We’ve reached the first of three fiords in New Zealand… Milford Sound…Photos!

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Milford Sound, New Zealand, although cloudy and rainy was an extraordinary place to see including the rainbow.

The anticipation we’re feeling over reaching the beautiful country of New Zealand is indescribable. With many Kiwi passengers and experienced travelers in our midst aboard this ship extolling the virtues of this country, we’re reeling with excitement.

This morning’s flurry of activity with everyone racing to the decks by 7:30 am to witness our entry into the first of three New Zealand fiords we’ll visit today, Milford Sound, loaded up with cameras, iPads, and cell phones in hand on a cool, windy day.

The sun peeked out for a moment, enhancing the scenery.

Milford Sound is described as follows:

“Milford Sound (Māori: Piopiotahi) is a fiord in the southwest of New Zealand‘s South Island, within Fiordland National Park, Piopiotahi (Milford Sound) Marine Reserve, and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. It has been judged the world’s top travel destination in an international survey (the 2008 Travelers’ Choice Destinations Awards by TripAdvisor) and is acclaimed as New Zealand’s most famous tourist destination. Rudyard Kipling had previously called it the eighth Wonder of the World.”

There are numerous waterfalls in the sounds.

As the day continues, we’ll travel through two more major fiords, Doubtful Sound and Dusky Sound, for which we’ll share new photos tomorrow.  As has been typical this past year in our travels, it was cloudy and raining for most of the 90 minutes we sailed through this breathtaking area.

Inclement weather or not, we’re grateful to see these amazing sites, especially when we caught a glimpse of a rainbow and a large pod of Bottlenose dolphins. As often, my photo-taking skills aren’t quite perfected enough to get the quality shots of active marine life although I continue to try. In part, I think I get so excited seeing wildlife, I can barely hold the camera!

We wore long sleeve safari shirts with jeans, the warmest we’ve dressed since we were in Vancouver in September 2014.

And here we are again, after breakfast, back out to the open sea, situated in the Café al Bacio, sipping on hot beverages, content as we can be. We find sitting in this “Starbucks” type café an excellent spot to work on our site and meet new people.

Last night’s dinner with two English couples was as entertaining and fun as always. One of the couples actually lives in the village of Highclere where the popular TV series, Downton Abbey is filmed in the exquisite castle which we visited in August 2014. How fun it was to hear about their lives in the countryside in England!

At each meal, we meet new people, occasionally encountering a couple from a past meal reveling in the good time we had last time around, embracing the new meal together with enthusiasm. 

The time is flying as we’re now only one week from disembarking in Auckland, New Zealand to make our way via rental car to our new home for the next three months. 

Lots of clouds and a ray of sunlight.

We imagine that when most passengers are facing a cruise at the halfway point there’s a certain sense of disappointment anticipating that soon it will all end. We’re grateful that we don’t bear any significant disappointment in it coming to an end when the next leg of our journey will be equally as interesting and meaningful. 

We can’t help but feel a bit of disappointment that we won’t be able to chat with new people at every meal, easily enjoying the friendly companionship. Then, again, we’ve made new friends aboard the ship with whom we’ll surely stay in touch.

Posting has been difficult during this cruise due to our inability to upload more than a few photos each day. The Internet staff has explained that using the wifi mainly works for Facebook and a few email messages. We’re pleased to have been able to do as much as we have as we continue to make every effort to upload more photos each day.

What a view!

I suppose part of the difficulty is taking the time to complete a single post when people frequently stop by to chat. To avoid being rude, I stop looking at my laptop while we chat. Picking it back up 20 minutes later often results in my losing my momentum and flow. 

So, if it’s been scattered, we apologize and will get back on track once we’re living in NZ as we begin an entirely new adventure after settling into our new house on the alpaca farm and start exploring both the north and south islands. 

We’ll return tomorrow with more photos of the two other “sounds” we sail to today. Back at you later. Happy day to all!

Photo from one year ago today, January 12, 2015:

Ironically, one year ago today, we booked another cruise on this same ship we’re on now, the Celebrity Solstice, for March 1, 2017. For more details on that upcoming cruise in 14 months, please click here. (Unable to enlarge photo).

Living aboard a ship long term…More food photos…

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When I asked to be served one avocado a day, they always bring this huge portion which I’ve shared with tablemates.

We hear story after story about seniors living aboard a ship rather than an assisted living facility when often the cost differential is minimal. Many of these stories appear to be “Internet legends” although there have been several actual reported cases.

Here’s a link to a USA Today news story I spotted online about a widow who’s lived on a cruise ship for the past several years. 

After perusing several articles we’ve come to the conclusion that living on a cruise ship permanently is impractical for most of those seniors who may be able to afford the US $5,000 to $15,000 a month cost (depending on the ship, the cabin choice, the itineraries and the cruise line). 

The realities of a long-term life aboard a ship are discouraging for most seniors primarily due to the lack of available appropriate medical care, insurance, and space limitations. Grandma can’t bring along her favorite recliner or special bed when “renting” a cabin on a ship.

The sauce under this delicious garlic and shallot encrusted lamb chops is a flour-less reduction sauce, the chef made for me.

There are a few ships worldwide that are permanent residences for those of all ages as shown at The World, a 165 “unit” residential ship that travels throughout the world with varying size and amenity cabins all with views to the passing world’s treasures. 

Prices aren’t listed at their site but some time ago, out of curiosity we investigated and most were priced well over US $1,000,000 depending on the size of the “condo” plus ancillary fees comparable to association dues one would pay in an upscale condo or townhouse.

What brought this topic to mind was an inquiry from a couple we met while in the Café al-Bacio who were curious if this type of life would appeal to us. Upon contemplative discussion, we have no interest in living permanently on a cruise ship. 

This is the entrée I ordered for the past four nights, seafood on a bed of cooked cabbage and vegetables.  Excellent!

Why not?  For several reasons, including the following in no special order:

1. Boredom: We love the variety in our lives of moving from location to location with a new (to us) property on each occasion. 
2.  Cost:  As much as many of these news stories and “legends” extol the virtues of living aboard a ship, the cost is actually much higher than one reads when all the ancillary expenses are included.
3.  The food:  There are only so many dishes a cruise ship prepares meal after meal. It would be easy to tire of them and plus, for my dietary needs, it would become cumbersome and repetitive.
4.  Exposure to illness: A cruise ship is a sailing petri dish. As seniors, our immune systems may not be as robust as in our youth and we can easily fall prey to many viruses and infections.
5.  Medical care: Many doctors choosing to work aboard a ship do not necessarily have specialties in more than one or two areas, leaving them unable and unequipped on a ship to handle more complicated illnesses beyond basic care. Most seriously ill passengers are airlifted to hospitals, at times to less than desirable hospitals and locations.

