The next island we visited was Niue (pronounced NU-A). This is a small island with approximately 1300 people living there. We doubled the population.
The volcanic mountain affords a chimney down to the saltwater. The rain accumulates on top of the saltwater and they then pump it out for the locals use. Certainly this was the excuse to get a local beer at the one and only café to offer a beer. Wayne, Pat, Barbie and I participated in this now old tradition of finding the local beer. This local beer though is from New Zealand.
We were stopped by a Kiwi that came to live on the island when his wife got a teaching job there and even though they are now retired they stayed. He is the one who told us about their water supply.
This is the best I can do at this time with one of my surreptitious photo. He had a pink and yellow stripe shirt with blue jewelry. Did I mention he is about 6 foot 4 inches tall. I have now heard that he apparently is an exhibitionist and the Captain has asked him to not expose himself. Weirder than I thought.
Tonga is our last small island before New Zealand. Lots of construction and the new port is quite nice. We were able to dock and no tenders necessary. I had forgotten the skirts that men wore there but the market was as hot, humid and smelly as it was last time I was here. The ice cream shop I found before is still there but greatly expanded.
Last night we had the Chef’s dinner formal and received a really dumb gift; plastic magnifying cards. The ship gets a definite D- for this gift.
This will be my last post until we leave New Zealand. We are going to 7 ports; one after another so I will be covering all of New Zealand in two or three posts after we leave there. I did my usual walk this morning and the weather has changed. Much cooler and windier.
Hi, Judi -- The story of the weird fellow reminds me of the woman on the 2008 QE2 voyage--the one with the orange jumpsuit and fur coat that she wore on Easter Island in the heat. I think her husband was a plastic surgeon, and she had so many surgeries that she looked like Daffy Duck. You really meet some strange people in your travels. But, it makes for interesting travels and even more interesting stories for friends.
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I would love to go around New Zealand with all the stops you will have and can understand why you will be too busy to post. Enjoy! I, too, recall the Woman in the Orange Jumpsuit that Grace mentioned -- so many facelifts! And also recall the 'ho who came on board in LA for the final leg of the 2008 Farewell World Cruise of the marvelous QE2.
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