Monday, 9th February 2015 – Picton, New Zealand

Today was mainly spent out on the water admiring the scenery as we drifted past.
We left from Havelock and spent some time negotiating the long narrow channel that leads out into the Sounds. Luckily all the channel markers are numbered so we could keep track of where we were, more or less as there are numerous islands, bays and inlets and, as the man at the boat hire place pointed out "it all gets a bit samey after a while".
However we managed to find our way round the correct headland and into Kenepuru Sound and made our way up to The Portage where we had spent our honeymoon 45 years ago. There is a big marina in the bay to tie up to and we went and had a sandwich for lunch up on the balcony above the bay. It was very pretty but I'm not sure what we would have done had we decided to stay there for a week.
Sadly I didn't get any pictures on the tablet and can't upload photographs from the camera so will add them later when we get home.
The morning was beautiful, sunny and calm but the wind blew up quite strongly in the afternoon. Still we are happy it's not raining – yet!

The Portage, Portage Bay, Kenepuru Sound

Sunday, 8th February, 2015, Picton, New Zealand

A quiet day today but beautiful weather so we enjoyed the views and did a little sightseeing both by car and on foot.
Having checked out what was available in the main town area we decided we were better off patronising the local bar/restaurant at the marina where we went last night. The food is acceptable but the ambience far superior to anything else we have seen around here.
Tomorrow we have a day of adventure and excitement planned.

Saturday, 7th February, 2015 - Picton,New Zealand

So today is exactly 45 years since we were married and the general idea was a bit of a celebration somewhere exciting. And to make it more interesting, the first person to actually guess where we are will win a lottery ticket!
I should have known that trying to replicate a honeymoon that was a disaster in the first place was not going to be a good idea. (Not that we have gone back to the same place - it looked very unenticing). From what I remember 45 years ago, there were three things that stood out.
Firstly I started off with a sprained ankle, sustained by slipping off the dance floor at our wedding reception, then there was the food poisoning outbreak that swept through the hotel and finally the wasp sting to which I proved allergic. A wonderful week.
So we duly arrived but not before Geoffrey had been harangued not once but twice by ill-humoured fellow travellers who objected to his non-stop "surround-sound" conversational style (to say nothing of the conversational topics he likes to pursue).
There is, sadly, something rather humiliating about being berated in public by fat-arsed up themselves females.
But we survived, found our motel and slept well.
Next morning, endeavouring to vacate our room at the requested checkout time of 10 we fronted up to reception at five to, only to find reception locked with a "back in 15" sign. Glad we weren't in a rush to catch a flight.
Eventually someone turned up to cope with what by then was a huge checkout queue behind us and a cab was ordered for us to go to the car hire depot. Simple? Not when the address on the documents we had was quite blatantly wrong and while we eventually found the right place the cab ride cost about three times what it should have.
So then - take off in the car by 9 as planned? Not likely. Queue for longer time then go through highly convoluted check-in process. There's a lesson here: Avis might be more expensive but it's worth the extra.
But by 11.30 we were on the road and had decided breakfast was a past idea and we'd opt for an early lunch instead.
This nearly proved a fatal mistake as one person who had downed quite an amount of whisky the previous evening realised to his horror when pulled over by a (surprisingly friendly) cop around midday. However, he wasn't subjected to an RBT, merely chastised and fined a fortune for driving on the wrong side of the road. His excuse was that he was ironing out the curves. It didn't go down well.
So not what you'd call a good start to the trip, overall.
Happily it was all uphill from there (both literally and metaphorically).
We arrived at our destination around 3.30, found we had a lovely room with fantastic views and a nice restaurant/bar within walking distance where we could sit on the deck, watch the yachts and enjoy reasonable, but not necessarily great, seafood.

                                                                                                 

Somehow I am having problems with this blog and am unable to upload the beautifully cropped and enhanced photos I took to go on this page.
Still, those clever enough will recognise it instantly.

