Happy Birthday Mum!!!

Location maps at 5.15 and 6 am and sunrise

I had a bus tour of Noumea and a visit to the Aquarium. First stop was to a lookout dedicated to the Virgin Mary, who looks after the large Catholic population of New Caledonia.

Our guide talked about many things, including the education system. High school students attend daily from 7 am to 5 pm. They have 2 weeks off after every 6 weeks of classes with 2 months for the long break. Primary schools are 8 am to 4 pm. English is a mandatory lesson and most students go to France for their university courses.

Next visit was the Aquarium, very nice it was too, so lots of fishy pictures. I do feel a bit sorry for the inhabitants though, sort of like birds in cages! A skate, 2 seahorses, pipe fish, sand-eels (these were funny, they just kept going up and down in the sand!), a banded shrimp and a peacock mantis shrimp.

There are 6 bays that the city is built around so the tour took us around all of them. Then up to another lookout. I didn’t get out as I was feeling rather stiff from getting up and down the bus steps!

Back at the ship I had lunch and then back to my room for some rest and relaxation, LOL. Here’s a panorama off my balcony. It was scenic on the otherside of the port works!

Port Vila, Vanuatu tomorrow, but there weren’t any tours I liked the sound of and as it’s a tender process again, I probably won’t go ashore this time.

Hope you had a pleasant day Mum, xoxo

Had a bit of a rocky night. There was a cupboard door banging occasionally out in the corridor, testifying to it being rocky!

Location map for 5.30 (Mystery Island is too small to see!)

Arrived at Mystery Island in time to get the sunrise behind the main island Aneityum.

The tenders started running at 7.15 as there are no port facilities for docking at. My tender had quite a few issues trying to dock at the pier as the swell was rather strong, we kept hitting it quite hard. Eventually he swung around to the other side and and docked more easily.

I don’t remember what year it was when I was last here, maybe 2013, and it sure has changed. It is now all touristy with buildings, toilets, sand packed footpaths, garden beds. I wandered away from the crowds and found a nice quiet pathway and enjoyed the peace. I only saw/heard one bird (it had a bright red throat) and apart from ants, no bugs or spiders!

I did try to get a photo of all the little fish near the pier but the waves kept washing them away, lol. I didn’t stay long and was probably the first person back on board, had the tender all to myself!

Had smoked salmon at the Crown Lounge again, had a chat and then changed into my bathers. However, the pool was once again closed. Not impressed, so much for the 8 am opening! So back to my room, for my usual occupations, lol. There was a bear awaiting me when I got back.

Tomorrow is Noumea and I have a city tour and the aquarium. Happy Birthday Mum!

Well today didn’t go as planned. – My location at 5.15 am.

This was the sunrise this morning.

Got to the Solarium about 8.30 and the pool was still closed. It was having its chemicals checked and modified and no one knew when it would be open. Waited until 9, but still chained off, so wandered back down the ship planning on going to the Crown Lounge again. However, the Windjammer (the general buffet restaurant) is near the elevators, so decided on breakfast there. American style, crispy bacon and biscuit with gravy. Then back to the Solarium and it was still chained off, so back to my room! Mind you I am getting exercise walking!

My room is under the red dot! Can’t get much further back, lol. It’s quite a walk to the elevators! The Solarium (Deck 11) and the Crown Lounge (Deck 5) are both up the front on the other side of the other elevators!!

So basically did the same as yesterday, a bit of family tree, napping, reading, playing games, a bit of jigsaw! Here’s my setup on the balcony for family tree stuff!

Also, a PS to yesterday. I received some complimentary yummies for being in the loyalty programme! Very nice.

Slept about the same as usual, not much, lol. The ship is mildly rocking most of the time, but when the mild got a little stronger the unused hangers in the wardrobe rattled. They don’t anymore!!!

The blue dot shows where I was at 5 am this morning!

Headed up to the pool around 7.30. It was amazingly rough looking. With the rocking of the ship the pool waters were really splashing around. After a chat with the lifeguard we decided that the Solarium pool would be better for me as it had sloping stairs to get into it! As that didn’t open until 8, I sat around until the barriers had been removed from it.

I’ll try and get a better photo tomorrow. This also was very splashy. It had much better access and even better no one under 18 is allowed in the Solarium. The ship is overrun with children!!!!! I don’t know why, but I was surprised that it’s a salt water pool. Trying to exercise in it was quite a laugh, but I managed 35 minutes before I got too cold to continue. The sun hadn’t got to it yet so the water was quite cool.

Back to my room for a shower and change and then I went to the Crown Lounge for a continental breakfast. This is accessible to members of the loyalty programme that Royal Caribbean runs. Also no children!!!! Had smoked salmon for brekky, very nice!

There were a couple, from Indiana, celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary and were asking everyone, in the lounge, to sign their memory book for them, to read when they get home. I did my bit!

Then back to my room to nap, read, play games, do a bit of family tree and start on Maria’s mainly edge jigsaw!

This was the towel critter left for me! Cute little bird!

A picture taken along side the ship from my balcony.

Dinner was a bit strange. It was touted as Flavours of France, but the Coq au van was made with pork as was the Cordon bleu! However the potato gratin was definitely potato and the Salmon en Croûte was salmon!

Everything is taking a lng time to charge up with this American 120 volts, unlike our good old Australian 240 volts! Plus I only have one outlet available, so can’t charge overnight as using it for the CPAP.

Have to put clocks forward an hour tonight. Will be interesting to see if the phone picks up the locational change.

Had a quiet morning. I didn’t even look at the pool as I didn’t want to carry around wet bathers & towel!

Check out was at 11, dragging cases over carpet is not fun! I had a taxi booked for 11.15. Ian was the driver, he’s 86 years old, loves driving as it gets him away from the wife!!!

