Part I: Fiji
Part II: Australia (8-night cruise)
Part III: South Pacific Islands - New Caledonia & Vanuatu (11-night cruise)
Part IV: New Zealand (14-night cruise)
Part V: Cambodia
Part VI: The Philippines
Part II: Australia (8-night cruise)
Part III: South Pacific Islands - New Caledonia & Vanuatu (11-night cruise)
Part IV: New Zealand (14-night cruise)
Part V: Cambodia
Part VI: The Philippines
PART I - Fiji
We're back from another great winter adventure!
This one was much more active and busy than last winter in Costa Rica & Ecuador, but also quite a bit shorter, which sucks because we came back to snow, with no end in sight! No fun.
❅🥶❅
Ottawa → Toronto (365 km) → Dallas, Texas U.S.A. (1930 km)
Late the next evening...
Late the next evening...
Dallas → Nadi, Fiji
(10,600 km) (13.5 hour flight) - stay 4 nights
We lost a whole day crossing the international date line, so a looong day...
Nadi is the 3rd largest city in Fiji and had a population of nearly 60,000 in 2017 with a population density of 488.3 /km2. Along with sugar cane production, tourism is a major source of Fiji's economy
 |
| Stock photo of a house in Fiji - I'll take it! 🏠 |
 |
Horses just running loose along the "highway" on the way to our hotel. There were wild pigs too, but I didn't manage to get a great photo of the Mama & her piglets (below is just the last 2 piggies) |
Nestled in the heart of Tadrawai Valley and just a short drive off the Queens Highway lies Mango Bay Resort with its thatched bures. "Resort" may be pushing it a bit as it was quite basic and rustic (for this Princess' liking), but it was home for the next 4 nights - a little stop over in Fiji on the way to Australia
You had to walk quite a distance from the car to the resort with your luggage, but it was a lovely walk.
Our Fijian bure (wood and straw hut) for 4 nights - Mosquito netting worked very well, but NO air conditioning - understandably because it was basically open air to the elements in some places. That would be a crucial point later on...also, there were always geckos galore inside, but that's ok, I can live with them
 |
| Our only shower was outdoors. It was fairly private, but not foolproof if someone happened to be at that cabin behind us when I walked out of our cabin because the door from our hut was elevated, so...hopefully I didn't give anyone a fright! 😱 |
The setting was lovely - an amazing waterfront piece of property
 |
Our view...you can't get much more "oceanfront" than that! After our long travel day and 2-hour drive from Nadi airport, we just did a little snorkeling and grabbed dinner @ the resort. Hmmm....if the dog is now laying on that chair cushion, it probably means he's been laying on yours too honey! Fleas anyone?!? 👾   Craig loves looking for aquatic life at low tide. Look! A crab! James & Chantal, you know exactly what I'm talking about! lol  |
 |
| Two local sweethearts on the property. They hung out with us in the open-air restaurant area overlooking the pool and ocean. |
 |
| Local woman walking around in the water with this plastic bucket collecting sea urchins |
 |
| I managed to get Craig out in a kayak a couple of times here in Fiji |
 |
| We had a rental car, so we drove from our remote resort to Suva city. It wasn't particularly beautiful, but to be fair, we didn't see too much of it. We did a little shopping and people watching here as well as a seafood platter lunch at "My Kai". |
 |
| Gorgeous flowers at the market in Suva |
 |
| Can you find Waldo in there? |
 |
Some sort of root vegetable??? I believe it's Fijian taro root We stumbled upon these shops that sold all sorts of wood carvings and, well, I just HAD to have one! We were lucky, when travelling to Australia & New Zealand that it wasn't confiscated because of their strict rules for wood products, etc.  Our new Fijian war club! Love the intricate carving detail! I'm happy to report it made it home safely! These clubs were used in war, but were also a symbol of prestige and authority and were used in ceremonies. Excerpt from Wiki: "Usually cut from a hardwood type iron wood it is intended for war. It differs from the Gata by the width of its striking head. It is named Sali because of its resemblance to the clawed flower of the plant of the same name (Sali) of the genus Musa of the banana family"  The colour of the earth here!  Goats at the side of the highway |
It's a blurry photo (because I'm taking it from my coward's position on the bed & behind the mosquito netting), but this is when a mouse was found in our hut - due to the open air, no-more-screen walls. Mom, you'd be proud of me, I did not scream! Craig had gone into the bathroom and when I went in right after him, I saw the mouse just quietly sitting on the wooden shutter and I backed out of the room and calmly told Craig there was a mouse in there. He tried to get it, but was unsuccessful and staff had to be called in to relocate it. 🐁
 |
Back at the resort, we got out again in the kayaks, but had to cut it short because a storm was coming! Not long after we got back from kayaking, a waterspout formed not too far off shore from our resort. from wiki - "A waterspout is a rotating column of air that occurs over a body of water, usually appearing as a funnel-shaped cloud in contact with the water and the cumuliform cloud. There are two types of waterspout, each formed by distinct mechanisms. The most common type is a weak vortex (which this one was) known as a "fair weather" or "non-tornadic" waterspout. The other, less common type is simply a classic tornado...". It was a cool thing to see!    There was a huge rain storm this night...little did we know that back at the resort, our hut was being flooded by the sideways rain. Even our sheets were soaked. It didn't seem physically possible, but apparently this happens often.  $$ Money in Fiji is nice and colourful like ours $$ |
Part II: Brisbane + cruising in Australia
Flew from Nadi → Brisbane
(2709 km - 4h15m)
At the airport security, the guard said "you've still got it" to me...it was so random, but made us laugh.
On our flight to Brisbane (Fiji Airways) we were chatting with one of the flight attendants while she was seated & facing us. Later on in the flight, she gave us champagne and a hand-written note wishing us a happy retirement! How thoughtful and sweet is that? Fijian people are so lovely!
That 1st afternoon in Brisbane we just walked around downtown and ended up getting some sushi for dinner. We had a whole day, the next day, to enjoy in Brisbane before embarking on the cruise, so Craig arranged tickets for us at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. That's all he told me, so I was expecting to just see koalas, but there was so much more! All those bucket list Australian animals us Canadians want to see (crocs, dingos, tasmanian devils, koalas and kangaroos)! The koalas were obviously a highlight, but the special surprise came when we were able to just walk into a field full of kangaroos!
