January 11, 2026
Tahuata Chief and Viv ( one of our New Zealand Residents) discussing language similarities, after his greeting with horn.
I missed the cultural greeting the locals on Tahuata gave a bunch of our residents. Which was impressive because they just got notice about an hour before we arrived. We had to sail by Hiva Oa because the swells in the harbor were too high for our ship to safely tender us into their port. The next day the same weather made tendering into Fatu Hiva too dicey, so we went back to Nuku Hiva's sheltered cove. Regardless, we still got to see so much of these gorgeous islands! Highly recommend the trip here.
Below are 2 teens who were doing a fun TikTok dance and they invited me to join them when we were hanging out in port. So sweet!
I love a good architectural tour and even though I did this one last time I was here, the story is so interesting, I decided to do again. Plus they are always updates and changes in operations at the Sydney Opera House . This tour didn't disappoint - I saw new theater spaces and gained new insights to the story of it's construction from concept in 1958, to it's opening in 1973. The drama that played out for Danish architect Jorn Utzon , who won the commission out of 300 submissions and never got to seen the final building.He was fired by local politician, in election year, when project was grossly over budget and schedule. The building is an engineering marvel and I love so many of the details!
I love to get to know an interesting neighborhood when visiting a big city. Newtown is a creative, fun and slightly edgy area in Sydney known for its' preserved Victorian architecture, street art and it's lively, friendly food and bar scene. There is lots of live music, quirky bars (they call hotels) and the population there is the largest LGBTQ community in Sydney. It's young and vibrant with the University of Sydney right there. Great if you want a place with personality over polish!
Sailing into Sydney Harbor is one of those iconic moments that will stand out in my memories for this adventure! Sydney is one of a few natural harbors, worldwide, like San Francisco , known for its sparkling waters, landmark sights, spectacular events and hundreds of miles of shoreline.