Easter Monday here in Australia, a national holiday…Sunday’s menu at “our” home…Recipe…Five days and counting…

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Our Sunday roast: organic grass-fed pork roast, Kransky (cheese-filled) gluten-free sausages, Portabella mushrooms, onions, and organic carrots. I cut the roast open during the last 30 minutes to ensure it was cooked properly.

It was a pleasant Easter Sunday. I spent a few hours preparing the meal after I’d completed the day’s post leaving plenty of time for us to vacuum and wash the floor, tidy up the apartment and eventually watch a movie until Bob arrived.

As it turned out, Bob’s friend Eddie wasn’t able to come for dinner, but he’s kindly offered to drive us to the cruise terminal on Saturday. We can hardly believe this will transpire in a mere five days.

There is a mushroom flan on the small plates; coleslaw, the roasted vegetables, sausages, sliced pork roast with biscuits on the side.

With excellent leftovers for today’s main meal, I’m considering organizing my clothes and perhaps begin a bit of packing. Today continues with the long weekend national holiday of Easter Monday, where many shops and businesses are closed, reopening tomorrow.

Last week, I stumbled across this delicious recipe for asparagus, prosciutto, and cream cheese in one of those demonstration-type videos on Facebook.

Tomorrow, we’ll head out for a few items for the cruise, returning later in the day to make our last three-day meal which will take us right to the end since we’re heading to dinner with Christine and Colin on Thursday evening.

After baking these roll-ups in a moderate oven for 25 minutes, they were perfectly cooked. The leftovers are great served cold.

With plenty of photos left to share over the next few days, we’ll soon begin working on the final expenses after tomorrow’s short shopping trip. On Saturday (perhaps your Friday), we’ll post the “favorite photos” from our 40-night stay in Fairlight and, of course, the “final expenses.”

Easy to make, these Low Carb Coconut Flour Drop Biscuits (see recipe at the end of the post) are a decent bread-like-feel addition to any meal. For example, I may use one of these to make a sandwich using Easter dinner leftovers.

Over these years, we developed several “routines” relative to our site, which we hope our readers continue to enjoy, such as the “year ago photos,”; the “favorite photos,”; and the “final expenses” which we post on the final day of any location where we’ve stayed along the way.

If you have any suggestions for added features, please don’t hesitate to write. We love hearing suggestions from our readers, whether they’re relative to travel, our site,  health, technology, or any other topic you’d like to share. 

Sunset last night.

After yesterday’s meal, I felt as if I’d turned a corner with my digestive issues when, after eating, I didn’t feel any major amount of intestinal distress. Of course, I still can’t drink iced tea, coffee, or hot tea, but I could eat a normal-sized meal for the first time in months.

I’ve begun to think that I developed ulcers from the awful case of H. Pylori, a common outcome of the bacterial infection, especially if it lasted for an extended period.
On Saturday, Bob arranged for the pawpaw trees to be removed to enhance the bay view.  Doing so made a world of difference.

I find I can be symptom-free for short periods if I follow a strict regime of avoiding certain foods or eating large amounts in any one sitting and in taking a round of supplements including mastic gum, DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice, taken 20 minutes before eating), powerful refrigerated probiotics, zinc, magnesium, and digestive enzymes. 

(Please see your physician if you have gastrointestinal issues. The regime I am using may not be appropriate for you. I am not a medical professional and do not intend to dispense suggestions for health).

Bob’s landscaper wasted no time in removing the tree.


Some of the above items arrived in the package from the US almost two weeks ago but won’t last until we get to the US. I began taking them immediately and have seen such an improvement. I need to find more but have been unable to do so at any of the local health stores we’ve visited so far. It was too late to place an online order. 

Hopefully, when we arrive in Honolulu by cruise ship on May 9th, we can take a bus to the Ala Moana shopping center, where there’s a Vitamin Shoppe. I’m planning to call the Honolulu location tomorrow to ensure they have what I need.

Deceiving scene. The house across the road is being remodeled with its roof tiles removed.

Ah, the challenges of travel. In “normal” life, we’d have a doctor, preferably specializing in integrative medicine, who’d be helpful in this process. But, we’ve discovered along the way that no doctors get too involved with one-time patients such as us. So we’re on our own.

We hope everyone has had a wonderful Easter weekend.  Back at you soon!

Here’s the recipe for the low carb, grain, and sugar-free biscuits:

Low Carb Coconut Flour Drop Biscuits
(Please keep in mind these won’t be quite as moist as a regular biscuit. A good-sized dollop of grass-fed butter will solve the issue).

8 eggs

½ cup butter or coconut oil

2 T sweetener of your choice
½ tsp salt
2/3 sifted coconut flour
½ tsp. baking powder
 

Preheat oven to 375.  Blend all ingredients, mixing well.

Line a baking pan with parchment and drop by spoonful
Bake for 15 minutes until lightly brown.

Photo from one year ago today, April 17, 2016:

The photo was taken at night one year ago today as our ship left the port—Luna Park in Sydney, close to the Harbor Bridge. For more photos, please click here.