Brisbane population: nearly 1,250,000 in 2021 with a population density of 925.62/km2
We will soon embark on 3 separate cruises (on the same ship) for a total of 33 days
 |
| Really? Welcome to Australia!!! We barely have stepped foot on Australian soil and there's already warnings of deadly snakes. I couldn't live in this country! Too many things that can kill ya!🐍 |
 |
| Brisbane is a beautiful city - very green with lots of parks designed for people to hang out in |
 |
| It's a giant pineapple! 🍍 |
 |
| We really enjoyed our time in Brisbane. For a big city, it had a more comfortable vibe to it |
 |
| I HIGHLY recommend the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary to anyone visiting Brisbane! Wonderful park with lots more to see than koalas. We took a city bus from downtown that goes directly to the park - very easy and only costs 50 cents each. |
 |
| Meet the "grey-headed flying fox" is a megabat native to Australia (largest bat in Australia). |
 |
| 15,309 km to Ottawa |
 |
| It was such a "bucket list" type of experience getting up close to the kangaroos! I had visions of them balancing on their tails and kicking me across the field, but they're so used to us tourists feeding them, that they were very at ease... until... |
 |
| They were very at east until the stupid Ostrich terrorized them and they all made a mad dash to get away from it! |
 |
| And then they all just stopped and stared our way, it was a little freaky! 👀They were looking towards the ostrich, but it seemed like they were looking at us! 🦘 |
 |
| I was loving feeding the baby and then Craig says "don't move"...cause (we assume) it's mama was behind me, but she didn't do anything. Nothing to see here, it's all good! |
 |
| So adorable! Never did I think I'd be surrounded by kangaroos - an awesome experience! |
 |
| On the way to the sanctuary we met a dynamic, adventurous, young woman named Geneva, a roller-skating, social media sensation from Canada who also designs her own roller-skating outfits and sells them online. We wish her all the best and success in life! (Hinesight Design) https://www.facebook.com/reel/1400323304712188 @sk8withgen on TikTok |
 |
| Ahhh, the baby holding Craig's finger, so precious! |
 |
| The sanctuary also has birds of prey and they put on an impressive little show for the park-goers and then, for a fee, you can get your picture taken with them afterwards. VERY impressive birds, for sure! This beautiful owl (sorry, I don't remember the type of owl) scared the crap out of me when it flew right above my head as part of the presentation! |
 |
| Watch your heads people! 🦉 |
 |
| Oh gross! I didn't realize it had that in it's mouth! Quite an impressive hunter! |
 |
| This just looks like two beautiful dogs getting a drink of water, but they are dingos! Sadly, I can't help but think of poor Piper James of B.C. who died (drowned) in January, 2026, as a result of a dingo attack. What a horrific end to such a young woman. R.I.P Piper |
 |
| This little guy was restless and trying to get out of its enclosure. Actually, I don't know if it was a male or female, but it is VERY obvious when you see them in person because the males have a prominent scent gland on their chest that produces a strong scent. It is used to mark their territory and attract females |
 |
| Craig bought me a ticket to get up close and personal (for about 1 minute) with this adorable creature! I was not able to hold her, but I was permitted to pet her back and she's very soft |
 |
| Another "must-see" is a Tasmanian devil! Their large head and neck allow them to generate an extremely strong bite (per body mass). He's small, but mighty! Hope he never gets loose from this enclosure! Yikes! |
 |
| This picture is now the photo on my phone screen! Love it! Too adorable for words. This sanctuary is SO worth the cost of entry - especially to those of us who have never seen these animals before. Something I'll always remember. |
 |
| Brisbane is a really beautiful city with cheap transportation, lots of greenery and a diverse culture which brings some great restaurants! |
 |
| Southbank Park in downtown Brisbane is pretty amazing with lots of places to relax, eat, shop and even swim in the man-made beach pool. |
 |
| No, we did NOT buy a kangaroo scrotum bottle opener! Why? Just why? We really enjoyed our time in Brisbane - a great city for locals and tourists! |
 |
Australia (Queensland) cruise
with Great Barrier Reef
with Great Barrier Reef
January 14/26 - Embarkation day in Brisbane, Australia on the Crown Princess
We were slightly concerned that a cyclone hit the Queensland area right before we embarked on a cruise, but the weather for our journey was amazing, thankfully!
As Calvin, the Cruise Director would say, it was a B-E-A-utiful day! (we came to be annoyed by him saying this every...single...day).
January 15th - day @ sea
We met up with Linda & Alan from Parksville, BC - she had arranged a tour with us on the 2nd cruise - little did we know at the time what an adventure that tour would be!
January 16th - Airlie Beach, Australia
The ship's tender boat took 45 long minutes to get to shore. Thankfully it wasn't too rocky or it could have been bad for me
 |
| Needless to say, we did NOT swim in the ocean here! If the jellyfish don't get ya, the sharks or crocs will! We did not see one person in the water or even on the beach. Such a shame to have a beautiful beach, but you can't really enjoy it! Instead, they have these large, public pools (they call lagoons) beside the beach for families to enjoy and we certainly enjoyed cooling off there! |
 |
| See! Not a soul on the beach! We just wandered around and enjoyed the hippy vibe here in Airlie Beach. I bought a beautiful, green linen top here, which you'll see in Siem Reip at Angkor Wat (temple). |
 |
| Craig enjoyed the safety of the cruise pool deck! |
January 17th - Townsville, Australia
 |
| Craig wanted us to hike up this rock - Castle Hill - but it was way too stinkin' hot, so we took an Uber up and walked down instead. We were still melting from the heat - I had to hold my head under water to cool off a bit before we started down (walked about 8 kms in total in 36 degree heat) |
 |
| Views from the top of Castle Hill |
 |
| Even Craig was melting - the heat was NO joke on this Queensland region of Australia - which is hot and tropical |
 |
| The start of the trail down from Castle Hill |
 |
| Looks like we left Townsville just in time! Although, I think I would have appreciated getting soaked after that 8 km walk! |
January 18th - Cairns, Australia
 |
| They pronounce Cairns like "Cans"...Here Craig had arranged for us to do a tour which included the Scenic Railway (1.5 hours), Kuranda Village and Skyrail Cable Car (7.4 kms). It was an awesome day and tour. We met two fun ladies on the train and spent most of the day with them (Emily & LaToya). |
 |
| The train ride was lovely with some beautiful views of valleys and forest and waterfalls. This area of the track is called "Horseshoe Bend" I can see why it's a popular tourist spot. We, personally, enjoyed the skyrail more than the train ride, but loved the whole day's adventure. |
 |
| For the waterfalls, it would be best to be sitting on the left side of the train (as you face forward), but for most of the views, sitting by the window of the right side of the train was the most scenic. |
 |
| Sweeping valley views from the train |
 |
| Barron Falls - a quick stop along the scenic railway tour - gorgeous! |
 |
| Barron Falls with our train in the background. You do NOT want to miss getting back on the train - because you'll be stranded here until the next train came along! |
 |
| In Kuranda Village we wandered around the shops and had a bite to eat. I feel a little bad trying this kangaroo pie, but when in Australia...it is a very lean, rich tasting meat and the pie was quite tasty. |
 |
| Giant rhinoceros beetles (approx. 7 cm) were everywhere! Thankfully they're harmless despite the fact that they are huge and can lift 850 times their own body weight! |
 |
| This shop was unique with all sorts of skin and leather products from Australian animals. |
Next up: Skyrail Rainforest Cableway below
 |
| Skyrail Rainforest Cableway is a 7.5 km scenic tourist cableway running above the Barron Gorge National Park in the Wet Tropics of Queensland's World Heritage Area of Australia |
 |
| An engineering marvel in the tropical forest |
 |
| Rainbow! 🌈 |
 |
| The same Barron Falls that we saw from the train. Where's your hat girl!? I see your forehead burning from here! 🌞 |
 |
| Having fun on the cable car |
 |
| Gorgeous views all around for the whole cable car trip - highly recommend this excursion! |
January 19th - Port Douglas, Australia
Here we had a tour organized to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef here. Sadly, this is where Steve Irwin died from a stingray incident. RIP Steve.
