BizClass

We won a bid to upgrade two of our three sector journey from Melbourne, through Brunei and Dubai to London. I was so excited I did a little victory dance when nobody was looking. Just a little one.

I held in my hand, my very own business class boarding pass!

Tony thinks I won’t want to fly any more unless it’s business class, and in truth, he’s right. But I will do whatever it takes to continue to scratch the incessant itch of the Travel Bug.

Like kids with a new toy, when the stewards weren’t watching, we played with the seat adjustment buttons – up, down, back, forward, lie down, sit up. Oooh, it looks like a seat warmer too!

It’s a little quieter in the forward business class cabin too, especially when you put on the quality headphones to watch a movie or listen to music.

And roomy? You can swing many cats in the cabin space and they wouldn’t hit one another. In the 18 seat pod space, there would be roughly 4 times the number of economy seats. Having said that, we sat in economy for the first sector from Melbourne to Brunei, and they were roomier than many I’ve sat in.

It helps that this plane is a Royal Brunei Airlines Dreamliner 787. I would highly recommend this aircraft for comfort, in both class of cabins, as we sat in both. I can’t compare the biz class with any other, except to say that it made flying a pleasure rather than a teeth-gritting endurance test on some other airlines.

Being able to lie flat to sleep was such a refreshing opportunity, enabling us to arrive in London approximately 25 hours after leaving home. A huge bonus, since we have a 4-5 hour drive to Llandudno, Wales, when we land.

With two and three-course menus to order from at any time, up until 90 minutes before landing, we will need to run several marathons to lose our excess baggage!

We were supplied with Evian water, quality slightly-noise-reducing headphones, slippers, eye mask, ear plugs, toothbrush and paste as well as a selection of current newspapers and magazines.

Real duvets and 3/4 sized pillows made it feel almost like being in a small bed, the windows automatically darken without shades – some photoelectric gadgetry I believe. You can still see outside without the light and glare. I watched the moon through my larger-than-usual window during the night.

Through the dark, as we travelled west and away from the sun we had more night flying than day. When I wasn’t sleeping, I constantly gazed out my window at the dark maps on the ground, where, like glowing, fine spiderweb-like constellations in the night sky, cities and villages traced coastlines and mountainous foothills.

I felt like I was back on the Paul Gaugin when there was a little turbulence and we gently bumped along the mostly clear skies, especially when I could order Earl Grey tea upon waking at the touch of a button.

The sun has been chasing us all night (of which we have had almost two), and will catch us when we arrive at Heathrow airport.
As we bank and circle in a holding pattern, we can see London sprawled out almost as far as we can see, lights twinkling in the still-dark morning, patterns resembling the brain’s neurone structures.

We have arrived.

FOMO

I laugh when I hear my sister-in-law, Sam talk about her children having a ‘fear of missing out’ or FOMO. I also have it to an extent and that is how I came to be on this cruise in the first place. And that’s also how I came to snorkel… I have conquered two of my fears! I didn’t want to miss an opportunity to do something exciting! I also love to travel, and I haven’t seen my good friend Vicki for a couple of years.

I didn’t know what I had been missing all the times I couldn’t join Tony and the kids snorkelling. It helps to have  a tight mask that doesn’t leak too. As I don’t do well when water goes up my nose. I did have to concentrate on breathing normally and not panicking that my nose was covered, as breathing through my mouth is not normal for me, unless I’m exercising. To see the pretty tiny black and white striped fish hovering near the coral, the fluorescent blue ones darting about, the ones with the eyes on their back ends and the trailing fins, clams, with brilliant blue lips, and the yellow and striped bigger ones coming close to look at me and dart away, not to mention the elegant long-spined sea urchins was like looking into a sparkling jewel box. I wish I had a picture of what I saw underwater. I really had missed out in times past!
There is truly an impossible number of shades of blues and greens, iridescent turquoise lagoons, and deep sapphire colours in the seas in and around these island groups.