Of course, each cruise passenger would have their own list of reasons why long-term or permanent cruising may not work for them. For us, the novelty of cruising a few times each year remains interesting and fulfilling with the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful people in one easy setting along with the opportunity to see many parts of the world as the ship travels from port to port.

Neither of us has any interest in getting off the ship when it’s in port when we’re already scheduled to live in that country, or in ports we’ve already visited in the past. 

Cruising “our way” has many benefits. However, for us, the ultimate experience in cruising is the opportunity to interact with others from all over the world in a relaxed setting. Add, the aspect of “using cruising for transportation” avoiding the stress, commotion, and rush of airports, cruising total fulfills our preferences and expectations. 

Today, we’re attending a special lunch at noon with over 100 cruisecritic.com passengers in the main dining room. Tom just returned from watching the  Minnesota Viking’s lost game but we both look forward to another great day aboard the Celebrity Solstice on day 6 of the cruise with 8 days remaining until we reach Auckland New Zealand.  Baah…

Photo from one year ago today, January 11, 2015:

The clouds continued over the Big Island as we wound down our few final days on the island.  The family had long gone back to the mainland as we began packing and organizing our belongings for the upcoming short flight to the island of Kauai. For more details, please click here.

Rough waters in the Tasman Sea…Time changes…Fabulous times continue…

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View from the ship of monument in Tasmania.

We apologize for yet another late posting at almost 3:00 pm, our new time here in the Tasman Sea in the South Pacific. We overslept after I’d kept us both awake during the night with a hacking cough. 

This morning upon awakening late I immediately noticed if I’ve turned the corner and am on the mend. Thank goodness. I didn’t want this entire cruise to consist of stifling a dry cough. Tom’s abscess is healing and he feels good. We’re renewed and refreshed feeling like ourselves once again.

We missed breakfast which was fine. After eating two meals a day over the past four full days of cruising I felt stuffed and ready for an intermittent fasting day with a 24-hour reprieve from food. 

Tom is also avoiding food today, except for his Mudslide, an alcoholic ice cream type drink with vodka, Kahlua, coffee liqueur, and Bailey’s Irish Cream included in the drink package we both received as a perk with this cruise.

Last night, we met some amazing people at our dinner table. I sat next to an interesting and enlightening older couple. He’s an 86 year old Anglican priest and she’s a spiritual advisor. They’ve both traveled the world extensively. The three of us became engrossed in sharing our philosophical viewpoints on many topics for some highly stimulating conversation.

Tom at the martini bar last night.

Their warmth, kindness, and intellect precipitated my feeling grateful for meeting them. It’s these types of interactions that leave us reeling with happiness over the opportunities we encounter while cruising.

Tom sat next to an equally interesting couple with whom he became totally engrossed, as well as one more couple at our table. None of us hardly noticed our meals, eating little bites between conversations.

With a pending one-hour time change last night (with another tonight), by the time we returned to our cabin it was 11:30 PM and we’d yet to change the time on our watches and digital equipment. 

This morning, when we finally got up and ready for the day it was too late to make it to the dining room before breakfast service ended at 9:30 am. We could have gone to the buffet but, we’ve avoided this area due to a higher risk of “catching” something.

We just returned from waiting in a long queue to check-in with New Zealand immigration required of all passengers disembarking in NZ on 19th declaring any food products and where and how long they’d be staying in the country. We had no problem getting our 90-day stamp to stay in the country without an additional visa.

Once again, we’re back at the Café al-Bacio while Tom’s savoring his tasty drink and I’m sipping on my new favorite herbal African tea, visiting with a variety of passengers who stop by to chat. We couldn’t be more comfortable or enjoying ourselves more, especially now that we’re both on the mend.

Tom’s “new thing,” a crab cake with succotash.

The rolling seas are tolerable. We hardly notice until looking out the window and see the horizon moving up and down with the rough seas. Luckily, neither of us ever suffers from seasickness.

We’ll continue to be out to sea over the next several days. Never bored for a moment, our cruise is comparable to being at one huge cocktail party filled with lively and enthusiastic guests who are highly sociable, friendly, and eager to start conversations. 

Surprisingly for a sea day, the wifi connection is good today even with many passengers also online on their iPads, phones, and laptops. Most likely, we’ll spend tomorrow morning in our cabin watching the Minnesota Vikings playoff game on TV. We’ll be back!

Have a wonderful day!

Photo from one year ago today, January 10, 2015:

Tom took this gorgeous sunrise photo on the Big Island as we wound down our last few days until departing for Kauai. We were prepared to continue on.  For more photos and details, please click here

Ship docked in Tasmania today…Great comment from a loyal reader…

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 Due to a poor signal aboard ship, we’re unable to post many photos each day. 
Last night at the show, Jane, Tom and Rob, our new Aussie friends.

Today, our ship has docked at the port in Hobart, Tasmania. With our upcoming three months on the island beginning in less than 11 months, we decided we’ll save touring this interesting location for that time.

We’ll have a rental car for the full period and can travel at our own pace as we choose. Besides, I’m still nursing a cold/virus I picked up on the flight to Sydney when the man sitting next to me sneezed and coughed during the entire flight. With the use of Tylenol and a nasal spray I’m nursing it, hoping to return to total health in a few days.
As much as we’d prefer not to whine about being ill, we feel it’s only fair to our readers to tell-it-like-it-is including the less than ideal periods we experience from time to time.  
On occasion, most of us get colds, flu, viruses, infections or injuries which regardless of our aggressive preventive measures we can’t seem to avoid. It’s life. Ups and downs. How foolish and unrealistic our site would be if we only shared the “up” times and not the “down” periods.
The thought of doing more today than lounging with a cup of hot tea was beyond me. Thank goodness I’m not sneezing and coughing during the day or I’d quarantine myself to the cabin. Now, as day four since the onset of these symptoms, I’m hoping I’m not contagious.
No flash photography was allowed during the performance, making these photos a bit dark.
Luckily, over the past five days, I haven’t felt so badly that we weren’t able to go to breakfast and dinner. Last night, we dined with new friends, Jane and Rob from Australia. After dinner, at 9:00 pm we all attended the Andy Joy show in the Solstice Theatre, who’s a talented and versatile musician and singer. 
When the show ended, we said good night (no handshakes, no hugs) and headed to our cabin where again I had a good night’s sleep, vital during periods of feeling less than ideal.
Now, with 80% of the passengers off the ship for one of many Tasmanian tours, we’re again quietly content to be lounging in the Café al Bacio coffee bar. We’re contemplating spending a little time at the pool once we’re done posting. 
Today is a mild, not humid, sunny day, a rarity in our lives over these past many months of living in outrageously hot and humid weather. As we move along on this cruise, we’re expecting cooler weather which we’ll fully embrace.

