Inside a Tour Manager's Head, New Zealand and Australia

My latest entry on travelblogs is covering two tour groups from New Zealand to Australia and all the experiences, challenges and adventures we shared through it ....and boy were there some. You can also read this in a better format with pictures to break all the reading: www.travelpod.com/members/kwdestinations. ENJOY!

IN THE BEGINNING.....

I am so grateful for my company sending me to New Zealand two days earlier than the tour group. The cobwebs in the brain, that uneasy feeling, sleeplessness all had a chance to fade in those two days. I was able to be chipper and wide awake in welcoming our guests. Thank you for this thoughtfulness!
On arrival in Auckland, the lines were unbelievable long and no matter what, the masses of people after a 13 hour flight can be overwhelming. You are tired, disoriented and the sounds of noise can be unsettling. I navigated the immigration line to find in Auckland airport another very long line at customs now called "Biocustoms". They are checking to see you are not bringing in food - signs like: "declare all food items", going a little further "last chance to declare all food or face fines". They were also confiscating HIKING BOOTS! Hello, the Milford Trail? The Milford Trail is one of the most famous hiking experiences in the world, next to the Himalayas. And customs wants you to leave behind your comfortable broken in hiking boots, because you might have mud or dirt from another part of the planet in the grooves? Is there anything in the lonely planet books about this? No matter what it was annoying and tedious when all you want to do is get to your hotel, jump into a hot shower and sleep. When I couldn't sleep at 3am, I started thinking what a joke all this customs is. I see there is often no logic to the arrivals. They are really their own worst enemy. Well, not the everyday people of a country, but if government is involved....hmmmm.... what's new world wide?
New Zealand, I think there is some kind of bully concept going on here! Some people, especially seniors, are confused by some of these questions asked on arrival forms and are then pulled aside and treated almost criminal because they answered something they perceived differently than what the question really is. "We're going to have to take you to quarantine over here". It makes the entry all that more disorienting - and if you were really the bad guy, they for sure, would get through. All after a 14 hour up to 24 hour flight to get to this little gorgeously breathtaking scenic country. I do totally understand the safety net of bugs, diseases, human trafficking and other cautions for any country. Isn't there another more crowd tolerant way to deal with this? I only just learned of a beetle that is destroying pine trees in the U.S. and most likely elsewhere. I don't see a better way to avoid the chances of something like that hitting a small country like this. Maybe couldn't there just be a quick nothing, really, nothing to declare, line to get tourists that are just wanting to see the "Nippon Clip-on" (Harbor Bridge), the Harbor of Auckland, the Shotover river in Queenstown, to quicker lines than others?
In that down time in Auckland, I was able to wander through the parks, shop a bit, dine in the bustling Viaduct area - famous for the Americas Cup held in New Zealand - and just gaze out on the beautiful Auckland Harbor. Eighty percent of "Aucklandiers" own a boat of some kind. Many have their boats housed in warehouses on the water. They are in shelves, five boats high. They give about a three hour notice that they will be heading to the harbor and the boat is removed from the warehouse, gassed up and ready to go. Perfect valet service when you see a sunny day coming on. Met up with a few friends including one that is in the chapter from my book, "Star Tour Guides", Alan. We dined and wandered the viaduct at dusk and talked about the years of tour guiding, reminiscing on all those we have helped have a memorable travel experience in New Zealand. Also was able to visit the daughter of a friend who settled in Auckland and very happy at being a 9 to 5 doctor, general practitioner. I had watched her grow up from a little girl in Delhi India, and here she is now enjoying life and an accomplished young lady. She was the one who helped me purchase the right medications for children, to take to Kabul, Afghanistan when undertaking a personal effort for Humanitarian Aid to the Orphanages there back in 2008. On arrival of my "pre tour" group into Auckland, I stood there eager to meet them. They looked tired, droopy and ready for a shower. Another of the special touches of my company is booking the night before their arrival at the Stamford Hotel Auckland so they can go right into their rooms. Other companies have their tired guests wait for the usual South Pacific 3pm standard check in time. I handed out their keys on the bus and they were delighted to be able to walk from the bus to their rooms. It was quiet for hours after that. Slowly they came down to the hospitality desk to ask directions of where to walk, wander, museums, gardens with lush trees brilliantly green, dining and shopping. We started our touring with the War Memorial museum in the Domain Park in Auckland. We saw the Maori performance of their traditional songs, demonstrations of the Poi Balls and the welcome challenge ceremony of the tribal warriors where their tongues protrude and eyes bulging open, all to threaten their tribal enemy, was very entertaining. They also gave us a great insight to their Polynesian cultural background. The artwork of their culture is designed in the local New Zealand dark green jade. Their ancient wood carved weapons are intricate and eye catching.

Above, Auckland Skyline from the harbor

We continued on to the harbor for a sample of the Americas cup waters in the Waitemata harbor. One of the tour members was an avid sailor from the Eastern US and sailed us skillfully (thanks Beverly) through the sometimes choppy waters. These are things that make guests feel so welcome and special - in faraway places of the world. She was so tickled, she said "My trip would be complete now that I was able to do this"....Im glad the skipper had such faith in her. We all went our ways after sailing; meeting up the next morning to fly to Queenstown. OK have to whine a bit here.

Air New Zealand, what?! The traditional way a tour manager handles check ins for onward flights during a tour is that you have the name list (and e ticket info now) and only I walk to the counter while the tour members are a distance away, sitting chatting away while I do all the work, get boarding passes, find out any new information and come over to my relaxed group to distribute the boarding passes.