The marina area here in Port Douglas was lovely with shops and restaurants.
The weather for our snorkel excursion was very calm. The ocean was like glass as we headed out on a speedboat to near this cute little island with a lighthouse on it (Low Isles Light). Built in 1878, this lighthouse was the first to light the Inner Passage of the Great Barrier Reef.
 |
| Another "tender" port where we have to squeeze into one of the ships rescue boats. |
 |
| That is one sexy look! lol We all had to put on these blue leotard suits (reminded me of The Blue Man Group) - presumably to protect us (somewhat) from jellyfish stings (which was definitely on our minds because, after all, this is Australia). I was slightly worried about my hands and face, but tried to relax and enjoy the experience. |
 |
| Excited to be seeing part of the Great Barrier Reef |
 |
| Where'd everybody go? They plunked us in the water near the lighthouse island and off we went. It wasn't the most impressive coral reefs we had ever seen, but it was beautiful. Unfortunately, my camera in protective case was acting up and nearly every photo I took was blurry. Sorry we didn't get better shots of the Great Barrier Reef, but instead we just lived in the moment and were thankful for the experience |
 |
| We did see turtles and fish, but apparently some others from our boat saw a shark - glad I didn't! |
 |
| The only underwater shot that sort of turned out - of a lovely turtle |
 |
| Tanya, would you like to live on this lighthouse island? |
 |
| Cool tour boat going out as we were coming back to port. Although our pictures did not capture the experience, we really enjoyed the day - and there were no injuries or deaths, so it was a great day! |
January 20th - Willis Island
We didn't stop here, just circled the island for a bit and kept going - so basically it was another sea day.
 |
| Willis Island is the only permanently inhabited island in the Coral Sea Islands Territory, located beyond the Great Barrier Reef in the Coral sea. It is located 450 kms east of Cairns where we snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has a weather station on Willis Island. There are 4 weather observers living on the island and they rotate every 6 months. Can you imagine working there? It might be peaceful, but not during a storm! They seem so vulnerable out in the middle of nowhere. I was having some pain in my ear, so, for the first time, I went to the medical office onboard the ship (since we were at sea for 2 days, I didn't have a choice). Turns out I had an ear infection - visit cost $475 AUS! Had to put drops in every 8 hours, but it did eventually heal after a few days.  Beef Wellington night on the ship! |
January 21st - day @ sea
After the ear infection, I had to also endure sea sickness - probably partially due to the ear infection. I was out by the pool and had to quickly make a run for it to the public washroom where I proceeded to projectile vomit! 🤮
Felt good afterwards, thankfully!
January 22nd - arrive back in Brisbane
We didn't have to unpack in between cruises, but we did have to get off the ship for about 1.5 hours and then were right back on - pretty easy transition.
