service, table location, company, etc.

 

Proof? Here are a few of my visual samples!

 

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

 

 

This bread item in Murano had a very unusual shape and tasted wonderful, too! Great way to start our dining experience here.:

 

 

 

Here is the warm goat cheese soufflé with smoked tomato coulis, parmesan cream, basil pesto.:

 

 

 

My wife and I ordered Châteaubriand for two. Here is it being prepared table-side. The second pictures shows how it looked on my plate with its fricassée of baby vegetables. There were the options of Béarnaise & Cabernet sauce. I had to be fair and could not choose between these two great options. Solution? How to decide? Have BOTH!! Great decision.:

 

 

 

 

 

For dessert, the choice was Grand Marnier soufflé. The sauce? Crème Anglaise á la Gousse Tahitienne.:

 

 

 

Were we happy? Check out our happy smiles!:

 

[Karennella]

Love the photos! Did you have a preference for Australia or New Zealand?

[TLCOhio]

Love the photos! Did you have a preference for Australia or New Zealand?

 

Appreciate the good, challenging, put-him-on-the-spot question. But, kind of like asking which child does a parent like best. The quick, easy answer is to say . . . BOTH . . . were super, totally wonderful. True!!

 

The more detailed and honest answer is that New Zealand probably finishes in first place. We super loved best, probably in this order, Kangaroo island, Lizard Island/Great Barrier Reef/Rainforest and Sydney from our travels in Australia. Really wonderful, fun, interesting experiences there.

 

BUT, overall, traveling bottom to top, New Zealand was such a collectively-amazing location for nature, sights, people, food, wildlife, fun, fresh air, vivid colors, etc. In part, I am basing much of that conclusion from my wife's various comments and reactions she has shared with others since we have been back.

 

We have been fortunate to have traveled in twenty two different countries in Europe. Multiple times for visiting some of the usually-suspect countries such as England, France and Italy. Plus, lots all of the United States. And, I have also done Cuba, Argentina, etc. Lots of great places. We have been very fortunate to have traveled to many wonderful places and seen so much.

 

Both of these countries are very young and amazing, especially for their natural offerings. If asked and offered a chance to go and live there for four months, the choice would probably be NZ. Loved it!!

 

But our least favorite? The rough Tasman Sea!!

 

Does this help a little? Keep up the good questions. More pictures 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 134,693 views.

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

[TLCOhio]

From the New York Times Sunday travel section last month, they have this headline: "36 Hours in Sydney" with these highlights: "In ever-sunny, easygoing Sydney, don’t let the famous attractions circling the handsome harbor consume all your attention. Focus instead on the evolving neighborhoods where art spaces are cropping up beside train tracks, and innovative, chef-driven restaurants are opening at a rapid clip. Then, the natural beauty of Australia’s most populous city will be waiting along the sandy beaches that lie just minutes from downtown. And don’t worry, you’re bound to pass a certain opera house along the way."

 

Much of this profile focuses on "arts" and other "hip" options, but there might be some ideas to consider for this great city. We fortunately had two and a half days there last month. Enjoyed Sydney so much!! BUT, we we were more focused on the Opera House (both to tour and see a live performance there), the Harbour Bridge (including walking to the top), areas closer to these centers of attraction, etc.

 

Full story at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/19/travel/36-hours-in-sydney.html?ref=36hours

 

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 34,300 views and I appreciate those who have dropped by and tuned in.

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

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

[kbert92069]

...we we were more focused on the Opera House (both to tour and see a live performance there)...

 

Fabulous photos and information. I'm a fan of yours and heading to the Solstice in a couple weeks.

 

In hindsight was the opera house tour worth it? the performance? or would you have done this differently?

 

Thanks,

 

Karl

[TLCOhio]

Fabulous photos and information. I'm a fan of yours and heading to the Solstice in a couple weeks. In hindsight was the opera house tour worth it? the performance? or would you have done this differently? Thanks, Karl

 

Appreciate your follow-up and good questions about this top highlight in Sydney. To be honest, much depends on YOUR interests and desires, not mine. Personally, our mix of interests in architecture, history, the arts, etc., made the time at the Opera House work so well, be memorable for us.

