Aus Traveller

No. He doesn't shake the clothes out before hanging, and even worse, the pegs seem to get attached to whichever bit of the item he picks up. Well, maybe not quite that bad, but nearly. I just don't look too closely. However, he does like to match the pegs, 😁 just to each other, not to the clothes.

We have a stunning view and it is probably the main attraction of the house. The main floor is open plan, leading out to a large under-cover 'al fresco' area with an infinity-edge pool, all on the same level. Beyond that is the ocean. We only have to walk across a short stretch of grass to the sand.

We go to a beachfront house at Sunrise Beach. Because of the number of people in the family there aren't many houses large enough.

My grand daughters will happily join in the ship's activities. We holiday every year as an extended family. We go to our favourite holiday house on the Sunshine Coast on 9th December.

Mine is an early model, but maybe it is a limited edition but it has some other negative features.🙂

5 metre seas for a big ship aren't too bad for experienced cruisers. 🙂

I have got one of those machines that hangs the laundry out to dry - it is called a husband. 🙂

Coral Princess from Brisbane on 11th January, Fiordland, Dunedin (15th) Christchurch, Wellington, Napier, Tauranga, Auckland. It will be the first cruise for my three lovely grand-daughters aged 9, just turned 8 and 4.

Thanks for your help. I doubt there would have been NZ cruises prior to that. I am interested because I am going on a Coral Princess NZ cruise with my daughter and her family in January. I am sure she and her husband will be watching the Pacific Adventure fiasco with some concern and I want to be able to reassure them. This is their first cruise for more than 10 years and they have had to get five new passports - not required for a cruise to Tassie. I am somewhat reassured because the cruise immediately before ours, also goes to NZ. 🙂

Thanks for that info. Obviously the on-line TA sites don't show cruises that have already finished. Was the current cruise to be the first one to NZ by the Pacific Adventure this season?

Does anyone know where the Pacific Adventure's previous cruise went?

If you will be visiting Aust and NZ, then naturally you need to fill in the Visa waiver for both countries as we are separate and independent countries. 🙂 Ensure you use the government websites. There are private companies who will 'help' you with the easy process, but at extra cost of course. What cruise line are you travelling with? Some time ago P&O Aust used Verifly when we needed to up-load details of our COVID vaccination status etc. That isn't needed now and we didn't to fill it in for our cruises in the last few months.

Thanks for the report. Voltaren really is good. I suggest you consider buying a tube of the gel. Best of luck with your work on your house.

All the best. 🙂

Voltaren gel is good. There is instant relief when you rub it on. My husband uses it on his arthritic knees. I have used it on occasions, and it really works instantly.

Is your Voltaren the gel or tablets? The get is gentler on the body.

If you don't have symptoms by tomorrow you should be OK. You are probably alright if you don't have symptoms now. It usually take two days from exposure. Do you have a RAT test you could use to be sure? If you are OK, you could still go to the birthday dinner. All the best.🙂

How is your throat? Do you feel more tired than you should?

You might be OK. You were in the fresh air and presumably with a breeze blowing. I hope you are OK.

I mentioned this to my husband who remembers the June 1967 heavy rainfall. He then pulled up a BOM site. I jotted down other episodes of heavy winter rain (not as much as June 1967). They were June 2016, May 2009, June 1007, Apr 1998, May 1996, Apr 1989, April 1988, April 184, May 1983, May 1980, July 1973, May 1969, then the June 1967 event, July 1965, July 1962. I stopped at that point. Yes - we get more rain in summer because we have a sub-tropical climate, but heavy rain in winter does occur.

Winter rain isn't new. I can recall some very wet weather in the winter of 1967. There was 11.1" (282mm) rain in one day on 12th June. I had a look at a Bureau of Meteorology site that goes back to 1900. There have been many many years where there has been a wet winter in Brisbane.

That is the one we went to about five years ago. The colours of the water were great but as you say, a lot of walking. We might have to do Te Puia despite the cost. It has a geyser, bubbling mud as well as the cultural component.

I am planning shore excursions for a family cruise to NZ next January. When we are in Tauranga I planned to go to Rotorua and probably go to Te Puia. I have been there a few times over the years, but not since COVID. I was surprised at the entry price for Te Puia - adults NZ$90, or with the Maori show it is NZ$120. Of course, the cost of getting to Rotorua has to be added to that. We might hire a vehicle. Another alternative is a private tour but that is more expensive. On one trip to NZ, we went to another thermal park in Rotorua. It was to the south of the town. I didn't feel it had as much as Te Puia, but I have in mind that there will probably be a folkloric show on the ship that night and the children in my group will see Kiwis (birds) at the Aquarium in Napier. Therefore it doesn't matter if we 'miss' those in Rotorua. We would also go to the Redwood forest. I am thinking about going to the blue and green lakes although they are not far off the main road. I would appreciate any comments on other thermal areas around Rotorua. I know there are a couple of small bit of thermal activity that can be seen around town. Don't suggest the luge - the children are too young (10, 9 and 4) and they are girls. Boys would be more interested in the dare-devil type of activity.

Was it $15 one way or $15 return? The Christchurch Transport site has the cost of an all-day bus pass as NZ$10 per adult.

The Australian Government has accepted the latest advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) on the use of new COVID-19 XBB 1.5 vaccine as part of the National COVID-19 Vaccine Program. All available COVID-19 vaccines continue to provide strong protection against serious disease. The new XBB 1.5 vaccines have been found to provide modest improved protection against the COVID-19 strains circulating in the community. The XBB 1.5 vaccines will be available along with the existing bivalent vaccines. Providers can order this new vaccine, with doses being delivered ready to administer from 11 December 2023. Sites that receive their orders earlier than this date can commence administration as soon as they receive them.