2006 World Adventure
What a great way to welcome in 2006! We toasted the New Year in with grown children, grandchildren, and dear friends while enjoying a spectacular fireworks display from the ship, anchored off the island of St. John. Len flew home to work, and Sharon was off to the Caymans to hone her scuba diving skills. Long time pals John & Suzanne Thompson met up with us in Grand Cayman to share the cruise through the Panama Canal. From Puerto Quetzal, Sharon & Suzanne flew into the interior of Guatemala to explore the legendary archeological site of Tikal. The World ship was the very first cruise ship ever to visit the port of Puerto Chiapas, and hoards of people from neighboring villages came out for the special inauguration of the port. We were treated like celebrities, even interviewed and photographed for the local paper. El Presidente Fox flew in for the ceremony and presented Captain Dag with a special plaque, and Sharon with a kiss, to commemorate the day! On Sharon’s birthday we flew to Taipei to begin our voyage to Japan. We visited the Peace Memorials in Okinawa and in Nagasaki, and went to the Memorial of Reconciliation Peace Park and Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima: all very enlightening, thought provoking, and sobering experiences. Delightfully a profusion of Cherry blossoms bloomed, but nowhere more spectacularly than the beautiful Kiyomitzu Temple. In September we flew to Sydney to begin our cruise to Tasmania and New Zealand - both long awaited destinations!
KEY WEST, CAYMAN ISLANDS, PANAMA CANAL AND MEXICO
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JAPAN
he ship’s voyage to Japan was planned to coincide with the blossoming of the Cherry Trees, and blossom they did - in profusion! We counter-balanced our tours of Nagasaki and Hiroshima’s sobering Atomic Bomb sites with visits to beautiful Kobe, where we feasted on the famous beef, and joined thousands of locals making their pilgrimage to the beautiful and mystical Kiyomizu Temple (Temple of Pure Water). It was delightful to participate at a few of the many good-luck shrines and wishing stations that filled the complex. On our visit to Intsukushima Shrine on Miyajima, worshipped as a divine island since ancient times, we posed for what was later to become a favorite photo; the two of us in front of one of Japan’s most famous Tora gates. We learned that the bright red color is used to keep demons from passing through! While touring many of Japan’s beautiful and tranquil Shukkenlen “mineature scenery” gardens we were treated to the sight of newly married couples dressed in traditional clothing, posing for wedding photos amongst the cherry blossoms. It was absolutely charming.
Embarked:
March 28th 2006
Debarked:
April 15th 2006
- Keelung, Chilung (Taiwan)
- Naha, Okinawa (Japan)
- Nagasaki (Japan)
- Hiroshima (Japan)
- Kobe (Japan)
- Shimizu (Japan)
- Tokyo (Japan)
AUSTRALIA AND TASMANIA
Thanks to good friends on the ship who have homes in Sydney, we were treated to extraordinary outings that made our second trip to their magnificent country very special. The ship’s stay at the port of Melbourne proved to be an unanticipated architectural and art-filled delight. From there Len undertook the challenge of driving us down the scenic Great Ocean Road along Victoria’s rugged southwest coast where we boarded a helicopter to soar over The Bay of Islands, and were lucky enough to see the famous “Twelve Apostles” limestone monoliths at sunset. . . it was breathtakingly beautiful, a special moment that lingers almost like an exquisite fragrance. Tasmania is a little gem of a country: picturesque beyond description. Our adventures began with an overnight trip to the famous Cradle Mountain Lodge and a walk around the snow-covered trail adjacent to the serenely remote Dove Lake. Back on board the ship we cruised to Wine Glass Bay en route to the historic site of Port Arthur - a beautiful port that belies its history as a penal colony. Each outing in Tas offered, quaint unique towns and beautiful scenery but what made the journey most special were the people we met along the way!
Embarked:
September 15th 2006
Debarked:
October 2nd 2006
- Sydney (Australia)
- Melbourne (Australia)
- Devonport, Tasmania (Australia)
- Port Arthur Freycinet Bay (Australia)
- Hobart, Tasmania (Australia)
NEW ZEALAND SOUTH ISLAND
WOW! New Zealand’s South Island is a geode - filled with beauty! Our ship cruised magnificent Milford Sound amidst cascading waterfalls, dense rainforests and snow-capped mountains. When the ship docked however, we found ourselves engulfed with other tourists so we quickly escaped the fray by chartering a helicopter piloted by a daredevil pilot who assured us he had years of flying experience as we zig-zagged our way over ice-encrusted peaks and snow-packed glacial valleys to finally land on top Franz Josef glacier long enough for a spectacular photo op! It turns out there are 14 fiords in Fordland National Park and for several peaceful days we cruised the largest fiord, Duskey Sound, and the second largest, Doubtful Sound luxuriating in their immense and awe-inspiring grandeur. Anchored off Stewart Island, we tendered ashore to enjoy a trek with friends through the locale of Ulva Island, a famous predator-free open bird sanctuary - the rain-forest's dense canopy was so thick we barely felt the rain a it began to fall. It was exhilarating! In Akaroa we rented a car and set off to explore Bank’s Peninsula with friends from the ship. We discovered a beautiful isolated beach, explored a tiny pioneer's museum crammed with memorabilia of local settlers, and toured a regional Maori Museum that has to be one of the best in New Zealand! We stopped for lunch at “The French Farm” , a boutique vineyard/restaurant, devouring the local lamb and wine. Out of Nelson, we sped along the Golden Sand Coast of Abel Tasman National Park in a water taxi. And, because we were officially in “Lord of the Rings” country, Sharon paid a visit to the jeweler famous for creating the infamous “one ring”!
Embarked:
October 3rd 2006
Debarked:
October 16th 2006
- Milford Sound (New Zealand)
- Stewart Island (New Zealand)
- Port Chalmers Dunedin (New Zealand)
- Akaroa (New Zealand)
- Christchurch (New Zealand)
- Kaikoura (New Zealand)
- Nelson (New Zealand)