 

We did an 11 am morning performance of Mozart's The Magic Flute in the Joan Sutherland Theatre that worked so well for us in the Sydney Opera House complex. Great staging, performers with this opera. The tour worked well for us to help understand more fully how this unique design came about and was constructed under challenging conditions. Liked that history and these types of building details very much.

 

What are your personal interests, likes, desires while visiting this great part of the world?

 

Does this help? Any other questions, needs, etc.?

 

THANKS! Enjoy your upcoming Solstice cruise! 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 16,515 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

[59impala]

Appreciate the good, challenging, put-him-on-the-spot question. But, kind of like asking which child does a parent like best. The quick, easy answer is to say . . . BOTH . . . were super, totally wonderful. True!!

 

The more detailed and honest answer is that New Zealand probably finishes in first place. We super loved best, probably in this order, Kangaroo island, Lizard Island/Great Barrier Reef/Rainforest and Sydney from our travels in Australia. Really wonderful, fun, interesting experiences there.

 

BUT, overall, traveling bottom to top, New Zealand was such a collectively-amazing location for nature, sights, people, food, wildlife, fun, fresh air, vivid colors, etc. In part, I am basing much of that conclusion from my wife's various comments and reactions she has shared with others since we have been back.

 

We have been fortunate to have traveled in twenty two different countries in Europe. Multiple times for visiting some of the usually-suspect countries such as England, France and Italy. Plus, lots all of the United States. And, I have also done Cuba, Argentina, etc. Lots of great places. We have been very fortunate to have traveled to many wonderful places and seen so much.

 

Both of these countries are very young and amazing, especially for their natural offerings. If asked and offered a chance to go and live there for four months, the choice would probably be NZ. Loved it!!

 

But our least favorite? The rough Tasman Sea!!

 

Does this help a little? Keep up the good questions. More pictures 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 134,693 views.

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

 

 

I agree with your assessment of which is best Terry. Of course I am biased. What I love most about NZ is that you can drive anywhere here and the whole landscape changes. Nowhere in NZ is further than two hours drive from the coastline, you drive through forests, mountains and lakes in a short time period. We drove from Napier to Hamilton last weekend. We went from beaches, through forests, past Lake Taupo and the associated volcanoes, through beautiful farmland (think Hobbiton) home. Simply stunning.

Next month we are flying to Christchurch, hiring a car, driving to Lake Tekapo, then on to Wanaka, finishing up in Queenstown and flying out of Queenstown home. The South Island of NZ is stunning in autumn.

 

Keep up the good work Terry, you inspired us to cruise the Mediterranean in 2012 on the Solstice after reading your review of the eastern med. We love your photos. All the best.

[Karennella]

I appreciate your honest answer and even though I have lived in Sydney all my life, I would agree with you. NZ is so much more compact, very beautiful and tourist friendly. However we revisited the South Island two years ago and found it quite expensive even with the exchange rate being more in our favour than now.

Re the Tasman, my 87 year old mother went to NZ by sea about 60 years ago and barely got out of her cabin the whole way as she was so dreadfully seasick. I imagine the ships were much smaller and less stable than now.

Maybe I will have to get to Kangaroo Island though I can actually see quite a lot of examples of the natural features right here in my garden.

Where are you going next, Terry? Have you been to Turkey? Cappadoccia is one of my all time favourites!

So glad you enjoyed this trip as it is certainly a long way. One thing is we get used to the flights and we are thinking our eight and a half hour flight to Malaysia next week is a nice short one.

[Essexlass2]

Appreciate the good, challenging, put-him-on-the-spot question. But, kind of like asking which child does a parent like best. The quick, easy answer is to say . . . BOTH . . . were super, totally wonderful. True!!

 

The more detailed and honest answer is that New Zealand probably finishes in first place. We super loved best, probably in this order, Kangaroo island, Lizard Island/Great Barrier Reef/Rainforest and Sydney from our travels in Australia. Really wonderful, fun, interesting experiences there.

