Cruising to the 7th Continent

With my newfound friends gathered around me, I celebrated my 70th birthday. Joy, Barbara, and Cansi sang Happy Birthday to me as the wait staff joined in and presented me with a slice of chocolate cake.

I am sailing on the Royal Princess on my 70th birthday. My dream was to reach my seventh continent by the age of 70, and I am completely wrapped up in the charm and beauty of New Zealand and Australia.

I met my new friends and several other wonderful passengers at the singles and solos meeting. My plans didn’t start as a solo cruiser, but circumstances have a way of squelching even the best-laid plans.

Royal Princess can accommodate 3,560 passengers with 1,346 crew members. The atmosphere is calm, and the décor is tasteful.

There is a lot to do onboard, including the usual pool, spa, sports court and jogging track, driving range and putting green, fitness centre, casino, Movies Under the Stars, a Watercolour Fantasy fountain and light show, and plenty of entertainment.

The dining options are excellent. Reservations are easy to make, and the selection of included and specialty dining is extensive.

The rooms are tastefully decorated with subdued colours and lots of storage space for possessions. Cabins range from 160 square feet for inside rooms to 300 square feet for mini-suites.

As beautiful as the ship is, and as friendly and professional as the crew, I was eager to explore the ports of call.

New Zealand

A mist was in the air as we gathered for a New Zealand Indigenous ceremony. A young boy approached our group with a kind of strut or dance, shouting words in the Māori language and brandishing a spear.

Our interpreter explained that the boy was asking if we came in peace and offering a token gift. Our designated “chief” (a man in our group) returned the tokens as a gesture of goodwill.

Next, we gathered in a sacred meeting house. An older woman, a middle-aged man with symbolic tattoos on his face, and the boy explained many of the tribe’s beliefs and customs, including the face tattoos that illustrate the bearer’s heritage.

Our excursion continued to a Māori immersion school. Here, high school students performed dances and explained additional customs.

My Indigenous education continued in Wellington at Te Papa, New Zealand’s national museum, where I learned about the Polynesian journey to New Zealand and Māori history.

Another highlight of my Wellington excursion was the Wellington Cable Car, which dates back to the late 1800s and takes visitors from the city’s heart to a grand view of downtown and the harbour.

I also enjoyed Dunedin, our next port, where I saw the world’s steepest street, the glorious 162-year-old botanical garden, and Olveston Historic Home.

The house, built for businessman, collector, and philanthropist David Theomin, his wife Marie, and their two children, Edward and Dorothy, is open for tours and offers a glimpse into the wealth of the last century.

Intended for future generations to enjoy, those plans faltered when both Theomin children died without heirs. Surviving the deaths of her father, mother, and elder brother, Dorothy lived at Olveston until she passed away in 1966. She willed the house and its original contents to the City of Dunedin.

I always appreciate excellent guides. A young woman showed us around the lavish rooms, including the dining room, living room, and parlour, before leading us upstairs to the bedrooms and the billiards room.

As a final farewell to New Zealand, we sailed through Fiordland National Park.

The park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, spans mountain ranges, dense forests, and alpine lakes. Covering 3.1 million acres in the southwest corner of the South Island, it is by far the largest of New Zealand’s 14 national parks.

The day began with rain and fog. The fiords appeared black and white until the sun broke through, revealing beautiful greens and blues. Water crashed down the cliffs, forming waterfalls.

Standing on my stateroom balcony, I admired the beauty as the ship slowly passed this natural paradise.

Australia

Tasmania always makes me think of the Tasmanian Devil. I saw one with its distinctive white V across its chest at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. Here, animals are rehabilitated and set free into the wild. Those that cannot fend for themselves live out their lives in comfort.

Take Fred, a 110-year-old sulphur-crested cockatoo. Our guide said his owner raised him from a chick and asked the sanctuary to care for him after the owner’s death. This spry bird proves that being a certain age shouldn’t stop you from living life to the fullest.

When I set out on my Melbourne excursion, I didn’t know it would be a foggy day. We took a two-hour motorcoach ride to a park high above the city for what should have been spectacular views and gardens.

Fog blocked every view, but the gardens were lovely in their mist-shrouded dress. We also had free time to shop and explore a mountain village.

Sydney was the end of my cruise, but not the end of my adventure.

A lifelong dream of mine was to see a platypus.

I caught a ferry from Circular Quay to Taronga Zoo.

I was in the nocturnal house, nearing the exit and thinking I had missed the animal, when I suddenly saw it—the little creature with a duck bill, beaver tail, and webbed feet—swimming in its large water-filled enclosure. I stood for at least 20 minutes watching it swim, dive, and surface again. Perhaps, beyond the fascinating Māori culture, the beauty of the fiords, and the wonder of the platypus, I also discovered something about myself: I am far from finished with travel. I still have too much to see, and 70 is only a number.

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