May 9, 2014, To Sydney!

Our adventure this time is to explore Australia and New Zealand over the next 4 weeks (28 days). Jim and I started our journey yesterday, May 8th (I'm writing this in the plane) with a long flight to Sydney. We will arrive at 6 am this morning, where I will finally have internet (May 10th). I am sooo missing the internet! Our friends, Clyde and Krim's journey will start tomorrow morning and they will arrive in Auckand, New Zealand late in the evening on May 10th. Jim and I will have a day to play in Sydney and will fly the next day to meet up with Clyde and Krim in Auckland. We would have perferred to fly together, but it just worked out better this way, us using our United points for First Class with a direct out of LAX, and them leaving from Sacramento with a hub through Hawaii. So, I will write about our adventure in Global First Class and Clyde and Krim can share their adventures not in Global First Class tomorrow when we meet back up.

Do I feel bad about Global First Class and our freinds not here with us? Yes, but as I've dined on steak with fine Bordeaux wine, I'm also reminded of all those miss connects and mechanical cancellations and finally getting to our destination city in the wee hours of the morning and having to work the next day with only 4 hours of sleep. We've endured a lot over the years to accumulate those points. I remember getting the last sorry room at a hotel and trying to survive a well smoked in room. I'm also reminded of not being at family events or not being there where most parents were, just because we were booked for engagements far ahead of knowing of an event. A global "sorry" to all our family and freinds. That being said, I might have to take a break from this blog to eat an omelet which is surely coming soon. Oh, and it just came!!

BTW, the ONLY thing I dislike about flying United is the general lack of or spotty internet service. Other carriers do a much better job. There was NO internet service on this 14 hour flight. I have not been without internet that long since our days in the Amazon. This part was pure torture. I needed internet (which I thought for sure we would have) to finish my pictures of all the areas we are going to. There must be a syndrome for the panic attack that came on me when there was no WiFi connection once we reached the magical 10k mark after takeoff. Life goes on, but it's an awakening on how much the internet has changed our lives.
Overview of our itinerary:

• May 12th Auckland City: The wine begins! We take a ferry to Waiheke Island for a private winery and food tour. The 35 square foot island is dotted with not only wineries but also shops and galleries that sell local artists creations. This will definately be a Tipsy day...we actually have quite a few Tipsy Days...

• May 13th Rotorua. Rotorua is filled with fascinating but very strange geothermal stuff. This is definately a Hot Day!

• May 14th, Waitomo Caves, more very beautifully strange stuff

• May 15th, flight to Queenstown, South Island
• May 16th, Scenic flight/cruise into Milford Sounds/Fiordland National Park
• May 17th, Trip to Glenorchy
• May 18th, day trip central Otago (private winery tour and 4WD heritage safari)
• May 19th, Mt Cook (Helicopter flight and landing on Glacier Ice). Yip, this will be a High Day. This will be a very special day, as I have brought my father along again and will leave some of him on top of the glacier.
• May 20th, Lake Tekapo – Christchurch (Akaroa Peninsula)
• May 21st, fly to Sydney; early afternoon Bridge Climb. Krim and Clyde went to YouTube and pulled up some videos of the Bridge Climb. After watching, they were definately OUT. But...then I talked them into doing it. Tickets purchased and there is no turning back (yip, the tickets were pricey). This will be a High Day...
• May 22nd, tour of Sydney with a sail boat ride in the harbor
• May 23rd, Blue Mountain hiking tour
• May 24th, fly to Adelaide (wine country)
• May 25th, tour of Barossa Valley
• May 26th, fly to Cairns
• May 27th, Daintree Wanderer Tour
• May 28th, Great Barrier Reef with drop off at Bedarra Island Resort, these will all be Hot Days!
• May 29th - 31st, Rest and relax. (Clyde and Krim return to Sydney for the World Rotary meeting)
• June 1st, Jim and I leave the Island and spend the night in Cairns
• June 2nd, Jim and I fly back to Sydney
• June 3rd, Hunter Valley wine tour...Tipsy Day
• June 4th, Open day so far
• June 5th, Fly home..

So, here we go again, Hot, High and Tipsy! We have enabled comments this time around and looking forward to hearing from you all.
Cheers! Tina, Jim, Clyde and Krim....

We have landed and I have internet again...yippeeee

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