As this was a partly working trip for Vicki, she had arranged a site inspection of the Four Seasons Resort on Bora Bora. I enjoy these backstage tours of luxury hotels, so that if I can ever need to stay somewhere off-the-planet gorgeous, I know where to go. We were met by the General Manager’s EA, Ewa (Eva) who was a very gracious host and she proceeded to drive us over the site in a buggy. We toured the fitness centre, day-spa, overwater bungalows, villa, observed the Polynesian wedding islet, as well as their intimate chapel with a fabulous backdrop.

This charming chapel is not air conditioned, but is exquisitely located for an intimate event.

Imaginative beach shelters – it’s very warm here, and the sun is bitingly hot

Overwater bungalows similar to the one we stayed in while in Papeete

The villas all had several bathing options, all windows and shutters could be opened for a refreshing private outdoor bathing experience.

After a very quick lunch and dip in their private beach waters we were treated to a return trip in their guest shuttle, a vintage wooden boat with luxurious seating. Only a very ungrateful guest wouldn’t appreciate the beauty and luxury of this exclusive resort.

  

Mamas and Papas

After a very late start to the day, I was able to catch the tail-end of a continental breakfast in La Palette, coffee lounge by day, night club by night, followed by a quick craft session for those (less active souls) wanting a quiet cool place to spend an hour, at which I made and then broke, my very own Marquesan seed bracelet. It is doubtful Australian Border Security would have allowed me to bring it home anyhow.

I eventually made an arrangement with another passenger, Nancy, from Wisconsin, to go to the shore of the island of Fakarava to see the sights. The day was searingly hot, easily in the mid-30’s with a high humidity. We were welcomed onshore by the usual little band playing ukuleles and singing local songs, and the ‘local mamas and papas’ with their traditional crafted wares and sometimes coconut drinks. These islands are very remote and it is a five hour flight to get anywhere, which encourages them to be self sufficient and retain many of their traditional crafts and traditions.

The sights were seen in a slow walk in only 20 minutes or so with the main one being the local church, cool and dark inside, decorate with many chandeliers made of tiny shells hanging all along the vaulted ceilings. No need of stained glass, the windows were open to the outside and framed the lush vegetation surrounding us.

While waiting to return to the ship under the shelter set up by the ship’s crew with iced water, iced tea and cold wet towels, I pondered jumping into the water at the pier to cool off. That thought was dismissed immediately upon someone spotting a lemon shark swimming lazily along the length of the pier. These creatures are allegedly harmless, as are the black tipped sharks also commonly seen on some of the snorkelling excursions. Having conquered two of my fears (snorkelling and being at sea) on this trip, I don’t feel the need to confront a third, lest I undo the good I have already done. 
Back on deck after a refreshing shower and an icy cold Drink of the Day from the pool deck bar, we sat waiting to watch another beautiful day fade away, and listened as the Captain announced our set-sail for the day and the band played on as we said goodbye to Fakarava. Vishal the barman is very generous in his alcohol shots in our drinks and we probably should keep an eye on our intake, generous also on refills, is he.

“Goot evenink leddies end gentlemen. Ve ville be setting sailing to Borrrra Borrra verrrry shortly, end ze journey vill tek tventy-zix hours… ” said the Captain, in his very Croatian accent, proceeding to advise temperatures, sailing speed and a bunch of other facts and figures. The legendary Bora Bora. I really didn’t know what to expect.
Twenty-six house of sailing meant a whole day at sea, with no shore excursions, and no swimming to cool off. The pool was dismally small and bath-water warm, so luckily there are always ice cold drinks and airconditioning.
I am now spoilt for any future cruise, but an all-inclusive, two passengers to one staff ratio kind of cruise where the seas are always (relative) calm and the sun is always shining before plunging into a cloudy palette of roses, citrus, silver and moody blues.

Musing, snoozing and cruising

On one of our first days on board the m/s Paul Gauguin (again an artiste who buried his whole being in his private world and who led a very restless and fraught life in the islands of French Polynesia and the Marquesas) we enjoyed breakfast on the balcony of our stateroom (fancy name for cabin), with the ship having dropped anchor during the very early morning. I mused that we were in a kind of revolving restaurant as the ship slowly turned on its mooring, giving us a gradual 360 degree view of the islands we were to visit that day, plus others. What a fabulous way to wake up!

