Internet issues…Sorry for the delay in posting…Continuing on the cruise, out to sea…

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We’ve had issues with the ship’s wifi that has prevented us from posting photos let alone being able to get online to write about our cruise experiences to date aboard Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas. 

Although we haven’t actually missed an entire day, we’ve only been able to post one photo in the past 24 hours. It’s unlikely we’ll be able to post even one photo today. The signal remains sporadic at best.

We’ve been having another memorable time on this ship as we have on numerous others. This morning we found out there are only 17 Americans aboard this ship. Thus far, we haven’t encountered one of them. 

Instead, we’ve met dozens of Australians who are some of the most friendly people in the world and friendships develop will ease and vast amounts of humor and lively conversation.

Aussies don’t hold back in conversation, are less inclined to monitor what they say is an attempt to always be “politically correct” although they are respectful of all people, if such a combination can possibly exist. 

Although we prefer not to generalize about a nation of people, we find this commonality in Aussies and Kiwis we find to be enchanting and enticing. Sure, they may be exceptions to any such similarity, but we seldom encounter it to be the case after spending the past 10 months in and around the South Pacific.

In a way, it’s hard to believe this much time has passed that we’ve lived in this part of the world and without a doubt, it’s added to our perspective of the world in a positive way.

As for the cruise, besides the pleasurable time we’re having meeting other passengers, we’re loving every moment. Our cabin is comfortable and roomy enough for us, the views from the veranda are excellent, the food is good and working well for my needs, and the endless array of activities and venues in which to be entertain keeps us on the move from one hour to another.

We’re unable to post the year-ago photos or links. Once we’re able to receive a better signal, we’ll catch up on those we’ve missed as well as posting many photos we’ve been unable to post.

Today, we’d intended to write about the ship “freebies” and inclusions. However, with this sporadic WiFi connection, I’m finding it difficult to stay focused on a specific topic.

We’ll continue to attempt to post until we’re near land for a better connection. Please stop back to see our new posts. We so appreciate all of our readers sticking with us through these less than ideal WiF conditions.

Be well. Be happy,

More indulgences aboard ship…Out of pocket expenses beyond the cruise fare…

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A wall hanging in the casino.

Based on our positioning out at sea, we’re unable to post any additional photos today as we discovered after trying for the past several hours.  Rather than spending the entire day trying to load photos, we’ve decided to complete our story about extras and indulgences available on most cruise ships.  We’ll add photos to future posts once were within range of a better signal.

Another out-of-pocket expense passengers may incur aboard the ship is the cost of excursions sponsored by the cruise line. With their intent to make substantial profits from these excursions we’ve noticed that prices include a considerable markup, often as much as 50% for the convenience.

What are the conveniences? They arrange every detail, from payment for the event on the passenger’s Sea Pass card, to transportation, entry fees to venues, tour guides and an assurance of a prompt return in time for the ship to set sail. 

If for some reason the bus or van doesn’t return in time for sailing, the ship will wait for passengers on a cruise line sponsored tour.  This can be a big deal in some countries where vehicle breakdowns and delays can be the norm. It’s under these circumstances, where we’re maybe inclined to partake in a ship sponsored tour.

For those passengers, often like us, who prefer to go off the ship on their own, arranging their own transportation one can only imagine the horror and frustration of missing the ship’s departure.

The options are to give up on the remainder of the cruise, losing the balance of the fare and leaving all of their belongings behind in their cabin, arranging to collect them at a future date by expensive transfer. 

Most often, from what we’ve heard, passengers usually choose to fly to the next port of call to get back on board. This can be quite an ordeal, especially if that port of call is located in another country requiring a visa.  Add the cost of airfare, interim hotels, transportation and meals, missing a ship’s departure time is not something a passenger wants to experience.

More than once on our 13 cruises in the past 42 months, we’ve heard nightmarish stories of such incidences occurring. No thank you. Instead, we proceed with caution in planning how we’ll spend time off of the ship on our own, leaving early in the day and returning several hours before sail time.

Another big expense for many passengers is spa services. These may cost hundreds of dollars each and may appeal to many passengers, both women and men, including facials, Botox injections, massages, acupuncture and a wide variety of face, hair and body treatments. It’s not uncommon to rack up a $1000 or more in spa services on a cruise bill. 

For avid diners and “foodies” it’s easy to find the appeal of the specialty restaurants, most of which incur additional charges.  In many cases, the set prices (some do not include beverages, wine, or cocktails) are under US $40, AU $51 per person for a multi-course meal. 

On several occasions, we’ve opted to indulge in a few specialty restaurants during promotions with discounted prices, at times as low as US $15, AU $19 per person. However, on this and our past Aussie cruise, we’ve had such fun during dinner in the main dining room, dining at another venue holds little appeal.

Laundry services including ironing, wash, and dry and dry cleaning are available on most cruises usually completed within 24 hours or sooner for pressing.  With many cruise passengers bringing formal wear for dress-up nights, this service is particularly useful for those occasions. 

On most cruises, we usually incur about US $50, AU $64 in “wash and dry” services when we receive small discounts as members (in this case) of Royal Caribbean’s Crown and Anchor Society. After this cruise, we’ll be considered “Emerald” members, still a long way from the highest category. Every cruise line’s rewards programs are different. More on this later. 

Often, there are a few activities aboard a ship that may require payment for supplies (for arts and crafts), tickets, raffles, bingo, on-demand movies on the TV or other such activities. The daily program guide will list the activities and the costs or they may be listed on the interactive TVs.

