Team Salazar World Cruise 2019

Our first port in Australia was Sydney, arriving later than when we were here in 2016, around 9:30 a.m.   Although the region has been populated as early as 30,000 years ago, Sydney was officially established in 1778 as a British colony for convicts.   Sydney is located on Australia’s southeast coast on the Pacific Ocean in a coastal basin with the Hawkesbury River to the North and the Blue Mountains to the West.   It is the state capital of New South Wales and is one of the largest ports in the South Pacific.   Population is approximately 2.8 million people.   English is the main language and currency is the Australian Dollar (AUD).   I received 125 AUD for $100.00 US.    There is a tradition onboard the Pacific Princess (and perhaps other ships as well) to have the Princess Choir sing on deck as we enter Sydney Harbour with the magnificent Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge as a backdrop.   They’re called the “Bathroom Brigade” and I remember in 2016, the singing

Port Chalmers is located in the southeast area of the South Island on the Otago Peninsula in New Zealand.   It is located approximately 7 ½ miles from Dunedin, the actual destination most people visited in this area.   We had taken an excursion last time we were here and really didn’t want to do another so we took a nice walk around Port Chalmers, which, at first glance, is quite a tiny place.   When I started thinking, “What am I going to write about?” I didn’t think I had much to say but after sorting through our photos, they brought back some interesting memories.   Upon arrival, we were having breakfast in the Panorama Buffet overlooking the dock which had hundreds of cargo containers waiting for who knows what.   Well, at first, you might say, “So, what’s the big deal about that?”   We actually sat and watched men get into these huge vehicles that lifted the containers up and move them around the storage area.   When I get home, I’m going to ask our friend Dave what the pu