 

BUT, overall, traveling bottom to top, New Zealand was such a collectively-amazing location for nature, sights, people, food, wildlife, fun, fresh air, vivid colors, etc. In part, I am basing much of that conclusion from my wife's various comments and reactions she has shared with others since we have been back.

 

We have been fortunate to have traveled in twenty two different countries in Europe. Multiple times for visiting some of the usually-suspect countries such as England, France and Italy. Plus, lots all of the United States. And, I have also done Cuba, Argentina, etc. Lots of great places. We have been very fortunate to have traveled to many wonderful places and seen so much.

 

Both of these countries are very young and amazing, especially for their natural offerings. If asked and offered a chance to go and live there for four months, the choice would probably be NZ. Loved it!!

 

But our least favorite? The rough Tasman Sea!!

 

Does this help a little? Keep up the good questions. More pictures 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 134,693 views.

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

 

I won't say 'told you so' because I'm just so pleased that you and your wife had a wonderful trip from beginning to end (apart from the Tasman crossing) and so appreciative that you took us all along with you. Every day was exciting and wonderful to read about and your photos are, as always, the very best. I hope that Penny is still enjoying her retirement now that she's back home again.

 

Now that you are back home and hopefully catching up on your time a little, may I remind you that you asked me to mention the Baltics towards the end of February. Terry, if you are able to give me a link to a blog that you may have done on your own Baltic cruise in the past, I would be forever grateful. We sail on RCI from Harwich (east coast UK) to Copenhagen, Tallinn, St.Petersburg (2 days booked with Alla Tours), Helsinki, Sweden and Visby (a Swedish island). We have done some homework and have an idea of what we would quite like to do, but would love to know what you enjoyed most about your cruise around that area. Any advice, tips, suggestions will be much appreciated.

[TLCOhio]

A man of good taste! I agree with your assessment of which is best Terry. Of course I am biased. What I love most about NZ is that you can drive anywhere here and the whole landscape changes. Nowhere in NZ is further than two hours drive from the coastline, you drive through forests, mountains and lakes in a short time period. We drove from Napier to Hamilton last weekend. We went from beaches, through forests, past Lake Taupo and the associated volcanoes, through beautiful farmland (think Hobbiton) home. Simply stunning. Next month we are flying to Christchurch, hiring a car, driving to Lake Tekapo, then on to Wanaka, finishing up in Queenstown and flying out of Queenstown home. The South Island of NZ is stunning in autumn. Keep up the good work Terry, you inspired us to cruise the Mediterranean in 2012 on the Solstice after reading your review of the eastern med. We love your photos. All the best.

 

Karennella: I appreciate your honest answer and even though I have lived in Sydney all my life' date=' [b']I would agree with you. NZ is so much more compact[/b], very beautiful and tourist friendly. However we revisited the South Island two years ago and found it quite expensive even with the exchange rate being more in our favour than now. Re the Tasman, my 87 year old mother went to NZ by sea about 60 years ago and barely got out of her cabin the whole way as she was so dreadfully seasick. I imagine the ships were much smaller and less stable than now. Maybe I will have to get to Kangaroo Island though I can actually see quite a lot of examples of the natural features right here in my garden. Where are you going next, Terry? Have you been to Turkey? Cappadoccia is one of my all time favorites! So glad you enjoyed this trip as it is certainly a long way. One thing is we get used to the flights and we are thinking our eight and a half hour flight to Malaysia next week is a nice short one.

 

Appreciate these added follow-ups and getting both the Aust. & NZ posters to agree. Very good added points have been made, including for the compact size of New Zealand helping make things easier to see and enjoy there. Australia is vast, which can be challenging. Good luck to 59impala for your upcoming NZ travels there. More later for Essexlass2.

 

Have not been, yet, to Cappadoccia, but in June 2006, we did visit and highly enjoy/love Istanbul, Bodrum, Ephesus, etc. Many great things to see and do in Turkey. Want to go back there and do more. Have not figured out our next BIG TRIP! Next is to see the grandsons in Charlottesville, Va.

 

Below are some added visuals for the Solstice, our experiences, dining, etc., on that fine ship. More to come. Keep up the great sharing, added questions and comments.

 

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 134,750 views.