Another of the two final areas where passengers may choose to spend outside the scope of the cruise fare itself is for tips for favorite service providers. This particular cruise fare included US $12.95 AU $17 per person per day tips that are distributed to all service staff. We paid these fees at the time we paid the final payment for the cruise, usually 75 days before sailing date.

Once onboard the ship, the passenger has the option to have these tips reversed from their bill and pay tips out of pocket or…not at all. We’d never do this. The staff works hard for little pay and have left their homes for extended periods of time. We feel they are entitled to the tips.  

On most cruises, we pay additional tips for special assistance from our cabin steward and head waiter in the dining room who oversees my special diet. We’ve yet to experience less than exemplary service in these two areas.

Finally, a big expense for us is the use of the ship’s WiFi service. For this cruise, it’s US $255, AU $328 for unlimited data for two devices which includes both of our laptops. The service is slow and unreliable as mentioned above but we do what we can to upload our daily posts.

We received a US $300, AU $386 cabin credit from Vacations to Go and the cruise line.  o far, our bill is US $168, AU $216 after having used the credits. I must admit I purchased US $78, AU $100 in Lancôme mascaras in the duty free shop, enough to last me for a year which was 1/2 the cost I’d paid last year. A girl’s got to have some of her favorite products from time to time!

Our other expenses thus far are the wifi, a few glasses of wine and cocktails and a few toiletry items in the store all at below chemist store prices in NZ. Most likely by the end of the cruise, our final bill will be around US $800, AU $1029, a typical amount for us on most two week cruise for which we’ve budgeted slightly more. 

Of course, at the end of the cruise we’ll post our final bill, cruise fare, hotel and airfare for this leg of our journey. Tomorrow, we’ll share cruise “freebies” that are included in the fare and how to get the “most bang for the buck.”  Stay tuned for more!

Photo from one year ago today, April 19, 2015:
We are unable to post a photo from one year ago today due to poor connectivity aboard the ship.  We’ll catch up as we go along.

Part 1…Over indulgence on a cruise ship…Daylight Sydney photos!…

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Luna Park during the daylight.

Sydney Harbour is unlike any other harbor, we’ve seen anywhere in the world. Its unique design and ambiance coupled with its functionality make seeing this special place quite an adventure in itself.

For the short period we spent in Sydney during this particular stop, we spent every moment enjoying the scenery. Last time we were in Sydney, only three months ago in January, we had little time to enjoy the views and take many photos.

As the cruise continues on, now on day three, we find ourselves totally at ease and settled in, happy as we could be. We like our cabin, the food is good and each meal they improve on my special orders. Last night, the chef came to our table to see if I had any special requests beyond which I’d ordered to date.

Walkway dining along the way to the Sydney Opera House, the East Circular Quay, Sydney Opera House promenade Opera Bar.

As each meal passes, the meals improve exponentially as they learn the nuances of my peculiar and restrictive list of foods. This morning I had a fabulous breakfast including; Eggs Benedict made with smoked salmon without the English muffin with a side of sautéed mushrooms and thick sliced ham.  It was the best meal I’d had since we boarded a few days ago.

Tom’s “pigging out” eating bread with dinner, potatoes and desserts. For breakfasts he’s been ordering Sugar Frosted Flakes with a banana, along with eggs, bacon and toast. No pancakes yet, but surely they’ll be on the horizon.

Surprisingly, he doesn’t partake in many of the complimentary baked goods, cookies and bars offered throughout the ship at several venues. If I could eat those sweets, I’d have a hard time resisting.

This small vessel is being prepared  and tested for use in the event of an emergency.

But, when I think back to my old life, long before my restrictive way of eating, I rarely had sweets when dining out and would only partake in my home baked treats in moderation. 

I was always trying to avoid gaining weight when I’d seen how obesity and diabetes plague family members on my mother’s side, many who passed away from complications, including my mother’s brother, a physician, whose unhealthy diet led to his death after amputations from complications of the dreadful disease. 

A cruise ship is truly an opportunity for a feeding frenzy for those with a propensity to overeat. The endless offerings are nearly impossible to resist for the average passenger, even those who generally maintain a degree of control over that which they consume.

Daylight view of the Harbour Bridge.

I suppose it’s not unlike the casino aboard ship. If one likes to gamble, it would be tough to stay away from the casino. How easily we could fall prey to the addictive nature of gambling on a cruise ship where in most cases it’s easier to lose money than at other land based casinos in many parts of the world.

Also, for some, the shopping, aboard ship may be as intoxicating as the alcohol one might imbibe in purchasing a “drink package” at exorbitant prices as high as US $67, AU 87 per day.

The myriad shops along the duty free rows of stores may inspire the shopping enthusiast to go “overboard” (no pun intended) in the shops filled with pricey merchandise including clothing, cosmetics, handbags and jewelry. 

Tour boat under the Harbour Bridge.

The shops are closed on port days, but open over 12 hours a day on “sea” days of which this cruise has many as we soon make our way to Darwin over a five day period with no stops along the way.
 
In addition, many passengers thrive on the trinkets they may purchase at various ports of call, often to the point of bringing extra empty luggage along to hold their “stuff.”

Each day, there’s some sort of sale on the Promenade deck. Yesterday it was handbags, soon it will be jewelry and watches, cameras and electronics and later, accessories and clothing. 

Luna Park, located in the harbor.

Even we ended up purchasing a camera aboard ship when we desperately needed to do so. Luckily, with our internet package, we were able to price the camera online before we completed the purchase and in this case, we were provided with a discount.