Its Easter today on this side of the International Dateline…Preparing for an Easter dinner…Beautiful email from reader…

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Not as clear as we’d like, we took this photo from quite a distance to avoid scaring this rabbit off—happy Easter to all who celebrate.

This is the fifth Easter we’ve spent outside the US since our world travels began. Next to Christmas, it was always our favorite holiday, with a tremendous number of family traditions centered around this special religious celebration. 

In reality, it’s probably the tradition we’ve missed the most with so many activities centered around the grandchildren and adults in which everyone could participate in one way or another.

The huge Kookaburras are so friendly that yesterday I was able to give one a little rub.

But, as always, we’ve adapted to the changes. Although we acknowledge our family members and grandchildren on holidays and other times of the year, we’ll cram everything we can into the six weeks we’ll spend in Minnesota upcoming in 40 days. 

For today’s dinner, I’m busy preparing a meal with a little more variety than usual, hoping for some leftovers for the next few days. With only six days remaining until we sail away, we’re using all the food we have on hand, hopefully in some creative ways. 

When we spotted this rabbit, I couldn’t resist zooming in for today’s main photo.

We’ve begun to start thinking about packing and preparing to leave. It will be effortless this time when we don’t have to fly and consider luggage weight. We won’t fly again until after the Alaskan cruise ending on May 26th, when we fly from Seattle to Minneapolis. 

Busy boating in the bay.

When leaving Minnesota, we’ll fly again to Nevada for a three-week family visit and then off to Costa Rica for a three-and-a-half-month stay in a fabulous property owned by friends we made in Kauai. 

It’s amazing how our lives continue to be intertwined with people we’ve met along the way. We’re eternally grateful for the opportunities we’ve encountered in our travels adding such joy to every location in one way or another.

Speaking of people we’ve met along the way, we want to express a special thank you to our friend/reader, Vicki, whom we met along with her husband Jerry at Hanalei Beach in Kauai in January 2015. (Please click here for the post from our meeting). 

Beautiful sky at sunset.

We’re so appreciative for the thoughtful way they’ve both stayed in touch these past few years and hope to see them again someday. Vicki wrote a few days ago:

“Jessica, I just read your April 13th posting. You don’t have to thank your readers; we should thank you for all your hard work and determination that you put into this blog.

Please remember your health is the most important aspect of your life, and we appreciate it when you let us know your good days and bad. It wouldn’t be interesting if we only got good news. Stay well and do what is best for you.

Your faithful reader, Vicki.”

Fiery sky at sunset.

And a special thanks to ALL of our readers for incorporating our daily drivel into your lives as you travel along with us. Happy Easter and happy day to all!

Photo from one year ago today, April 16, 2016:

The aft of Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas.  We boarded this ship on April 16, 2016, for a 14-day cruise. We’ll board Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas from this same pier in Sydney in only six days. For more details, please click here.

Happy Easter and Passover for those who celebrate…We’re having guests for Easter dinner!…One week and counting…

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Surfers took advantage of the excellent surf.
A long time ago, we decided that making a fuss over holidays wouldn’t make sense while living this nomadic lifestyle. This caused a particular meaning when many holidays revolve around food, which doesn’t fit our eating habits, especially during Easter.

As a result, there are no more long days spent baking and cooking in the kitchen. We no longer decorate the house, make Easter baskets, decorate and hide Easter eggs or take the time to bake and decorate our former annual bunny rabbit cake. All of that seems like a lifetime ago.

Sunbathers and swimmers are enjoying a sunny day at Manly Beach.

Oddly, we don’t miss any of the work associated with holidays, but of course, we miss the interaction with family, the playfulness, and the laughter. Soon, we’ll be in the midst of all of that!

A day at the beach for school kids.

Over these years of world travel, I’ve lost interest in cooking other than coming up with tasty recipes Tom and I can enjoy in our daily lives. Even so, I usually only cook two or three times a week when typically I’ll purchase enough of any item to last for three dinners, cooking a fresh batch each day. It works for us.

Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve. See details here for this wildlife-protected area known for snorkeling and hiking.

Besides, most of our meals are appealing enough that we quickly look forward to repeats. However, we also have to consider that most holiday homes have tiny refrigerators and freezers, leaving us with little space for storing much food or for freezing leftovers. 

With no rental cars in some locations, such as here in Fairlight, for 40 nights, we’ve attempted to avoid returning to the market any more often than necessary. Also, we’ve found that cooking for three days saves money in the long run.

The sun on the sea created a crystal-like appearance.

Groceries costs are not as low in Australia as in many other parts of the world but, they’re certainly less than we spent in the US five years ago. So it will be exciting and perhaps be shocking when we see food prices when we soon return to the US.

The sea is blue in this part of Australia. However, when we lived in Trinity Beach in 2015, near Cairns (pronounced “cans”), the sea was brown and murky in most areas.