Later that day, I joined the excursion to the island of Rangiroa, to visit a black pearl farm (which these islands are famous for) as I had always planned to buy some unset pearls to take home. Fascinatingly the pearls are indeed cultured, but there are apparently no ‘natural’ pearls growing these days legally. There are some countries (our instructor told us which ones) that still collect them illegally, but many hundreds of oysters are destroyed trying to find the ones with a pearl of great (and sometimes of any) price.

Need I say I did buy some unset pearls from the farm, and had them set in some very pretty silver pieces they had on hand. They are not high class only B or C and they are irregular in shape, but they are gorgeous. At least I think so.

The lifeboat was employed as tender boat to the shore today, and a fit looking guy floated idly on his outrigger waiting for the tender to start off to the shore. Amazingly, he caught the wake of the tender, and followed us all the way to the shore, then back again but gave up half way and dived into the water to cool off.
I had planned to go to the Que Bola magic show last night but I must still be jet lagged because I practically fall asleep about 2.30 every day… Two-thirty-itis I think it’s called. Luckily there is a shortened version in the piano bar at 6.30 tonight so I plan to catch that before dinner.  

Wow the service on this ship is fabulous! You don’t have to wait long for an order, maybe five minutes, or ten in your cabin, and on deck they constantly ask if you want another drink or anything else for that matter. There is a high percentage of Filipinos in the staff, as well as Croatians interestingly, and they are so willing to please and have ready smiles. Some of the wait staff joke with the passengers, and I wonder how many times the bartender was asked if everything was under control, although he was always ready with a witty reply and an ice cold glass.

Flowers and Clouds

Last time we were in Singapore I was too hot and grumpy after walking through the Gardens By The Bay to go through the Cloud Forest and Flower dome. If I’d known then they were cooler…

These amazing feats of engineering are built with a view to preserving and promoting the natural environment, conserving  resources and educating visitors about mountain micro climates. Designed with glass that sits on a steel grid which acts like an eggshell, the two Cooled Conservatories at Gardens by the Bay are the world’s largest columnless greenhouses.We decided to opt for the open shuttle from the MRT station to the domes and in the process were able to buy combo tickets thereby skipping the longer queues to buy tickets (handy tip!) to the two domes at the dome entrances. The tourists are not quite so polite when it comes to queues.

The Flower Dome replicates the cool-dry climate of Mediterranean regions like South Africa, California and parts of Spain and Italy plus Australia, and is the largest glass greenhouse in the world as listed in the 2015 Guiness World Records! Orchids were ever present, and what I’m calling tree-root sculptures were a random extra. The dragon and eagle were magnificent, the jack rabbit and goose not so much.

The Cloud Forest showcases plant life from tropical highlands up to 2,000 metres above sea level. It features a 35-metre-tall mountain covered in lush vegetation, shrouding the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. You can wind your way up and through then across a ‘walkway in the clouds’ to get an aerial view of the mountainside and the gardens below. The pathways then wind you back down again, with lifts and escalators assisting the descent. 

When you go, time your visit the Cloud Forest to coincide with the mistimes (watering) of the plants as it is not only cooling, but creates a mysterious ambience that enhances the whole experience.

The ads on the Emirates flight indicate to me their target clients are very high flyers indeed. A certain residential development in London where every apartment overlooks the Thames and just the car spaces are £50,000, is still in need of investors a year after launch. If the fact it was created in association with Versace Home would swing your vote their way, here’s a photo to tempt you 🤔.Then there’s the recently released Audi R8 V10 Plus, retailing for A$390,00, pitching at those who want to be ‘star men’, a la David Bowie. Or the diamond studded watches, which maker’s name escapes me right now. However I can tell you, TrendSpotter didn’t list them in the top 20 luxury watch brands I should know. 

reproduced from http://www.multivu.com

And then there’s us, sitting in economy class, on free tickets (courtesy of being bumped by Emirates last year on our way through Singapore in return for free flights because they had overbooked the plane), wondering how anybody on this deck of the lovely A380-800 could afford anything shown on the inflight advertising. I think they were playing the wrong ad playlist 😳.

