January 29-February 4, 2000
An Amazing Technicolor Journey
You've heard of "Sex, Lies, and Videotape?" Not on this trip. It was literally Plane, Train, Motorcoach, Jet Boat, Four-Wheel Drive Unimog, Ferries, Skyrails - and a Rotatating Tower.
Obviously, we never sat still for more than an hour on our amazing eight day/nine-night trip to New Zealand and Australia, but we can do that any time aboard the Ocean Explorer. This was the chance to explore every cove, cave, mountain gorge, and sheep station possible. And we took full advantage of it! But we were only following in the wake of perhaps the greatest explorer of all time. On board the ship, long before we set foot on the soil of New Zealand, we had been tracing the path and exploits of Captain Cook, the great English explorer and the most famous navigator of his time--and possibly of all time. Faculty member Jeff had taken us over the routes Cook had taken in the Pacific Ocean in the 1770s, and we were landing on the shores of many islands that Cook himself had discovered and charted--without the benefit of the modern technologies we so take for granted.
In fact, in a single sailing around the North and South Islands of what later was called New Zealand-a distance of some 2,361 miles-Cook had created the charts that navigators would use for countless years. He made three voyages to the South Pacific, and in his second voyage alone sailed a remarkable distance of 70,000 miles. He circumnavigated the globe in TWO directions, both west and east, in his search for Terra Incognita, "a land that did not exist," and on his third exploration-which he euphemistically called "perhaps a dangerous voyage"-- his charge was to explore Spanish lands. Along the way he actually sailed up the Pacific Coast from Oregon to Alaska in his search for the Northwest Passage, which he never found.
But in his extraordinary travels this great navigator discovered and charted coasts from the Antarctic to the Arctic and numerous islands in between---and he landed on the two amazing lands that were the next destination of our very land extension---New Zealand and Australia. (It is a sad footnote in history that Cook is buried not in his native England, where he was one of the most illustrious men of his time, but in Hawaii which he named the Sandwich Islands). There in a skirmish with natives, he was attacked with rocks, daggers and shots and was killed on his third voyage to the Pacific.
With this history as fascinating background, sixteen of us started out on January 29 for our nine-day trip. Most of our time would be spent in New Zealand, with the final two days planned for us to stop in Sydney.
So how to describe this trip?
They say a good writer never uses a string of adjectives in describing anything. But I can't comment about the places we saw without falling back on hackneyed words like "beautiful" and "awe-inspiring." So be forewarned.
Everything they say about New Zealand is true! It's a subtropical paradise. It's also a land of majestic mountains, lush green hillsides, amazing glaciers, fjords, and lakes, and magnificent ocean vistas.
And, best of all for a visitor, people go far out of their way to be cordial and helpful, and you feel right at home.
Brilliant images linger on your mind long after you leave.... Snow-capped Alpine peaks, steamy volcanic geysers and bitter sulfur-smelling mud pools, rolling gorce-covered hillsides dominated by flocks of sheep and tiny lambs grazing high up near the tussock grass. And visions of water of unbelievable colors---frothy emerald waves crashing high against the craggy cliffs, teal blue waters of Auckland harbor with sleek sailboats racing each other to get a good view of the Americus Cup preliminaries, aquamarine mountain lakes, torrential waterfalls swirling into the mud brown river of Waimak Gorge on South Island, and the periwinkle blue sea of Akaroa Bay, where you drift by volcanic cliffs and caves on the way to see the Hector Dolphins.
Those are a few views of New Zealand I'll always remember.
But, I must admit, at first I was little unsure as to whether I actually wanted to go on this trip. We were to depart on January 29, the birthday of my two oldest sons, Dave and Steve, and we had just turned the clock back and lost the whole day of January 28. On January 27 I sent early e-mail birthday greetings to my sons and somewhat reluctantly went to meet for the first time with my sixteen fellow travelers.
The meeting reinforced my lack of enthusiasm for leaving my comfortable little nest on the ship. This seemed to be a rather motley crew, and I was doubtful that this assorted bunch would "bond," as they say. On a tour your companions make all the difference between being "mellow" or miserable when you're stuck together from breakfast till bedtime in buses, bathroom stops, and 3 a.m. red-eye flights with Fiji Airlines. So, I reasoned, don't be disappointed if this trip isn't all it's cracked up to be.