Way back when, we used to also handle all the groups check in luggage in one swoop with a balance of weight totaling however many were in group. I would hold on to all the baggage tags to give at the airport porters at our next destination - to remove from the carousel for our tour members. It's such a ridiculous whole new ball game. I tried to pre check the group online and get the boarding passes the night before our airport arrival. Air New Zealand refused to help me do that stating that the tickets had been issued in another country and we could not do it online. If someone comes from another part of the world into the US, they can pre check themselves online, to any destination unless there is some question on their booking. It's simple, you sign on, write in a reservation number, how many bags you have (and if there is a charge you use your credit card) and print out your boarding pass. I can't believe the excuses and interpretations I sometimes hear from airline personnel. Instead, all my wishes of streamlining the group's early morning check on the next day were disappointing. I tortured myself over this all night. I wanted to surprise them with this more than easy logical check in. A smooth check in was going to go south on me.

When we arrived at the airport I found a "kiosk" and Air New Zealand representative willing to come to the rescue of the group. He effortlessly took on the check in with boarding passes and baggage claim tags. I was so pleasantly surprised. One of my other panics during the night was the reservation agent I spoke with the previous night told me all the seats left were those in between the window and aisle! I was in such angst over it all. Our guests would never see this, but it was a restless night for me. I also hear from meet and greeters at Auckland airport, that whatever the airline can do to belabor the check in procedure, they do. "What could be a less than 5 minute check in, takes up to half an hour".
We were meeting up with a number of guests who were joining us at the Auckland airport - just flying in from San Francisco and connecting to our flight to Queenstown. I also heard from two who were carrying their c'pap machines that the check in assistant was unpleasant in commenting on not being able to carry three bags onboard. I'm glad they barked back "these are c'pap machines and we aren't about to let go of them, they are medically required!" Does no one in New Zealand use one? It all worked out as I quietly went to the group and suggested clumping up so their carryon bags MIGHT go unnoticed as the ground crew took our boarding passes. IT worked! We were on our way. We flew over the Southern Alps covered in clouds but teasing us with patchy views of the mountains. As we landed in Queenstown, we were thrilled by the snow capped Remarkable Mountain peaks just dusted with snow from the day before. We were whisked away by our driver and into the hotel where our rooms were ready for our 1:30pm arrival instead of waiting till 3pm to hand them out. The people from the San Francisco flight were tickled with the good news.

ON TO QUEENSTOWN, New Zealand

Above, Queenstown from Helicopter

We were arriving on WAITANGI DAY. It was a New Zealand holiday and Chinese New Year. Many people from around New Zealand were here to enjoy their holiday. It made it even more interesting to rub shoulders with the locals. The town of Queenstown was filled with visitors from around the world. There were people in the streets and families having picnics along the creek running through the town. The room I asked for at the Novotel was in the back facing that same small creek. I Loved hearing the gurgle of it in the evening when I left the door open to the fresh air and quietness. It was so nice to be back in a hotel I've known for thirty five years. It felt like home. Right next to Lake Wakitipu and facing the Remarkable mountain range. You could almost feel "Lord of the Rings". This area is where it was filmed.

Our first day together as a group was a quick and fun one. We stopped at the Bungy jumping bridge over the Kawarau River….made famous by AJ Hackett. This was a young fellow who was bored with his future and didn’t really want to go on to college, so he sat in his garage and created a cord that could withhold extreme weights and eventually invented the BUNGY CORD. Today it is world famous and young as, well as old, flock to Queenstown to experience this thrill. They let you jump for free if you do it naked!

One of my favorite restaurants is the “Cow”, an old cow barn from the 1800’s hidden away in an alley in the middle of town. It’s easy to miss if you aren’t looking for this word of mouth restaurant. Pizza, Pasta and an environment, most would not tolerate in the U.S. Actually sitting down with strangers and visiting/meeting them over a meal. The restaurant is too small for two to take a table. The fire is usually blazing which brings on the ambience of a ski village. One night in Queenstown the group went to what is called a “home host” evening. Local families open their homes to visitors from all corners of the world and entertain them with roasted lamb (to die for all you lamb haters) and Kumara, a type of roasted potato, usually peas and carrots – which is very anthropologically correct for commonwealth countries – fresh salads usually from their gardens and Pavlova, a crispy meringue with fruit topping it off. They talk for hours and usually about American politics. I’d say 98 percent of us visitors don’t even know who the Prime Minister of New Zealand is! Sometimes they play cards with the hosts and get home at midnight. They sample plenty of the New Zealand wines and the next day are all thrilled to share their experiences with the rest of the group. They all have different stories from getting home early just after dinner to the late nighters.

Another morning was spent on a boat that takes us out to a sheep station across Lake Wakatipu. Walter Peak. We sail over on a steam boat built the same time the Titanic was built and still have the original 1912 engines. Of course Queen Elizabeth, The Clintons and recently the royals Kate and William have all sailed on it. Once at the homestead, we visit a sheep shearing show with a colorful gentleman demonstrating how a sheep is positioned so they don’t struggle when being shorn. It only takes 24 hours for the lanolin oil from their skin to warm them up enough to be returned to the paddock. The Sunday brunch spread at the homestead includes watermelon salad with olives and goat cheese, the traditional tomato, basil and goat cheese, other tasty salads; roasted potatoes, corn on the cob, steamed veggies, roasted pork, chicken, beef, lamb and much more. This day was a perfect sunny skies day over Queenstown, calm waters and breathtaking gardens surrounding the gardens.