Tom and I realized that we wouldn’t be cooking from April 22nd when we board the cruise to North America until sometime in July when we arrive in Nevada, where we’ll stay at son Richard‘s home in Henderson. 

Staying with Richard for three weeks, I may cook a few meals each week since, at that point, it will have been months since I’d done any cooking. During the six weeks in Minnesota, while staying in a hotel, we won’t have cooked at all with the complimentary breakfast in the hotel and dinners out with family and friends.

Tall trees, many evergreens line the boulevard along the beach, providing plenty of shady areas for those who prefer to stay out of the sun.

On the nights when we don’t have dinner plans in Minnesota, most likely, we’ll head to Costco, which we hear carries a wide variety of low-carb, precooked meals we’ll bring back to our hotel suite. Once we arrive, we’ll see if the hotel can provide us with a small microwave during our extended stay.

As for tomorrow, which is Easter Sunday, we’ve invited landlord/friend Bob and his long-time friend, Eddie. So we’re making a low carb, grain, and sugar-free meal. Tomorrow, we’ll take a few photos and post them the following day. 

The rocky shoreline in this area on our way to Shelly Beach.

We send love and best wishes for the health and well-being of all of our family, friends, and readers (whether you celebrate this holiday or not) during this time and always.  

Photo from one year ago today, April 15, 2016:

As we wound down our time in New Zealand, we posted our favorite photos, including me with Miss Jessica. I was flattered that Trish and Neil named this sweet girl after Tom, and I attended her birth while they were on holiday. Please click here for more favorite NZ photos and the final expenses for the three-month stay on the alpaca farm.

How did we get so lucky?…People and wildlife…Our favorites…Eight days and counting…

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A pier in Manly, busy with beach-goers and diners.

When we received an email message from Christine and Colin, whom we met on the last cruise at the two parties we attended in the two Penthouse Suites, we couldn’t have been more thrilled.

Undoubtedly, Magpies are scavengers, but like all creatures in nature, they have a purpose. This one now visits with a spouse and chick who is the noisiest bird in the neighborhood. We feed them bits of raw meat. Although not adorable like the Kookaburras, we welcome their visits as well.

Their warm and friendly demeanor was hard to resist, and we discussed the possibility of getting together sometime during the 40 days we’d be in Sydney, now coming to a quick end.

With other travels behind them, they contacted us promptly to arrange a date we’ll all meet for dinner. With the suggestion that they’ll take the ferry to Manly and meet us at the Corso next Thursday, we were delighted. 

The Manly Yacht Club building.

At that point, we’ll be busy packing for the upcoming cruise on Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas departing from the Port of Sydney a mere two days later. 

As we discussed our enthusiasm to see Christine and Colin once again, we giggled over the fact that people and animals bring us the greatest moments in our world travels.

Boats moored near the Manly Wharf.

Here in Fairlight, we’ve had a good dose of wildlife “hanging out” with our local favorites birds, kookaburras, and magpies who come to visit almost every day, putting big smiles on our faces. 

No, the “wildlife fix” is not as satisfying as it will be when in 10 months, we’ll return to Africa, but we’re finding birds can bring that blissful rush of emotion that we’ve cultivated over these past few years.

Boat launch area.

There’s no doubt the experiences we gained with the Albatross and Red Cardinal “Birdie” in Kauai were both highly instrumental in our interest in our aviary friends. 

Swings by the bay.

Even Kauai’s zillions of feral chickens brought us laughter and enjoyment when they were literally everywhere to be found. When we parked at the lot at the market, hundreds of feral chickens were wandering about; hens, chicks, and roosters. It was quite a sight, one we’ll never forget.

But, along with the chickens in Kauai, we were also reminded of all the friends we made on the Hawaiian Islands’ loveliest (in our humble opinion). Yesterday, we received another email from Louise and Steve, whom we originally met at a Full Moon party at their home.

The Corso, early in the day before the crowds appear.

Staying in touch since we left Kauai in May 2015, we hope to return someday to see Louise and Steve and all the wonderful friends we made and, of course, the Albatross and even the masses of feral chickens. 

Many restaurants line the foreshore.

It’s difficult to compare the joys of engaging with humans as opposed to animals. But, for us, in each case, either provide us with a great sense of joy, wonder, and fulfillment. 

Sure, we like to see historic structures, a towering mountain range, a flowing river, or an expansive sea view. Unfortunately, these are often what most tourists seek to fulfill their expectations of a holiday/vacation.

Condos and apartments with views of the bay across the street.

But, our lives are a perpetual holiday/vacation, and it’s within that framework that we’ve discovered that which provides us with the most meaning and memories…people and animals.  Bring it on…more of each is on the horizon!

Photo from one year ago today, April 14, 2016:

This photo, taken through the glass in the kitchen window in New Zealand, was the first of many times she peered inside watching me prepare dinner. We laughed each time we saw her there, loving every moment.  For more favorite NZ photos as we approached the three-month stay coming to an end, please click here.