I was quite interested to see who my companions would be for the next nine days.
*There was a tall redheaded woman about my age from San Jose. She had lived in Sacramento, my hometown, I was pleased to learn. A former financial advisor, I soon found that she has a wonderful sense of humor, possesses a very spiritual bent and believes in reincarnation, and much like me, loves to explore people's personalities and motivation. I predicted we could be good friends-and that proved to be true.
*There was an architect/urban planner from Southern California who has designed award-winning communities in California, Mexico and elsewhere. His understanding of the architecture, cultures, and natural wonders of Argentina and Brazil had been evident on my Iguazu land extension a few weeks before. I was delighted to see him since I knew his insights would enrich the group on this trip as well.
*There was an anesthesiologist from the Midwest. A quiet person with a good sense of humor when he cared to open his mouth, he preferred to keep his own counsel until he got to know you better. We were to sit next to each other on four different travel sequences during this trip, and eventually we began to find some mutual interests and especially shared an interest in writing.
* Then there were "the hunk" and his father-a fascinating pair in any venue. "Great," was the response of the hour of the son. A "kid" in this mature group of travelers, he showed up most often in tank tops and gym shorts, and with a great tan that showed off his years of strength training, this thirty-plus Adonis could charm the stripes off an Australian garter snake (do they have stripes?). I soon found out that " the kid" and I work in the same field, public relations, and that he was a dynamite account executive for a big pr firm, managing their IKEA and De Beers, the diamond people, marketing accounts-- among other big corporate names. As we traveled through the mountains of New Zealand and talked shop, we invented a new business (in jest) and created an outrageous slogan or two to market our new New Zealand product. (My tennis friends should get a good laugh out of that.)
* Take "the kid's best features, add silver hair and a courtly air, and you've got his father. The two got along as best buddies, which was nice to see. I stumbled across the fact that the father had grown up on Maryland's eastern shore and that we had a very colorful mutual acquaintance. "Pop" had graduated from Washington College. (Emily, remember that college visit?) When he learned that I had worked closely with Johnnie Toll, the president of Washington College, we shared some great anecdotes. (Toll was University of Maryland System Chancellor when I worked at College Park). I passed along greetings to Johnnie to deliver when my shipmate returns to the Washington College campus.
*Then there were four interesting, well-educated women. One was an accountant from Connecticut-bright, talkative on a multitude of subjects, and friendly. Also from Connecticut, the second is widely traveled and knowledgeable on the arts. The third, from New Jersey, is a striking looking woman a little older than me with a Ph.D. and expertise in elderly issues, and very "with it." The fourth, from Pennsylvania, was rather quiet and had taught high school mathematics for many years. Three were youngish widows, and one has a husband with Alzheimer's.
* There were also three very likeable couples, two from Canada and the third from Washington state.
*Finally, the guide from the Ocean Explorer staff accompanied us to count heads and hold our hands as we picked up local guides who led us through our paces. He turned out to be "just one of the gang," and I especially appreciated that he had taught music in Montgomery County for a number of years in a school just minutes from my house.
At first I thought there were few similarities among us and we'd go our separate ways. As usual, I was wrong. Starting out as strangers, we ended up enjoying each other's interests, jokes, and even foibles. We were a family, just as many "extended families" have emerged on the ship.
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Now, back to "beautiful." As soon as I saw Auckland on the North Island, I knew I would love New Zealand. The "city of sails" is more spectacular than I could possibly have imagined. You can view water from every vantage point, colorful boats are everywhere, and 20 percent of the people own one. Quaint Victorian houses with fabulous hillside views surround the harbor, periwinkle blue agapanthus and roses of every species appear in immaculate English gardens, and tall palm trees line grass promenades along the harbor and in parks throughout the city.
References to the Maoris are common. We were introduced first to the Maori culture at the Auckland Museum, and we encountered Maori signs frequently throughout the country. The museum houses an incomparable collection of Maori treasures and artifacts. We gained great appreciation for Pacific and Maori ethnic arts and cultures as we walked through beautifully carved houses and shrines and marveled over intricately carved war canoes so huge they could seat 80 or more men heading out for battle. Later, at the Maori arts and crafts institute we watched demonstrations of carving, weaving and building of thatched huts, and learned about their music making, war preparations, and games. Back on the ship, we enjoyed a demonstration of the "digereedoo," the huge Maori horn with a haunting sound. A number of people have bought them, and next week there will be a digereedoo concert (after they learn how to blow them.)