The drawback? This is a day you get to meet one billion of your new best friends from China! The great news is that the Chinese have caught up to the rest of the world wishing to discover far away destinations. The bad news is that very few of them have any manners. From pushing and shoving, to unruly children running around and butting into food lines with no regard for those who do have manners! The Chinese don’t discipline their children and it was so obvious during boarding, dining and reboarding our TSS EARNSLAW. I think this something the whole world is experiencing and New Zealand is no different. A taxi driver told me that the tourism from China has increased by 500 percent since 2013! My compassion for them, however, is can you imagine never seeing sunlight and green like it is in New Zealand? In Tianamen Square, Beijing, there is flat screen TVs to show sunrise above the pollution of the city. Actually throughout the country, grey skies loom.

Tonight I was able to steal away and do something I have wanted to revisit for years. Years ago on a quiet night without the group, I walked to the end of the peninsula Botanical Gardens. It was windy and chilly. I brought cheese, wine, crackers and salami. There was all kinds of drift wood laying on the beach, so I made a bonfire. All was going so well till the wind really picked up and the fire started flying everywhere. The winds howled among the pine and cypress trees. I thought for sure I was going to set the whole botanical gardens on fire! I put out the fire and hoped the police weren’t somewhere in the distance watching me.

Again, all these years later, I brought over cheese, wine, and accouterments; laid out a bathroom towel from the hotel under a tree at the end of the peninsula that juts out onto Lake Wakatipu. I got comfortable, snacked and watched the sunset over the mountains. The tectonic Remarkable Mountains were glowing from the sun. I could see clouds forming over mountains that come from Milford Sound and started thinking of tomorrow’s trip into Milford and hopes we are going to be able to fly back to Queenstown. With the sun setting and most people in restaurants, I sit here on this same peninsula from years ago and enjoy the quietness and lapping of water against the rocks. Ah, a bit of time to savor what makes all this moving around with our guests worthwhile. New Zealand is such a far away hidden treasure. You have to put it at the top of your bucket list

The Doom of the Changing Ecosystem of New Zealand – good or bad? "Ecogeology"

Above - flying out of Milford Sound

This morning was an exciting drive from Queenstown to Milford Sound. We started out in pouring rain which turned into a fast moving storm. Wind was howling along the road as we skirted Lake Wakitipu, the lake stretching from Queenstown to Walter Peak Station. The trees were bent over with the gale of the wind and the bus shuttered. It was cozy warm on board and cameras were clicking away. A few snoozing but as soon as we hit the sheep paddocks, everyone was awake and ready to hear what our driver/guide had to say about these changes in New Zealand Agriculture.

Massive pine trees are being cut down to make room for pastures so Cows would not lie beneath their shade and become lazy. Instead the cattle farmers want them to move around and be healthy. To my shock, I was riding by fields and fields of trees with roots lying over. Wind barriers for the chilling south westerly's from the Antarctic are gone. Log trucks were passing us and sadly I have to realize the new New Zealand is now keeping up with the world economy of the beef demand. Where does it all stop? I’m not resisting change, but where is population supposed to take ownership of overindulgence in so many ways? Apparently New Zealand is now supplying the Chinese population (over one billion people) with their milk for babies and beef for everyone else. Who is making this choice of overpopulation? I read somewhere that most Chinese are lactose intolerant. So the demand, I surmise, is that the young Chinese will change their diet and now become huge milk drinkers. And, we are supposed to be watching our diets with eating red meat. I’m very confused as to where this will all lead.

The sheep industry has declined and this is why the farmers now need to find a new money source, Cattle. New Zealand, at one time – even up to the 2000’s - had more of a population of sheep than the human population. To me, the eco- balance is dramatically changing in this charming isolated North and South Island of New Zealand – Middle Earth! At least leave something for our future populations to enjoy. It is, of course, still gorgeous and the rainiest rain forests in the world are located on the South Island.. The Fjords rise up from sea level at Milford Sound to thousands of feet. Mitre Peak, the most spectacular eye catching of them all. The destruction of the rainforest is now present here. Already avalanches and mud slides take its toll on the rain forest. Give humans time and, like Indonesia, and their Palm Oil trade, New Zealand is in their beginning stages of money dictating their well being and precious natural recourses.

I looked on the internet as it is something I am concerned about and didn’t realize. 1000 years ago 90 percent of New Zealand was forest. Today only 10 percent remains forest. The Maoris settling in New Zealand from the Polynesian Islands used wood to build with carelessness caused major forest fires. Today this is what is left. So what is going to be left in another 100 years? Someone wake up in the government of New Zealand. Save your country.

We have a lecturer along on our tour, which is a feature and benefit of those who choose this company to travel with. It enhances the travel experience tremendously. During his first lecture, I had no idea there were so many ferns and mosses on the forest floor, thriving in the Fjordland National Park as well as throughout New Zealand. How much do you want to bet that in the next 10 years someone, or corporation, will find a billion dollar industry of how they can strip all this foliage moss and ferns and make a profit while we kill even more of our environment? It was disturbing to find that the government actually culls trees by killing them off with insecticides! Flying over the Southern Alps during our return to Queenstown, I spotted several areas that have dead trees close to the tree lines. It looked like they have done a grand job of killing off the Scottish broom dotting both the North and South Islands as well. The British brought over their shrubbery and trees, thus the Scottish Broom (a noxious weed). The indigenous trees are rare here in their own country. Wake up, put those ipads down, stop that Sudoku game for a minute and research what our children’s grandchildren are going to have to endure if we don’t figure out some way of slowing down this overgrowth and destruction of our resources. It’s really a FIRST WORLD problem!