Gentle musings on a cloudy day while living on the fascinating continent of Australia…

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Peek through the vegetation to Reef Beach Bay.

A few days ago, I sat on a short stone wall at the Manly Wharf, our bags of groceries at my side. Tom left me alone with the heavy bags of groceries while he went into the nearby Aldi store to purchase pods for the coffee machine.

Ferries were coming across the bay to Manly.

The sun was shining. Busy locals and tourists were making their way through the determined crowds, each with a distinct purpose in mind to fulfill their expectations for the day. 

My lips curled in an unprovoked smile as I perused my surroundings, suddenly contemplative over the fact that I was sitting on a wall, people all around me while living in Australia. How did I get here?

Brick homes are commonly found in Australia.

Sure, there’s the “couple” aspect of our world travels; the team-person-ship, the camaraderie, the ease of sharing decisions, and the handling of unanticipated events and challenges. 

Contemporary style home.

But, over this past year, since my injury in the pool in Bali last June taking five months to heal, to the intestinal bacterial infection I acquired in Fiji over 15 months ago for which I’m still on the mend, I’m still here, aren’t I?

Life as a devoted couple isn’t always about the partnership. Tom empathized and assisted during this tough past year, but it was me who lie awake in the middle of the night worrying that my health would require a sooner-than-later end to our world travels.

White sand beach at low tide in the Clontarf Reserve area.

It was me who “bit-the-bullet day after day to attempt to live as normal a life as possible within the context of our unique lifestyle. Rarely did I complain to Tom. Most likely, I mentioned it more here than I did to him while I remained plagued with at-times negative thoughts about what life would be like if this were to end.

Boats moored near the shore.

One of the most challenging periods was the Mekong River Cruise last July, when I could not participate in every tour and participated in most, struggling more than I can say. 

One gets no “points” for being brave, toughing it out, or keeping their trap shut about the difficulty of a situation. In essence, my goal was to avoid annoying Tom and others by whining and complaining. There’s no “heroism” in that. 

Sailing is popular in the Sydney area with excellent conditions.

It was mere self-preservation to ensure that Tom and those around me would happily engage with me, which ultimately got my mind off my troubles, giving me a reprieve for a while.

And now? As my intestinal thing improves a little more each day and my recent re-test for Helicobactor Pyloris proved “negative,” I’m reveling in returning to my former sense of adventure when the future holds so much in store for us.

And you, our dear readers, who stuck with us through this long period with my occasional mumblings on these two health issues, one after the other, I thank you profoundly. Your kind email messages and comments were highly instrumental in my determination never to give up.

Unique bottlebrush plant.

As I sat on that stone wall, I contemplated the past 54 months since we left Minnesota to begin this journey.  In many ways, we’ve just started. We’ve learned so much from our mistakes, and we’ve redefined what truly matters to us.

Above all, as time marches on, we’ve accepted our limitations, finding that within that framework, we’re capable of continuing with love, hope, and joy in our hearts and minds as we live life to the fullness throughout this magical world.

Please stay beside us. Our unyielding reach for the horizon drives us on to give you more.

Photo from one year ago today, April 13, 2016:

The alpaca in the middle tended to hog the food from my hand, never giving the others a chance. For more photos of our last few days in New Zealand on the alpaca farm, please click here.

Ten days and counting…Phones…contemplating technology for the USA…A kindly and thoughtful expression…

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We loved this area of the Manly Scenic Walk.

This morning, we created our grocery list for meals for the remaining days until we depart on April 22nd. Unfortunately, I’d uploaded a suitable grocery app on my Android phone when I could not find the same apps I’d used in years past.

Pelican in North Harbour Reef Bay.

After the new phone arrived in the “missing” box a week ago, I’ve spent considerable time setting up apps I like to use. My last phone was a Windows device which overall I prefer over Android. 

When I ordered the new unlocked phone online, I was willing to sacrifice Windows over Android when prices for purchasing an unlocked phone were high, primarily when they’re not associated with a service contract. 
Exciting trees and vegetation line the walkway to the park.
Having paid around AU 173, US $130 for the unlocked smartphone with options for two SIM cards and suitable storage for my needs without a contract, I didn’t complain.
When it first arrived, and I began loading my “stuff,” I was concerned I’d be dissatisfied with the operating system. Now a week later, with all my preferred apps loaded, I’m pretty content. I’m one of those geeky types that obsess over learning every aspect of a device by monkeying with it for days.
The playground at the park is often busy.

The only part I’ve yet to learn is making phone calls. Ha! That’s ironic…we have phones and don’t make calls.  However, once we arrive in Minnesota on May 25th, one of the first things we’ll do is purchase US SIM cards for each of our phones to be in touch with family and each other as we plan activities with family members and friends. That’s a must!