Our appreciation for Maori life grew as we journeyed to Rotorua, a geothermal "wonderland" of volcanic mud, geysers, and boiling mud pools. Steeped in Maori myths, this was the site of a Maori feast and concert o native songs and dances we lived through that night.
That was just the beginning of our non-stop New Zealand odyssey. As we rode through the mountains, we saw sheep on the hillsides in the millions (the nation has a population of around 4 million people and 40 million sheep-- I think we saw half the total population of sheep); we visited Rainbow Farm and watched sheep mustered by farm dogs and shorn, saw cow milking demonstrations, hand fed rainbow and brown trout, and hiked along the sea cliffs to visit a rare gannet bird colony. Along the way, my equestrian friends will be delighted to hear we visited the Cambridge Thoroughbred Lodge and saw a demonstration at the only place in New Zealand where you can learn about many different breeds of horses all in the same arena.
In the foothills of the Southern Alps on the South Island, we took a memorable 16-kilometer journey through the Waimak Gorge on jet boats. In the foggy driving rain, we careened up the river, pausing to see shallow pools indented in black volcanic cliffs. We landed on a rocky beach to have tea and warm freshly baked cookies from the back of the truck awaiting us. This was a "unimog," a rebuilt 4-wheel drive that hauled us up through a gorgeous mountain pass. We crossed rugged tussock grass high country where sheep grazed on mountainsides, as we followed the original stagecoach route to the West Coast. At Flock Hill resort for lunch, we fed the deer, and headed to the eastern boundary of the sheep station and hopped on the transalpine train for the two-hour ride back to Christchurch.
I started counting sheep compulsively after we learned that one sheep needs three acres of grazing land. (Another guide told us ten.) My jeep mates quickly told me to get over this obsession-I've reverted to doing it to fall asleep.
The Aussie Experience
The most memorable thing about Sydney was the Opera House. It is an amazing structure of grace and beauty, situated to take full advantage of the harbor view. I was only sorry I didn't see a performance there of "Die Fliedermaus" as five of our party did; though we had a wonderful tour.
By now, our tour was drawing to a close and we were anxious to return "home" to the boat docked at Cairns. The Great Barrier Reef beckoned and we were ready to see friends again.
But a smooth flight wasn't in store. An hour after taking off from Sydney, the pilot announced that there was a "slight emergency." Immediately, visions of skyjacking, bomb threats, or terrorist takeovers swept through the aircraft. The captain murmured something unintelligible about a necessary emergency landing due to malfunction of a air pressure mechanism---and we were diverted to Brisbane, many miles away.
For four hours we sat in the airport there, with regular mysterious announcements that the "engineer was investigating the problem." Then with a new crew we reboarded the same plane when the "deicing mechanism" was repaired. (It was 90 degrees at the time.) We were happy to finally land in Cairns-but not happy to see the weather conditions.
This is the "wet" season in Australia, and wet was hardly the word. There was a deluge that continued all day. In my infinite wisdom I had not signed up for a day trip fearing I wouldn't return in time. So, off people went to the Great Barrier Reef for snorkeling in the downpour. I might have rented a boat, I later thought, but this wasn't to be. It poured. We shopped. It poured. They snorkeled. Under water they didn't notice the rain. I shopped more. I got soaked.
But, never mind. At least I hadn't signed up for the wildlife hike around the lake in the downpour. Nine people did, and I am still shuddering at what happened to them. My tablemate Ernie got the worst of it---leeches, many of them dropped, crawled, fell, or whatever leeches do to attach themselves to you. After discovering this, the hikers were examined and the leeches removed, with no harm, I hear. I won't say more. But it was not a pleasant experience. I won't go walking in the rain in the forest without thinking of this for awhile.
We headed off for Darwin and now we're en route to Bali. Other snorkeling adventures beckon. But wait. This minute we just received word that our landing in Bali will be changed to a different location on the island. The captain said the draft of our ship is too deep and no tenders can be used. But a friend just told me the truth-- two bombs just exploded at our intended site.
Well, another port, another adventure.
That's it for now, folks.