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

 

 

When we were on the Solstice in scenic areas such as New Zealand, it was fun and exciting to be up on the top decks, enjoying both the ship’s beauty, plus the natural glory from these great, spectacular areas. Below are two of my visual examples on the sights and viewing areas. The Sunset Bar area was one of our favorites for viewing on the sail-out from a number of the ports. Nice memories!!:

 

 

 

 

 

During our first Solstice cruise in June 2011, we did not get a chance to try the Bistro on Five. But, we did on this early 2014 sailing and enjoyed the experience. Good to have variety in a very pleasant location. Pictured first, was this Caesar salad. Second shows a panini sandwich with a very good, spicy chicken salad on the inside. Worked well!! Do these pictures make people hungry?:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Oceanview Cafe was very popular and busy for breakfast and lunch during our Solstice cruise earlier this year. Maybe, even more so than what we experienced in June 2011. “Popular” also means busy, which is a mixed challenge to navigate around and with the crowds there. BUT, we liked its great variety and speed. Ours was a busy cruise and saving time was of value. Our favorite was to get our food and have a table on the open, back of the ship with the views and fresh sea air. Below is one example for people being served, getting their food.:

 

[TLCOhio]

I won't say 'told you so' because I'm just so pleased that you and your wife had a wonderful trip from beginning to end (apart from the Tasman crossing) and so appreciative that you took us all along with you. Every day was exciting and wonderful to read about and your photos are, as always, the very best. I hope that Penny is still enjoying her retirement now that she's back home again. Now that you are back home and hopefully catching up on your time a little, may I remind you that you asked me to mention the Baltics towards the end of February. Terry, if you are able to give me a link to a blog that you may have done on your own Baltic cruise in the past, I would be forever grateful. We sail on RCI from Harwich (east coast UK) to Copenhagen, Tallinn, St.Petersburg (2 days booked with Alla Tours), Helsinki, Sweden and Visby (a Swedish island). We have done some homework and have an idea of what we would quite like to do, but would love to know what you enjoyed most about your cruise around that area. Any advice, tips, suggestions will be much appreciated.

 

Appreciate the good wishes for my wife from our good friend from the UK.

 

On our Baltics experiences, the lack of a "Search" function makes things harder. I have done lots and lots of posts on the Northern Europe board for all of the different ports we had visited and enjoyed so much there. When that search function is fixed, you can find much more and better on that CC Baltics/Northern Europe board.

 

For now, you can go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=815698

and see the live/blog that I did during this cruise on the Crystal CC board. It's titled: "8217/Baltics: First Day Report by Terry/Ohio" But, that was before I had mastered doing the larger pictures that are so much more fun and informative. And, more interesting!! Sorry that posting only has my smaller visuals.

 

Check that out. Do any follow-up questions or needs on this posting thread. I don't check the Crystal board that much, so I will catch any added follow-ups here, quicker, easier. Does this help?

 

Below are a few more visuals on the Solstice, our experiences, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

Here is a sampling for the look of the lawn on the Solstice during our recent cruise. Not perfect or ideal, but mostly being green and looking fairly to somewhat good/decent. There is speculation on the these CC Boards that the lawn and glass show will get dumped to do more of an outdoor grilling set-up in these areas at the top of the ship. Personally, I like the lawn idea, but understand the reality for its maintenance, costs and maybe it being time to “move on” to another, newer, better feature in this space!!??:

 

 

 

A decent amount of music was available at different locations around the ship. Below is one example in the central atrium. The next two pictures are of Mario D’Andrea. He’s both a valcalist and guitarist!! They called him a “mixed up Italian . . . direct from Las Vegas”. Very fun and super entertaining!! He was accompanied by Ken Ge and the Solstice Orchestra, also very good. Enjoyed the evening shows. Some done at 7 and 9 pm. Others performed at 8:30 and 10:30 pm. But could not catch all of the shows as "things" were busy during our 14-days on the Solstice.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For those who have not yet done a sailing on a Solstice-class ship, a great plus are the graphics at the elevators. Below are two examples. These help you see quickly what is on the different ship levels, on the floor where you are at, etc. Very good and helpful design work to aid in navigating a fairly large ship such as the Solstice.:

 

 

 

[Essexlass2]

Thank you very much for the link re the Baltics, Terry. We are off to northern England tomorrow for a few days to see our first great-grandson born two weeks ago - he looks so cute in the photos, in fact I do believe he's the bestest great-grandson in the world. Anyway, I have bookmarked your link and will look forward to delving into it on our return home when I have more time to absorb it all properly.