Boats are moored throughout the inlets of North Harbour Reef Bay.
Tom’s new laptop is set up, and he’s learning the nuances of Windows 10 over the previous Windows 8.1.  The differences are many, but he’s figuring it all out. I’m impressed by how little he’s asked for assistance over this past week. Perhaps, he’s becoming computer savvy after all this time.
Kookaburras are found everywhere. 
Yesterday, we paid the balance for the hotel in Minnesota, AU 4,818.60, US $3,615.88, after we’d already paid a 25% deposit almost a year ago. So the total for the six weeks is AU 6,424.25, US $4,820.76, not bad for a lovely hotel in a convenient and safe area that includes two pools, free WiFi, daily breakfast, and a free shuttle to specific regions.

It’s hard to believe how quickly the time has flown since we began planning the family visits to Minnesota and Nevada. We’ll arrive in Minnesota in 43 days and Nevada in 87 days.
The lush green lawn in the park.
In the interim, we’re continuing to thoroughly enjoy our time in this beautiful area, greatly enhanced by our kindly and thoughtful landlord Bob. He wrote an email to us in the past few days, which we’ve posted below.
Homes, apartments, and condos are tightly packed into hillsides to take advantage of exquisite views.
It appears that most of our readers prefer to avoid using the sign-up feature on our web page to receive a daily email containing each day’s posts (no spam, no solicitation, no ads of any type when signing up). 
All public areas we’ve visited in Australia are meticulously maintained.
As was the case with Bob when he started to post a comment at the end of a post but found he preferred to write directly to us, although we see him in person several times a day.

Please feel free to email us directly if you’d prefer not to post a comment on the site. If we post your email message in a future post, we’ll ask your permission before we do so and exclude your email address and name (if you’d prefer). However, posting a comment is easy.  We love hearing from our readers!

Locals take advantage of the sunny day.
Bob wrote the following, which he was happy to share here today:
“I am overwhelmed by your excellent website as you travel all over the world to the most fantastic destinations that most of us only dream about visiting.

The daily updates on where you are presently residing, and the exciting photos give us readers an insight into places that we can only dream of visiting one day.
Reading back over your daily blog since you first started your worldwide journey inspires us to see the place you have already visited from a much bigger perspective.

As you travel the world, may you continue to keep all those who loyally follow you informed of where you are, and may good health be your companion along the way?

Kindest regards

Bob Reed – Fairlight NSW Australia”
An exciting plant we found at the park.  Last time we saw one of these was in Kenya in 2013.
Thank you, Bob…for your kind words, for all your diligent attention in ensuring we have an exceptional experience in your property, your charming town, and the many beautiful areas of Fairlight, Manly, and Sydney.  

No doubt, it’s been more memorable than we ever expected based on the generosity and love you’ve shared with us every day. We’ll certainly miss you!

Happy day to all!
Photo from one year ago today, April 12, 2016:
Ah, bull in the road. We stayed in the car while I took the photo through the windshield. For more photos, please click here.

Tricky transportation from Seattle, Washington to Vancouver, British Columbia…Photos from a walk in the park…

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Bob donated this park bench to Ron, who passed away in 2010 after their 50 years together.

It had been nagging that it was time to book a means of transportation for May 15th when our ship arrives in Seattle.  After arriving in North America, the next cruise sails two days later to Alaska from Vancouver, British Columbia.

MSW means Manly Scenic Walk to the Spit, a local bridge.

Our choices were clear; either spend the two days in Seattle and figure out how to quickly make the 230 km, 143-mile drive to Vancouver to board the ship or figure a way to get to Vancouver as soon as the ship arrives in Seattle.

Rocky shoreline.

It made no sense to spend one night in each location, so we decided to head directly to Vancouver. This was our second sailing from this port when we sailed to Hawaii in September 2014. Last time we flew into Vancouver, and didn’t have these transportation concerns.

While walking on the Manly Scenic Walk, we enjoyed an excellent view of North Harbour Reef Bay boats.

We easily recall the long waiting period to board the ship in 2014 and hope we don’t encounter the same delays. We’re hoping this time, with the priority boarding we receive as Diamond Club members, the boarding process will be less time-consuming and cumbersome.  We shall see.

An exceptional home on North Harbour Reef Bay owned by a successful business owner.

In searching online, we found many suggestions from travelers on how to make the four-hour drive. Firstly, rental cars aren’t allowed to enter Canada from the US to be dropped off at a facility. So, that idea was out.

Historical plaque.

Our only remaining options were as follows:
1. Fly –  A flight from Seattle to Vancouver would have required the usual international flight commotion, getting to the airport two hours early, paying taxi fares on both ends, paying baggage fees, and considerable waiting time for the short flight. (Continued below).

Many homes were originally one story but later renovated to include a second level.

2. Bus – It seemed like an easy option, but it wasn’t for us when we’d read about having to get to the bus, which may or may not arrive at the port when the ship arrived, handling our luggage, and paying for taxi fares upon arriving in Vancouver. Plus, at the US and Canada border, we’d have had to remove all of our luggage from the bus’s luggage compartment and reload the luggage after inspected by customs, and unload the luggage on our own when we arrived in Vancouver. In addition, some buses charge check baggage fees—too much commotion.
3. Train – Taxi fares to and from the train station. Trains only traveled this route twice a day, with multiple stops, too early in the morning for disembarking the ship or too late in the evening.  (Continued below).