 |
Part III: South Pacific Cruise - New Caledonia and Vanuatu (22 Jan – 2 Feb) January 22nd - Embarkation back onto same ship  Just in case you need your yacht transported somewhere...lifestyles of the rich & famous January 23rd - day @ sea We just enjoyed the beautiful weather, walked, sun tanned (well, Craig did), swam and ate. The further we sailed, the hotter is seemed too get.   January 24th - day @ sea January 25th - Noumea, New Calendonia We didn't do too much here - just walked off the ship and did a little shopping at a craft market and walked back to the ship   January 26th - Lifou, New Caledonia  Look...at...that...water! Paradise!💧  This port was simple, but beautiful. It was a little confusing - not a whole lot of direction as to how to get around here. We tried to find a taxi to take us to a waterfall, but it was not simple, so we ended up just doing a little hike up for some really beautiful views. Turned out to be a great day!  Untouched beauty!  Our ship, patiently waiting for our return  It was quite the trek up in that heat, but we managed with only minimal face sweating!   Just HAD to get in that water! So beautiful! We should have had our snorkel gear here as there were turtles and fish you could see from the dock, but when it's a tender port, it is too much effort to go back onto the ship and then head to shore a 2nd time.  Sailing away from this beauty. It seems untouched. No development, hotels, etc. Great for nature, but probably means making a living difficult for the locals.  Looks like some sort of serpent head!  We had the pleasure of meeting this awesome Aussie, Elena! She was the life of the party and stayed up WAY past our bedtime to get in her 15 drinks a day! I do regret not livin' it up at least for 1 night with her until the wee hours of the morning! You know how to squeeze the most out of a cruise Elena! Until we meet again. 💗 We learned a bit of Aussie slang from Elena: "Bogan" - a redneck, no-class person "Scrubba" - basically the same as above "Macca" - McDonald's "Barby" - Barbeque (we knew that one) "Snag" - a sausage January 27th - Port Vila, Vanuatu Located in the South Pacific Ocean, The Republic of Vanuatu (only founded in 1980 - before this period, the French and English jointly managed it) is a volcanic archipelago (83 islands), 1750 km east of Northern Australia. Vanuatu's name is from the word vanua (meaning "land" or "home"), combined with the word tu (meaning "to stand") and together, the two words convey the independent status of the country.  Cute, little water taxis We did a full-day excursion in Port Villa. It was a little disorganized at first because we were standing where they told us to, waiting to be corralled onto a bus...then all of a sudden, a guy finds us and walks us to a bus that's already quite full. Ended up sitting in those little seats in the middle of the bus - not comfortable. WAY overcrowded - AND they actually had to change one of the tires - probably from being overweight! However, once we were on our way with a new tire, it was a great tour! First, we stopped at a traditional village (Pepeyo) for a little insight into the ways of their ancestors...with animal traps made out of stick and plant string to their warrior dance, singing, and walking on hot coals. It was a compact presentation so they could quickly move on to the next tour group, but I don't blame the commercialism because it was a win win - for the tourists to get a glimpse into their world and for them to earn a living doing it.  Constructing an animal trap  Traditional warrior dance  Showing us traditional medicine from plants and preparing the pit for walking on the coals  Adorable kiddies from the village  Traditional songs and an impromptu dance out front  This man seemed like a cool guy - he was the main presenter, so seemed like the leader of the village  2nd stop was a lovely stop at this river for a refreshing dip. Reminded us of Nymph Falls in Courtenay, BC  I didn't care how cold this water was, I definitely needed to cool off from the heat. My face was constantly sweating up until we headed for New Zealand - where I had some relief from the heat.  Who's bringing sexy baaack!?! lol  You the man baby!  Lovely spot with lush vegetation. It was a great place to cool off. Next up, lunch...  I forget the name of this hotel, but it was a nice, traditional lunch stop with a beautiful view  What a great spot for reflection and relaxation!  Next was this lovely lagoon. Craig enjoyed some monkeying around and jumping from the trees.  Thankfully, he didn't hurt himself and had some fun  Can you see the eel (or whatever the heck it is)? Gross! I actually went in the water AFTER seeing this - I'm so proud of myself! lol Later, when we were still in the lagoon, people started yelping that something was biting them. After that, I was done...time to move on! lol  The bus driver dropped a few of us off at the duty free shop near the ship where we took advantage of true duty free prices to buy some Australian Bundaberg rum. Normally, in Australia, the bottle we bought would be about $80 AUD, so Craig couldn't resist buying it at $21 AUD. We didn't really have the suitcase weight left, but he just had to bring some home for his buddies. It seems EVERYONE (probably the Australians) takes advantage of this duty free shop - we've never seen so many bottles collected - so many, they had to collect them on shore because it would have taken way too long on board to collect from everyone. January 28th - Luganville, Vanuatu Luganville is the 2nd largest city in Vanuatu (largest being Port Vila) We had another tour booked here (Mount Hope Waterfall tour) with Linda & Alan from Vancouver as well as Stu (became "Stuntman Stu" for the day) & Laura (Calgary) and Karen (Florida). Vanuatu, bless them, are not the best at organizing tours. Things all worked out well, but it was a little frustrating and to start. We didn't really know what we were in for. When we arrived at the tour office to pay for the excursion, there was pick-up truck with a canopy, but it soon disappeared and we were told they had to find another truck because the canopy was leaning and would have fallen on us! Geesh! So, we ended up in the back of this open pick-up truck. That doesn't seem like a problem, except we had to drive 1 hr, 45 mins in the back of this thing while cooking in the sun (over 30 ℃). And we're not talkin' good highways, it was on pot-hole ridden main roads followed by, what we would call a narrow, forest path. It was a little rough on our old bods, but lovely scenery and we were up for the adventure! We nearly got stuck in the mud at one point and I was thinking "I do NOT want to be stranded out here in the jungle of Vanuatu"! When we finally stopped at this little bridge and saw where we were going to enter the river, we were a wee bit concerned for our companions who were 80, 74, & 65 year old! It was an adventure just getting ourselves down into the water. Little did we know at the time, we would also have to climb up a waterfall at the end because it had rained a lot and the water was flowing fast.  The gang of adventurers  This was a cute little cave created to shelter the animals in bad weather (I believe).  Some vines imported during the World War are becoming a major concern for many of the islands of Vanuatu. Mile a minute (Mikania micrantha) and American rop (Merremia peltata) are suppressing regrowth of tree forests and cause loss of wildlife. They are trying to contain the invasive plants, but it seems like a losing battle. It looks beautiful as it creates a lush green canopy, but it's choking out all the other plants. I don't think the country has the resources to properly deal with this crisis. It's a real concern - what will become of these Vanuatu islands affected by this?  This is the kind of road we drove in on - out in the middle of the jungle with next to no developed area - and even the areas with some development were just rustic villages. It's amazing how simply some people live in other parts of the world. So long as they are happy and can provide for their families, I think it's wonderful to see untouched places like this still left in this world.  Then we arrived at the river - which was, in itself, an adventure just to get down to it.  Two of our guides up on the bridge - they were up there because they were going to do a flip down into the river  Refreshing, but awesome!  Say "hi" everyone!  There he goes! Good action shot with him still upside-down!  Loving this raw experience! Perhaps it was a little unsafe, but we all managed arrived back in one piece. Maybe a little tired and sore, but safe.  