As our posts have continued over the years, we’ve had countless heartwarming experiences of hearing feedback from our readers. Often, they prefer to email rather than post a comment at the end of any day’s post. Some prefer anonymity while others find it quicker and easier to email rather than post a comment.  Either way is fine for us.

However, we suspect that many of our readers enjoy reading the comments of other readers, although they may not be comfortable posting their own comments. I can easily be a “lurker” never saying “boo” on another blog or website I may peruse regularly or on occasion.

Getting into the theatre at the last minute we had no choice but to take seats on the side, not center section.

Our reader, Amit, who stumbled upon us accidentally only a short time ago, has sent email and also posted a few comments. An email he sent a few days ago lingered in my mind that it may be of interest to our other readers. Here’s Amit’s email message sent on January 5, 2016:

“Hi, Jess,
 I have continued reading your blog with great interest and have gotten to the part where you visit the Namale resort to celebrate the third anniversary of your adventure with Tom. Belated congratulations on your new to me occasion. 
    
One of my Facebook friends from my only adventure in the last 25 years, a trip to Central Europe, posted about her upcoming trip to Australia and Fiji and asked for advice. I eagerly recommended your blog and have showed it to other friends, especially the 8 visitors in 1 day post from Marloth Park. 
It’s exciting to realize that I am only 2 months of posts away from your real-time adventures, on a new Pacific Cruise if I remember correctly. In the post I’m reading now you talk about the world map of your travels which I always open in another window when I read your blog. 
You talk about updating and correcting the map and I’d just like to make one minor observation. The map has a link to Borabora in New Guinea rather than Bora Bora in French Polynesia. It would be so exciting if you did get to New Guinea on a cruise. Maybe later. 
Thank you so much for all happiness you have given me with this blog. It makes me excited for my own travels in the future. I really would like to go to Morocco now, although just for a short trip. And I never even knew about your favorite place, Marloth Park.”
His message immediately inspired Tom to correct the map on our homepage. Tom, who handles the map, got to work to make the corrections. In our ongoing efforts to always present a realistic and accurate representation of every aspect of our lives of travel, we can’t express how much we appreciate Amit alerting us to the error. 
The performer was versatile, playing multiple instruments including the piano.
In the past, other readers have offered correction suggestions all of which we’ve taken seriously which we’ve immediately implement when applicable. We welcome suggestions provided they aren’t of a “bashing” or bullying nature. We’ve certainly had a few such comments we soon deleted to which we’ve seldom responded.
This is a positive and “happy” place for us to share our experiences. Yes, some days things go wrong or we’re “under the weather” but that doesn’t diminish the overall depth of the quality of our journey. It all a part of life which for all of us is rarely a constant stream of perfection and ease.
We wrote back to Amit, thanking him for sharing his thoughts with us, explaining that he started at the beginning to read from our first post in March 15, 2012 to the present, which he’s almost reached.  Perhaps, by the time he reads about himself here, he’ll be caught up.
Today’s post is #1257. Amit, that’s quite a commitment and we thank and commend you for tackling it and, for sharing it with your friends and for writing to us. 
As we strive to continue to grow our worldwide readership, sharing our web address with family and friends is so appreciated and meaningful to us. All you need to do is send them an email including this link:  www.worldwidewaftage.com
It will direct your friends to today’s newest post which changes daily as we continue to post 365 days a year…366 this year, a leap year.
That’s it for today, folks. We hope you have a wonderful day. We’ll be back tomorrow with more new photos as we continue to revel in our “boatload” of new friends and experiences!
Photo from one year ago today, January 9, 2015:
A map illustrating how the city of Hilo near the bay was wiped out from tsunamis over the years.  Notice the Lyman Museum name at the top of this page, which we’d also visited in December 2015 with the family. Click here for details.

We’re here!…Late posting due to WiFi issues out to sea…

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The beaches of Australia are pristine and unspoiled, even during these warm summer months. (It’s summer in the Southern Hemisphere).

We would have been late posting even if the WiFi issues hadn’t occurred when everyone aboard the ship was indoors trying to get online at the same time.

With a busy morning of socializing over a late breakfast and not even having a moment available to see if we could get online, finally seven hours later than we usually begin posting, we had a connection.

Overall, this is unusual. During our past 11 cruises, we’ve managed a good signal while out to sea allowing us to post with a few photos. As it turns out we won’t be able to post more than five or six photos a day with the slow service we’re experiencing. 

Yesterday we’d decided to stay on the ship knowing we’ll be back in Melbourne on other upcoming cruises.

Otherwise, we’re having the time of our lives. Tom’s abscess continues to improve and although I’ve picked up a bit of a cough over the past three days, I’m feeling relatively good. I supposed after three days, I must be less contagious especially when I’m not sneezing at all or coughing in public and, not touching others while learning to use the “Howie Mandell handshake” of bumping elbows.

I’m able to entirely contain the cough by taking deep breaths when the urge arises and by washing my hands at least once an hour, hoping not to infect others. If it doesn’t get any worse, I’m good. I can’t seem to escape getting the cruise cough these days. Most likely it’s entirely due to our lack of exposure to germs on a day-to-day basis, except when we fly or cruise. 

The remnants of an old pier no longer used.

“They” (whoever they are) say a little exposure to germs is the best way to toughen the immune system. But, our quiet lives spent mostly just the two of us certainly keeps us free from much exposure to the germs of others. 

Tom’s already on antibiotics for his abscess so it’s unlikely he’ll get any type of bacterial infection from me or others.

Most illnesses on cruises and from flying on airplanes are viruses, not bacterial infections. Antibiotics don’t work for viruses unless it turns into a bacterial infection, for example, a strep throat, bronchitis, or a sinus infection.  Thank goodness, none of that so far.

Melbourne appears to be a lovely city, although considerably smaller than Sydney.

As for our good time, it’s unbelievable. With mostly Aussies, Kiwi’s (NZ) and Americans on this ship, we’re amazed by how many wonderful people we’ve met and interacted with up to this point of only three days since embarking. It’s astounding! 