Interesting older home with character located on the bay.  Lots are small in most city and suburban areas.

4.  Group shuttle – We didn’t like the idea of having to find other people with whom we could split the fare and wait for the shuttle to pick up and drop off others at various locations on either end.
5.  Private shuttle – These options were few. A regular-sized taxi doesn’t work with our three checked bags and two carry-on bags.  Instead, we could pay a little more, have a private luxury SUV pick us up at the port on May 15th to drive us the 230 km, 143-mile ride from Seattle to Vancouver, dropping us directly to our pre-booked hotel in Vancouver.  It was a no-brainer.

Can you determine what this is?  If you carefully check the above photo, it will reveal a close-up of the tile roof.

Surprisingly, we didn’t flinch over the AU $732.92, US $550 cost knowing how stress-reducing #5 above would be. After all, we strive always to maintain our goal as stated at the top of our webpage: “Wafting Through Our Worldwide Travels with Ease, Joy, and Simplicity.”

More boats moored in the bay.

It’s this philosophy we’ve diligently maintained that has kept us treasuring the quality of our lives, inspiring us to continue for years to come. However, if one only chose the least costly option every time, it could become easy to lose interest and find the moving about tiresome and monotonous.

Buds growing on Moreton Fig Tree.

As we’ve mentioned over these past several weeks in the Sydney area, we’ve happily used low-cost and at times “free” public transportation. However, we’ve enjoyed the process of finding it easy and convenient.

Historical marker at the park.
In our travels, we’re constantly making decisions, often with a cost at the top of the list for consideration. We throw caution to the wind from time to time, sacrificing something else to accommodate the added cost of making alternate decisions. It’s all a part of the ebb and flow of this peculiar life we live.
Tom and Bob began the walkway to North Harbor Reserve park.

Having paid the deposit for the cost of the trip (after reading many positive reviews), our minds are at ease. Today, we paid the balance of the special hotel rate we negotiated for our upcoming six-week stay in Minnesota.  

For the moment, we have no large expenditures on the immediate horizon until mid-summer.  

I hope you find your mind at ease today and always!

Photo from one year ago today, April 11, 2016:

Most afternoons, many of the alpacas rested in the shade at the side of our house. So it was delightful when they’d watch me through the window while I prepared meals, pressing their noses on the glass. For more photos, please click here.

Yesterday’s trip to a big shopping mall…12 days and counting… No, we’re not staying in the US after the upcoming family visit…

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Sign on beach walkway called the Marine Parade from Manly Beach to Shelly Beach.

We had intended to visit the vast Westfield Warringah Mall today instead of yesterday, but we decided to go on Sunday when we heard it could storm today. As it turned out, it stormed last night with the first thunder and lightning we’d seen since our arrival. So today, it’s cool and windy.

Gorgeous beach scenes on a sunny day.

Bob was visiting a friend at a nursing home, suggesting he drop us off at the mall since it was on his way. So we left at about 11:30 am after I’d finished and uploaded the post for the day. It was a warm sunny day perfect for yet another outing.

 Although we haven’t had a rental car during this period, with Bob’s generous assistance and generosity and the ease of using local transportation, it’s worked out quite well.

Shelly Beach at a distance.

Having loaded plenty of money on two Opal cards (prepaid public transportation cards which we swipe when getting on and off buses and once upon boarding the ferry), using public transportation has been a breeze.  

It was a warm sunny day.  Sunbathers and swimmers lounged on the pristine beach.

Only on a few occasions, a long walk was required to get to and from a bus stop, but we haven’t minded. We’ve seldom had to wait more than 10 or 15 minutes for the next bus or ferry. It a relatively flawless system.

 The vast mall was a combination of outdoor and indoor shops, one of which was the first large Target store we had seen since Hawaii in 2014. We wandered through the aisles in awe of all the merchandise.  

Succulents grow prolifically in many parts of Australia.

Will we experience culture shock when we return to Minnesota in 46 days, where an “abundance of everything” is rampant in stores, restaurants, and other public points of interest?  By the time we arrive, we’ll have been gone 1668 days. We anticipate it will be different than we recall.

Australians waste no time taking advantage of sunny days at the beach.

Why did we go to a mall? We both needed some shirts for the upcoming 33 nights of cruising (with a two-day gap between our arrival in Seattle and boarding the cruise to Alaska when we’ll stay in a hotel in Vancouver).

We recently checked out several shops in Manly but were unable to find a single item under AU 125, US $93.79. It made no sense for us to spend that kind of money on shirts when we’ve found that more expensive items don’t seem to last any longer than the less costly items after repeated washings.

Havana, a restaurant in Manly Beach.

After wandering through many shops, I was able to find several tops while Tom only purchased three short-sleeved shirts. He’s not keen on the new style of men’s shirts with roll-up sleeves. Why? I don’t know. But, he wears what he likes, not what I want. But he looks great when we go out to dinner and on cruises.