Then the bedlam that is a cruise ship loading passengers! Security was interesting. I had to take my laptop bag out of my small case, which I hadn’t expected as didn’t do that at Perth Airport. Anyway, I didn’t set off their metal detector, but had to go through it again as they wanted me to take both the laptop and my portable screen out of the bag for rescanning. Then one of the security team came up querying something in my handbag. They hadn’t liked the bits and bobs I had on my keyring. Note to self to put it in the suitcase next time!!! Probably add it to the suitcase now, when it eventually turns up!

My boarding time was supposed to be 2-2.30 but they didn’t seem to care that I was much earlier than that. Quite a long walk onto the ship, but once on had to check in at the designated emergency assembly point. The lifeboat is hanging on Deck 4 near the door between the Art Gallery and Main Dining room.

I found a quiet corner and sat down at 12.30 as the rooms weren’t available until 1. I, of course, then discovered I was on the wrong side and the wrong end of the ship! But I did find my room!

Just waiting now for a CPAP only extension cord to be delivered.

Had dinner and had to ask for the extension cord again, but I have finally got it. Now for bed, LOL.

P.S. for yesterday, a couple of things I forgot! – I’m on the 13th floor of the hotel and there’s an IGA just across the road, very nice and handy and they have amazing salads. I had seafood salad and pumpkin & feta salad for dinner!

The pool opens at 6 am so I thought I would have a look and see if was easy to get into before putting bathers on. There’s a nice outdoor area on the 3rd floor which has a bit of lawn, barbecues, seating areas etc. The pool is actually elevated at the end of this area and access via a small outdoor lift. Only problem all its lights were flashing red, so obviously not working!

So plan 2, I went for a walk across the road at the front of the hotel. There’s a quite large park area there with a circular lawn, lots of garden beds, exercise equipment and children’s play areas.

I found a bench (under cover) to sit and watch. It was quite cool but there was a bit of sun occasionally. Lots of people jogging, dog walking and ball throwing for a lovely border collie. They are just moving balls of fluff when chasing that ball!

Feathery looking pine trees, giant bromeliads, and an ibis.

Had a cream cheese roll, tomatoes, dried mushrooms and grapes out on my balcony and then spent the rest of the day napping, reading and playing games!

Popped over the road again for another salad, Japanese salmon & avocado. Very nice.

Packed my bags yet again! Checkin wasn’t until 2 pm, so Maria and I went to the shops via Anna’s. Said goodbye to her, Archer and Charlotte. I needed to fill a script at the chemist and Maria went bulk ice cream shopping. Amazingly enough the 2 shops were 3 doors apart. Mine though was 5 minutes late opening!

The carpark was chaotic when it was time to leave, looked like everyone had decided that this was a good shopping day! Probably because most of the shops were closed yesterday.

Home again for morning tea and lunch and time to do another jigsaw.

I hadn’t realised that my bed was very different to the usual. So much easier to make and lots of storage space!

Maria’s birthday present.

Then a drive into Brisbane and the hotel, which is actually apartments rather than hotel rooms. The travel agent had booked me in here as it was walking distance to the ship. She obviously hasn’t been told that the cruise terminal has been moved 12 km down the river. Ron said it was because the ships are getting bigger and they can’t turn around when leaving port.

Here’s the view from the balcony and another of the sky colouring with the sunset.

Sorry about yesterday’s blog. I did it as a page as the post wasn’t saving, it’s in the right place now!

Had a very quiet day again today. We were going out for a drive to a lookout, but the weather wasn’t looking good and it started raining, so just as well we stayed home!

Had a nap in the comfy chair and Maria and I finished off the jigsaw after dinner, so that’s another one done!

So just to finish off, here is another photo of the garden and the dogs. Rommel who is John & Tasha’s and Maria’s Chloe.

Off to the Brisbane hotel tomorrow for 2 nights!

Oh dear, this wasn’t happy yesterday so I did it a different way and it wasn’t showing in the list, sorry!

Well it wasn’t a ‘quiet’ day today. Archer and Charlotte had the day of school and spent it with us.

First up was a new jigsaw to sort and pancakes for breakfast!

We headed out to a munzee garden that had appeared not too far away, so while the little ones played games on phones in the back seat, Maria and I had a pleasant time driving around carparks.

We then headed for a splashpark near the Southern Cross University. Fascinating place with water coming out of all sorts of devices and receptacles. It included a large barrel shaped container that filled up until it was too full and then a huge cascade of water splashed down and completely soaked anyone under it. Archer was completely sopping when he tried it!

Had a large icecream thing from the McDonald’s drive-through on the way home.

Once home it was craft time. I helped Charlotte make a dream-catcher whilst Maria and Archer did some model making. Tasha watching in the background!

Dinner once they had gone home, Maria cooked tonight! Then I nearly fell asleep in the chair. Blog writing and then off to bed!

A few more images from the splash park. Interesting fruit in a tree, a mynah and a mudlark!

My flight through Doha has been cancelled, so now flying Seattle-Los Angeles-Sydney-Perth, still getting home on the 19th May.

Another quiet day. Helen and I went back to that little wetland we went to last week. I did have my binoculars this time! Helen went walking and I stayed in the bird hide. We both sat and watched for quite a while when she returned, such an interesting place.

Filled up with fuel on the way home, as Helen is heading to the airport in the morning.

Finished the jigsaw, Helen is taking it home so Mum can do it!

Ron had to rescue his lighthouse from the fishpond and Maria’s staghorn is amazing!

Had a family barbecue for dinner, 10 of us, so rather a madhouse, LOL. Helen did a great job keeping Archer and Charlotte occupied.