Another area where passengers indulge is in purchasing “art” at the endless array of art auctions, sales and special offerings. One has no idea as to the authenticity or the quality of their purchases and yet these auctions are packed with excited passengers willing to partake.  
 
With a few free glasses of champagne, inhibitions fly out the window along with often thousands of dollars from their wallets along with additional fees airlines may charge for checking such odd shaped weighty items.

Numerous ferry boats were located in the harbor.

Add the cost of purchasing photos the professional photographers often take when passengers are boarding the ship or when one is not looking may be impossible to resist when they’re beautifully displayed in the photo area. 

As it turns out, we rarely partake in many of these indulgences; no gambling in the casino; few purchases in the shops; no attendance at art auctions (as Tom says, “We don’t have any walls!”), no drink packages purchased unless included in the fare as a perk (Tom did this once and never getting his “money’s worth”); no shopping for trinkets while aboard ship or in port.

A park located in the harbor.

Tom’s occasional food indulgences are to be expected subsequently later resolved with strict adherence to healthy dining when we’re settled. How do we have fun without partaking in all of these passenger concentric offerings? People, plain and simple, the people we meet and of course, each other’s easy companionship.

Tomorrow,  we’ll be back with more indulgences and more photos as we continue on this delightful cruise…

Photo from one year ago today, April 18, 2016:

A year ago, we re-posted photos of wildlife in Africa, including this giraffe we’d seen in our yard in South Africa as we zoomed in from the upper level verandah. Their cheeks are often puffed up due to the manner in which they eat, storing the greenery in their cheeks. For more of these photos, please click here.

Sydney in its full glory at night…Attempting to avoid repetition…

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A partial moon, boats in the bay and the Sydney Opera House.

There’s something magical about Sydney. Whether its the Harbor Bridge or the Opera House, both of which highlight the city and all of its charm and splendor, it has it all.

Last night, our ship Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas was almost 90 minutes late, heading out to sea, which with the fabulous views from our veranda, we couldn’t have been more thrilled.

With more photos than we can possibly share today with the slow wifi signal aboard the ship, we’ve decided to post them over the next several days. At times, we find taking photos of ships challenging. But, getting off at ports of call? Easy.

Let’s face it, there are only so many photo ops on a cruise ship. In some ways, they all look alike. That’s not to say that our enjoyment is diminished by familiarity. It’s not. We thoroughly enjoy the familiar aspects of many cruise ships.

Many of our long-time readers have seen it all based on our photos from the past 12 cruises (this is the 13th) over the past 42 months. As a result, we’re carefully pursuing more unique photo ops. Bear with us. It’s a work in progress.

The Sydney Opera House after dark.

It’s not easy to avoid repetition in life itself, let alone in our world travels regardless of how many new experiences we encounter along the way. Of course, our intent is to always provide a fresh approach with accompanying photos.

But that’s not always easy to accomplish, especially when we prefer to spend only the first half of each day posting, as opposed to the entire day. If we spent more time seeking photo ops surely we’d widen our scope.  Then again, having “free” time is as important an element in our lives as travel itself.

As it turned out yesterday was somewhat of a tough day. We both were awake at 3 am, unable to sleep a moment longer. To us, it was 5:00 am our usual wake-up time, due to a two-hour time difference from NZ to AU. As a result, we were exhausted all day.

I suppose as we’ve aged, sleeping only three hours leaves us dragging our feet. During the muster drill when we had to walk down and then back up several flights of stairs, we both struggled to make it. Today, after six or seven hours of restful sleep, we maneuvered the steps with ease. What a difference a day makes!

Last night, as we sat on the veranda, knowing after the ship set sail, we’d head to dinner, we’d yet to receive the balance of our luggage in our cabin. Usually, the bags collected at the port arrive well before dark. Not the case last night.

The skyline near the bay.

After a while, the only item missing was my suitcase with all my clothing except what I was wearing, a blue shirt and jeans. I started imagining that the bag would never come and although we’ve insured all of our belongings in our possession, it would be a challenge not having my shoes and clothing during a two-week cruise.

In an effort to stay positive, we remained on the veranda awaiting the bag before we left for dinner, taking photos of the exquisite views of Sydney. By 7:00 pm, my bag arrived. We were too exhausted to unpack until this morning and now everything is neatly put away for the next almost two weeks.

We never hand over our computers, phones, overnight toiletries in small sizes, or medications, just in case our bags are lost or stolen. In a way, we’re surprised we’ve never lost a single bag, nor do we leave items behind in vacation homes. We are as careful as we can be, reminding each other to check and re-check.

This morning, refreshed and renewed, we headed back to the main dining room for a delightful breakfast sitting at a shared table with six other passengers. The conversations were lively and animated. All were Aussies, which appear to be the bulk of the passengers. We’ve yet to meet an American passenger which doesn’t bother us one way or another. 

As the ship began to maneuver away from the pier, the views of the Opera House changed.

At the moment we’re situated in the Pig & Whistle Bar on the Promenade Deck which is like a “street” running the length of the ship, lined with shops and restaurants. It’s a fun and busy place to hang out. Soon we’ll move to another location with more comfortable seating.

At 2 pm, we’ll head to the Conference Center for a lecture about the upcoming ports of call. The next stop is tomorrow in Brisbane from 7 am to 4 pm during which we’ll get off the ship on our own. 

We’ve had our fill of ship-sponsored tours with the crowded buses and the outrageous costs. We’ve even lost interest in the small group tours. We’ve found over these past many cruises that ultimately we prefer to go at our own pace and do exactly what we’d like to do without time pressure and constraints.