Craig and Stuntman Stu! ✌☮  Thoroughly enjoying ourselves in this fresh, natural river. I decided not to even think about what creatures might be in the river with us.  Then came a tricky part at the end where we had to traverse the raging river to then hike up a waterfall. We went one by one and the young guides (couldn't have been much more than 18 years old) had to grab us to get us to safety. When you think about it, they risk their lives daily for the tourists AND the life of those tourists is in their hands. All of us made it quite easily without incident until Laura. She came dangerously close to going further down river to another waterfall where she would have had a very scary adventure.  This is the Mount Hope waterfall we all had to climb up. It was no problem for us, but a few people in the group had to get a LOT of help to make it up.  This was Laura's near-death-experience. She said she honestly did see her life flash before her eyes as it was a little touch and go for a bit trying to get her across the fast-moving water. She was rescued and made it up the waterfall safely and then just as we thought she was good, her feet went out from underneath her and she fell hard on the rocks - she got a bit scraped up, but she was ok. What an adventure!  At least they had a rope to help us navigate up the waterfall  Beautiful spot, but the water was running much faster than usual due to heavy rainfall in the days prior to our adventure  Craig, despite the language barrier, managed to fully enjoy himself with the guides and became an 18-year old punk again on this tour  Proof the gang all survived and were still smiling!  Our light lunch afterwards of fresh fruit. The mangos were incredible!  You're in the jungle baby!  Craig bet the guide he could throw a coconut further than him - he was wrong, but had fun doing it anyway!  The road back to civilization January 29th - day @ sea We managed to snag some lounge chairs by the spa pool until lunch where we had a civilized meal in the dining room followed by a nap. We enjoyed another "Captain's circle" event (free drinks) where the 1st place cruiser had 2343 days of cruising under their belt! Holy moly! January 30th - Mystery Island, Vanuatu Inyeug Island, aka "Mystery Island", is a small, uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean. "Inyeug" means "Small Island" in a local language. I didn't have any expectations going in, but we loved it, despite it being a tourist trap. It's been developed solely for tourism, but it's been done up very well with craft booths, outhouses, massage areas and it has awesome snorkeling as well! The island was visited by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1974. The nickname "Mystery Island" was coined to generate more interesting headlines of the report of their visit.  It looks so tiny as the cruise ship approaches it, but it's a wonderful place to visit for a day! Actually, it would be cool to camp here. I know what you're thinking..."What? You, Kerry, a.k.a. "princess" would camp"? Yes, I think I would here⛺But, if they allowed that, it would ruin the island  More untouched beauty - hopefully all of us tourists don't ruin it. From the dock, we headed counter-clockwise around the island towards the end of the runway to do some snorkeling.  The random runway on this tiny island is there because of the neighboring island (Aneityum) just 1 km south. It is near this runway where we went snorkeling  Craig getting ready to go snorkeling - not too far from our ship  The snorkeling here was AMAZING! I figured out how to get some decent photos from my camera, but they still don't do it justice. We both agreed, this was our favorite spot ever for snorkeling - so much beauty and aquatic life.  His knee looks like it's close to hitting this coral, but it was not. So incredible! Loved it!  Craig, constantly pointing at things! 👈  Although the current was a little strong here, we absolutely loved the snorkeling here!   Again, I hope tourism doesn't ruin this coral reef, but I fear it's already started to  After enjoying snorkeling around for quite a while, we walked around the rest of the island. I just loved the path they created and the mangrove trees. All the natural beauty plus some conveniences for the tourists.  I really do love this shot of Craig in the mangrove trees with the shadows of the canopy above in the foreground!  I had to pay to do these shots. Yes, a total tourist trap, but they did a great job of posing me for these pictures! So kitchy, but I got into it!  I was doing a pretty good job of fending them off, but... they got me in the end!  Lol! January 31st - day @ rough seas We just played at the spa pool again, did some laps, had a nap and then enjoyed dinner followed by a singer at O'Maley's Pub, then hypnotist (lame) and even stayed up for the 10:15 comedian February 1st - day @ sea More lounging by the spa pool followed by afternoon tea where we sat with THE strangest woman we couldn't wait to get away from, so it wasn't the most enjoyable high tea, but still delicious! February 2nd - Return to Brisbane & get right back on for 14-night NZ cruise |
 | ||
Part IV: New Zealand cruise February 2nd - Embark in Brisbane (again) Once back aboard, we had to do a full muster station drill (not just the one on the app) because it needs to be done every 30 days. Weather conditions were poor with high winds. We were supposed to leave @ 4 pm, but we were unable to due to the windy weather and the narrow channel we had to sail through towards NZ. At 2 am, they reassessed the conditions and decided to proceed. It took us a while to actually get going, but somehow they made up the time to arrive at the next port as scheduled. February 3rd - day @ rough seas Possibly THE roughest seas we have ever experienced.
The pool was definitely a-rockin', and therefore closed for swimming. 2nd day at sea was still rough. February 4th - yet another rough day @ sea
People from NZ are affectionately known as "Kiwis" because of this little chick - their national icon - a flightless and nocturnal native bird - the Kiwi
I attended an information session about the Māori people of New Zealand, where I took a picture of the 2 photos (above). They are the indigenous Polynesian people of mainland NZ and are descended from East Polynesian settlers who arrived in NZ by canoe between roughly 1320 and 1350. Excerpt from wiki: Early contact between Māori and Europeans, starting in the 18th century, ranged from beneficial trade to lethal violence; Māori actively adopted many technologies from the newcomers. With the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, the two cultures coexisted for a generation. Rising tensions over disputed land sales led to conflict in the 1860s, and subsequent land confiscations, which Māori resisted fiercely. After the Treaty was declared a legal nullity in 1877, Māori were forced to assimilate into many aspects of Western culture. Social upheaval and epidemics of introduced disease took a devastating toll on the Māori population, which fell dramatically, but began to recover by the beginning of the 20th century. The March 2023 New Zealand census gives the number of people of Māori descent as 978,246 (19.6% of the total population), up from 18.5% in 2018. Of those identifying as Māori at the 2023 census, 366,015 people (41.2%) identified as of sole Māori ethnicity while 409,401 people (46.1%) identified as of both European and Māori ethnicity. February 5th - day @ not-as-rough seas, but still rocking February 6th - Auckland, NZ  from internet - picture of Katy Perry kissing the ground after returning from space - that's kinda how I felt too when the 3 days at sea were over between Brisbane and Aukland! Finally! Land! That's a rough stretch from Brisbane, Australia to Auckland, New Zealand! Not gonna lie, I was glad to get my feet back on solid ground.   "Genuine sheepskin nipple warmers" A little amusement while shopping around Auckland Height: 1076 feet Date completed: 1997 It took 2 years and 9 months to build and cost NZ$85 million to construct  It was a beautiful day to see the gorgeous views from the tower. Only I went up because it wasn't cheap $40 cdn) and Craig didn't care if he saw the views. I didn't stay too long though because there were just too many people up there for my liking. It didn't take long at all to get up, but I waited in line to get to the higher observation level - later wished I hadn't because it was the same view - duh.   
Not the most comfortable bench! lol
Views leaving Auckland
Bye bye Auckland!