Great people watch and stroll along the outdoor mall, the Corso in Manly, a walk we’ve enjoyed several times.  However, we’d never been able to find any clothes at reasonable prices in this popular tourist area.

While in the US, we’ll review all of our clothing and decide what we’ll need to add before leaving, shopping at our former favorite stores. (If they’re still there).

Speaking of the US visit, we’ve been asked many times if we plan to stay after the nine-week family visit. No, we do not. We’re booked well into 2019, with plans to secure well beyond that year. 

A P&O ship, a famous British cruise line, leaving Sydney.

It’s not possible to book holiday homes, flights, and cruises further than two years out.  As a result, we continue to add to our itinerary as opportunities become available, coupled with our desires regarding what countries we’d like to visit in years to come. 

Lots of activity near one of the Manly ferry boats that head back and forth to Circular Quay in Sydney many times per day.

The world’s a prominent place.  We’ll never run out of ideas. We’ll only run out of good health and the required “oomph” to continue at some point. But, in the interim, the love of this life and enthusiasm has yet to wane in any manner. Even with the health setbacks I’ve had this past year, we’re still confident and excited for the future.

Be well and take care of yourself!

Photo from one year ago today, April 10, 2016:

One year ago, while living in New Zealand, we encountered these cattle crossing the road. The farmer offered to stop the flow to let us drive by, but we insisted they carry on, enjoying the view. For more photos, please click here.

Lovely house for auction in the neighborhood… Photos of the offered house next door…

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View from the dining room balcony of the lovely house next door scheduled to be auctioned on April 22nd.

When Bob explained the house next door was scheduled for auction, we were excited at the prospect of attending the auction after having an opportunity to walk through to view its many fine features. Another story idea was born right before our eyes, and we were anxious to share it with our worldwide readers.

This second-floor veranda provides expansive views of the bay with plenty of space for entertaining and lounging.

Yesterday, when we arrived for the viewing at 11:30 am were surprised to discover the date for the auction for the house, named “Windemere,” had changed to April 22nd, the day we’ll sail away. In any case, we were thrilled to be able to participate in the open-to-the-public viewing.

View from the house for sale to Bob’s home next door. Sliding doors to our apartment are shown on ground level.
View from the veranda as shown above.

Prospective bidders must have been pre-approved by their bank or lending institution, confirming they are, in fact, qualified to make the purchase should they win the auction.

The spacious lounge/living room has rich wood finishes and a fireplace.

Auctions for real estate have been popular throughout the world for centuries. They have grown in popularity over the past several years as economic conditions have faltered, seriously impacting real estate values.

Alternate casual dining and lounge area.

During the worst of times during the real estate crash, most likely, home values in this area may have fallen, as was the case in most parts of the world. However, based on today’s pricing in Australia, values have more than fully recovered to the point where pricing is as high as we’ve seen anywhere in the world.

The formal dining room walks out to a balcony.

The listing agent, Eddy Piddington explained its expected the house will sell from AU 3,500,000, US $2,625,700 to AU 4,000,000, US $3,000,800. It will be interesting to hear the auction results should they sell on the upcoming scheduled date.

The kitchen has newer high-end appliances and sealed wood countertops.

When we entered the house with Bob and his friends, we were warmly welcomed by the attending real estate agents. Bob had prepared us for the estimated value based on the value of his home, which is of comparable size with similar views and amenities.

We wondered why the auction date had changed from yesterday to April 22nd, surmising there may not have been sufficient buyers prepared at this early date. Rescheduling for a later date would provide adequate time to roust up a few more bidders. 

The kitchen’s ample eat-in dining space.

Of course, in the interim, the property, located at 55 Upper Clifford Avenue, is listed on the market through Clarke & Humel real estate company which may be reached here at this link.  The listing agent, Eddy Piddington, may be reached via this link or contacted at 02 9977 3300 (office phone).

The master bedroom with excellent bay views has a step-down walk-in closet.

We were surprised to find as many “lookers” as individuals and groups large and small wandered through the property. As we always said in real estate, there was never a shortage of “lookie-loos” with no intention of bidding or making an offer.  They may consist of neighbors, curious tourists, and locals.

View from second of four-bedroom windows.

For us, we may fall into the category of all of the above, but our real intent was to share this information with our readers.  Who knows?  Perhaps, there’s a buyer out there in cyberspace who may discover this is their dream home.  

The house includes four bedrooms; this is shown as the smallest.

From time to time, we include real estate information for those of our readers who may be curious about markets in other parts of the world or, in some cases, in their neighborhoods.  

Pretty antique style chandelier, one of several throughout the home.

We found this excellent video for the property, which tells the story in more detail than we can illustrate here. Please click this link to see the well-presented video.

Guest bathroom.

As time quickly winds down toward our departure date, we enjoy every moment in this lovely area and part of the world. Australia has so much to offer, and we feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience many aspects of this fine country.

