September 21, 2025

We timed our visit to JIUFEN to arrive for sunset, to avoid the heat and crowds! We pulled up just as sky was unfolding!

JIUFEN, TAIWAN is a former gold mining town south of KEELUNG along the coast. It's famous for its narrow lantern lined streets, traditional tea houses and scenic mountain and ocean views. It was inspiration for the 2001 animated film Spirited Away.  It was a perfect date night  to wander, shop and have a nice dinner, over looking the hills down to the ocean. We were blessed with a nice  breeze and cooler air swirling up from ocean. Luckily the crowds were disappearing as we got there, because the streets are really narrow and lined with shops on both sides. Friends had been here days before and complained how packed the streets during daytime.This is known as the number one day trip for visitors in Taipei.

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There were a lot of food shops but also some interesting crafts and specialty shops. I found a very unique purse in one of the first few shops, excited to show it in an upcoming blog. We also tried about 10 different seafood jerky's and bought a bag of fish jerky!

Dinner - you guessed it - more dumplings! At this nice tea house perched on the side of the hill looking out over valley to ocean.

Everytown has got to have a Shrine or Temple - this one was nestled in at the top, of the hill. The shops all close down around 8 pm and then 2 trucks start at the bottom of the narrow street and drive up the steep hill, with lots of honks and waving to get out of the path and they stop in front of he shops, to pick up first their trash and then recyclables. Good time to head back to the ship!

MAGNETIC ISLAND - KOALA'S

By Patricia Patrick • February 15, 2026
We got up at 6:45am to get to National Park Forts Walk trail in the hope of seeing koalas . Prior walkers mark trails with tree branches pointing in the direction of their sighting and we were luck enough to see 3 markers in our first hour of hiking. It is so stinking hot and humid the success we had made it bearable. The koala population on the island started with 20 brought over in 1930, to escape fur hunters. Today, the island boast 800 to 1000, and they are so cute and drowsy. They need 20 hours of sleep a day! The early morning is when they are the most active.

MAGNETIC ISLAND, AUSTRALIA

By Patricia Patrick • February 14, 2026
Just off the coast of Townsville, Australia is a special little island (that used to be part of mainland, hundreds of thousands years ago). The island was formed by molten granite that was pushed to the earth's surface with volcanic force.Over time the volcanic overlay weathered away leaving an extraordinary landscape of rounded domes and boulders, many as big as a house and spectcularly perched. Over Seventy Percent of the center of the Island is a National Park. There is lots of wildlife here too - koalas, rock wallabies, snakes & birds.

CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA

By Patricia Patrick • February 14, 2026
This is my third time in CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA and I really enjoy how walkable, clean and charming it is. The waterfront esplanade and lagoon area is a nice walk day or night. We had 2 nights here in the waterfront Shangri La Marina Hotel while waiting for the Ship to arrive and then 2 additional days in Port.