I did note on the Singapore Immigration Card there were only two boxes to choose from when it came to gender –  M and F only. The MyTax app I recently wrestled my annual figures into, gave me a third option – Indeterminate. What an awful world we live in where confusion and indecision reign.

Two words describe Singapore for me.

Courteous and orderly. I’ve been to Singapore several times in the last 30 of its now 51 years of independence, and I’m always struck by the signage, transport connectivity, usually patient queues, generally good manners and cleanliness (high employment I’m guessing contributes to such a clean place) and rules. 

Car free is carefree.

No chewing gum.

Longest wait time on the MRT is 2 minutes in peak time. 

Queuing lanes on the MRT platforms are followed (two for getting on and one for getting off for each doorway). 

No kite flying. At least not from the Supertree skywalk.

There are many commentaries on the authoritarian nature of Singapore’s laws, some quite negative, but to me as a law-abiding visitor, I appreciate the dedication to keeping the country safe and clean.

My poor feet had major blistering from having worn thick woolly socks and shoes for the past few months, and they didn’t have any chance against the humidity and heat when walking miles and miles through Singapore’s malls, streets and gardens. The application of bandaids didn’t do too much, so obtaining a more comfortable footwear item was high on my shopping list! I picked these up for RM10 in Jonker St in Melaka the other day and they’ve been so much better. Plus the sunshine and fresh air have healed them nicely.

Lollipop Flip Flops

Our stay at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront was comfortable despite being 1.05km from the closest MRT…we took cabs S$5-10) to a couple of different stations, until we discovered as we left that there was a free shuttle to the MRT! Note to self! 🙄

The position on the river was really lovely and we had a very decent view from our room, especially at night. We strolled along its banks a couple of times, and ate dinner one night at Limoncello’s on the opposite bank which I would recommend for sure, the food was great!

Next: The Cloud and Flower Domes.

On The Road…Again.

We had decided to stay overnight near Tekapo Springs in a little farming town called Fairlie (half an hour away and the only accommodation we could get anywhere near Lake Tekapo was either a motel room or a 2br cottage) and go for a hot tub soak the next day before finishing up in Queenstown again. Our little 2br cottage is part of an arable farm and was delightfully furnished with patchwork and timber lined walls and a little wood heater which we used believe it or not. The Red Deer restaurant up the road looked inviting so we had Merino Lamb Shank and Rib Eye Steak for dinner (no venison!), NZ pavlova (soft) for dessert, and an Amisfield SB which was surprisingly similar, on nose if not in taste, to a Marlborough SB.

It was cold enough to light the wood fire (and dry some washing) so we sat without TV, Internet or cards and read for a while before retiring to our country style bedroom, complete with layers of granny rugs and flannel sheets. The view out the window was peaceful if not awe-inspiring.

Morning came, but sadly this Airbnb property was only a BedNoBreakfast. The first village we came to was Burkes Pass where you can buy coffee, garagenalia, and souvenirs. No WC and no food. Unless you count cookies, which I don’t.

One of the most famous photographed churches in the world (and still operational every Sunday at 4pm), Church of the Good Shepherd, happens to be at Lake Tekapo and we couldn’t resist (like many others) getting a few photos. It was surely in a very picturesque location, and I’ve seen a photo of it against a magnificent sky full of stars. Also in this area is one of the best star gazing places in the Southern Hemisphere owing to its remote location I guess.

The church from the lake, and the view from below the church across Lake Tekapo.

The weather had cleared so soaking in the hot springs at Tekapo Springs was on. Sadly the day spa was fully booked 😁 and I felt the water slides not up to Singapore’s Sentosa Island, so hot pools it was. 19 (cool), 36, 37 and 39 degree Celsius pools are offered, and we went from one to another. We enjoyed watching a group of five giggling young ladies taking endless selfies from every angle, literally for an hour or more…we couldn’t help but take one of our own. This view is the better one, trust me 😊

Tony is also a big kid at heart and he enjoyed pressing the buttons to use the kiddie play area. Unfortunately I didn’t research this enough and was expecting natural forming pools, not man-made ones, but they were clean and clear and warm, so what more can you ask. The water comes from two springs out of adjacent Mt John which is then warmed and fed into these beautifully landscaped man-made pools. Apparently they also form natural ice rinks in the winter time, although these days with a little help from a refrigeration plant.