 

I hope you and everyone else has a lovely weekend! :)

[TLCOhio]

Thank you very much for the link re the Baltics, Terry. We are off to northern England tomorrow for a few days to see our first great-grandson born two weeks ago - he looks so cute in the photos, in fact I do believe he's the bestest great-grandson in the world. Anyway, I have bookmarked your link and will look forward to delving into it on our return home when I have more time to absorb it all properly. I hope you and everyone else has a lovely weekend! :)

 

Enjoy your time with your first great-grandson. Sounds like super fun. When handy, look over the Baltics info. Just to share some "eye candy", here are a couple of quick visuals for why these parts of Northern Europe are so great and such a must-see. We loved our cruise there in late July 2008, plus our July 2010 time in Copenhagen and going up the complete Norway coast/fjords.

 

Working on finishing my many wonderful (and warm) pictures from our final five days on the Big Island. With the big, big storm getting ready to hit Ohio and other places to the east, we wish we were back in Hawaii.

 

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 162,990 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

 

 

Copenhagen’s Nyhavn or “new” Harbor is actually old and charming. This waterfront entertainment district is lined by brightly colored 17th and early 18th century townhouses and bars, cafes and restaurants. Serving as a "heritage harbor", the canal also has many historical wooden ships. Lots of people and fun activity!!:

 

 

 

At St. Petersburg’s Hermitage, here is just one of the many, many great galleries with so many different and great architecture details, soaring ceilings, dramatic floors, etc., in areas where the Czars entertained and impressed other Royals and nobility. Even without the art items, these five palaces are so spectacular! This room is adorned with 19th-century Russian lapidary works and feature Italian and Spanish canvases of the 16th-18th centuries, including Veronese, Tintoretto, Velázquez and Murillo.:

 

[TLCOhio]

Appreciate your patience as I finish sharing some more of the great visuals and experiences from our just completed adventure. Visiting Hawaii for the first time was very nice, but the super "frosting on the cake" was our five days and four nights on the Big Island. Sorry for so many pictures, but there is so much here to see and do. And, it is good-looking, interesting areas. Plus, fun, too!!

 

This is the largest and most southeastern of the Hawaiian Islands. This volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean has an area of slightly over 4,000 square miles of land. It is larger than all of the other islands in the archipelago combined. It is also the largest island in the United States. The island is often referred to as the "Big Island" to reduce confusion between the island and the state. In the 2010 Census, the population was 185,079. The county seat and largest city is Hilo. In greatest dimension, the island is 93 miles. We ended up putting on more than 500 miles on rental car. Measured from its sea floor base to its highest peak, Mauna Kea is the world's tallest mountain, taller than Mount Everest is above sea level. Because Mauna Loa and Kīlauea are active volcanoes, the island of Hawaii is still growing. Between January 1983 and September 2002, lava flows added 543 acres to the island.

 

Sugarcane was the backbone of this island's economy for more than a century. In the mid-20th century, sugar plantations began to downsize. In 1996, the last plantation closed. Most of the Big Island's economy is now based on tourism, centered primarily in resort areas on the western coast of the island in the North Kona and South Kohala districts.

 

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 134,809 views.

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

 

 

One of the top highlights in visiting the Big Island was called Hawaii’s Tropical Botanical Gardens. Located off of Highway 19 on the Hamakua Coast's Four Mile Scenic Drive, it is 8.5 miles north of Hilo. It was founded in 1978 and runs down a dramatic valley to the ocean. Their website is: http://www.htbg.com. Described as a museum of living plants, they have over 2,000 species in this 40-acre valley. It is like a natural greenhouse, protected from tradewinds and blessed with fertile volcanic soil. Nature trails wind through a tropical rainforest, crossing streams, passing waterfalls and staring ocean vistas along the Pacific coast. Loved it! Here are some of my visual to back up my summary and proving this natural beauty.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cadburyguinness]

For finishing up on Kangaroo Island, here are a few additional visuals, plus a little more info/background.