Friday 10th/Saturday11th October - Sydney, Australia

Somewhere between Papeete and Auckland we crossed back over the dateline and lost a day in the process.
We slept off and on during the first leg of the journey, but only fitfully so were quite exhausted by the time we got home. We had the fastest trip through immigration and baggage claim we've ever experienced so were back in Manly around 10am.
It was one of those beautiful Sydney days, sunny and calm but not too hot. As the day wore on people flocked to the beach and by mid-afternoon it was packed, not just in the flagged areas but all the way from South Steyne to Queenscliffe. The harbour-side beaches were also packed and there was a huge amount of activity on the water.
It made us think how lucky we are to have all this on our doorstep.
We enjoyed our time away immensely, revisiting Hawaii and seeing French Polynesia. Just looking at Manly though, the beach is as nice as Waikiki and there's more of it, the restaurants are as good and just as plentiful although maybe the water is a trifle cooler! Oh, and you don't have to fly for nine hours (or six in the case of Tahiti) to get there.
It's always nice to get back home.

Thursday 9th October, 2014 - Papeete, Tahiti

We arrived into Papeete around 8 last night and enjoyed sitting up on the aft deck looking out at city lights for a change. This morning we had to vacate our room by 8am, but could there were plenty of places to sit and read till it was time to leave the ship.
We were booked into a hotel about 20 minutes away and the taxi ride there was really our only look at the city but it seemed attractive enough, the bits we did see.
Once at the hotel we had to wait a bit for our room but then they upgraded us to what they described as a "cruisey suite" whatever that means, but it did have a large balcony and, in addition to the usual bathroom, a massive spa bathroom (neither of which we used). Still it was nice to have somewhere to read and sleep and have a shower before leaving.
Surprisingly, it isn't nearly as hot here as I thought it might be. It rained all afternoon (hence our lack of use of the balcony) and it was quite a pleasant 25° when we had to queue outside the airport for absolutely ages just to get to check-in.
The photos today aren't very exciting - just what I could manage to capture from the back of the ship.

                                          Central Papeete as seen from the ship.

Wednesday 8th October, 2014 - Moore'a, French Polynesia

We were up at 6 this morning, both to watch the entry through the reef to Moorea and because, on the spur of the moment last night, we had decided to book an excursion which happened to start at 7.45am.

We had been going to just go ashore and wander but were told we'd miss all the sights, so on the premise we won't be back again and should see as much as possible, we booked.

Thankfully the bus this time was air conditioned!. First we went to some lookout up a road that seriously rivalled the Amuri ski road - some very freaked-out passengers on board as we negotiated hairpin bends. Great view at the top, but sadly overcast so the colours were reduced. The bus then trundled right round the island with various stops. Amazing vistas all around, including Bali H'ai ("South Pacific" again) and some of the famous hotels with rooms over the sea.

We left Moorea at 4.30 and should be in Papeete by 8pm tonight.

                                                 Dawn approach to Moorea

                                                 Moore's dramatic landscape

Tuesday 7th October, 2014 - Bora Bora, French Polynesia

We woke to land this morning for the first time in six days. The scenery as we sailed in was spectacular and, as we had got up early to go for a walk, we had an early breakfast and were able to go up on deck afterwards until we were anchored.
For the first time we had a tour booked - a round the island drive by open bus.
We began to see what the tour book had been so disparaging about. Apart from the resorts which are obviously magnificent, the sea with its beautiful colours and awe-inspiring mountains rising out of the sea, the rest is pretty ordinary - reminiscent of the rundown outer suburbs of Suva or Nadi. Still it was very interesting and the guide pointed out all the things of interest including the  two gas stations and the supermarket. She restrained herself from pointing out the rubbish dump but we had a good view, nonetheless.
The final stop was Bloody Mary's ( you need to have seen "South Pacific") where someone deemed it necessary to drink a Bloody Mary.
Apparently after Pearl Harbour was bombed in the war, the Yanks made Bora Bora their supply base which accounts for the road round the island and the airport.
Anyway, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit.
Moreea tomorrow.

                                              Early morning approach to Bora Bora

                                                       Inside the lagoon