The Blue Mountains and Featherdale Sunday was overcast at 7:30 a.m., when I set out for the Blue Mountains, but the sky gradually cleared until it was bright blue with brilliant sunshine, a perfect day for the tour. Lucked out and was seated next to John the driver, with a great view and the opportunity to chat and ask questions. First stop was the Olympic complex from the 2000 games. Not much to see here but had a much needed cup of coffee, then on to the Featherdale Wildlife Park. Our drive took us on the motorways and through suburban villages. Featherdale is a small preserve, started by a farmer and recently taken over by a corporation. My first impression was not good. That zoo smell we all remember from days past was there, but as ... read more

MOOREA We enter Opuhon Bay and anchor. To port, the Sheraton is in view. The towers of white smoke give us pause, but it seems that locals rake their leaves and burn them. Given the dry conditions, I’m surprised they still do it but they do. Hope the hotel is here tomorrow when we arrive for two nights. Our tour today is the shark sighting, ray feeding, and snorkeling adventure. We arrive to the site and a group of black tips swim by. The stingrays gather for a snack. The water is about three feet deep and we stand there petting the rays as they gather for food. They feel like plush velvet and seem to enjoy our caresses. They also like the food. Small reef fish gather for the crumbs and the sharks keep their ... read more

RAIATEA Where to start? We arrived at the Raiatea dock at 6:30 am. After an early breakfast we met Bruno, our guide, and were away by 8:30, slathered with suntan lotion and prepared for a hot and humid day. Temperatures were predicted to be in the 90’s. Two French couples that were staying at what was the old Bali Hai hotel joined our three couples from the TP. We are to motor around Raiatea’s sister island Tahaa, visit a pearl farm and vanilla plantation, picnic and snorkel on a motu and visit the coral gardens. A word about our new friends Mike and Sylvia; they are Brits who love to travel and both have a great sense of humor. We met on line through CruiseCritic and I can’t think of better tour mates. Our first stop ... read more

Huahini - Day 3 Sailed into Maroe Bay and anchored around seven. We enjoyed the scenery and breakfast and then prepared for our motu picnic. The plan is to sail and snorkel, then picnic on a small island (a motu) and enjoy some local entertainment. We met our group o the dock at 9 and boarded our flower decked motorized canoe. While we motored slowly along the shore our guide explained the geography of the islands. There are actually two parts to Huahini, Huahini Iki (little) and Huahini Nui (great), joined by the longest bridge in French Polynesia at 110 meters. The rainy season is late this year, yippee for us, but resulting in large wild fires in the hills. We watched one that started small at the top of the ridge and three hours later ... read more

Adventures in Japan. I disembarked at 8:30 am and taxied to the Hotel Okura Kobe. Rick, it was a great choice. Thank your friend for the recommendation. The hotel overlooks the port and caters to Japanese businesspeople. Since it was way to early to check in, I asked about tours. Unfortunately the tours were in Japanese. So I decided to visit Osaka Castle of Shogun fame. The desk provided detailed directions in English and I checked my bags and set off. The hotel shuttle dropped me off at the Sannomiya station where I bought a ticket and headed to the platform. Whenever I looked baffled, as I must have so often, a good Samaritan pointed me in the right direction. The signs are in Japanese and English but the station is a main terminal and very ... read more