Above is the one cell thick Kidney Fern in the rainforest of Milford

The drive into Milford sound changed dramatically within an hour of our drive from Queenstown. The clouds moved on and out came the sun. As we drove through the Fjordland National Park, waterfalls were everywhere. Again, the clicks of cameras were heard throughout the bus. Waterfalls from thousands feet high crashing onto the ground next to our bus. We passed over bridges with waterfalls filled even higher than their normal level. Just from this rain of the morning. Many oooohs and ahhhhs came from the back of the bus.

As we got closer to Milford sound, there were large areas of avalanches that had knocked out acres and acres of trees. We made our way through Homer tunnel, a tunnel that took 20 years to build and now large enough for two tour buses to pass each other inside. Down the switchbacks we went to descend to a waterfall area known as the Chasm. Our lecturer took us on a walk and excitedly pointed out various ferns, mosses, foliage and something called one cell thick moss. He also pointed out kidney moss (a tubular moss that looks like a kidney). You could tell he was in his element showing enthusiasm I’d never seen in looking at all this beautiful breath taking plant life. The greens were brilliantly magnified from this morning’s rain. I had no idea that New Zealand’s plants are mostly imported from England. The beech is the most prevalent next to the Pine tree. We passed hanging glaciers high on the mountains and on to the dock for our afternoon boat cruise. The nose of the boat, to the thrill of all those photographers, went right under a waterfall on the fjord of Milford Sound. People were standing out on deck enjoying the spray from the waterfall. The sounds of foreigners from around the world echoed through our boat. We had lunch on board passing all this scenery, seals and birds. Our cruise goes right out to the Tasman Sea. It was a bit rough and shaky as we exited the mouth of the Fjord to the Tasman Sea. Many cruise ships use Milford Sound as a port of call when sailing in these waters.

The best news of the day was that we were going to be able to fly back from Milford Sound to Queenstown. Small single engine airplanes swooped us into the air with Mitre Peak (the jagged peak that stands out on Milford Sound) welcoming us unobstructed. At points, it felt like we were only a few feet away from the tectonic mountain peaks. We flew right over the rugged jagged tops of some of the peaks, through valleys, and only from the air, can you see Sutherland Falls. Just above the falls, you could see the lake feeding the water falls. We banked over Lake Wakatipu, with a thrilling landing into Queenstown. From the air you could see how Queenstown is growing. Shopping malls and a new hospital are going in close to the airport and mansions are hidden away at the foot of the Remarkable Mountains. My first time to Queenstown was in 1979. It sure isn’t the quaint little village it was then. It’s a completely different little town. It’s been named the sister town to Aspen, Colorado. it’s a changed environment. The whole planet is a changed environment. I was only hoping maybe New Zealand would be saved from all the changes. No, it is moving on too.

"G"DAY MATE” or “DUE TO SAFETY REASONS” The new police state of Australia.

Above the Iconic Sydney Opera House

I don't think I’ve ever heard so many people say “due to safety reasons” as I have in Australia during this visit.

“Due to safety reasons” makes me think these Australians are PARANOID. Some common logic is a known but they beat it to a pulp. The baggage of 7kg (15lbs) of carry on luggage is “due to safety reasons”. It could fall out of an overhead bin and hurt someone. OK In 45 years, of travel, I’ve never seen a bin open and a bag fall out hitting someone on their head. In the US you can pack as much as you like into that carryon – so you can avoid the charge for checked bags. because it is over 7kg. Have you looked at the size of your carry on lately? I couldn’t even put my makeup, pj’s, the liquids bag and a couple of electronic cords without going over the 7kg. Three fourths of it still empty! Due to safety reasons, that’s all you can carry. I’m very confused on all this. The airlines: Air New Zealand, Jetstar and Qantas make you check everything, charge you and then charge you again for your carry on bag because it is over 7kg, 15 pounds. This is totally all about money! Where does the greed end? No one advertises that if you check in online, you pay less than you do at the airport. I only found out because someone in our group knew about this pre check. AU$35 online and $70 at the airport; $NZ30 online and a whopping NZ$139 at the airport . Over the pacific, $95 to pre check a second piece of luggage! If you are travelling in a group you cannot check in independently online, so group travelers are stuck with paying the airport counter rates. It is so ruthless with their “but clauses” of baggage it is plane unfair and victimizing. It makes my brain hurt to figure out how all these rules and regulations operate. And here you are, your one and only time in New Zealand and Australia and rather than enjoying your time visiting the destination, you are taking your bag to the bell desks at your hotels to weigh and figure out how to rearrange your clothing or check luggage in! Give me a break Australia and New Zealand….all we want to do is visit your country! And where did they learn this? From the Americans! They took it, fine tuned it and bam, mega income for the air carriers!

Above is 7kg of weight for the carry on.....huh?

I can’t imagine what this weight restriction is doing to the tourism shopping industry. I wouldn’t even be able to buy a small packet of Koalas or Kangaroo pins let along a coffee table picture book of Australia and New Zealand, due to the overweight of my luggage. Forget about a sheep skin, crocodile Dundee hat, didgeridoo or something substantial for the kids or grandkids.