February 7th - Tauranga, NZ    Surfers near Mt. Maunganui  On January 22, 2026, there was a deadly landslide on Mt. Maunganui triggered by heavy rainfall and claimed 6 lives. We were here on Feb. 7th. Our plan was to hike the mountain, but that was not possible because it was all roped off and access denied (for everyone's safety).      Moturiki Recreation Reserve      You look JUST like Daniel Craig coming out of the water in James Bond! February 8th - Napier, NZ      February 9th - Wellington, NZ It's known as "Windy Wellington", but it was a beautiful day when we were in town! We walked from the cruise ship to where the cable car was - It cost $6.50 nzd per person for the short trip up the hill that drops you off in a lovely park area. We then walked down through the botanical gardens and back to the ship. Back on the ship, Craig enjoyed watching the Superbowl on the big screen by the pool while I had some quiet time in the cabin.                 February 10th - Christchurch (Lyttel), NZ  Christchurch has seen it's fair share of natural disasters including the Feb. 22, 2011 earthquake that killed 185 people and caused widespread damage. Over half of the victims were from a 6-storey Cantebury Television building (CTV) which collapsed and caught fire. Following the earthquake, they created a rating system of assessing all homes and buildings. They would assign colors red, orange or green to each building. If you received a green card, you could move back in, if a red card, you could not even go back into the building to recover your personal belongings! Can you imagine? The devastation took years to recover from - it didn't help that there were all the aftershocks as well as significant liquefaction       The buildings were already weakened by the 2010 earthquake and its aftershocks. Significant liquefaction produced nearly 400,000 tons of silt. Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) was established to oversea the disaster and recovery. By October, 2012, more than 1000 buildings had been demolished with a "red zone" of 387 hectares. By June, 2013, reconstruction began. If it was determined that your home or business was a "red zone" property, you could not even return to the building to collect your personal belongings.  .jpg)    February 11th - Dunedin (Port Chalmers), NZ         A cute boathouse along the Otago Peninsula Harbour / MacAndrew Bay area of our tour                       February 12th - Fiordland National Park scenic cruising through a mostly inhabited part of NZ        February 13th - rough day @ sea I felt mildly sea sick today and slept or rested most of the day while Craig lounged by the pool February 14th - less rough day @ sea Seas were a little calmer with less wind and the air temperature was warmer for us to be out by the pools (which were open again). Went to our 3rd Captain's Circle event (free drinks baby)! Top 3 traveled guests 3rd - 1053 sea days 2nd - 1085 sea days 1st place - 2353 sea days (that's nearly 6.5 years)   Our awesome dining room staff, Patcha & Sakka (both from Thailand). After 33 days together, they felt like friends and we definitely enjoyed getting to know them.  February 15th - day @ sea Thanks to Craig's charm and charisma, an amazing staff member, with no prompting, gave us $1000 in future credit! Awesome! Thank you! February 16th - back to Brisbane - disembark the cruise ship after a total of 33 days!!!      Part V: February 17th - fly from Brisbane, Australia to Phnom Phen, Cambodia (via Manila) Brisbane - Manila (5800 km) Manila - Phnom Phen (1776 km)
I thought it was funny that the destination on the board just said "Cambodia", not the city in Cambodia Population: 2,425,800 in 2025 with a population density of 5700/km2 February 18th - in Phnom Phen   Our hotel - The Peninsula - was wonderful EXCEPT for the guy beside us who played very loud music until the wee hours of the morning          
Dinner with a view!
Strong drink!  February 19th - still in Phnom Phen   Choeung EK Genocidal Center is a site outside of Phenon Phen was used as a killing field between 1977 and 1979 by the Khmer Rouge to perpetrate the Cambodian genocide. This is a memorial stupa of over 5000 skulls of some of the victims. below is an excerpt from wiki: The bodies of 8,895 victims were exhumed from the site after the fall of the Rouge (but it is estimated over 20,000 were killed here), who would have been executed there—typically with pickaxes to conserve bullets—before being buried in mass graves. It is the best-known of the approximately 300 Killing Fields, where the Khmer Rouge regime collectively executed over one million people as part of their Cambodian genocide between 1975 and 1979, as has been called the "Auschwitz of Asia"   Next stop: The Genocide museum  Discipline of the Security 1. You must answer according to my questions. Don't turn them away. 2. Don't try to hide the fact by making excuses about this or that. You are strictly prohibited to contradict me. 3. Don't pretend to be ignorant as you are a chap who dares to thwart the revolution. 4. You must answer my questions immediately without wasting time to reflect. 5. Don't go on about your minor mistakes or infringements. 6. While getting lashes or electrification you must absolutely not scream or cry out. 7. Do nothing, sit still and wait for my orders. If there is no order, keep quiet and when I tell you to do something, you must do it right away without protesting. 8. Don't make pretext about Kampuchea Krom in order to hide your secrets or your betrayals. 9. If you don't scrupulously follow all of the above rules, you shall get many lashes or electric shocks. - for every infringement, 10 lashes or 5 shocks      It is, at this point, after visiting the killing fields and the genocide museum, that we went to lunch. Not the best timing, but the mango-chicken dish was so fresh and delicious. I ate my meal that day with extra gratefulness and a heavy heart  This original palace was largely demolished and rebuilt between 1912 and 1932.          February 20th - Drive (in a comfortable vehicle with a driver) to Battambang, Cambodia (296 km) & after lunch, head out on a tour
They sure know how to pile stuff onto a vehicle!                Craig wouldn't try it, but I did - just a teeny bit. When I didn't finish it, our guide grabbed it from me and finished it off. It just tastes similar to chicken. It wasn't bad, it was more the thought of what I was eating rather than the taste of it! 🐀       Lots of monkeys around...they didn't bother us, but apparently they can be quite naughty and aggressive. Love the expression on his face.