This leaves us plenty of time to socialize and meet plenty of people. It made us laugh when we ran into two unrelated passengers at the cruisecritic.com meeting with whom we sailed on the cruise from Honolulu to Sydney last May. It is a small world.

Luna Park in Sydney, close to the Harbor Bridge.

This morning at breakfast I discovered that the lovely woman sitting next to me, currently living in Australia, is from New Plymouth, NZ, and even knew of Trish and Neil and their beautiful alpaca farm. It truly is a small world. 

At 3:15 pm, Tom will attend the first SHED meeting while I entertain myself elsewhere, which at the moment, I’ve yet to decide. No doubt, we’ll both have a good time, which is easy to do aboard a ship of “overly friendly” people.

May you have a good time today as well.

Photo from one year ago today, April 17, 2015:

In Kauai, spotting these yellow-tipped stamen on this Anthurium was a first for us. For more photos and the year-ago post, please click here.

Late posting aboard ship today…

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This morning after breakfast we attended a cruisecritic.com event and finished only a few minutes ago. I’m just getting started on today’s post with some spectacular photos of Sydney we’ll begin posting today.

We’ll be back in a few hours with today’s post. Thanks for your patience!

See you soon!

Five hour drive and four hour flight, …Saturday morning Rocks Market…Boarding day!…

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The aft of Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas. Soon, we’ll be boarding this ship for a 14-day cruise.

Yesterday, once we arrived at the beautiful airport in Auckland we checked our bags, purchased beverages, and sat at a table to wait for the flight. We’d prepaid the excess baggage fees online of US $270, AUD $350. Luckily our trusty little travel scale was accurate resulting in no additional fees.

In a few hours, we’ll board the ship across the street from the hotel.  To speed up the boarding process, passengers were given “appointment” times to get to the pier.  Our time is 2:00 pm. The ship leaves the port of Sydney at 5:00 pm. In the worst-case scenario, we’ll have to wait in line to board for a few hours.

Flying on Emirates Airlines to Auckland, NZ to Sydney, AU was less exciting this time around than on other occasions at the beginning of our travels. Sure, we get our own remote and TV screen with current movies to watch.

A glimpse of the Harbor Bay Bridge from the hotel rooftop.
(Tom watched Revenant and I watched Star Wars, The Force Awakens, a movie Tom wouldn’t be interested in watching with me. He didn’t care for his movie, but I loved the story and CGI in mine).
Vendors were busy preparing their wares for sale at the market.
And yes, we were handed menus from which to order dinner, but I’d pre-ordered a gluten-free meal much of which I avoided when it mostly contained gluten-free starches and sugars which I don’t consume. Even the baked salmon was covered in a sugary sauce. 
Most restaurants have outdoor dining.

Salmon doesn’t need sugar. I laughed to myself when I saw they’d put a GF fruit bread on the tray with a packet of margarine. Who designs these meals assuming passengers would prefer chemical-laden margarine over real New Zealand butter? Go figure.

It was fun to see the various handicrafts at the farmer’s market.

The huge plane, an Airbus 380, was packed extra tight which appeared to be due to the addition of extra seats.  We didn’t remember the aisles being so narrow on our last two Emirates flights. 

I’m always drawn to these exquisite smelling soaps but we have no room in our bags for such things.

Overall, other than finding humor in the contents of the meal it didn’t matter to me. We’d brought along an appropriate lunch of egg salad and smoked cheese which we stopped to eat at a picnic table in a small town on the five-hour drive from New Plymouth to the airport in Auckland. 

This is a large market extending over several blocks.

By the time we arrived in our hotel, the Old Holiday Inn the Rocks of which we’re “members” it was 9 pm (it was 11 pm to us), I had no interest in eating out as Tom had suggested, not for himself but for me. I passed on his offer. 

The smells of good food from a variety of cafes wafts through the air as we wandered through the streets.

Plenty of food will be available when we board the ship later today. This morning neither of us is interested in breakfast. There’s tea and coffee in the room which we both enjoying now as we’re online.

A charming building along the boulevard next to the Rocks Market.

This is the second occasion we’ve stayed in this particular hotel and we’ve found it to be an excellent choice.  The service is great, the bed is comfortable and the room has free wifi for members, perfect for our tastes.

We noticed the sign reading “free-range egg and bacon roll” which sounded great!

The port is across the street from the hotel.  The last time we boarded a cruise from this location was on January 5th when we hailed a taxi to drive us to the port. Today, Tom is bound and determined we can get our heavy bags down the ramps and steps. After checking out the ramp this morning during our walk, it looks as if we can do it.

We’ll need to get our luggage down this ramp with steps. We’ll figure it out!

Yesterday morning, as we drove away from the alpaca farm, tears welled in my eyes as I hummed out the car window like their hum. Instantly, they all turned to look at me as if they knew we were on our way. 

Amaranta Designs presented a unique product at the Rocks Market which is opened every Saturday and Sunday in Sydney in the “Rocks” area near the pier.
We were particularly fascinated with the flat handcrafted candles. The owner, Louise designs each candle which then are made by hand in Lithuania.  For her website, click here.
These beautiful flat candles took our breath away.  It was easy to appreciate the designs.
Moments later, we waved goodbye to our favorite brown cow and she too looked our way, licking her lips and kicking up a leg or two as soon as she recognized us. 
Lucky Penny Keyrings.

Tears welled up in my eyes as we drove away, not from sadness but from the joy for having had this amazing opportunity to experience this magical place with the mystical creatures. Thanks to Trish and Neil for their kindness, generosity and love.