We figured we might see the famous Mt Cook in the distance on our drive back down to Queenstown. We didn’t have a clue on the way up as the weather was foul, windy, rainy and misty with very low clouds. It’s amazing we photographed it on our way north, even though we didn’t know it due to the cloud shrouding its huge bulk. The two photos below are before and after, the one below is zoomed in of course.

We arrived back into Queenstown to find our accommodation most satisfactory. It was booked through AirBnB, but it in fact looked more like a mini-hotel, inside and out. Very comfortable, brand-spanking new and had all the mod-cons you could ask for.

It had great views of Lake Wakatipu from our front door…

After a good night’s sleep we woke up to our last morning, and what else do you do with a spare few hours? Frisbee golf of course! I think I parred one out of 18 holes. Not bad for a beginner.

You have to laugh about some signs don’t you? People are the same everywhere. So are dogs.

Well, I’m sure I’ve bored you to death with all my NZ Natterings. TTFN 🙂

 

Into The Blue

On our last morning in Akaroa, we looked at places for sale as we do wherever we go; could this be our next BnB location (also great for a week away for ourselves). Such a secluded little piece of paradise, and have we come here during the best weather they’ve ever had or what? Not wanting to live here permanently myself (Tony says he could), I did like this cute 2br right on the shoreline but really it was too pokey and had a too-tiny front garden which was still a cool half-million+.

I did think the one above was rather more my size, but it was NFS. There were also some very chic looking modern glass fronted houses higher up on the hills (you can see them to the right of the photo below), and one of them would do too, I’m in love with all kinds of styles. Got to admit views are high on the priority list.

In any case it was a cracker of a morning for a dolphin-watching cruise and we arrived right on time to board Into The Blue. The skipper gave us commentary on the way the Akaroa community and the regional Council are preserving and protecting their wonderful natural assets. In recent years they have undertaken projects such as restoring native flora and fauna, by dedicating marine and land reserves, and encouraging cooperation between commercial operators in the area.

The cruise company guarantees you’ll see the Hector’s dolphins, smallest and rarest in the world, population about 1000. It’s very exciting to see them rolling and playing in the water only a few feet away.

We enjoyed the calm clear waters, and were thrilled to see the dolphins playing around and leading the boat. The NZ fur seals weren’t as numerous, or as curious and active, sunning their fat little bodies on the rocks, and who could blame them? Their population is still recovering from near extinction from the intensive hunting in the 1800s for their beautiful coats.

After a quick lunch stop and trying on some silk clothing at Silk Italia (where I decided that one dress made me look like the side of a house, and the other was a possibility, but it was lined with viscose and why do they do that?), we scoffed some delicious black plum Kapiti ice cream and wished beautiful Akaroa a fond au revoir. Till we meet again.

And so, this mean, heartless wife let her half-centenarian husband play golf again at another club at Greendale ‘on the way’ back down south, with his friend Ole, from Christchurch, who just happened to be a member there too. We arrive at the club and what’s that mean, heartless wife going to do while he plays golf? Why, shopping of course! It was shopping or photograph the cows across the road for two hours.

Looking sharp 422!

And you 725 😬

The only shopping to be had was miles away, so I plugged Darfield into the GPS Jane and off I went. A cup of tea, two tea-towels and a beautiful NZ woollen rug later, I thought I’d head back via Charing Cross. Unfortunately Charing Cross was a sign at the crossroads and that was it. Me and GPS Jane then proceeded to lose anyone who may have been tailing us by turning left, left, and left again, but somehow we didn’t end up back where we started…

One thing that has been amazing, is the number of camper vans on the road! Annette told me the South Island has been set up to be totally easy for camping overnight in self-contained vans, but it is really amazing. The choice of providers is also astounding, and here are a couple of unusual ones.