Back to “Due to “safety reasons”; you can’t take a doggie bag out of the restaurant that you’ve paid over $100 for a seafood platter. You could get sick on that left over food! Due to “safety” reasons, a tour bus carrying a load of senior citizens carrying chair canes and walking canes have to walk uphill the distance of two long blocks from the Opera House, in critical temperatures in the sun, huffing and puffing and confused why a bus could not stop curbside at the bottom of that hill to pick them up. You are the tour manager, answer that one….and the city doesn’t have to – thanks Sydney. This is a coronary, fall or heat exhaustion just waiting to happen. Due to “safety” reasons, you can’t use the bathrooms on the airplane until after takeoff. Due to “safety” reasons you can’t leave a bag at a hotel till you return because it might have a bomb in it! Australia, give me a break! Due to “safety” reasons, I hope you are treated like this when you travel internationally. No one is giving anyone a break here.

Check in and Customer Service staff at the airports is rude intimidating and just plain mean. They have the power and you better watch out. No smiles or personable interaction here! One woman check in clerk at Virgin Australia wanted to “harp” on if we had any combustibles, aerosols, dangerous goods, matches etc. “It could delay your bag if security sees it in x-ray and the bag could miss going on board if you don’t tell me right now”. When I piped up with”only the people (my group) are dangerous and laughing about it”, she got almost hostile at my comment rather than laughing at it too. CHILL OUT!!! Travel can still be a pleasure! I’m seeing way too many big heads in a minimal power situation.

AND SECURITY!!! In my book “Camels to Caviar” I write about the unpredictable security checks at the airports in Australia. Each having their own idea of “due to safety reasons”. It’s all so random. In our group, 5 of us had scissors in our carryon baggage. Unbeknownst to me I was one of the guilty ones. Normally I carry my “Magiver” kit in my checked luggage, but because I overweight, I put it in my carryon, Forgetting I had manicure scissors in it. I mean in the big scheme of being a tour manager, the least on my mind was remembering a pair of what is a LEGAL size of scissors in the USA. Again, being the role model of travel to my tour group, there they see me at security check with bag open and things spread out everywhere. In years past I had a woman on a tour that had her knitting needles with her and knitting on them. She was fine through several airport security checks through Australia. When we were departing Ayers Rock, their security confiscated them. She was in tears. I can understand her confusion. It’s like they take joy and have the “situational power” to make a traveler’s trip miserable that day. It’s really sad. Their timing couldn’t be worse. Our tour guide in Sydney walked through security with us. “DUE TO SAFETY REASONS”, these guides can actually walk us all the way to the departure gate! This is absolutely unheard of in the rest of the world. Go figure! She could be carrying a bomb just as easily as any of us senior citizen, white Anglo Saxon and western faces. And there is such a big ISIS issue Downunder right now. There you go “Due to safety reasons”!

It was a beautiful afternoon on our arrival into Sydney. I took the group on a walking tour after we settled into the hotel. We were at the Grace Hotel right in the middle of the city. It was built in the early 1900’s, art deco architecture with big comfortable rooms. It’s one of my favorite things of traveling – climbing into those cool white crisp sheets that I could enjoy having changed every day at home. My room was a very quiet; just the right temperature and a nice size bathtub if you enjoy taking baths.

We wandered past many old 1800 to turn of the century sand stone and bedrock buildings. Sky scrapers sat towering above them. It was 5pm and the sun was glowing on the red and tan colored sandstone. We were all clicking away with our cameras. One particular building was a perfect example of the ROCOCO art style. Marble pillars. Lions heads along the building and the most beautiful color of glowing red. Clock towers were being photographed as they chimed.

We rubbed shoulders with the locals as they were all leaving work. We passed pubs starting to fill for happy hour. Sydney is a formal business attire type of city, like New York. Most of these business people were in their suits. I noticed several walking and taking off their ties at the same time. Shops with souvenirs lined the streets, but the nicest of the shops was an opal shop – Altmann Churney. The display of priceless (or at least $20,000) Black, Boulder and White opal were glistening in the window. One particular one caught my eye, but I couldn’t imagine the cost. They have, in their vault, the largest opal in the world. Queen Elizabeth wanted to buy it, but they didn’t want to separate from it. Another of the well known Opal show rooms in Sydney is National Opals. Buying Opals? Be sure you are using a recommended one as even in the hotel; you don’t have an equal guarantee in the purchase. Once home, you want some kind of recourse if there was an issue with it. That goes for any expensive jewelry shopping you might do when traveling. But what nice souvenirs!

We came closer and closer to the water front at Circular Quay. We walked past one building – and in all her glory, there was the Sydney Opera House. It was in the midst of changing colors from white, to a yellow tone. Dark was coming on and she sparkled with all the lighting showcasing one of the world’s most renowned icons. There go the cameras again. Up to the left of us was the Sydney Harbor Bridge and just below is the area known as the ROCKS. This is where the convicts who opted for “transportation” from the U.K., back in the 1800s, landed and began settling Australia. Many of the original buildings still stand and after refurbishing look like they were just built last week. The flavor of the area is conducive to your imagination wondering what it was like wandering the old narrow lanes. Picks and axes carving through bedrock and murals of what the Rocks looked like back in those days.

It was turning dusk as we made our way to the WATERFRONT RESTAURANT. I’ve been dining in this restaurant for 35 years. It is a converted warehouse from the 1800’s, all sandstone and still brilliant in structure. It is the perfect spot to sit outdoors under sails and see both the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge. The Waterfront is famous for their “crayfish” or lobster. The Australian lobster doesn’t have the claws like the New England ones in the USA. We dropped our jaws though when the market price was quoted - $200.00 for 8 grams to 1 kilo! I had warned the group if they came along that it would be expensive, but $200! Only one couple splurged and ordered it. It was enough for two but sticker shock kept others from ordering it. Including me! I had counted on sitting here with a glass of wine and eating the lobster while looking out on this world famous harbor. Had the prawns instead.