The beautiful rock carvings of a buddha ... we didn't know it at the time, but this is where we'd come back to see the bats come out of the cave to feed
At the Phnom Sampov complex, we saw the "killing fields" earlier and now this is the "killing cave" ... another site where the Khmer Rouge tortured and killed Cambodians. They would just throw them into this deep cave
Some of the skulls of the poor souls who perished at this site. This area is just a short distance away in the cave from where they threw them in
Aunt Judy...this was a beauty with the most incredible green eyes. I didn't quite capture the eyes, but you get the idea
A beautiful stupa at the Phnom Sampov complex area
We were here for sunset, but didn't realize we needed to climb up on some very sharp rocks to do so - glad we're still able to do those things. It was a lovely sunset and then we made our way back down the mountain - back to where the buddha is carved into the rock - for the bats coming out of their cave to feed
Sunset from the sharp rocks
More cats for you AJ...although these ones were in need of some nourishment
This was a totally new experience for us! I knew we were going to see the bats at sunset, but did not know what to expect. At first, it was just a few bats and we were like "ok, cool, let's go", but then they started the mass exodus and let me tell you, it was VERY impressive and quite the sight to see! Hopefully you can see this video of the bats exiting the cave at sunsetFebruary 21st - Drive to Siem Reap, Cambodia (172 km, but took over 3 hours) Via VERY cramped "luxury" bus - Craig & I, plus our 2 Mexican-American companions from the day before had the back 4 seats in the bus (not all seats are created equal for the price) and it was SO uncomfortable for 3+ hours. If we were 4 small Cambodians, probably would be great, but 4 large people...let's just say that I had to sit leaning forward for the whole time. Not impressed. However, once we arrived, none of that mattered and we were excited to spend some time in Seim Reip and see the famous Angkor Wat (temple). The night we arrived we booked massages at the hotel. Craig enjoyed his, but I was in worse shape (soreness wise) than I was before! I was sore for days and it felt like she reorganized my organs! Sadly, that meant no more massages for me in Seim Reip - I needed to recover - but I did have other services instead, of course! Duh! February 22nd - Siem Reap, Cambodia   Angkor ("city or kingdom") Wat "temple". We started our 2nd day in Seim Reip bright and early to catch sunrise at Angkor Wat. Was it worth starting a tour at 4:30 am? Yes, absolutely! What's one early wake up? It was such a peaceful tuk tuk drive to the temple, located not far from the city centre. I had to do some creative editing to block out the hoards of tourists, but honestly, it didn't feel that bad because people spread out at this sprawling complex. Yearly, over 2.5 million tourists visit this site.  My handsome model husband  The sun finally peaking up beside the temple's prang     Beautiful carvings, called Apsara (celestial dancers)  The sheer scale of this temple complex is very impressive and, for now at least, they allow us to walk almost everywhere  Amazing architecture and quite well preserved!  Peek-a-boo! So interesting, and probably unsafe. Some sites we visited in Cambodia seemed like huge rocks could fall on us at any minute! We visited several temples on this early morning tour that started at 4:30 am and ended about 11 am (6.5 hours). Our guide / tuk tuk driver (Geko) was awesome and had cold water and frozen facecloths for us (I took full advantage of these - they were soaked in a Cambodian green tea that was very refreshing). Forgive me, I may mix up the temples in the pictures, but in this 6.5-hour tour we saw: 1. Angkor Wat 2. Bayon Temple 3. Ta Prohn temple complex - the one with the trees overtaking the temple ruins 4. Takeo Temple After the tour we had lunch and then Craig had a 2-hour massage while I had a facial and 1/2 of a wrap (there was a scheduling mix-up, so I ended up not paying for the wrap as well as getting a free 60 min. service for free!  Bayon Temple - a 12th century Khmer temple  I feel so small next to these temples - which, when you compare to some ancient temples, are very well preserved. I can imagine it costs a LOT of money to keep these temples standing   Ta Prohm is a 12th-century Buddhist temple known for its ruins overgrown by trees and its appearance in the film Laura Croft: Tomb Raider in 2001.  It's beautiful with the trees, but you know it's ruining the ruins with the roots  Amazing how strong the trees seem despite their root system being like mangrove trees growing over the ancient temples   February 23rd - Siem Reap, Cambodia We did another tour with Geko + sunset on Mountain temple followed by a 2-hour massage for Craig and facial/wrap for me.
            Ta Som Temple
 Preah Khan Temple  Preah Khan Temple I thought this was a cool pic showing how close the walls are together  Preah Khan Temple - we had this guard chat with us and guide us to take this picture. Yes, he was expecting a little kick-back, and yes, we provided one. We appreciated it despite the fact that he was not supposed to be doing that  Can't resist a good "mama & baby" animal pic  Phnom Bakheng Temple - We hiked up quite along distance up a mountain just to catch sunset at the top, but, in my opinion, it was not worth the effort as there were a TON of people up here and the sunset was just "ok".  February 24th - Siem Reap, Cambodia $2 city tour with banyon trees + old night market and Pub Street for dinner     Can't get enough of this delicious and inexpensive food in Cambodia! February 25th - Siem Reap, Cambodia Hired a tuk tuk off the street who took us to the botanical gardens and hero rats (get their own passports, are named, do work in early morning due to heat and have sunscreen applied on their ears and tails Dinner @ Jungle Burger (owned by a Kiwi) and then wandered around the night markets. Craig bought a cross body bag
          Awesome night markets in Seim Reap - LOTS of shopping to be done if you have room in your suitcase to do so?!? February 26th - Siem Reap, Cambodia We heard from our builder and our new house closing date is now in June (instead of August), so that's exciting! We also had to approve kitchen designs with the final measurements - comparing from one phone to the other - not easy Leisurely morning, went to pool, but were kicked out when they had to spray for mosquitoes. Had lunch in 3 stages - $1usd beer followed by $0.50 beer and $0.75 beer and food then night market pizza for dinner on Pub Street. When we walked back, we saw our laundry drying on the street and ladies of the night Cheap food and drink ($10 usd for a meal for 2 including a beer), cheap massages, cheap tuk tuks, millions of scooters and friendly people who are just trying to make a living Part VI: February 27th - Fly to Manila, Philippines (1854 km) Arrived late, went straight to bed, but it was a really noisy area - so much traffic noise February 28th - fly to Coron, Philippines (298 km) Tiny airport and small town. SO many tourists. We booked an all-day tour for the next day - island hopping. We stayed at a very lovely resort called "The Funny Lion". Highly recommend it if you are able to afford the room cost.   The Funny Lion in Coron - we were really impressed with this placed. Although it seems simple in the picture, it was actually quite awesome
The night we arrived happened to be their special buffet night, so we reserved a table by the pool and really enjoyed the experience. March 1st - Coron, Philippines "ultimate tour" island hopping in a group   You cannot deny the beauty of the scenery. If there weren't so many of us tourists (yes, we are part of the problem), it would be so peaceful and heavenly  "Go between lagoons through the cave" they said...geesh! It was not an enjoyable experience because there was no crowd control of the flow of traffic (back and forth), so it got a little crazy and then I had to lean back (like Craig, seen here in pic above) over the hard kayak seat while we went under. I should have just got out of the kayak and swam through! As you can see, there wasn't much clearance AND the rocks were incredibly jagged and sharp. Some guy kept telling me "don't touch the rocks" (because they're sharp), but shit, I'd rather cut my hand on them than my face or body.
