March 18, 2026

DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND was a quick 25 minute ride inland from the Port of Chalmers. We were going to take the bus, when fellow Resident Theresa, offered us a ride, as she had to return her rental car. This allowed us to make a stop along the way at Baldwin Street.

Baldwin Street, Dunedin, NZ claims to be the Steepest Street in the World, per Guinness Book of Records. But the documentation is a bit fuzzy. Regardless, it is an impressive incline. I ended up chatting to one of the most well known residents of Baldwin Street,  Dave Kernahan, pictured below. He told me he has used the hill as his personal training secret since 2000 - he runs up and down the street 30 times almost every day - a total of more than 10 Kilometers. He is now in his 70's and in great shape. 

Next, Theresa dropped us at the Historic Dunedin Railway Station. It was built in from 1904 to 1907, one of NZ's most photographed buildings famous for it's dramatic black and white stone ( sourced locally) fascade and intricate mosaic tile floors inside. The NZ architect was George Troup.

Next we wandered the downtown, leisurely shopping and sight seeing. Sherrie, Holly and I were enjoying the sunshine and camaraderie as we strolled a variety of arts and goods for a couple of hours. We ended at Woolworth's grocery store where we each stocked up, before calling for an uber to take us back to the Ship.

By Pat Patrick April 23, 2026
We met up with the Ship in Timor Leste or East Timor, one of the youngest countries in the World . This sovereign state just gained their independence on May 20, 2002 from prior Portuguese rule (1515 until 1975) and Indonesian occupation (1975 until 1999). The Ship was anchored off the coastal town of Dili, the capital city with a population of roughly 1.4 million.
By Pat Patrick April 23, 2026
I know people laugh when I say we took a vacation from the Ship , they view this whole amazing voyage as a vacation! But the reality is the Ship is my home now, and almost everybody loves a vacation away from home, to unwind and recharge! So my life on the Odyssey, is not that different. I really appreciated my two weeks away at Eco Cove Resort , on Yeben Island in Raja Ampat, Indonesia !
By Pat Patrick April 19, 2026
I got to do 14 dives and 5 snorkel trips over our two weeks at Eco Cove Resort. I feel much more confident and comfortable diving, practice does truly help! Eco has these t-shirts that list all their Resort excursions - we made a nice dent in all of them and it's hard to pick a favorite!