In each venue we engage in pleasant and meaningful conversations ending in our having handed out dozens of business cards which will enable us to stay in touch after the cruise. 

How does this happen? Is it anything about us, we ask? Not necessarily. Although a genuine smile and a warm and sincere “hello” can go a long way in starting conversations. A cruise is no place for shyness, never an issue for either of us.

View of a major overpass in Melbourne.

This cruise appears to have about 20% of its passengers under age 40, about 3% children under 16 with the rest falling into the middle age and senior category.

We don’t necessarily spend time with only seniors. This morning we had a blast in the Café el Bacio with a group of six from Sydney, all in their 40’s with all of their children along who’d busied themselves with a variety of kid-friendly activities.  

Tonight, we’re having dinner with a fabulous Australian couple from the Gold Coast that is in our age range that we met a few nights ago at the Ensemble Bar. We clicked instantly and have gabbed with one another several times in between. Tonight, we’ll meet at the main dining room at 6:30 for dinner.

The ship holds 2850 passengers (crew of 1250) and we suspect it’s filled to capacity. Although a little larger than our preferred under 2000, it still feels cozy enough to have an opportunity to meet people, running into familiar faces on many other occasions.

After a great night’s sleep last night in the comfy bed, most likely we’ll be able to stay out a little later than last night. We’ve yet to attend the shows held nightly in the Solstice Theatre nor have we had time for a movie or down time in the cabin. We’re simply too busy for such events. 

A buoy marking the bay in Melbourne.

Having fun is having fun. Where and how we have it is irrelevant to us. It’s certainly no wonder why we love cruising, cruise cough or not. With our included beverage packages, Tom is drinking in moderation and we’re both continuing to enjoy the coffee bar as our primary socialization spot during the day. 

The specialty teas are a luxury for me and I can’t seem to drink enough. Tom continues to enjoy the Caramel Macchiato a few times a day which I doubt he’d have tried if it wasn’t included in the beverage package. 

Not that he’s a total tightwad but at US $6, AU $8.49 he’d probably have ordered a cocktail over a coffee drink. Without the beverage package, most likely, I’d have opted for the complimentary teas as opposed to the specialty teas rather than spending US $5.50, AU $7.79 for a small pot barely filling my mug.

Well, folks, that’s it for today. Tomorrow, we’ll be back with a special email we received from a reader we’d loved to share with his permission granted to do so. Our readers throughout the world are wafting along with us, nautical mile after nautical mile. 

We’re grateful for your friendship, support, and continuing attention! What a gift!

Photo from one year ago today, January 8, 2015:

The cloud obstructed moon over the Big Island, one year ago caught our attention for this “packman” type shot. For more details as we approached our last week on the island of Hawai’i’, please click here.

The freedom to choose…Tom trying new things…

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At dinner last night, he really stretched himself trying and very much liking this liver pate, another first for him, saying it reminded him of Braunschweiger.

With five more upcoming Australian cruises in the next 15 months, we don’t feel compelled to get off the ship at every port of call on this cruise. The nice part about cruising is we can do whatever we want. There is no schedule we have to follow. Our dinner reservations can be “whenever” we’d like. 

With a variety of functions in which we can choose to participate, most can easily be attended with a last-minute decision. Most often there’s room for two more. 

We love this freedom to decide.  In part, this sense of liberation and lack of feeling of being encumbered, owning “stuff,” had been instrumental in our decision to travel the world.

Tom, for the first time ever, ordered a Caramel Macchiato and liked it very much, ordering another while we sat in the Café el Bacio again today preparing today’s post.

Now, aboard this ship, we’re totally entrenched in this feeling of choice and freedom, exactly how we feel when we’re settled into a vacation home for a few months or more. 

There is no feeling of entrapment, no schedules other than those we freely choose with no obligations than those in our little world except for the responsibility for our health and well-being, taking care of the houses we’re renting, fiscal responsibility, record keeping, and future planning.

As for the “responsibility” of taking photos and posting each day, it’s done without any sense of obligation or pressure. It almost feels as if I have a remote in hand each morning and I select “play” as the process flows through my fingers with ease and purpose. 

If someone would have ever told me I’d have to conceptually write an essay every day of the week, 365 days (or this leap year’s 366 days) including adding new photos daily, I’d had said, “Bite me! I’m not doing that!”

His next “outside the box” new drink, a Café Diablo with Courvoisier VS, Grand Marnier, Sambuca and hot coffee.

And yet, day after day, without stress, without boredom, without “writer’s block” it all comes easily to me.  Motivation is a powerful thing. Documenting this year’s long journey, having the ability to look back and see what we’ve done day after day, sharing it with family, friends and the people we don’t know throughout the world has been all the motivation we’ve needed.

Onboard the Celebrity Solstice now for the past 48 hours, we’ve already had more fun, met more people, engaged in more lively conversation as we’ve wandered about the ship thoroughly entertained together as a couple as companions, shipmates, and lovers. Without even trying, cruising is romantic in its own unique way. 

Last night, as we sat on bar stools at one of the popular bars, The Ensemble Lounge, with a jazz band playing in the background, we were not only reminded of times long past but, of past cruises when conversations on a bar stool are especially memorable. 

Tom was drinking his usual Courvoisier with Sprite Zero while I sipped on plain bubbly water in a tall glass with lots of ice, a lime, and a straw. I miss drinking alcohol but my health is better without it. Last night, my glass looked like a “cocktail” while I almost felt a pleasing buzz from the power of suggestion.High on life? 

A few years ago while on a cruise, he tried frog legs, enjoying them again as an appetizer at last night’s dinner.

From meeting new people while sharing our mutual stories, a unique connection aboard a ship is generated hour after hour. We spend little time in the cabin. At the moment we’re situated in comfy chairs in the Café al Bacio, our newly discovered coffee/tea bar.

On our last cruise on this same ship, we rarely lounged in this area while posting instead spending time outside in warm weather. We’d never tried the coffee or tea. Tom has since tried a few coffee drinks as shown in today’s photos in his attempt at “trying new things.” 

It was exciting to find they offer my favorite oolong tea which I can drink all day when every beverage and sweet treat (for Tom only) they offer in this area is included in the two drink packages included on this particular cruise via promotion through Celebrity: free gratuities (usually charged at US $13, AUD $18 per person per day), free classic drink package for two (Tom’s cocktails, specialty coffees, imported teas, and a wide array of bottled beverages which is usually US $59, AUD $83 per person per day), and a cabin credit of US $100, AUD $141 to be used however we’d like.