Luckily, we arrived early enough to avoid big crowds. We chatting with a couple who’d just come off the ship we’ll soon be boarding. They had a fabulous time!

Now, we continue on with enthusiasm for what the moment brings, for what is yet to come and for the memories we’ve accumulated along the way. We’re so grateful…

Photo from one year ago today, April 16, 2015:

The waning sun on a less cloudy evening in Kauai taken outside our condo door.  For more photos please click here.

Heading out soon…Final expenses for New Zealand…Saying goodbye…The cycle of life on the farm..

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Me and Miss Jessica. I was flattered that Trish and Neil named this sweet girl after me.

Checking and rechecking, I confirmed our final expenses for 87 days in New Zealand. It’s important we keep accurate records for our ongoing world travels.It was a relief to see how reasonably we lived in this lovely country on this equally enchanting alpaca farm.

Then, they named a new male, Minnesota. 

When we originally booked the property, it was evident Trish and Neil gave us special pricing based on our long-term stay. Also, with the added worldwide exposure our landlords receive when we’re frequently posting links for properties in which we live, this becomes an additional factor in providing us with an excellent long-term rate.

Considering the reasonable cost of fresh organic produce, grass-fed meat, and free-range chicken and eggs, we’ve been pleasantly surprised with the cost of groceries.

One of our favorite scenery photos of the shore close to the town of New Plymouth.

Dining out was also reasonable, although we only dined out on four occasions. Do most people dine out a lot more often than we did here on an average of once every three weeks? We’ve been gone from the US for so long, we don’t have a clue what others may do. 

Most certainly working people purchase ready-made and carry out (takeaway)meals when busy and/or disinterested in cooking. Furthermore, most tourists dine out for most meals except perhaps one meal a day when they a kitchen or facilities in their hotel or vacation rental.

Trish and Neil’s two adorable pink cockatoos.

Then, again, we aren’t tourists. Dining out just isn’t important to either of us nor has it ever been. Even when I wasn’t eating this restricted diet, we seldom dined out, preferring to enjoy homemade meals and to entertain at our home. 

With these two above points in mind, most likely we spend less than most travelers would spend in this time frame. Also, the fact that Tom seldom orders a cocktail when we do dine out (except on cruises) and the fact that I haven’t been ordering wine or a cocktail for many years, that’s another area where we’ve saved tremendous sums over these past years on the move.

This face is too cute for words.  Is she smiling?

Recently, I had some wine while here at the farm, but once the two bottles we shared were gone, a red and a white, we had little interest in purchasing more.  I get drunk too quickly. I‘d have to build up a tolerance to the alcohol in the wine. Is that something I really want to do after my diligent efforts to improve my health?

The Rewa Rewa Bridge in New Plymouth was quite a sight to see.

As a result, we spend less in many areas, one of the reasons we’re generally able to stay within our budget each year. Of course, the pricey Antarctica cruise is an exception we’ve chosen to make for the beginning of 2018 which we’re already considering in our future spending as we continue on.

In the photo booth at Everybody’s Theatre in Opunake.

To avoid prolonging the suspense a moment longer, here is the breakdown of our expenses in New Zealand:

Expense US Dollar New Zealand
Dollar
Vacation Rental  $  4,701.00  $ 6,855.00
Auto Rental & Fuel  $  1,999.00  $ 2,884.00
Airfare (arrived by ship)  $         0     $      0                              
Taxi  $         0                        $      0                              
House Cleaning  $       442.00  $     645.00
Wifi  $       528.00  $     770.00
Groceries  $    2,547.00  $  3,673.00
Dining Out  $       163.00  $      238.00
Clothing  $       263.00  $      384.00
Camera  $       404.00  $      589.00
Pharmacy/ Dental  $       564.00  $      814.00
Total  $ 11,611.00  $ 16,749.00
   
Avg Daily Cost –
87 Days		  $    133.00  $    192.00

Surprising? Perhaps to some, perhaps not to others. For us, we’re pleased. We certainly got our money’s worth out of this extraordinary experience. On numerous occasions, we’ve espoused the virtues of this beautiful, perfectly built, and well-equipped house, let alone the magnificent surroundings, views, sounds, and smells.

A bee on a flower at the botanical garden.

Tom mentioned a few days ago that he’d hesitated over the concept of living on a farm fearing annoying biting flies and the smells one encounters in close proximity to farm animals. Not the case here. 

Tom standing next to a Minnesota State Trooper vehicle when we were at the AmeriCarna show in Opunake.

The smells of the fresh green pastures, the clean air, the blooming flowers, plants, and nature itself were almost intoxicating. I’ll miss that. The alpacas don’t seem to have an unpleasant smell and walking through the paddocks doesn’t present any offensive aroma. 

The lily pad pool on the grounds was always blooming while we were on the farm.

The sounds? Music to our ears. The gentle humming sounds these precious creatures make, which we’ve been able to easily mimic to gain their attention, is unlike any sound we’ve ever heard in nature. I’ll miss that sound.

This Optical illusion photo made us laugh when we stopped to visit the Belted Galloways.

And them?  If a person can miss a razor-sharp-tusked warthog in the bush, can you imagine how easy it will be to recall the joy of the tender nature of alpacas? When people heard we’d be living on an alpaca farm, they warned that they spit and could be nasty. We never saw that, never once. 

Tom, my happy guy, when we were out to dinner on Valentine’s Day.

