Blogs from Oceania - page 7767

Oceania » Papua New Guinea February 18th 2005

PNG News - Baa February 18th, 2005 Baa Baa Black Sheep Have you any wool? Yes sir, yes sir Three bags full One for the master One for the dame And one for the little boy Who lives down the lane. Just down the lane from my official work at Good Shepherd Seminary, senior statesman and PNG’s current governor general, Sir Paulias Matane spoke at the Fr. Peter Secondary School. (February 6, 2005) At the podium, amongst Western Highland’s bigmen, he told us that when he was 17 year old boy he went to school for the first time and memorized this rhyme. He asked his teacher ‘what is a black sheep? And what is wool? What is a dame? And a lane?’ He didn’t ask about the word ‘master’. His teacher, who he suggested had ... read more

Sydney, Australia

Oceania » Australia » New South Wales » Sydney February 18th 2005

Sydney Opera House

Dick and Mary

We have just spent the last three days in Sydney, which is the longest our beautiful ship has stayed anywhere. Often we are in and out of a port the same day, from early morning till about sunset. But Sydney is such a beautiful place, we stayed here much longer. As you can see from our pics, it’s the home of the famous Sydney Opera House that gives the harbor such distinction. It’s hard to know how to begin describing the city. We entered the harbor between two high bluffs, and saw an impressive skyscraper skyline set on blue water alive with small boats and ferries, with the white wings of the magnificent opera house off to one side. We docked just a few hundred yards from it, and had a fantastic view of its plazas ... read more

Pictures!

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Glaciers February 18th 2005

Kiwi Diana

Dear all, I've finally added pictures to my journal entries. To see them all, go to the old entries and click on the "travel Journal" link to display the full entry along with the pics. If there are any problems, just e-mail me. Diana... read more

Au revoir New Zealand, c'est magnifique

Oceania » New Zealand February 18th 2005

Family Mudpie

A great nights sleep was followed by a trip to the airport via the car rental place, we had to drop Frank off. He was one month and 6,225 KM's older, he'd lost one hub-cap, cracked another one, had a chip the size of a 5p in his windscreen and was filthy, not to mention the broken arm rest that Fiona constantly wrestled with, luckily the dirt covered the numerous scratches to the bodywork. All these things were by no means caused be wreckless driving, I've never had so much as a scratch on any of my own cars, but because of the state of the roads, some are no more than gravel tracks while most of the 'good' roads were being relayed with fresh 'chuckies'. Now I've 'bumped' a hire car before when I was ... read more

Sydney

Oceania » Australia » New South Wales » Sydney February 17th 2005

Singapore

Ady

Hello all, Just thought I'd let you know how Ade is doing (Who? Oh yeh, him). Arrived in Singapore a week ago and met up with my friend Andrea. Its an interesting place. Gorgeous at night. Feels like canary wharf and soho rolled into one. Got a singapore sling at the Raffles hotel. (got a cocktail as well)... Had my first experience of diving as well. It was billed as 'diving with sharks' at this Singapore aquarium. It was a little bit surreal as we were diving into the tanks that regular paying punters look into to see the fish. And yet they were seeing me and my mate Vaniah. Diving was really cool. Got to stroke stingrays and handle, no, hold sharks. Of course I tamed them first with a stern, don't-mess-with-me glance. Cat joined ... read more

The long and winding road

Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Auckland February 17th 2005

Family Mudpie

A very early start for the long drive North, estimates vary between an unlikely 8 hours and a conservative 12 for the drive from Wellington to Auckland, I always like to shoot down the middle so we plan for 10 hours. In order to get to our hostel at Auckland Airport for 8pm, and the latest check-in time, we must get the 05:30 ferry from Picton, this means arriving at the terminal for 04:30 which in turn involves getting up before 4am. Now I've been caught banging on the door of the Penny Black at four in the morning looking for a pint on my way home, I've even watched Davy and Jolo eat dodgy looking pies in the Dirty Windies at 4am during the World Cup in Japan but for the life of me I ... read more

Glaciation

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Glaciers February 17th 2005

poorhouse

Well...quick riddle. Where would be the most annoying place for your camera to run out of batteries in NZ? Yes, that's right! On the top of a glacier - just like mine. Fear not though, I got at least 20000 shots of ice to bore you with, plus I met a guy from Israel who has taken a picture of me in supermountineer big tool in hand pose and will email it to me. That aside, today has been just EXCELLENT. I have traversed Franz Josef's glacier, one of just 3 or 4 or some other such low number that exist in temperate rainforest climates - see how hard I listened. No pics, because I don't think I can plug my camera into this. Now then, this is no lame touristschmourist rubbish (well...ok...maybe a bit), we ... read more

Glacier Hike on Franz Jozef Glacier

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » West Coast February 17th 2005

A proffesional galcier walker...

Anat

Today I am in a town called Franz Jozef, that is not so much a town, mainly a tourism center for trips to the neighbouring glacier. If you wonder how come it has this name, it was named like that by an Austrian guy (its European "discoverer"), aparently it reminded him of the emperor's white beard!!! Earlier today, I actually walked on this glacier. Yesterday it rained all day but this morning looked promising. We walked over the valley, put on the ice-talonz (a metal piece you put on the shoe to help you walk on the ice), started to climb, and then the rain started... and it rained and rained and rained. Still we followed our guide that was carving stairs for us as we walked. It was amazing. Some "staircases" are really impressive, and ... read more

Tidbits

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Abel Tasman National Park February 16th 2005

Funny sign

Kiwi Diana

P.S. Little interesting things: -- I do my laundry in a sink and hang my clothes on tree branches to dry. -- I get to run around barefoot without being arrested! -- According to Kiwis, the Dutch explorers who "discovered" New Zealand were drug addicts. -- Got a nasty sunburn three days ago and am now peeling like an ugly lizard. -- Showers are a rare luxury. -- Fruit tastes organic and delicious. Kiwis consume lots of dairy products. -- Kiwi money is rainbow colored! -- My bus driver yesterday has a beard and ponytail, shuns baths and calls himself "Pop Star." -- The North American accent sounds ugly to many culture's ears. Hell, my own voice is starting to make me cringe. -- Tons and tons of folks traveling around here are drifters, lost ... read more

Half heaven, half hell

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Abel Tasman National Park February 16th 2005

Hammy seagull

Kiwi Diana

I have survived Hell! There is a god. Nelson -- the sunniest place in New Zealand!! North part of the South Island, home to beautiful sounds and wine regions. But what really draws the visitors here is Abel Tasman National Park, a place that leaves you open-mouthed at the sheer wondrous beauty of earth that was splashed on this corner of the globe. Abel Tasman is on the northern coast (I'll be putting pictures up soon) and looks like the beaches in Thailand. The sands are golden, the hills are amazing shades green speckled with weird giant ferns, and the water is a shade of teal that I cannot describe unless you see it in person. I met a woman named Lauren from San Diego, independent and crazy, and we went to do a one ... read more

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