We flew from Wellington to Blenheim which is located in the northern part of the south island. We then drove via bus to Marlborough Sound. The countryside was beautiful. These are some of the pictures I took from the bus as we drove. When we reached Marlborough Sound, we took a lunch cruise. Marlborough Sound is made up of old river valleys that are now filled with water from the Pacific Ocean. The views are beautiful. While on the cruise,…
We took an international flight from Sydney to Wellington, New Zealand. While we saw iconic attractions in Australia, New Zealand featured beauty everywhere. New Zealand is believed to be one of the last places in the world to be inhabited, with people initially coming from Polynesia – perhaps around 1250AD. It is also relatively isolated from other parts of the world. I had always thought of New Zealand and Australia as being relatively close, but they are actually about 1,000…
The iconic tourist destinations in Sydney are the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. They were both within walking distance of our hotel and we had a beautiful day to see them. The bridge is built of 53,000 tons of steel and at its highest point, is about 440 feet above the harbor. Construction began in 1924 and the bridge opened in 1932. Eight hundred families’ homes were demolished to make room for the bridge. Presently, the bridge…
We flew from Uluru to Cairns, going from desert to rainforest. Our first stop was the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway where we visited the rainforest in Barron Gorge National Park. While on the cable car, we passed just over the top of the rainforest canopy (first picture). We then hiked on a boardwalk through the rainforest. The third picture is a Kauri Pine. It is the tallest species of trees in Queensland and can grow to a height of 160 feet. …
We flew to Ayer’s Rock – now called Uluru – from Melbourne. Tauck, our tour company, chartered a private jet for these flights, so our bus literally drove to where our plane was waiting – we boarded- and then we were off. We visited in early October and enjoyed moderate temperatures in the low 80’s. This area is a desert so the landscape is very different. The grasses are like cactus with “needles” serving to protect them. We were told…
We began the Grand Australia and New Zealand tour in Melbourne. We stayed at the Langham Hotel on the Southbank Promenade. There are many restaurants along the Promenade and the walk along the Yarra River is beautiful. We saw several teams rowing on the Yarra. Pictured immediately below is the Southbank Footbridge which crosses the Yarra River. There are steps that took us below the bridge to a restaurant/bar called Ponyfish Island where we had lunch. On a walking tour…
We recently returned from Tauck’s Grand Australia and New Zealand tour. In my first post, I would like to share the independent trips we booked during our free time. We arrived in Melbourne two days before our tour was scheduled to begin. Before leaving home, I had booked the Great Ocean Road Tour through Go West Tours. It was a long day, but well worth the time spent. The Great Ocean Road Tour took us along the southeastern and southern…
This blog will focus on the Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square), St. Mark’s Basillica, and Doge’s Palace. The first picture below is one I purchased and depicts St. Mark’s Square from above. St. Mark’s Basillica is toward the back and the large tower on the right is St. Mark’s Campanile. On the left is Procuratie Nuove (second picture). The Procuratie Nuove was originally built to serve as office space but now houses museums. It construction began in 1586. The…
From Florence, we took a high speed train, the Italo, to Venice. It travels up to 225 miles per hour and we made the 160 mile trip in just under two hours. The Italo is made of recycled materials and is lightweight, making it eco-friendly. Once in Venice, we took a water taxi to our hotel. The main entrance to the hotel was actually a dock making it one of the most unique hotel entrances we have encountered. Venice is…
As I shared with you in my first post, Florence has many art galleries and museums. Michelangelo’s David, representing the David in the Bible, is displayed in the Accademia Gallery. Michelangelo sculpted it between 1501 and 1504. We were not allowed to take pictures in the Gallery, so the one I am sharing with you is one I purchased. David is in a circular room – tourists can walk completely around the statue. It is seventeen feet tall and made…