We laughed over their playful antics, whether young or mature, and the beautiful way they so lovingly relate to one another, even when competing for a handful of special grasses or bumping into one another. 

This is perfect for “overly grumpy” days which could prove to be today on travel day. We shall see how it goes.

In all this time, we never wrapped our arms around an alpaca other than in today’s photo of me and my namesake cria, Miss Jessica, a tribute to my love of them that Trish and Neil quickly discovered through our daily posting and stories.

Our favorite cow and her offspring separated by a fence often stood side by side.

And later, a male was named “Minnesota” which equally warmed our hearts as our home state from many moons ago. These namesakes were a gift handed to us on a silver platter. 

This face…so precious.

And then, Mont Blanc…we never once held him in our arms or scratched his head when alpacas prefer not to be touched by humans. But, the look in his eyes, said it all, and I fell in love with him from the moment he escaped the paddock. And then, he was gone. Tears well up in my eyes over the loss of his little life. He tried so hard to make it.

Alpacas mating.  The male is called the “macho” and the female, the “dam.”

So now, dear readers, we carry on. We learn we grow, we change in the process as we acquire a new perspective of an area of life we’d never imagined or experienced before. 

Mont Blanc and his mom Giselle on the day they were reunited after he’d escaped from the paddock.

We say goodbye to this wonderful life on the alpaca farm where we saw the creation of life, the birth of the cria, and the loss of little Mont Blanc. Once again, we say hello to the world…in awe, in love and eternally grateful.  There’s so much more yet to come.

Photo from one year ago today, April 15, 2015:

The sea across the street from our condo in Kauai always presented gorgeous views. For more photos, please click here.

Favorite photos..Leaving for Auckland tomorrow morning at 10:00 am…

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This cria who’s birth we were able to attend when we first arrived on the farm was born only 30 minutes earlier. 

Normally, a five-hour drive to get to an airport would be too long in our perspective. But, New Zealand is so beautiful, we have no qualms about the long drive, especially when we’re leaving early enough we won’t feel rushed. 

When we first arrived and the flowers were still blooming, we particularly loved this photo of Mount Taranaki.

On this return trip to the airport in Auckland, we won’t feel compelled to stop to take photos when we’ll have completed all of our NZ photos unless, of course, we see an irresistible sight.

A one-day-old cria nursing.

Upon arrival in Auckland, we’ll make our way to the car rental facility, drop off the vehicle taking their free shuttle to the airport. Our flight isn’t until 5:55 pm.

Our favorite neighborhood cow who’d walked up to the fence to see us when we were on a walk.

We’ve finished most of the packing except for the clothes we’re wearing today and the few toiletries we’ll use through tomorrow morning. Staying overnight in Sydney, we’ll both will wear the same clothes tomorrow and again on the day, we board the cruise, only changing underwear. 

This photo made us laugh over and over especially with the shorter alpacas ears down and other alpaca’s ears at full attention. 

Spending two weeks on a ship with limited wardrobes along with the cost of having laundry done by the ship’s laundry service (necessary mid-cruise) getting two sets of clothing dirty before we even board the cruise makes no sense. If we spill on ourselves, we’ll haul something clean out of a suitcase.  

Grapes growing at the OkurkuruWinery which we visited on two occasions.

Once on the cruise, we have enough to wear to avoid frequent repeats. Jeans and khakis are allowed in the main dining room except on dress-up nights. Shorts and nice tee shirts are acceptable everywhere on the ship during the day.

This peculiar occurrence, never observed by Trish and Neil, had us ready to go into the paddock to help these two tangled alpacas.  The larger alpaca wasn’t too happy with this situation. Fortunately, they managed to break apart.  Once we knew they were OK, we couldn’t stop laughing. 

We weighed our bags moving items around to reduce the baggage fees we’ll pay later today for the third checked bag. It’s tricky weighing the bags on our stand-on travel scale. Tom weighs himself first and then weighs himself again holding the bag. 

We visited the Taranaki Cathedral Church of St. Mary in downtown New Plymouth on its last open day when it was closing permanently due to earthquake instability.

The only way we could weigh the bags is in the upstairs bathroom with a solid surface floor with the remaining floors carpeted. Once Tom lifted the large bags he barely had room to stand on the scale and not bump into something. 

This photo, taken through the glass in the kitchen window, was the first of many times she peered inside watching me prepare dinner. Love this!

It all worked out when both of our larger bags weighed under the allowance of 30 kg, 66 pounds. The remaining third bag, based on our reshuffling everything should weigh under 20 kg, 44 pounds, resulting in fees of NZ $522, US $362. It’s frustrating to have to pay so much for the extra bag but as hard as we try we can’t dispose of one more item in our possession. 

Tom at Taylor Dental in New Plymouth on the day he had his abscessed tooth pulled a painless and inexpensive experience at NZ $170, US $115.

Today, when all is done, including both today’s and tomorrow’s post, we’ll spend time with the alpacas, hand-feeding those interested and laughing over the playful antics of the youngsters. 

There are countless creeks and streams in New Zealand.  We’d hope for sunny day photos but many times when we went out for the day it started sunny and clouded over within the first hour.

It’s not easy leaving here. We have many memories we’ll carry with us, some of which we’re sharing in today’s and tomorrow’s post as our favorite photos. Tomorrow, we’ll share the expenses for our 87 days in New Zealand.

We visited Plas Mawr, a historic architecturally interesting home by invitation of its owner June, whom we met while grocery shopping.

Unfortunately, the Internet signal here doesn’t allow the posting of as many photos as we’d have preferred and, with the many photos we took while here it was difficult to pick and choose favorites. Many others were left behind that our less frequent readers may have missed and possibly enjoyed.