 

For getting to Kangaroo Island, there are two options (assuming you are going to swim). We did one of the several daily air flights from Adelaide's main airport. There is also a ferry service that operates out of Cape Jervis. Most guests choose to fly. They met our early-morning Regional Express (REX) flights from Adelaide. Regional Express operate Saab 340's (34-passenger, twin-engine turbo-prop). It was a short, easy flight of about 17-minutes in actual flying time.

 

What was our airport security for the flight back to Adelaide? No shoes off, no scanners, etc. Just look at a sheet of paper and say we don't have any of the "bad" stuff. Unusual?

 

Adelaide is a nice, interesting town. We had limited time there, but things worked well. Might post some pictures from there later. Nearby to Adelaide are some outstanding wine locations.

 

From the Daily Mail in London, they had an interesting article on Kangaroo Island earlier this month. You can find it at:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2555266/Australia-holidays-Kangaroos-cuisine-South-Australia.html

Among the story highlights are: "There's nothing like running on a beach. And if that beach is on South Australia's Kangaroo Island, with its pristine sands and turquoise waters, then it's a truly wonderful sensation. KI is roughly the size of Kent, and a microcosm of different Australian landscapes. It's the place to see the best of Australia if you don't have time to see the whole country. Even on our short trip from the airport, we glimpsed bushland, eucalyptus woods, white sandy dunes and spectacular seascapes."

 

Here is more that this writer shared: "The guided tours in 4WD comfort with Exceptional Kangaroo Island were superb. A third of the island is a national park, with stunning natural features such as the wind-sculpted Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch in Flinders Chase. There, we watched seals being hurled against the rocks before swimming back to do it all again. Then we went to Seal Bay and found ourselves within touching distance of these wonderful mammals. It's one of the rare places on Earth where you can actually walk with sea lions on the sands. No wonder they call this area the Galapagos of Australia. Ogling animals in a zoo is simply not the same as viewing them in the wild. We saw koalas munching away in eucalyptus trees, dolphins frolicking and seal pups learning to swim."

 

Nice to know this UK writer used the same tour folks as we did, plus visited many of the same wonderful locations on this island.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

First is one of the birds we saw on Kangaroo Island where the name is not sure in my memory bank. Any ideas or suggestions? Second is a Raptor that we saw soaring high in the air. Got lucky to capture this image. There are 24 types of Raptors native to Australia. They use their powerful feet to catch and kill their prey.:

 

 

 

 

 

Below shows the narrow passage of rocks where we needed to squeeze through in order to reach the wonderful section of beach where Amy, Milt and my wife are pictured at this scenic location. Much better place to be than winter in Ohio. Was not sure that I was going to make it through this narrow passage, but fortunately I did. And, back out again, later.:

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, here is another cute bird example from Kangaroo Island, but a type where I cannot remember the exact name. Any help or suggestions?:

 

I believe the birds in the bottom picture are Rainbow Lorikeets

The large Black ones may be Yellow-tailed Black cockatoos

Thanks for the great Blog, Terry!

[snowyboy]

I won't say 'told you so' because I'm just so pleased that you and your wife had a wonderful trip from beginning to end (apart from the Tasman crossing) and so appreciative that you took us all along with you. Every day was exciting and wonderful to read about and your photos are, as always, the very best. I hope that Penny is still enjoying her retirement now that she's back home again.

 

Now that you are back home and hopefully catching up on your time a little, may I remind you that you asked me to mention the Baltics towards the end of February. Terry, if you are able to give me a link to a blog that you may have done on your own Baltic cruise in the past, I would be forever grateful. We sail on RCI from Harwich (east coast UK) to Copenhagen, Tallinn, St.Petersburg (2 days booked with Alla Tours), Helsinki, Sweden and Visby (a Swedish island). We have done some homework and have an idea of what we would quite like to do, but would love to know what you enjoyed most about your cruise around that area. Any advice, tips, suggestions will be much appreciated.