 Have a fabulous weekend day, wherever you may be.

Photo from one year ago today, April 9, 2016:

Not our photo, but not unlike the experience we hope to have on our booked cruise to Antarctica in only nine months. The cruise was booked up so fast on the day it was posted, we decided to book this far ahead one year ago today. For more details, please click here.

Its a small world after all…Aloha!…Our video history…Tom’s last night sunset photos!

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This was our favorite sunset photo of the evening, taken last evening from our veranda in Fairlight. But, of course, I’m also partial to the Kookaburra sunset photo below.
Last night, I happened to check my email before heading to bed. Much to my surprise and delight, there was a message from YouTube stating there was a new comment on one of the many videos we’ve posted over these past years of travel.  


 For all of our travel videos, please click here. Some are rather funny, which our newer readers may enjoy. We’ve received lots of “likes” on many of the videos. Please keep in mind; I’m not the best at taking videos, so we ask for your patience in viewing ours.

Quite a view of the sky during sunset last night.

The message we received last night read as follows, including my response:

“AucklandHard 15 hours ago
Thx for videoing Sio and me, the quicker guy; I had the tree that you have to keep adjusting your gear because of the diameter of the truck. The climbing gear is called a Swiss tree gripper. We both got caught by our uncles and dad’s families to help provide its tough work, Aloha.
 
Jessica Lyman 11 hours ago
Wow! Great to hear from you. Your efforts attributed to one more story for our 5 years blog of traveling the world. Click here for the full story and more photos and…for being safe in your hard work. Here’s the link to our story on your hard-working day: https://www.worldwidewaftage.com/2014/11/high-in-treesobserving-unusal-tasklife.html 
Kindest regards, Jess & Tom.”

We couldn’t help but be thrilled to hear from one of the brave coconut tree trimmers we’d videotaped over two years ago in a post we’d uploaded while in Maui, Hawaii, from October 15 to December 1 2014.

Here are two videos we’d posted during that period and the link associated with that post dated November 22, 2014:

Video #1, coconut tree trimming in Maui

Video #2, coconut tree trimming in Maui

These two videos precipitated the above commenter writing to us when he must have stumbled across them while searching YouTube for coconut tree trimming videos.  Ha!  Small world, eh?
It’s the magic of technology that brings readers and viewers to us over the years that continues to enhance the quality of our own personal experiences. Whether we meet a future reader in person while living in distant places who later connect with us online or, in the case of most of our reader email and comments, it’s a result of their own perusal online when they stumble upon us.
The sun’s bright array rims these clouds on the horizon.
We do little online marketing and promotion for our site and over 1700 posts to date that we have well over 528,000 readers to date on our site.  
In the realm of the Internet, it’s a paltry number. In our world, it’s more than we ever imagined. We’re grateful for the opportunity to share even a morsel of our worldwide experiences with readers from all over the world as our site continues to grow year after year.
The sun’s ray peeking through the clouds creates quite a photo op.
If we intended to make a lot of money from our site, we’d approach it differently. But, that is not our goal. If we did so, it would change the nature of what we do exponentially.  

And, it’s the simplicity and ease with which we write to YOU each day that enhances our personal experiences in many ways. But, of course, this is greatly increased when we hear from our readers by commenting at the end of any day’s post or writing to us via email. We love it all.
We’re always looking for these sunset shots which Tom captured last night.
Yesterday, we took off on the bus to Manly to walk the long distance to the end of the outdoor mall, the Corso, to have a look and take photos of beautiful Shelly Beach.  
By the end of the day, my new Fitbit, the warranty replacement that arrived in the current shipment from the US, received on Tuesday, read a little over 10,000 steps. I was thrilled, to say the least. But, unfortunately, Tom, not an enthusiastic walker, didn’t give it much of a thought.
We don’t have a clear shot of the sun going down, but the sky offers quite a show.
We took tons of photos which we’ll share over the next several days. But, right now, we have more photos than we’ll be able to share during our remaining two weeks (as of today) in Fairlight.  
And yet, we’ll continue to explore and share the photos as we go. Today, we’re attending a viewing for the eventual auction on April 22nd for the multi-million dollar house next door. We’ll take plenty of photos which we’ll share in tomorrow’s post.  You’ll be shocked by pricing in Australia! Please check back.
Kookaburra on the power line while Tom took sunset photos.
Thanks to “AucklandHard” (whatever that means for a guy in Hawaii) for writing a comment on our video, and please, no matter what, stay safe climbing those tall coconut trees in Maui.

Happy day to all!

Photo from one year ago today, April 8, 2016:

This post from one year ago today is the first leg of the “back to back” cruise on the Celebrity Infinity, which we’ll board after leaving Costa Rica (Central America) on November 22, 2017 (19 months from now). Then, we’ll fly to Fort Lauderdale, where we’ll spend one night boarding the cruise the next day. This will be our first foray into South America. We’re enthused about going through the Panama Canal a second time from the opposite direction, seeing the new locks for the first time. For more details, please click here.