When Trish and Neil went on holiday, we watched over the birth of two crias, an extraordinary experience for both of us.

Feel free to go through the archives on the right side of our daily homepage to see any posts you may have missed for this location or any other locations, all the way back to 2012 when we first began posting. To access each year, month or day, click on the little black triangle to open that period of time.

The front dining room at the Table Restaurant where we dined on Valentine’s Day.

We’ll be back tomorrow with the final expenses and a heartfelt goodbye to this special location and superior experience.

Beautiful flowers when we visited the Pukekura Botanical Garden near the mountain.

May your day bring you a superior experience as well!


Photo from one year ago today, April 14, 2015:

Sunset in Kauai, one year ago.  For more photos, please click here.

Two days and counting…Moving right along…The SHED…

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The alpaca in the middle here has a tendency to hog the food from my hand, never giving the others a chance.

Our goal had been to post favorite New Zealand photos today, but I’ve decided to do that tomorrow. Yesterday, when I’d intended to go through the zillions of photos we took here in New Zealand, I found myself distracted with organizing our stuff, tidying the house and preparing the final expenses for our last New Zealand post upcoming in two days.

Today, after we upload this post we’ll drive into town to purchase roasted chickens for the next two evening’s meals and to make a quick trip to the health food store to restock probiotics.

Hand feeding the alpacas has been pure joy! Often they “honk” at one another as they try to have a turn.

When we return we’ll finish packing, weigh our bags and pay the excess online to save 10% on the baggage fees as opposed to paying at the airport. Last night, Tom completed the online check-in for the cruise and tomorrow, 24 hours prior to the flight to Sydney, I’ll check us in for the flight. As always, it’s all coming together as we each undertake tasks we usually handle.

As Tom busied himself chatting with other passengers at CruiseCritic who are booked on the same upcoming cruise he discovered the following after posting an inquiry. He wrote:

“Last year, May/June, we were on a cruise from Honolulu to Sydney.
There were about 1400 Aussies on this cruise making it one of the best cruises we’ve ever been on.

On sea days at 14:00 or 15:00 there was a SHED get together for guys only.
All the problems of the world were solved each and every time we met.

Being a Yank, I didn’t know what the SHED was.  It was very enjoyable.

After the first get together ended I met up with my wife and she asked, “What is the SHED and what we did we discuss?”

I told her what the guys told me to tell her. “What happens in the SHED stays in the SHED.  If I tell you I’d have to kill you.”

I sure hope some of the Aussies set up a SHED get-together for sea days. It was very enjoyable.”

None of the youngsters are interested in being hand-fed.

A short time later, he received a response from another cruise passenger which read:

“Tom,
The shed meeting is on the ship’s Compass Magazine every afternoon at the Pig and  Whistle Bar on the Voyager. You will have your man shed for sure  🙂

Great< looking forward to them!  :)”

This made Tom smile from ear to ear.  Actually, it makes me equally thrilled to know he has a chance to interact with other guys without me always at his side. It’s a much-needed break for him although he’d never put it that way.
Many of the adult moms are shy and have no interest in being hand-fed.
The SHED will be scheduled on the daily “Compass Magazine” for mid-afternoons, usually around 3 pm, on the nine sea days during the 14 day cruise. During this two hour period, I’d often stay in the public areas reading, working on the next day’s post and photos.
More often than not, I’ll busy myself conversing with other women who’s significant others are also at the SHED. This was a good time for us to each have a little time apart.
This alpaca who’s name we don’t know if quite interested in the food.
Luckily, neither of us are the types that require “alone time.” I can’t recall either of us ever saying, “I need time to myself.”  If we feel compelled to get away from one another for a bit, we’ll naturally gravitate to some sort of project to work on without any analysis of any particular emotional need at the moment.
Over the years we’ve learned to give each other “space” when we’re engrossed in reading, writing or talking on Skype. It’s these commonalities that add to the ease of being together 24/7 as we live this peculiar life on the move.
A few will come to the deck after the hand-feeding ends to eat the scraps that fell during the process.

Speaking of this life on the move, as these last days wind down, we still spend as much time as we can interacting and observing the beautiful alpacas. Without a doubt, it will be hard to say goodbye but we look forward to all the wonderful people we’ll be meeting in the next few weeks aboard the ship.

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with our favorite photos of New Zealand and on the following day, the final expenses of spending 87 days living on the farm.
Have a beautiful day!
Photo from one year ago today, April 13, 2015:
This photo from the Princeville Botanical Garden was a favorite from the venue. The Jackfruit is known for its health benefits. See this link for nutritional details. Please click here for more photos.

Details, details, details…Not as uncomplicated as one may think…

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Ah, bull in the road. We stayed in the car while I took the photo through the windshield (referred to as a “windscreen” here in NZ).

Moving every few months has its challenges. If someone had asked me five years ago if we’d be willing to move every two or three months or more frequently, as will occur in a few months, I’d had said it was impossible.

Even now, after 42 months of experience, it could be an overwhelming task if we let the entire process flood our minds in one fell swoop. Instead, we take it in bite-sized pieces, collecting and sorting our stuff over a period of many days.

I handle all the small stuff and Tom handles the heavy stuff. Without ever discussing it or mapping a plan, we each gravitated toward the tasks well suited to our abilities and desires.

As a result, I handle the refrigerator, freezer, and food in the cabinets which in itself is a big job. We’ve been here for a full three months accumulating a number of ingredients, spices, and foods we’ve used in preparing meals.