Once on the ship we immediately signed up for the unlimited Internet packages which don’t allow sharing unless one goes offline while the other is online.  his plan, at US $244, AUD $345 per person (if we didn’t want to share, which we don’t) resulted in our paying a total of US $488, AUD $690 to ensure we both could be online at the same time.

Tom’s dinner was less adventuresome, tournedos of beef with red wine reduction with potatoes, green beans, and carrots. He found the entire meal and beverages to be pleasing to his limited palate.

With Tom enjoying time online while I spend the better part of each morning preparing the post, sharing is not an option for us. Plus, while I prepare the post, he assists with exchange rates, searching for links, and researching pertinent information while I’m in the process of posting. Having to go offline after each of my many questions is not for us.

Most likely, our final cruise bill will only include the above WiFi fees and a few odds and ends for any purchases we may make. The almost dried-out Max Factor mascara I’d purchased in Sydney made me drool over the prospect of purchasing a three-pack of Lancôme Definicils, my old US favorite for US $72, AUD $102. Gee…I haven’t purchased something this pricey and extravagant in a long time. 

I’ve gone back to the ship’s cosmetic store a few times looking at this potential purchase hesitating to buy it when for the past three-plus years I’ve used what I could find at a local chemist or supermarket. 

My “girlie” mentality hasn’t entirely wafted away while living this life and I’m glad for it. Who said I had to give up everything? No one. The freedom to choose is gratifying. 

No, I don’t own a handbag. I have only two pairs of jeans and five total pairs of shoes. We make do with what we have. An occasional splurge now and then reminds us that we do have the freedom to choose and that most often, we choose that which is relatively frugal and practical.

Today, we decided to stay on board the ship. We’re currently docked in Melbourne (pronounced “mel-ban” here in AU) until 5:30 pm. We may walk off the ship or we may not since we’re certainly enjoying the quiet while other passengers are off the ship shopping, riding in full buses, and sightseeing. 

We’ll be back here on another cruise in November. Knowing this, it’s easy to choose to stay onboard, simply because we feel like it. There are two upcoming ports of call for which we’ve booked all-day small group tours.  That’s enough for us. We had no commitments for today. When we return to Melbourne we may plan a small group tour or take a taxi tour. However, today, we’ll take a number of photos of Melbourne to share here tomorrow. 

So please check back, if you choose to…

Photo from one year ago today, January 7, 2015:

When daughter-in-law Camille and granddaughter Madighan stayed behind a few days before returning to the mainland, Madighan and I made the gingerbread house we’d been too busy to make before Christmas  For more photos, please click here.

Another possible medical emergency a few hours before boarding the ship…Thank goodness for a previous posts saving the day!

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The ship is still decorated from Christmas.

Yesterday morning, shortly after I uploaded the post, Tom told me his tooth abscess had returned overnight.  While in Fiji we’d decided dealing with it other than with the use of antibiotics was not necessarily the best course of action after our visit to the dentist’s office. We feared their equipment may not have been up-to-date and the most sanitary.

In November, when Tom was treated for the abscess at the dentist office in Savusavu for a fee of FJD $6, USD $2.78 with two free antibiotic prescriptions and a dose of Ibuprofen, we thought if he could last until we arrived in New Zealand, he’d visit a dentist shortly after we arrived.

Most likely we’ll find a good dentist in the nearby town of Taranaki which appears to have several dental offices.  Of course, we’ll ask the owner of the house we’re renting for a recommendation.

This wonderful chemist saved the day!

With only two hours until we had to vacate the hotel room, after requesting a late checkout, we knew we’d better come up with a plan. An abscessed tooth could become serious while on a two-week cruise. We didn’t have enough time left in Sydney to make an appointment to see a dentist and follow up with any treatment or prescriptions.

The previous day, we’d visited a local chemist for toiletries and a variety of preventive over-the-counter meds, meeting Peter, the most friendly chemist on the planet. 

Yesterday, after Tom finally told me about the abscess returning we decided to go back to see him, a short walk in yet more rain, a few blocks from the hotel. Our plan…ask him to refill the same antibiotic prescriptions Tom had taken in Fiji which seemed to work within a few days.

The tiny chemist shop had more products than one could imagine would fit in the tiny space.

Our plan to get him to agree to refill the prescriptions without a new prescription from a local dentist was simpler than we anticipated. Once we arrived at the store, we’d ask him to bring up our website in November 10, 2015, where we’d posted a photo of the pills he’d received at the Savusavu dentist. Click here to read that particular post if you missed it. 

Below is the photo we showed Peter which he accepted as a valid prescription worthy of being refilled. We couldn’t have been more relieved. Immediately, Tom said it was “safari luck” that we had the photo on the post to refer to in order to show the chemist we had a valid prescription. 

Luckily, Peter was able to read the labels on these two antibiotics enabling Tom to take another emergency round to last until we arrive in New Zealand in a few weeks.

This photo would never have been accepted in the US as valid proof for a refill. But, in Australia which is still relatively strict with prescription laws, this case precipitated a solution with kindly Peter accommodated since we’d already built a connection with him on the previous day’s visit. He knew we weren’t buying the medications to resell them.
 
Practically jumping for joy with relief we quickly made our way back to the hotel, prescriptions in hand, to load up our gear and head out the door to the ship.  Oddly, we could see the pier across the street from the chemist but, it was too difficult a walk with all of our bags in the rain and attempting to maneuver down a steep flight of stairs.

The doorman hailed a taxi and for a fare of USD $14.33, AU $20, the driver dropped us off at the Port of Sydney with our two large bags, one medium bag, one duffel, one Costco bag, rolling cart, and computer bag. (We’re able to maneuver the load a short distance on our own with careful stacking and use of the rolling cart). 

Busy Sydney Harbour.

Somehow, in these past months, we’ve lost our bungees making securing the rolling cart difficult. Once at the pier, we had a relatively long line in which to handle the bags were normally at most ports, the moment we step out of the taxi, our bags are tagged with our cabin number and whisked away by port personnel too much later be delivered to our cabin.

In less than an hour waiting in various lines for check-in, customs, immigration, and security, we were on the familiar ship, the Celebrity Solstice, excited for the 14-day journey itself to New Zealand, and for the upcoming three months we’ll spend living on an alpaca farm.

By 2:00 pm, we’d dropped off our carry-on bags in our cabin, our hands were free and we roamed about the same ship we sailed on September 23, 2014, when we cruised from Vancouver, British Columbia to Oahu, Hawaii.  That seems so long ago in one way and like yesterday in another.

The ship was being fueled, maintained, and dumping sewage.

