February 25, 2026 Cruise companies routinely add new ports of call to cruise itineraries to entice new customers and keep seasoned travelers satisfied. New Plymouth, New Zealand, primarily a commercial port, was one such port of call. The founding fathers of cities across the world try and capture and capitalize on the uniqueness of their… Read more

February 24, 2026 Timber is big business in New Zealand. Most of New Zealand’s timber industry runs on radiata pine. It grows fast, machines easily, and is super versatile. China is the huge importer of timber from New Zealand used in its enormous construction boom. Many forest owners now plan both timber harvest income and… Read more

February 22, 2026 We are in Tauranga, New Zealand. Since literally nobody has asked me, I thought I should offer some thoughts on the national fruit of New Zealand: The Kiwi. Before I share with you the health benefits of eating kiwis (and there are many) let’s as the famous line from the movie Jerry… Read more

February 21, 2026 This place is beautiful. Wait until you see the photos. Chongae and I were in Auckland, New Zealand in February of 2023 before I started to blog about our adventures. At that time, we spent time enjoying Auckland Harbor, dotted with colorful yachts. Auckland, popularly known as the “City of Sails,” has… Read more

February, 17, 2026 I knew very little about the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu other than it was located east of Australia and north of New Zealand. I knew that the CBS television series “Survivor” filmed here. Also, that bungee jumping was invented here; men climbnearly 100 feet to handmade towers and launch themselves… Read more

February 15, 2026 During the last 3 years, our Hope for Today World Journey has taken us to distant and difficult to get to places that I have always been curious about. This journey has also taken me to places that I knew about, but when I got there, I saw them in a completely different… Read more

February 14, 2026 Bula (in Fijian) means welcome. It’s a super warm and friendly greeting-you’ll hear it everywhere in Fiji, from cruise ship greetings to big celebrations. “Well, our fathers fought the Second World War/ Took their families to the Jersey Shore.” Billy Joel, from “Allentown.” When I was a kid, the South Pacific was… Read more

February 12, 2026 This morning at 6:00 a.m. we sailed into Apia, the capital of Samoa. Samoa is primarily a Christian country due to John Williams, of the London Missionary Society.  Williams’ mission reached Samoa in 1830. He converted the King and the rest of the island followed.  In Samoa there are many Catholic, Seventh… Read more

February 7, 2026 If you were to place a pin in Papeete, Tahiti on a world map you would discover that it is the furthest island from any continent in the world. The closest continent is Australia about 3,700 miles away. To California 4,100 miles and to South America (Chile) 4,700 miles. When you look… Read more

February 6, 2026 One of the things that Chongae and I like about cruising is that we go to sleep at night and wake up in the morning at a new destination. Sometimes we forget that we are on a ship! If we would have flown here from Orlando, it would have taken almost 19… Read more