The water...so incredible! Everyone else went for a little hike to a lagoon, so we just stayed back and were nearly the only ones in this lagoon. Good choice!
Cool limestone walls of the lagoon
The lunch spread for us on the boat
A great time was had by all!
Craig trying to balance on the end of our boat! Look at that water! So beautiful it almost looks like a pool!
Yup, better if you lie down! Harder to fall off that way
Awesome snorkeling spot! Again, had camera issues, but managed to get somewhat decent photos
Just before our guide took a video...he had a rice cloth with rice in it and was squeezing it to get the fish to swim all around us Our guide took this awesome video...I had to trim it to fit on the blog...hopefully you can open it.
Awesome, clear & refreshing water March 2nd - Coron, Philippines   March 3rd - Coron, Philippines  March 4th - fly to El Nido, Philippines (124 km)  Look at the scenery from the sky! Probably the nicest airplane pictures we've ever taken. Beautiful!   This was hilarious! It'll fit! You didn't have much choice from the tiny El Nido airport - and all tuk tuks (or tri-bikes) were the same size, so...we can make it fit! Two large suitcases, 2 backpacks, us two squeezed into a little seat and the driver! Incredible we made it there with all that weight & just a motorcycle engine!  Awesome views of Bacuit Bay in El Nido from "Piece of Sky" restaurant in the "H Hotel". We enjoyed this spot so much, we ate here twice. the high-end tour company "Mad Good" was not available, so we booked the regular tour.  March 5th - El Nido, Philippines          The little lagoon area we crawled through the rock to was a little crowded and mirky, but still cool!  I said "go stand in the crack"...he wasn't impressed  The tour boats and Craig posing for a pic on the bow  So many photo opportunities, hard to pick just one  That rock just seems like a giant plunked it there. Just loved the scenery and the water. A beautiful day despite the many tourists  My supermodel husband!  Hold...it...just a little longer!  This guy was like a mini kimono dragon...not sure exactly what he was, but it was cool!  So grateful for the opportunity to see this beautiful part of the world   We did a little exploring in the kayak  Wouldn't try to climb those rocks! Sharp!  We had an hour at this beach...I walked around a little and Craig took a little nap. The blue roped off area is where NOT to lay because coconuts would fall down on your head  Another fantastic meal and view from Piece of Sky Restaurant March 6th - El Nido, Philippines  We took a tuk tuk to Vanilla Beach to enjoy some down time, swim and catch a sunset before heading back to the hotel  Craig taking some time to show his guns & cool off at this beautiful beach  Believe it or not, I did not partake in the ziplining (from island to beach - you can just make out some people on the zipline cable).  This was sad...he was alive, but people had to physically move him back from the water because he was passed-out drunk and would probably have drowned. Even after they moved him, he just lay there with his face in the sand  It was worth staying for the beautiful sunset!  Time to leave this beautiful beach  That night we hit the night food market (steps from our hotel - which seemed to be the hub of all the action and the NOISE!). You just pick your food and they'll cook it for you on the grill and you eat it right there on the street  Delicious and affordable   This seemed to pop up every night - a favorite for locals and tourists alike. Unfortunately, this market as well as the community centre were INCREDIBLY loud at night for us. There were basketball games with loud announcers and one night, a concert that lasted until 6 am! No noise by-laws in this country. March 7th - Drive to Puerto Princesa, Philippines (269 km drive) We had a private driver, so this drive wasn't bad, but once we arrived there, we heard the underground river wasn't a great experience, so we kind of went there for no reason, but we already had flights from there, so we made the most of our experience (as we always do). We mostly enjoyed our stay at the Canvas Boutique Hotel. The food wasn't great, but the room was decent and the pool area relaxing. March 8th - Puerto Princesa, Philippines  We went down to the bay walk area in Puerto Princessa, walked around a bit and then enjoyed a delicious seafood dinner  March 9th - fly to Manila, Philippines (594 kms)
We ended the vacation in Manila on a high note staying at the swanky Admiral Hotel Manila MGallery  Another great rooftop pool with a view  Ruby Wong restaurant secret entrance   March 10th - 2nd day in Manila, Philippines  Fort Santiago - Manila - this citadel was originally built in 1571
 Wherever we go, I always have to get this shot in the little guard houses  Again, be grateful for the way we live in Canada  Manila Cathedral originally constructed in 1571  San Augustin Church was completed in 1607 and designated a World Heritage site in 1993 March 11th - Fly back to Canada Manila, Philippines → Vancouver, BC (10,547 km) → Ottawa (3539 km) Total travel mileage: Ottawa - Toronto = 365 km Toronto - Dallas = 1930 km Dallas - Nadi (Fiji) = 10600 km Nadi (Fiji) - Brisbane (Australia) = 2709 km Brisbane - Manila (Philippines) = 5800 km Manila - Phnom Pehn (Cambodia) = 1776 km Phnom Pehn - Battambang (Cambodia) = 296 km (drive) Battambang - Siem Reap (Cambodia) = 172 km (drive) Siem Reap - Manila (Philippines) = 1864 km Manila - Coron (Palawan Island in Philippines) = 298 km Coron - El Nido (still Palawan Island) = 124 km El Nido - Puerto Princessa City (Palawan) = 269 km (drive) Puerto Princessa city - Manila = 294 km Manila - Vancouver (Canada) = 10547 km Vancouver - Ottawa (Canada) = 3539 km |
.jpg)
The day after arriving back home we had to get the house ready for sale. Stuff went into storage, cleaning was done, staging and photographs. All that hard work and winter decided to stick around for another month, so to say the market is slow is an understatement, but once Spring truly arrives and all this war nonsense ends, we know things will work out.
Usually this is the point where I say where we're going next, but we have absolutely nothing booked at the moment. We'll concentrate on the house stuff first and then Craig will get planning our next winter adventure.
Sorry this post is SO long, but it was a little over 2 months and we did a LOT in that time.
Cheers until next time!