The day and evening were even more enjoyable than expected.  We met many other passengers, mostly from the US and the UK. There seem to be considerably fewer Aussies than anticipated. As a result, there are no “Shed” meetings for Tom to attend, but he’s rather content with all the people we’ve met so far, engaging in lively conversations. And, as always, we’re having lots of fun together.

The abscess is already improving from a few doses of the antibiotics. We’re not thrilled he has to suffer any potential ill effects of taking antibiotics twice in such a short time span. But, we had no alternatives other than to cancel the cruise or risk a more serious infection, building over the upcoming few weeks. 

Last night’s dinner was OK. Since it was my first meal in the Epernay Dining Room they had few options available for me other than a tiny plain shrimp cocktail (no sauce), a Caesar salad without dressing, a steak, and a few steamed veggies. I ordered sides of New Zealand seasoned butter and full-fat sour cream, dipped everything on my plate for added flavor. 

All other entrees had been prepared in advance using vegetable oil, sugar, soy sauce, starches, flour, and other items I can’t have. Last night, I ordered my meal for tonight and this morning’s breakfast of two hard-boiled eggs, smoked salmon with capers, and crispy streaky American bacon. It was fine.

Last night we experienced rough seas during dinner subsiding later in the evening. As always, it had no effect on either of us, although it certainly was noticeable.

When we returned to our cabin for the night we noticed Tom’s suitcase hadn’t arrived yet. We’d received all the other bags in the late afternoon. 

We spotted a message on our phone. Within minutes, we headed to Level 2 to security to respond to their request to show up if we wanted his bag which had been confiscated due to a power strip. They tagged it, made him sign for it, stating we could have it back at the end of the cruise. This wasn’t the first time this has happened. We’ll manage just fine in the interim.

Tom’s busy “trying new things” which we’ll share in our photos to come.  With the slow WiFi on the ship, we’ll only be able to post four to six photos per day. He always surprises me when he suddenly decides to be adventurous with food and beverages. After all, his inclination toward adventure is certainly pleasing to me regardless of what he decides to eat!

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, January 6, 2015:

One year ago, daughter-in-law Camille and granddaughter Madighan had a chance to pet one of the chickens at a local resort where they stayed for one night when Madighan had an allergic reaction to something in the house we were renting. The next day, they left for Kona to get ready for their upcoming flight to the mainland. For more details, please click here.

We made it to Sydney!…What a city!…

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He’s so happy. Gosh, we love this life!  I took this photo in the rain when we found an overhang on the sidewalk on George St. in Sydney .
OK, my hat was lopsided, but it made it possible for me to take a few photos in the rain. Fashionable? No. Functional? Yep.

OK, here’s how it went. On Sunday afternoon, we checked in for our flight using a bad wifi signal, from Suva, Fiji to Sydney, Australia, a four-hour non-stop flight.

Our flight confirmation paper documents stated our flight on Monday, January 4th was at 11:15 am. We booked several flights in and around Fiji using a local travel agency while we were living in Trinity Beach, Australia last June to September. 

It was the first time we’d used a travel agency to book any of our travels, other than Vacationstogo.com which we use to book cruises, mainly for their great prices and service.

The first four flights were fine. Yesterday’s fifth flight was “confirmed” in writing for the above date and time. As soon as we were online at Fiji Airway’s site to check in on Sunday, there was no flight listed at 11:15 am as stated in our documents, only one flight at 8:35 am with the same flight number as indicated on the documents. 

We were able to check-in thus affirming that somewhere along the way either the agency gave us the wrong information or the flight was changed and we weren’t notified. They had a record of our email and phone numbers for both Fiji and the US.

Immediately, we hustled to change our shuttle to Suva, Nasouri Airport from a 7:45 am pickup to a 5:15 am pickup which for us, is a bit challenging. Although we get up early most days, getting up at 4:15 and out the door, an hour later is not our thing.

No problem on the shuttle. They’d arrived at our door at 5:15 for the 90-minute drive to the airport. Hoping to arrive by 6:45 am, we’d have time to go through customs and immigration and an expected huge queue at the international flights when we realized it was the first Monday after the holidays and the tiny airport would be swamped

If we didn’t get checked in and dump our checked baggage by 8:05 am they’d literally “close” check-in and we’d miss the flight.

Awakening at 3:45 am, I bolted out of bed without the alarm on my phone never going off, and jumped in the shower, bleary-eyed after only about four fitful hours of sleep. Minutes later, Tom was awake and we dashed around the house, tidying up, closing our bags moving everything back to where it was when we arrived. 

When the driver appeared at 4:55 am we were ready to leave. Good timing.  Arriving any later we’d have had a problem at the tiny airport, which was more packed than we expected with mostly Fijians heading back to their homes in Australia. Oddly, we spotted only one person that appeared to be Caucasian among the hundreds waiting in line.  We were right at home. 

Taxidermy croc for sale in a shop window. My lower legs and feet are also shown in this photo. In the rain, I wasn’t particular about getting good shots.

(For some odd reason, wherever we may be, we always feel as if we belong. What’s the deal with that? The acceptance and welcoming we’ve received worldwide have been astounding).

When our turn popped up, we were hardly surprised to discover our luggage load was severely overweight. We didn’t have to step on the huge old-fashioned scale this time, only the bags.  We were presented with a bill over and above the already paid cost of the flight for FJD $936, USD $438! Even the rep winced when he told us how much it would be. 

Yesterday, we took the elevator to the hotel’s rooftop for a few photos in the rain. This was not our ship which hadn’t arrived yet.

At this point, we’ve come to accept that this is “the nature of the beast.” That’s why we love cruising so much (among other reasons)…no baggage fees. Sure, our readers may cringe and say, “Oh, I could get that load lightened enough to avoid excess fees.” 

Please, dear friends…walk in these shoes…these few pairs each, and see what you’d be willing to get dispose of. Not much. It’s bare-bones. I don’t own a bathrobe, a dress, or a bathing suit cover-up. Tom doesn’t own a suit coat, a pair of dress pants, or a robe either, which we both love wearing after a warm shower.

This is the Metcalfe Bond building.

We each have two pairs of jeans, several pairs of shorts, and a variety of tee shirts along with a few casual dressy shirts for dinner on cruises and otherwise. I have two lightweight casual skirts that I can dress up with one of two scarves and a belt. It’s truly bare-bones.

So…we pay the price, accepting the reality that we care enough that we look presentable in many situations with what we may have on hand. We’re not backpackers. We’ll never be backpackers. 

