Blue Planet Journey

Bora Bora, French Polynesia, as photographed from space ( NASA Photo ID: ISS006-E-39822 ). Our last stop in French Polynesia was Bora Bora . For the GIs who were stationed here during WWII, it must have been hard to leave! Today, the economic driver is tourism so, as with Mo'orea, a ship with 3000+ guests is a big deal (the population estimate in 2017 in Bora Bora was a bit past 10000). Over email, we had arranged a 2-tank dive with Eleuthera Bora Diving Center .  This company is not as big as the "big dog" in the region ( TopDive ), so their niche is superior service with small groups.  We had 3 divers on our boat (Caroline, Ginny Aldrich, and me), p lus instructor Max. Max had a peculiar accent, and he had us guess his nationality.  We were all wrong.  He is French, but lived in Australia for a number of years.  So his English is French-Aussie! But... let me back up.  We arrived on the dock (tender lifeboats again) about an hour...

Mo'orea!  This island in French Polynesia is only 11 miles from Tahiti.  About 17,000 people live here, which makes the arrival of a ship carrying 3000 guests a big deal.  Clearly, French Polynesia is the preferred location for those magazine shots of romantic cabins over the water, although no one mentions that boats can buzz by and peer within (we did). The topography is dramatic, as erosion has been working on this extinct volcano for 2 million years.  And the circling fringing reef inspired Charles Darwin, looking down at Mo'orea from a mountain on Tahiti,  to hypothesize a process for the formation of coral atolls. NASA Photo ID: ISS006-E-39837. One day isn't enough to even begin exploring these islands.  Since we had gone tramping in Tahiti, it was time to explore the water.  With friends Carla and Michael, we booked a lagoon excursion through Albert Transport.  This was to include 2 snorkels, 1 with sharks and rays, an...

We made some adjustments today.  First, we said goodbye to our number 1 daughter, Katelin, as she left to rejoin Elan and his family in Colorado Springs.  Katelin, enjoy the transition from 2 weeks of temperatures in the 80s or above to below freezing! Second, we moved from Darling Harbour to Bondi Beach.  New Years Eve in Sydney is a BIG DEAL.  The fireworks over the Sydney Harbour Bridge cost millions, and the best places to view this spectacle cost money.  I heard that a basic ticket for a seat to the show at the Sydney Opera House costs $750 AUD.  What I do know is that our apartment rental rate increased 300% for tonight, so we moved on to Bondi for an Airbnb.  We’ll be here 2 nights before catching a ferry to the cruise ship, the Celebrity Solstice .  Unfortunately, I doubt that we’ll be able to stay up until midnight to see the fireworks.  Caroline and I have already gone for a 5 mile run, a 20 minute swim, and a 6 mile walk ...