It’s amazing how things are so different in parts of the world. In third worlds you expect variables and accepting not to understand it, but in a western world like Australia, you expect they have a grip of little things

Seems they learn so much from the mistakes we Americans make and perfect whatever that may be, but something simple like “Could we have separate checks”? And the answer being “NO” leaves you in an awkward position. If it would have just been me and a couple of friends, I would have gotten up and walked. But with 14 people, the Waterfront didn’t want to budge on giving separate checks. We were only a good hour and a half off the flight and many didn’t even have Australian dollars yet. I explained that to the waiter hoping he could vision how could everyone pay a load of cash and someone put everything on their credit card. What is that person going to do with 1000 worth of Australian dollars afterwards? Sure can’t buy souvenirs because your luggage would be overweight! What the waiter did do, after my asking to speak to the manager, is that he would let everyone pick out their food off the main bill and pay separately. Hmmmmmm, ok, if you were all sitting at tables of two they would have to make out those checks, so why can you not make out checks for a couple to keep it simple? How do the locals do it when they go out to eat with a group of people? In this day of everyone wanting to get points or mileage from their credit cards – maybe I just do too much thinking! We all had a lovely evening and that’s what counted. The camaraderie within the group is perfect.

The next group, we walked to the Rocks,

again, the first views of the Opera House and dined at a restaurant I completely forgot about and it was fabulous. We were the only Americans there (7 of us) and it was a cook your own steak place. Price was decent and our evening was delightful with a couple glasses of wine, great conversation and a perfect warm evening. The garden is hidden behind the pub entry of Phillips Foote – another Sydney town icon.

Our day of city touring had a twist to it. There was a deadly car accident on the Sydney Harbor bridge delaying our tour with the tour bus caught up in the traffic stopped on the bridge. In talking with our guide, we decided to start the tour with a walk to what is known as Darling Harbor. It is a newer waterfront area, just a couple of blocks from our hotel. We needed to do something to keep the tour moving, so along the walkway we viewed the Maritime Museum, choices of restaurants, some of the Chinese New Years celebration still going on with lion dances along the way, ferry boats and tour boats coming and going….and more. We were finally able to catch up with our bus an hour later and continued on with the tour. Everyone seemed to enjoy the uniqueness of the walking portion of the tour.

It started raining just as we jumped on the bus and off to Bondi beach we went. Still in the pouring rain, we stopped to see the rough waters and surf of the beach there. Bondi is famous for the topless sun bathers and in the early days, there were bikini police. They would actually measure the sizes of the bikinis and kick those sassy ladies off the beach with the itty bitty (yellow polkadot) bikinis. Not that way now.

On through the tour, we stopped at the Sydney Opera House for a one hour tour of the building. Many are not aware that the theatre inside are actually several theaters inside the sails. The Opera and Symphony theaters and two playhouses in the lower area. There is also a restaurant under one of the smaller sails. Although there are at least 250 stairs to climb during the tour, it was all worthwhile. One of the best stories we heard was when Pavarotti was having a reception in the aft area of the Opera House (not Opera theater). The carpeting is very purple. Something of the colors you would see in the 70’s. Although beautiful, he was shocked when he saw the color and told them he could not have his reception there as purple in Italy is a bad luck color. Off everyone scrambles to find another venue to have the reception for Pavarotti.

The Opera House was supposed to only cost 3 million dollars to build, but with so many changes to the architecture and battles with the Architect, the price kept going up. It was close to a billion dollars by the time it was all said and done. The Architect never did see his masterpiece completed, returning to Denmark washing his hands of it. Another interesting fact of the Opera House is the window aft area of the House. They are built like the windows of the bridge of a ship – slanted so sunlight and night does not reflect on the window. There was actually an Aboriginal sitting on the top sail of the Opera House in its opening ceremonies, playing a didgeridoo. That must have been spectacular. Today, millions visit Sydney’s Icon, the Sydney Opera House.

Our city tour took us around the harbor, up into suburbs, to their “lovers leap”, high cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean crashing up against those jagged rocks. Sydney has so many little sand beaches snuggled into little coves and, yes, ladies can sunbath topless. We drove through some of the wealthiest suburbs, Kings Cross is the ladies of the night kind of rough district and China town was gearing up for their Chinese New Year celebration 2015….year of the sheep.

Just a note of the expense of living in Sydney. One thing I enjoy doing in parts of the world is going through supermarkets. My discovery: Potato chips $5, a Hass Avocado was $3.50. Cherries, $16.99 a kilo, a small basket of blueberries $5.99 (usually 2 for $5 in the USA). The chickens we buy at Costco, $4.99? $11.99 here. And they say San Diego is expensive. This is also a very young city, I hardly saw anyone over 30 years old!

CAIRNS AND THE GREAT BARRIER REEF

There is never a dull moment in touring. When we arrived in Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef, the rain was pouring down so hard it was raining sideways. When entering our boat, the Coral Princess, we walked from umbrella to umbrella boarding. The boat has 22 cabins and was one time a scuba dive excursion boat. Immediately we headed out in the storm and rough waters toward Fitzroy Island, where we had time for snorkeling. We had a chance to take the boat's glass bottom boat in to the beach where everyone frolic’d in the water with their "stinger suits" on….keeps the jelly fish from stinging you! OK that word Jelly fish….that does it, no way am I going into that water. I remember years ago when swimming out on one of the reefs I felt what was like a thousand bees stinging me all over my body. My snorkel mask steamed all up from the fright of what I was feeling. Whatever it was (the jelly fish) I swam away so fast it was like I walked on water getting back to that boat. The boat had a solution they poured all over my body.