Finally, we were seated and buckled in on the fully packed 737 jet. Sitting next to me at the window was a man who had to weigh at least 400 pounds, 182 kilos, tall and burly. His thighs were the size of two of Tom’s. 

The Sydney Harbour Bridge. While taking this photo Tom suggested I zoom in for the people walking across the top of the bridge, as shown in today’s photos.

He occupied his seat and half of mine. I was in the middle, Tom on the aisle. Heavy breather. Poor guy was cramped. I did everything I could to contribute as much of my seat as possible to allow him to be somewhat comfortable. Instead, I was cramped and uncomfortable for the entire four hours sitting almost sideways on my seat. Tom offered to switch with me. I refused.

Instead of thinking about it, we played Gin. I wound up winning for Fiji. That helped. They served breakfast. I ate the scrambled eggs when they said were gluten-free but nothing else. It was fine. We were fine. There was no turbulence over the vast sea. A baby in the seat in front of us cried and fussed a lot.

Finally, we landed in Sydney. The plane had to wait 40 minutes for a gate. It was raining hard and we were glad there would be a “tube” instead of the usual steep metal steps outside the plane. It was worth the wait. We didn’t complain.

Brave souls, walking across the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, known as the Bridge Climb. Please click here for details. This might be fun for those that don’t mind heights. 

We breezed through immigration and customs after a long wait for the bags. Once out the door, we grabbed a van and made our way to the hotel, the Old Holiday Inn, a very nice hotel with mixed reviews. Very close to the port of Sydney, we were happy. Free WiFi with a strong signal. 

Tom was chomping at the bit to watch the Vikings game which was live on Aussie TV.  The TV wouldn’t work, nor would the phone in order to report it.

Mr. Overly Grumpy himself reappeared as I dashed off to the front desk to report the two issues. In no time at all, a maintenance guy appeared in our room, removing the bad phone replacing it with another, and got the TV working. 

Tom was so worked up he had to take off his shirt. I never take my shirt off when I get worked up. It must be a guy thing.

Notice the cruise ship in the background.  Our ship hadn’t arrived yet but is certainly there now.  How exciting! This building only had the letters “ASN” listed on the building.

Soon, the game was on and he was happy again, with a bit of tail between his legs. I stayed unruffled but gloated a little over my (mostly) continuing “overly bubbly” demeanor, weird in its consistency. How could I not?

In essence, we balance each other. When I was fussing over the prospect of getting up so early after our oddly discovered flight time change, Tom was calm and cool, making every effort to ease my concern over the prospect of having a bad night’s sleep. When all was said and done, I was fine, certainly eased by his ongoing emotional support and reassurances.  We each had about four hours of sleep.

We needed a number of preventive items for the cruise, just in case, and had to find a nearby chemist and an ATM.  We needed hand sanitizer wipes, (we already have those for cleaning surfaces in the cabin and elsewhere), nasal spray (specifically for travelers to prevent infections which we’ll report back if that works), cough medicine with codeine like an ingredient legal in AU, Benedryl, a mascara (mine was empty), and a few other odds and ends.

Our ship has arrived!  Tom took this photo a few minutes ago when he went back up on the roof.  So close but so far away with our luggage.

After the chemist, a several-block walk in the pouring rain, with success in finding varying degrees of the list on my phone, we found an ATM. It wasn’t working. Tom was worried. I wasn’t. We went back to the room to call Wells Fargo to find out the problem with our debit cards. We’d already notified them where we’d be traveling over the next year.

Calling Wells Fargo on Skype, there was no problem with the card.  We had to find another machine. Tom headed out on his own leaving me in the room while he dashed back out in the rain.  Within 10 minutes he was back with a handful of Aussie dollars. He was happy now.

Sailboat entering the harbor.

Not wanting to go back out in the pouring rain, we dined in the hotel’s restaurant, a fixed price menu that proved perfect for me; Caesar salad minus croutons or dressing;  salmon filet and steamed broccoli and spinach with butter. Tom had leek onion soup, steak, potatoes, veggie, and rolls. He especially liked the roll. His cruise dining habits have begun. Lips zipped here.

Soon, we’ll be off to the ship. Tom had hoped we could walk our bags using carts to the port but the hotel doesn’t have carts or porters, plus we’re way too far away and also the pouring rain continues and there’s no way that makes sense. We’ll get a taxi to take us the distance of four or five long blocks.

Thanks, dear readers, for following us to Sydney and now onto the Celebrity Solstice. We hear the seas are rough!  Sounds exciting!

Photo from one year ago today, January 5, 2015:

Longs Drugs, permanently closed and boarded up due to pending lava flow on the Big Island, close to where we lived for six weeks. We’d shopped at this store the day they closed for some huge bargains but felt bad for the employees who’d be out of jobs.  For more details, please click here.

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We’re on the move!…Final expenses for four months on two Fijian islands, separately and combined…

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Sunset at the Uprising Resort in Pacific Harbour where we dined.

We’re on our way to Sydney today to spend one night in a hotel. While in the hotel Tom will watch the Minnesota Vikings game on his laptop while I work on the next day’s post. The following day we’ll board the Celebrity Solstice for a 14-day cruise, one of six cruises we’ve booked in the South Pacific, enabling us to circumvent Australia. (This doesn’t include the Mekong River cruise in July 2016).

By the time we board the final of these cruises, we’ll be on our way to the US in May 2017.  Upon arrival in Seattle we’ll head to Vancouver for a two-day stay, then board a nine-night Alaskan cruise. After that cruise, we’ll drive across the northern tier of the US to head to Minnesota for a visit. From there, we’ll fly to Nevada to visit more family members, renew our driver’s license and take care of a few business items. 

Then, on August 1st, we’ll make our way to the fabulous property, we booked in Costa Rica for a three months stay. Then…South America, here we come!  It’s all exciting to us, every single aspect including the time with family and friends.

Now, as we wrap up the four months we’ve spent in the Fiji islands, on both Vanua Levu and Viti Levu, the two largest of the 330 plus islands in the archipelago it’s time to wrap up the total expenses during this period. 

We’ve copied the figures for the first three months from the last day’s post in Savusavu as shown below. Further down, we’ve shown the expenses for the 28 days spent in Pacific Harbor. At the end of both of these, you’ll find the grand totals.

Bollywood Dancing at the Uprising Resort on a Saturday night.