Cows often stop grazing to check us out.  Are they happy to see us or annoyed?

Weeks before we leave, I assess all the remaining items. Together, we determine a menu based on what we have on hand in an attempt to “use up” the ingredients and what we’ll need to purchase to round out the meals.

For example, we had a partial bag of organic coconut flour, a jar of organic coconut oil, and an unopened can of unsweetened coconut milk, some of the ingredients used in making low-carb pancakes. Plus, there were several packages of streaky bacon left in the freezer.

With a trip to the Taranaki Farmer’s Market on Sunday, we purchased eggs we’d need to make for “breakfast for dinner,” one of our favorite occasional meals; coconut pancakes, scrambled eggs with onions and cheese, and a side of bacon.

Tonight, we’ll have this same meal for the second night, using the balance of the on-hand ingredients.  Tomorrow, we’ll head to town to purchase two organic, free-range pre-cooked chickens to which we’ll add a salad and green beans, more of which we still have on hand.

Green hills and the sea on a sunny day.

On Thursday, I’ll clean the refrigerator and freezer with a plan to leave it as clean as it was when we arrived.  We’ll leave behind only a few items; a can of salmon, a bag of unsweetened coconut, and a few spices.We have no room in our luggage to bring food with us, although we’d had done so in the past.

With the cost of baggage for upcoming flights, it makes no sense to pay to bring any type of food products.  Plus, both New Zealand and Australia have tight restrictions on bringing food into their countries.

Heading to Bali after the cruise we’ll board in four days, we’ll be living in a remote area for 59 days. We’re well aware we’ll have trouble finding many ingredients we use regularly, such as some of the above-mentioned coconut products. 

Every country has protein sources and vegetables. If necessary, if all we can eat is a grass-fed steak, free-range chicken, or wild-caught fish with a salad and vegetable, we’ll be fine. Also, we’ve yet to visit a country that doesn’t have free-range eggs and cheese. 

Cows, mountains, and sea at a distance.

Tom not only oversees the handling and weighing of the heavy bags, but carefully plans the packing, wrapping, and distribution of all of our power cords and power strips. Also, he’ll do the packing of our new wheeling computer backpack we purchased while here. We’re hoping to be able to eliminate a few carry-on items as we pack this time around.

Cruise lines don’t allow power strips in the cabins fearing too many items on one strip may present a fire hazard. Each time we board a cruise, our power strips are confiscated which we collect in “security” on disembarking day. Without these strips, we have a problem plugging in all of our equipment. 

In most cases, we’re able to get alternative smaller strips from our cabin steward which solves the issue.  There’s a shortage of outlets in the cabins although all ships on which we’ve sailed to date have US plug-ins. If we ever find that not to be the case, we can use the three converters/adapters we carry with us and use them in almost every country we visit.

Over the past few days, I tossed no less than 8 pounds, 3.6 kg, of “stuff” from our third bag. This bag has never been this light. At some point, we’ll replace our two clothing bags hoping to purchase even lighter weight bags as more and more styles become available. This may have to wait until we get to the US in 2017.

A cow escaped the paddock hanging out on the side of the road.

Today, I’ll neatly fold the shirts Tom wears to dinner on the cruises and a few shirts of mine, all of which have been hanging in the two closets. Most of our clothing is wrinkle-free, but we’ve yet to find any clothing that doesn’t wrinkle to some extent.

I’ve tried a number of methods to reduce wrinkles, but none seems to work or are too time-consuming and cumbersome to implement. Once we arrive at the cruise with our bags delivered to the cabin, we’ll immediately unpack and hang the necessary items, hoping the wrinkles will dissipate from the humidity in the cabin.

Also, today, I’ll restock our pill cases with my now only two prescriptions and a few vitamins and Tom’s few vitamins (he no longer takes any prescription meds). We both take probiotics daily. Long ago, we had to forgo packing vitamins and supplements when we just don’t have room in our luggage or access to restocking them in some countries.

In addition, we’re washing bath towels, bedding, and kitchen towels to leave everything in order when we depart. We’ll only have the sheets we slept on Thursday night and one bath towel each remaining unwashed when we leave on Friday morning.

Driving along a narrow road in farm country.

Yesterday, I completed the scanning of all of the tax-deductible receipts we accumulated while here in New Zealand. Our 2015 federal tax return, due on April 15th, was completed and submitted online by our Nevada accountant over a week ago. 

Later today, I’ll begin working on the final expenses (by category) for this three-month stay in New Plymouth which we’ll share in Friday’s post (Thursday to those on the other side of the International Dateline). Tomorrow, we’ll post our favorite New Zealand photos.

This morning, Tom gathered all the trash we’ve accumulated over the past few days as the packing began and drove it down to the recycle and trash bins at the far end of the road. We always attempt to leave no trash behind other than a few necessary items in the kitchen bins (tucked away in cabinets), never leaving any trash scattered about the house.

The ocean and a tiny island at dusk on a cloudy evening.

No doubt, we still have plenty to do. However, we’re on track, exactly where we need to be with three remaining days until we drive to Auckland for our flight to Sydney. 

As we peer out the windows on this rainy day, the alpacas continue to happily graze in the paddock. Although a little sad about leaving them, we feel complete and fulfilled by this memorable experience.

May your day bring you contentment and fulfillment!

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

From the Princeville Botanical Garden one year ago today, we wrote: With many bees in this area, I chose not to move the green leaves for a better view of this exquisite bloom which was the size of a soccer ball. For more photos, please click here.