We spent the night moored at the Island and headed out in the early morning to what is called Nathan Reef and later to Dunk Island. With all the tossing and turning of the heavy seas, I decided to stay in bed rather than take a risk at falling. About 8am it quieted down, I jumped into clothes and headed up to breakfast. My thought was to come right back down and back into my safe bed. I rarely get sea sick, but this is testing my stamina for sure. There is a tablet crew use on ships and boats called “sea calm” One went down last night and another this morning. Looking like it is about time for another as we are tossing and turning again heading out to Mychalmas Quay, a sand bar, for snorkeling.

Once I entered the dining room, there laid a mad who had fallen down the steep stairs due to one of the jolts of the boat. He was unconscious. We were lucky to have a couple of doctors as tour members. The one who was an ER doctor helped stabilize him with neck brace and placing him on a gurney. She said he had a concussion. The decision was made to go back into Cairns as there was no way a helicopter could rescue him off the boat. It was sad to see him laying there helpless. Things like this, play on the psyche of all those watching. Not only was it gloomy on the waters, but now the group was feeling the gloom inside. I felt like I was on that boat from Gilligans Island”! How do you turn this situation around?

I had to jump into action to discuss with the Captain what to do with the rest of our itinerary and keep the group comfortable. We decided on an alternative plan that would keep us closer into the Cairns area. We confirmed with our offices in Cairns and the U.S. and went ahead with the changes. During all this I heard two ladies in the group were severely sea sick. The opportunity of returning to Cairns was an opportunity for them to leave the boat too. They would never have been able to make it out of bed for the rest of the cruise. Since we were heading back to Cairns, I suggested to them that they disembark and stay in a hotel till we return. They were reluctant, but telling them about the next couple of days of similar seas, they decided to make the move.

The ambulance was waiting at the pier when we pulled in and although you don’t really want to gawk at the situation, everyone was out on deck to see the poor young policeman from England, be disembarked in a stretcher. Same time, here came our two ladies behind them and left the boat with luggage in tow to be taken over to a hotel.

My porthole with heavy seas

You just never know what a day is going to throw you and it is an interesting challenge to see if you are up to it and make it all happen. It was sad, and I now had to find some kind of words to reassure the group that they would be alright. It was a reminder they need to be mindful and hold on to the stair railings carefully. I suggested if the seas continue to be rough like this to go to bed and lay there to ride it out. I suggested everyone say a little prayer for the man who fell.

We endured the next couple of days with bouncing along and listening to the sound of crashing waves to the hull of our catamaran boat. We visited a lot, ate delicious meals, snorkeled when we could and rode out the 6 and 8 foot swells.

When we saw the shores of Cairns, Queensland, in the distance, we were eager to disembark. After lunch, luggage all collected, we left our Coral Princess boat and headed toward the Shangri – la hotel where we all luxuriated in the wonderful beds, big rooms, views of the marina and a chance to walk around this charming little town in the North of Australia. This place iis a backpacker’s delight, but also a botanists dream. The rainforest embraces this little town. In listening to our lecturer while wandering through the botanical garden, he excitedly explained the various rare species Gunguaana land. He explained how when all the continents moved this is why you see the same species of trees along the equator and other small sections of countries with rainforests.

My second time around on this Barrier Reef cruise on board the CORAL PRINCESS,

with group number two, it couldn’t have been more opposite of the first cruise. We boarded in the sun, pulled away just after our boarding, lunch was served and away we went to our first reef visit. The water was calm and everyone was out on the reef snorkeling and scuba diving. We watched a gorgeous sunset, cocktails in the lounge before dinner and our first night onboard was perfect.

We woke up to Pelorus Island. A breakfast buffet was set up on the island. We slowly got out of bed, took the glass bottom boat to the island for a small rainforest walk before sitting down to bacon, eggs, pancakes, fruit, and great conversation. The island has one resident on it and in a trade out, the boat brings in their groceries from the mainland, and we use their beach for this lovely meal. During the walk, we passed huge spiders in their perfectly twined webs. I don’t think I could spend a night on an island like this knowing those spiders are out there.

As we pulled away from the Island, the waters lapped against the boat. We headed out to another reef for snorkeling. The glass bottom boat goes out several times during our anchoring and we get a chance to see every kind of fish you can imagine, tiny to huge. One Reef shark was spotted. I was finally talked into snorkeling as every time anyone passed me in the lounge I was always working away on my laptop. They practically grabbed it from me and told me to get out there and have fun. I caved and put on my swim suit and slipped into the warm silky waters of the Great Barrier Reef. It was effortless to snorkel out to the reef and watch life underwater. The fish scurried after each other and swam along in schools. I came up on a massive clam and circled it watching to see if it would close up. This was a healthy Clam. The ones I’d seen in the past were grey and lifeless. So this is the real thing. People actually think they close up quickly but it is a slow muscular close. It was beautiful… Green nodules dotted the outer side of the clam. There was another healthy young one, hiding under some coral. Breathtaking purples around its outer edge. I just wanted to touch it!

There is another area of the Barrier Reef where millions of people (the tourists from around the world) visit – all close in to Cairns and Port Douglas. We are miles away from all that and we don’t see another boat anywhere near our anchoring.