Savusavu, Vanua Levu, Fiji
September 8, 2015 to December 6, 2015
88 days
Rent:      USD $6,000, FJD $12,832
Airfare:   USD $2,758, FJD $5,899  (This total includes five flights to get us here from Cairns, Australia and back to Sydney, Australia).
Food:      USD $2,293, FJD $4,904  (includes all groceries and household supplies)
Dining:    USD $165, FJD $353
Taxi:       USD $393, FJD $841
Tips:       USD $200, FJD $428
Postage:  USD $213, FJD $456
ATM fees:USD $234 FJD $500
Vodafone USD $495, FJD $1,059

Grand Total:  USD $12,751, FJD $27,271
Monthly Avg: USD$  4,250,  FJD $  9,090

Pacific Harbour, Viti Levu, Fiji
December 6, 2015 to January 4, 2016
28 days
Rent:      USD $2,800, FJD $5986
Airfare:   USD $0, FJD $0  (This total is included above in the cost of the five flights from Cairns, Australia, Fiji flights and back to Sydney, Australia on January 4th).
Excess Baggage Fees: USD $105 FJD $225
Food:       USD $667, FJD $1426  (includes all groceries and household supplies)
Dining:     USD $367, FJD $785
Taxi:        USD $177, FJD $378
Tips & Cleaning: USD $167, FJD $356
Postage:   USD $0 FJD $0
ATM fees: USD $17.50 FJD $37
Vodafone: USD $0, FJD $0  (Data was included in rental.  Hotspot we’d brought with us with many remaining gigs from Savusavu didn’t work well in Pacific Harbour).

Grand Total:  USD $ 4,300,  FJD $ 9,193
Monthly Avg:  USD$ 4,607 , FJD $ 9,849 (based on 30 days)

Fiji, four-month totals
Grand total:   USD $17,051 FJD $36,454
Monthly Avg:  USD $4,410  FJD $ 9,428 (based on a 30 days)
Daily Avg: USD $147 FJD $314 (actual cost per day for 116 days)

The vegetable stand where we purchased most of our produce during the 28-day stay.

We couldn’t be more pleased with these totals. Although it would cost considerably more to visit Fiji to stay in a resort/hotel at no less than USD $200, FJD $428 per day plus the cost of airfare, meals, tips, excursions, and transportation, an economically minded traveler preferring to stay in a hotel, could easily expect to spend an average of USD $571, FJD $1,021 per day.

For a two week holiday/vacation the cost may easily end up at a minimum of USD $8,000, FJD $17,105 which would not include shopping and miscellaneous expenses such as spa services, wifi fees, purchasing trinkets, excess baggage and fees for sports equipment. Of course, staying in vacation homes as we’ve done, considerably reduces the cost.

With many similar vacations requiring less travel time and lower expenses, many Americans and others may choose to travel to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, most of which are more readily accessible on shorter, less expensive flights.

Is Fiji worth a visit? We’ve enjoyed it very much under the circumstances by which we’ve traveled, arriving from Australia as opposed to traveling from the US and, in staying in vacation homes, purchasing groceries, using low cost taxi service as opposed to renting a car which is very expensive on most islands. 

For a luxury hotel experience, the cost will easily be two to three times or more than our estimates. As I prepare this post, Tom researched the cost of round trip flights from Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA to Fiji, staying on only the main island of Viti Levu. 

Papaya growing in the backyard reachable from the wraparound veranda.

With three layovers, the RT cost per person at today’s rates for next September (as an example since we arrived in September) is USD $1,784 FJD $3,814 per person, taking a total of 31.5 hours from takeoff to final landing providing there are no delays. 

This airfare was the lowest rate Tom could find, however there are shorter travels times at higher rates cutting the travel time by as much as 12 hours. Also, consideration must be made for an additional fare for a satisfactory return flight which can bump up the cost considerably. 

In all, for those traveling to Fiji from as far away as the US, it’s wise to consider almost three days of travel and recovery time. Plus, one must consider the loss of one day when arriving and then regaining the day should they commence their travel while crossing the International Dateline.

Whew!  For those with more time than two weeks, also visiting Australia, New Zealand, and other nearby countries, Fiji may make a lot more sense economically.

We have no regrets about visiting Fiji and are actually grateful for the experience. It further “toughened us” in being more tolerant with 10% of our time in power outages, near-constant heat and humidity, lots of mosquito bites, and the ants, many ants, many, many ants.

One must also consider the weather which while we’ve been living in Fiji has been cloudy and rainy no less than 80% of the total time. The rainy season in Fiji is as follows (which apparently has been higher this year per this chart):

Suva, Fiji Weather
Temperature (Fahrenheit)
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
High 86 86 86 84 82 80 79 79 80 81 83 85
Low 74 74 74 73 71 69 68 68 69 70 71 73
Average 80 80 80
78
 76 74 73 73 74 75 77 79
Temperature (Celsius)
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
High 30 30 30 29 28 27 26 26 27 27 28 29
Low 23 23 23 23 22 21 20 20 21 21 22 23
Average 27 27 27 26 24 23 23 23 23 24 25 26
Precipitation
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Inches 11 11 15 12 10 7 5 8 8 8 10 13
Centimeters 28 28 38 30 25 18 13 20 20 20 25 33
Precipitation Days
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Days 16 16 18 17 16 13 11 15 15 15 16 17
On the flip side, we’ve loved the local people we’ve met along the way, the availability of fresh organic food, the high level of friendliness, the beautiful scenery and the reasonable cost of living.


As for the two houses we’ve lived in, by far, we’ve preferred the house here in Pacific Harbour with many more amenities, considerably larger with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a larger refrigerator, AC in the bedroom (which eventually we had to use), is in better overall condition with easy access to the pool outside the backdoor. As shown above, the rent differential was well worth it. 

For the link to this property, please click here. Susan, the owner, is a breeze to work with and extremely helpful.

The river bridge we crossed many times on our neighborhood walks.

Vinaka, Fiji. We’ve enjoyed our time in your country and although we doubt we’d ever return for a long  stay, we have good memories to carry in our hearts always.

Next time, we’ll “see” you, will be the post I’ll prepare for the following (Monday for some, Tuesdays for us) from our hotel in Sydney, Australia while Tom’s wrapped up the Minnesota Viking football game. Hopefully, the playoff games will be broadcast aboard the ship. Thanks to all of our readers for sharing Fiji with us! Stay tuned for lots more!

Photo from one year ago today, January 4, 2015:

One year ago today, we moved from the second house we rented back to the first house as the last of our family member left the Hawaiian Islands. Moving was time consuming and challenging and we were relieved to be settled with a remaining 10 days until we’d depart for Kauai for a remaining four months.  For more details, please click here.