This gallery contains 24 photos.
From the volcano we continued for Nendoe Island (a mere 27 nautical miles away); officials were coming aboard from the regional capital Lata, so the ship could be cleared into the Solomon Islands. Once the formalities were closed, we were … Continue reading
It was Easter Saturday today – and the ship had undergone a bit of a transformation over night – with Easter eggs, bunnies and other decoration showing up everywhere.
Today was also the first real expedition day – starting off with a circumnavigation around the Tinakula volcano – a classic stratovolcano, 3.5km wide and more than 850m high (that is, from sea level; add another 3 to 4km if you want to start from the sea floor).
During the first part of the journey we were accompanied by dolphins and flying fish.
We now had to cover a distance of 829 nautical miles and as such were facing two days at sea – advertised as “relaxation at sea” and busy with a full plan in reality.
The first day (holy Thursday) was pretty much a preparation day, to actually enable us, to fully enjoy the days to come. Snorkeling gear was handed out, a mandatory zodiac (safety) briefing took place, the expedition team introduced itself – and the lecture program already did kick in. Of course, the ship also had to be explored – from fitness room to spa, from restaurants to bars.
Before dinner a cocktail for single travelers took place – and after dinner the captain held his welcome cocktail – including an introduction to his team and all the department heads on the ship.
On the second day (Good Friday) more lectures were following; we also had the first of many previews, of what the following days were to bring (nicely set up during cocktail hour before dinner). We also could make out the first bigger island on the horizon today – Tikopia Island – the southernmost inhabited island of the Solomon Islands.
We made our way from the hotel to the airport in the late morning – in time for the afternoon flight to Fiji. A good four hours later we landed at Nadi’s International Airport.
Going through immigration and customs took a while (well – for those, who – like me – were seated at the rear end of the plane) – but there was no hurry, as there were enough transfer buses waiting for us.
I ended up on the last bus – and 22km (and less than an hour later) we were at the port of Lautoka, where the Hanseatic Nature was already waiting for us. Check-in was quick and painless – including the Covid test. I was in my cabin within less than 15 minutes after leaving the bus (my luggage was slower…).
As we were the last bus and me with the last, to board – the mandatory sea rescue exercise happened soon after (well – probably as soon as all the negative Covid test results were in). Afterwards a late dinner was offered in one of the restaurants – followed (in my case) by major unpacking action – and being a witness of us casting off.
Good-bye Fiji (of which I have not seen anything) – and on to two days at sea …
Today I was turning from an individual traveler to a package tour tourist – going on a group city tour, as part of the cruise package.
The tour started after a fantastic breakfast; we boarded a flotilla of buses, first making our way through the CBD, then towards the Haymarket, along Darling Harbour to a Harbour Bridge viewpoint (all places, I had already discovered during the last two days – now with the added commentary and background).
From here we continued to the Opera House – where a tour of the inside was already booked and arranged (I had tried the same on Sunday – only to learn that the tours were booked out days and weeks ahead … well – I now understand way). The tour through the building actually was quiet good and it was great, to get a glimpse of the interior of the opera house.
From the opera house we continued for the viewpoint at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair (so a repeat for me – albeit today with blue skies). Lunch was had in a meat restaurant in Campbell’s cove.
After lunch we were heading East and towards the coast – first towards Watsons Bay – for views towards the Pacific at the Gap. A stop at Bondi beach (without the trail) and a quick foot dip into the Pacific concluded the tour – and made appetite for the things yet to come in the following weeks.
This gallery contains 15 photos.
The weather forecast for today had looked as bad as yesterday – so I was happily surprised, to see that the day turned out to be a sunny one. Thanks to the jet-lag I had an early start once more. … Continue reading
This gallery contains 24 photos.
I have had Papua New Guinea on my bucket list ever since I had visited an exhibition around traditional village life in the Sepik region in Frankfurt’s Weltkulturen Museum years and years back. I only found few trips into the … Continue reading
Today was the final day of the trip – we still had time in the morning for some final exploration around Las Palmas. I had a latish breakfast and took my time for that; after that I did a bit of walking around town and a final visit to the beach.
As the weather had changed – cooler and windy with the occasional shower – I opted for a museum visit and decided for what turned out the weirdest museum in a while – the Elder Museum of Science and Technology. I guess, it did not help, that I got here on the opening day of a dinosaur exhibition – with the dinosaurs put in with other exhibits (as in T-Rex next to a fighter jet). Well – it served its purpose, I stayed dry and it kept me busy enough.
In the afternoon it was back to the airport, onto a plane – and with a slight delay, we made it back to the November-cool of Germany.
Overall this has been a wonderful trip – the islands did not disappoint, plenty of amazing hikes, a great variety of activities, nice food and drink – plus the best weather possible (unusual for the season), superb guides (a special shout-out to Steffi from “Teneriffa KreAktiv”) and a good group. Also this must have been the trip with the biggest selection of buses.
Overall it is thumbs up here. I am sure, I’ll be back to the Canary Islands – especially as there are still some more islands, to explore and discover. ¡Hasta la próxima!
This gallery contains 24 photos.
Today was the last full day of the tour – and a free day. Most of the group decided, to stay in Las Palmas, to check out the historical center. My choice was different, I wanted to get a different … Continue reading
Our next stop (still on the bus) was at the Cruz de Tejeda with its viewpoint and an opportunity for a light lunch. After lunch and a Kodak moment at the viewpoint, we continued on to the next viewpoint, the Mirador Astronómico de Pinos de Gáldar. From here it was a short drive to the trailhead for our 2km walk to Fontanales, passing through a eucalyptus forest.
The bus was waiting for us at the church of Fontanales – and a quick drive got us down to the coast at Charco de San Lorenzo – for views of another set of natural swimming pools and a (for me) a final touch of the Atlantic Ocean for this trip.