During this cruise, a few things hit me with a reality check. You can actually see the Great Barrier Reef from outer space! Sadly, fifty percent of the barrier has been damaged never to be alive and thriving again. Mostly in the last 30 years. Cyclones, Typhoons are compliments of Mother Nature, but some countries actually come over and dynamite the reef to catch fish. A small star fish is eating its way through the reef. Container and cruise ships leak their pollution. Then, the tourists do their part by stepping on, kicking and breaking the coral reef as they frolic off of pontoons set out by major Cairns tour operators. Boats go out daily to the same reef and they look pretty sad these days. Looking ahead another hundred to hundred fifty years and there will most likely not be a Great Barrier Reef. Between that reality and the rainforest reality, I had no idea these effects have happened during the 35 years of my travels to this area. It’s got to stop somewhere. We truly are ruining our planet at a rapid pace.

Time to head to Barnacle Bills Seafood for dinner. We have always taken our groups here for dinner and the view. You look right out to the Coral sea, across a newly improved waterfront with walkways through the town of Cairns (pronounced CANS…like tin cans) to the marina. There are outdoor BBQ grills for the public to use in this waterfront park. I think next time through, I may just go to the store and buy a nice piece of fish and bring it here for a picnic dinner. The cost of lobster here is shocking! $89 for half a lobster. We have this same lobster in San Diego for $45 at The Fish Market on our waterfront. And the lobster is caught here!

Another famous restaurant in Cairns is Dundee’s….yes like Crocodile Dundee. Their menu focuses on Kangaroo and Crocodile – called Bush Tucker. Lean CAMEL is coming on the market now. Well, you are Downunder, take a chance.

THE OUTBACK OF AUSTRALIA – AYERS ROCK, ULURA IN KATAJUTA NATIONAL PARK.

Its been years since I've been to this magical place. We were on the right side of the plane to see Ayers Rock, aka Uluru. The most noticeable change is the number of indigenous people (the Aboriginal) working in this small town. Yulara Resort. Ayers rock Is actually a resort, but it takes a town to keep it running.The Sails in the Desert Hotel used to be a Sheraton Hotel and the five star hotel in the resort. I now understand that there is also a tented camp similar to the ones that are in Africa when on safari. Kate and William, the Royals, stayed there during their visit a couple of months ago. Only $2,000 per night! The rooms are very comfortable in the hotel. Mine faced the wild outback. The dirt is such a brilliant red. Many compare it to Sedona Arizona.

We took advantage of every moment we were here. After landing, we headed out to the Olgas. Kata Juta is the Aboriginal name. It was 110 degrees in the shade. We reluctantly stepped off the nicely air conditioned motorcoach, but once with water bottle in hand, we started the walk into the canyon between two of the Rocks. Flies were everywhere and everyone knows about this before they get to the Outback. They stick in the corner of your eyes; don't breath through your mouth unless you want to eat one! Many buy fly nets, but on this day it wasn't as bad as I've seen in the past. We had heavy winds on our side and the walk gave us an up close and personal view of this 3500 foot high formation. We looked straight up in awe at it. what brilliant colors of red and water scars leaving interpretation to your imagination

We rested for a few hours before heading back out for the Sunset on the Rock. The sun actually doesnt set behind the Rock. You are looking at it, watching the sun and the brilliant colors set on it. We pulled up our camp chairs, sipped our champagne as is traditional when watching the sunset on THE ROCK. Many formations come out at you. There is a lions head at one end, I saw a Camels face in another (hmmmm Camels to Caviar?) and then the head and tail of an elephant.

You are supposed to take a picture every couple of minutes so you can see the comparison from the ones before. The thing with that is many are standing there clicking away instead of just "being" in the moment and looking at something you would want to have in your mind, not just in pictures. I've always been one to "be" and savor the moments. The rock danced with color. Its all over too soon. Once dark, we headed back to Yulara Resort and our hotel for the evening.

I slept with the room door open to the balcony as I wanted to go back and forth and look out at the star studded night - and there it is....The Southern Cross. The wind was warm and the scent of the outdoors was aromatic. It was a night to look back on - in the Outback of Australia. The least polluted place on our planet.

The most important of visiting the Outback and Ayers Rock is the education you receive about the Aboriginals. I loved our guides interpretation about them. He compared them to Cleopatra and the Roman empire. They don’t exist anymore, but the Aboriginals still do! Never thought of it that way. The way he spoke of the reverence the Aboriginals have of the Rock and their sacred grounds was mesmerizing. He told us of the "Men’s Business" grounds. This is where the young boys go through the rights of passage. Some of these inductions include smashing out the front tooth and slicing the boys penis in respect for their mothers. Ouch!

Our guide also spoke of interpretations of the “snake dreaming” on the Rock. The shadows do truly look like snakes and it is one of the most symbolic in their tribal beliefs. We started our walk into an area of the Rock where there is a water hole. He told us no one swims in this water hole. It is for the animals and humans to drink from. No one would ever violate the water by bathing in it. Water is too precious to have bodies in it. Thus there is an odor when around the Aboriginals. Once in this area, our guide had us close our eyes. Everyone was quiet as he softly spoke of listening to the sounds. The wind was eerie whispering to our senses. It was comforting; a feeling of meditation. He asked us to listen to the sound of the water gently trickling in the pool. The birds were chirping and you actually felt like the ROCK was embracing you. The Rock, Uluru, is very spiritual to the Aboriginal and our guide eased us into the respect we should have for it.

There was a sadness among us as we returned to our bus and headed to the airport. It was the end of the tour for the group, but a sadness of having to say goodbye to them. Tears welled in my eyes as the cabin door closed and we were swept away back to the reality we all live in until another time comes to discover our precious world. We truly do need to find a way to keep our world healthy. Population, pollution and disrespect to it is taking its toll.

Till another trip to share - gratefully Katherine Whitley