 

Here is a link to great Baltic trip report http://www.thepreismans.com/baltic_2013.htm

Happy reading.

[TLCOhio]

I believe the birds in the bottom picture are Rainbow Lorikeets

The large Black ones may be Yellow-tailed Black cockatoos. Thanks for the great Blog, Terry!

 

snowyboy: Here is a link to great Baltic trip report http://www.thepreismans.com/baltic_2013.htm Happy reading.

 

Appreciate these great' date=' added items of info, sharing, etc. Love that type of feed-back and interest.

 

Below are some more visuals and details from traveling around the Big Island. Lots of variety and areas of interest there. More to come. Looking out at the snow coming down now in Central Ohio. Not too deep now.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio[/font']

 

Super loved Dubrovnik!!! See more details and lots of great visual samples/examples at this link. Have had over 20,557 views on this posting and appreciate those who have tuned-in and dropped by.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227

 

 

Here is one more of the many visual/flower treats from Hawaii’s Tropical Botanical Gardens located north of Hilo.:

 

 

 

Near Hilo, here is a visual sample that I took from Rainbow (Waiānuenue) Falls. This waterfall is 80 feet tall. This falls flows over a natural lava cave and is the mythological home to Hina, an ancient Hawaiian goddess. It is free and is a popular stops for tourists visiting the area.:

 

 

 

On our way to Hilo, we stopped at the Hawaiian Style Cafe for breakfast in Waimea. One of our Marriott resort staff members suggested this location as a good place to capture some of that “old-style” Hawaii flavor, plus for good food (and lots of it). True? Look at the picture of our waitress welcoming us. Fun, "local" place with interesting people here. Then, the food!!! We did not go away hungry from this location. And, very good, too!!:

 

 

 

 

 

Here is an interesting white bird from Hawaii. Is this a type of Egret or Ibis? Know its specific name?:

 

 

 

On a later day, when we were going to be visiting Volcano National Park, our travels would take us south towards Kailua-Kona. Different direction. We did the long way around this big, big island that has two large mountains in its middle. That routing took us past the built-up area south of the Kona airport that has Wal-Mart, Costco and other types of development that was not our “thing”. But this route gave us more of a sampling for a wide variety for the “diversity” on this island. After passing through the Kailua-Kona area, things turned back into going through old sugar mill towns and more of that 1950’s style charm and character that was of interest to us. Below is a picture from inside one of these casual, “local” places where we had lunch. Nice interior, good food, interesting people, not too touristy. It was Annie's Island Fresh Burgers, in Kealakekua. Their website is: http://www.anniesislandfreshburgers.com. Well worth the stop! Don't like doing the boring, same-old, "chain" places when traveling in these types of scenic locations.:

 

[TLCOhio]

These visuals show the famed Black Sand Beach on the Big Island of Hawaii and start to reflect the excitement in visiting Volcano National Park.

 

This 505 sq. mile park was established in 1916. It includes two active volcanoes, Kīlauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, and Mauna Loa, the world's most massive subaerial volcano. Here you can better understand the birth of the Hawaiian Islands and see amazing volcanic landscapes. Plus, see rare flora and fauna. This park was named a World Heritage Site in 1987.

 

Hawaii's islands are fairly young, from less than 1 million years at the youngest to nearly 6 million at the oldest. New formations are being formed today. The islands are located on the top of the Pacific plate, the largest tectonic plate on earth. Due to sea floor spreading, the plate continues to expand which has directly impacted the growth of the islands. Walking here gives a great, up-close appreciation for this growth and how nature works.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

On the way to visiting Volcano National Park, we stopped at the Black Sand or Punaluʻu Beach between Pāhala and Nāʻālehu on the Big Island. No surprise, it has black sand made of basalt and created by lava flowing into the ocean. That hot lava explodes as it reaches the ocean and cools. This volcanic activity is in the Hawaii’s Volcano National Park. This beach has endangered Hawksbill and Green turtles. The threatened Green turtles feed on marine plants in shallow waters. Red seaweed is a favorite food of the Green turtles and flourishes on the coral-encrusted rocks. You can see my various pictures below that show this area, the dramatic water action, the turtles, etc. Great stopping location!!:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, we arrive at Volcano National Park and are doing a 3.5 mile hike around and across one of the craters that last erupted in 1959. It took twenty years or so to cool off. As these pictures show, there is still "heat" and steam coming up from down below. Very dramatic landscapes. Great to see "it" up close and personal with our guide.:

