Izzy's First Real Christmas

We spent last Christmas in Sydney with Isabel, but being just three months old, it was more of a celebration for us rather than her.  But now twelve months on she was old enough to know that something was going on.

She came to visit us for the twelve days prior to Christmas,and we really enjoyed having her. Her parents arrived on Christmas Eve and we had a wonderful Christmas Day. Just watching her opening all the presents reminded us just what Christmas use to be like when our girls were young.

It does look like a "Cabbage Catch Kid".

Christmas dinner was fun too.

The Fjords of New Zealand

Years ago back in the 60's I had the wonderful experience of walking the Milford Track. From Lake TeAnua to Milford Sound.  It was a great walk and over the last years I have read and seen photos of the walk that can now be done into Doubtful Sound. Only two ways into Doubtful Sound, either by foot or by boat. Well the foot part is now well and truly beyond Poo and I so when we saw a last minute deal on a balcony cabin we decided to go for it. And to sail through Dusty Sound was an added bonus. So a flight to Sydney and we were on our way. A lovely ship, the American Celebrity Line, the ship being Celebrity Century.

   Our first stop was Hobart, and oh what a surprise, what should be at the berth beside us but our favorite ship.The Akademik Shokalskiy, our home away from home on both our Antarctic and Arctic voyages. We truly love this little ship, and what we would have given to have been sailing off on her. The large liners may have all the bells and whistles and may be some people's idea of cruising, but no, that little ship to us beats them all. We talked to the crew, she was off to Mawsons Hut. Lucky people. So apt, a photo of our two ships with Mawsons Rememberance in the foreground.

So it was a very enjoyable twelve days. We enjoyed the rest of the ports but it was the Fjords we had gone to see. Another off the list.