And…

Wickedcampers had many, many versions of this vehicle, some slogans not repeatable in print 😮

A cool 😎 BnB idea we may pursue back home is the silo-stay. You’ve heard of homestay, farmstay, well, now there’s silostay. We didn’t go inside, but I’ll be doing some research when we get back home. They appear to be one bed/bath, tiny balcony, park bikes string them up for super space saving or security.

Anyone looking for an investment? 😃

Bonjour Akaroa!

We drove through more scenic countryside from Christchurch to Akaroa and were advised to stop at the cheese factory. What kind of village with French roots doesn’t have any chèvre, Brie or even Camembert?!?

The harbour was delightful, bordered by a yacht club, beach boxes and various jetties. It’s only 10-15m deep, which is surprising for a volcano caldera, and even more surprising that 40 cruise ships visited this past summer! These added enormously to their economy, as since the 2010 earthquakes everyone wants to come to Christchurch and its surrounding areas.

We arrived at our hosts’ home in the Rue Grehen, and had our ears assaulted by a bazillion cicadas. I hoped they would quieter overnight. Jos and Stew invited us in for a drink and we sat on their shady deck in the afternoon sun. What a place! I think I died and went to BnB heaven! We did get a bit of a shock though as the room was in the sun all day and so was very hot. We left our doors open and curtains closed and luckily there were no mosquitos.

The Potter’s Croft was a beautiful 2 acre garden paradise with pathways, a pond, a stream, glades and plants galore. It was hard to know where to sit and while the time away. The garden?

Or the breakfast deck?

The local hangout, Harbar, looked the perfect spot on a warm evening, so we ordered food and drinks and waited patiently, and watched the locals as more and more gathered for their nightly get together. The waiter forgot our order twice, why does that often happen to me? I scored a 5min foot massage though as Tony bet they were just busy 😀

The next morning was gorgeous so we walked along the shore to the lighthouse which was relocated from a high inaccessible cliff top and replaced by an automatic light.

We detoured through the Tane gardens above the harbour, through some natural forest and came across the various cemeteries where the pioneers of the settlement are buried. There were two interesting things about these cemeteries: they are split between Roman Catholic and Dissenters in the one place, and Anglican in another (some to the right and some to the left…)and some of the headstones and markers had been damaged and displaced due to the earthquakes and aftershocks.

 

We were followed a ways by a little fantail wren who posed endlessly for photos.

We booked dinner at The Little Bistro, a top achiever on TripAdvisor, which we’d agree with. The food was delicious! A horseradish panacotta for entree, never had a savoury one – yum! Akaroa salmon which melted in my mouth! An unusual way of serving salt though…

 

Cruisin’ In Christchurch

Golf game completed (remember how insensitive and unfeeling I am, ‘letting’ him play golf), I trundled off to pick Tony up and go for lunch and a bit of sightseeing in the city.

I waited in the golf club cafe with a latte, while he waited in the car park. We had walked around the club building different ways, missing each other completely, and he thought our silver 4WD in the parking lot was white…45 minutes later.

We drove into the city area and wound our way past fenced off blocks of what would have been rubble and fallen buildings back in 2010. It’s hard to imagine the devastation and heartache the people living and working here must have felt.

On a lighter note, there’s a particular sign that amused me in the city areas, and we can only say it must mean exactly what it says. In Australia, the sign would say ‘Alcohol free zone 7pm-9am’ or something similar. I didn’t see any cruising on Thursday night, so maybe it only happens on the weekend if the naughty boys don’t observe the rules.

I am voting the Christchurch Botanical Gardens number 1. They’re beautiful, and with the Avon River winding through it’s really something. Not as big as some I’ve seen, but really varied and well looked-after. Gorgeous specimen trees such as the sequoia below and many others I didn’t know. Conservatory buildings and outdoor gardens with themed plantings a truly fragrant rose garden; I could smell the roses from 50metres away!

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We decided the Curator’s Cottage was a bit pricey for a casual lunch and found a table at the Antigua Boatshed on the path right on the path so we could watch the world go by. We tossed around biking, canoeing, kayaking, punting and Tony chose rowing – on the Avon River! He even sang to me.

Then it was time to get going to Akaroa, about 1.5hours away.

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