 

 

 

[TLCOhio]

Here is more from Volcano (or Volcanoes) National Park. I debated doing a helicopter fly-over versus touring down inside the park. Maybe the fly over would have worked, but we really enjoyed this experience, including having our private tour with Hank from Lavaland Hawaii Day Tours. There were question for how much the helicopter could actually fly over the main park and "hot" areas.

 

Hank's knowledge, enthusiasm and skill were great and made such a big, big different. You could walk these areas on your own, but will you know and understand what you are seeing, why it is of value? Their website is: http://www.lavalandhawaii.com. His firm is ranked number one of 46 different activities in the Hilo area by TripAdvisor. Well-deserved top honors. We finished by having dinner/sandwiches in another part of the park overlooking interesting scenery. BUT, the clouds were setting in here and our vision was more limited. Next, a night-time view of the glowing activity.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

Here is a range of views as we visited Volcano National Park, walked across the crater, etc. Lots of interesting sights, flowers, etc. This includes one of the pictures with my wife hold one of the pieces of lava and discussing with our guide, Hank. It is amazingly light in weight.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TLCOhio]

More fun and excitement from the Big Island? YES!! Appreciate your patience as I share more and invite your comments, sharing and questions.

 

See more about the luau at:

http://www.waikoloabeachresort.com/index.php/things-to-do/event-detail/632/sunset-luau1

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

As we did our 3.5 mile walk, we also got see a wide range of wooded and rainforest-like locations with many interesting ferns, flowers, trees, etc., in bloom and full force. Here is one of those amazing ferns, plus how they start to blossom out and grow in the wild. Finally, here is one of the “glow” visuals from at night near the hot area at this national park. Based on current conditions at the park, it was not possible, day or night, to get any closer to these “action” sites. Safety is important, especially with such hot rocks that can move in fast and unpredictable ways. Plus, the seemingly “solid” ground near such activity is not as safe as it might seem on the surface.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At our beachfront Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort, we did a Sunset Luai that was well-done, entertaining and a wonderful sampling to add to our Hawaii experience. The first two pictures show how the pig is being brought up from the underground cooking. Next are some of the performers doing the dancing and music entertainment. Excellent quality singing and program. They call it one of the Hawaii Island’s more authentic luau shows. It includes a journey to Tahiti, New Zealand, Samoa and Hawaii through the songs and dances of these Pacific Island cultures. It included a Samoan fire knife dancing. It is a spectacular setting against the backdrop of the sunsets over ‘Anaeho‘omalu Bay. It is held every Saturday and Wednesday at the resort’s Luau Grounds.:

 

 

 

 

 

[TLCOhio]

Here is more from the Sunset Luau at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort that we enjoyed so much. Had interesting people from British Columbia at our table. Those discussion were part of the fun and learning/sharing that happens from such travels.

 

Next is the start of our Saturday whale watch sailing with Captain Dan McSweeney's Whale Watching Adventures. Their website is: http://www.ilovewhales.com

Did we get to see humpback whales and close up? See my pictures below. This was off the Kona Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island and was personally guided by veteran whale researcher Captain Dan.

 

And dolphins? Yes!! See the next post!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

From the entertainment at the Sunset Luau, here are three more visuals. Have lots more, but I think that these give a good idea for the style and quality presented. The second picture ties in with the make-up, song related to the New Zealand aspect of the native/Pacific culture and traditions, how they connect, etc. As I noted earlier, the "tongues out" look is not a freak think, but a serious part of the preparation for warfare in scaring the enemy before any battles would start. It all connects together, Hawaii and NZ!!:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are the first of three visuals from our whale watching sailing. Beautiful, perfect weather day. We were on the top of boat and saw so much of interest and learning from the Captain's narration, details offered, etc. See how big they are, including the massive tail?: