Mona Risk

Melbourne and Sydney

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Mona Risk

While Sydney was established in 1788 as penal colony for convicts by Captain Arthur Philips, Melbourne was founded by settlers and named in honor of Lord Melbourne, Prime Minister of England in 1835.

The discovery of gold in the area caused a bigger gold rush than the California gold rush. With a population of over 3 millions, it is now one of the safest city in the world.

We arrived in Melbourne on a warm summer day brightened by a glorious sunshine and enjoyed the view of sandy beaches from the ship.

An excursion bus gave us a tour of the city. We passed in front of the famous Rod Laver Arena where the Australian Open Tennis Championship was taking place at that time.

The highlight of the tour was the visit of Captain Cook’s Cottage.

Captain Cook’s cottage was built in North Yorkshire, England, and later transported to Melbourne. It is now located in the botanical Fitzroy Gardens. Even the ivy covering the house was transported and planted again next to the house.

Our ship sailed the same night toward Sydney and we anchored two days later in the early morning.

You all have seen a picture of Sydney landmark, the famous Opera House. But this is a unique photo that I will always treasure.

As the ship made its way up the picturesque harbor, we were given the opportunity to glance some breathtaking views.

We had dinner in the downtown, and ambled around the harbor. Since it was just before Valentine Day, several big hearts decorated the place.

On Wednesday we will travel to Iceland. So stay tune for a new cruise that started from England. We crossed the Atlantic through Norway, Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland in Canada, and we docked in New York.

If you like to travel and love to read, come and enjoy my international romances. Around the world through stories that simmer with emotion and sizzle with passion.

Posted in Contemporary Romance, Uncategorized | Tagged Australia, babies, Captain Cook, cruise, Melbourne, readers, Romance, Sydney, Valentine | 4 Comments

Fjordland and Tasmania

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Mona Risk

While flying to Auckland we passed over the equator and we also crossed the International Date Line. New Zealand is ahead of New York by 18 hours. Many people were confused about the date asking if it was Sunday or Monday or Saturday. To add to the confusion, my Kindle and iPad still showed the eastern time.

I learned to get a quick calculation of the time in New York by adding 6 hours and subtracting a full day. For example if it is 8am Monday in NZ then it is 2pm Sunday in New York.

Heading west, we sailed along the Fjordland National Park that stretches over two hundred kilometers of mountains, called the Southern Alps, and counts fourteen spectacular fjords. The rocky mountains were original glaciers now covered with vegetation where rain forest clings.

A fjord is a narrow arm of the sea bordered by cliffs. The cruise director called everyone on deck to watch the breathtaking scenery.

The ship squeezed in between two mountains. According to a legend, the demi-god Tuterakiwhanoa is said to have carved the rugged landscape from formless rock.

The original inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori dwelt in this region.

Captain Cook discovered the Fjordland in 1773.

Later sealers and whalers settled in the region.

Three days later we docked in Hobart, the capital of Tasmania. Tasmania is a big island located south of Australia and west of New Zealand. It belongs to Australia. Aussies consider it the ideal place for honeymoon.

A bus took us to the top of a mountain for a better view of the panorama.

Unfortunately it was cloudy and chilly that day. Although it was the middle of summer in the southern hemisphere, the temperature fluctuated between 45 0F and 70 oF.

In the afternoon, the sun finally appeared and warmed up the picturesque downtown where many tourists ambled or sat at cafes.

Stay tune for a visit of Melbourne and Sydney.

If you like to travel and love to read, come and enjoy my international romances. Around the world through stories that simmer with emotion and sizzle with passion.

Posted in Contemporary Romance, Uncategorized | Tagged cruise, fjords, New Zealand, reader, Romance, Tasmania, travel | Leave a comment

The only castle in New Zealand

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Mona Risk

For our last stop in New Zealand, the ship docked in Port Chalmers in the southeast of the Otago Peninsula, New Zealand. We boarded a tour bus to Dunedin, a well-preserved Victorian city, and soaked up the grandeur of its architecture from the classical A.N.Z Bank to the buildings surrounding the Octagon, an eight-sided plaza that forms the core of Dunedin’s lively business district.

A photo stop at the Octagon provided views of notable landmarks like the
Town Hall, the Women Jail and St. Paul’s Cathedral.

The women Jail

The magnificent train station had a dedication to the soldiers who died during the war.

The center stage on our excursion was a guided tour of Larnach Castle, which is beautifully situated in the tranquil countryside. This neo-Gothic estate, built for William and Eliza Larnach and their six children by renowned architect Robert Arthur Larson, commands the highest point on the Otago Peninsula.

Approximately 200 men spent three years building the shell of the 40,000-square foot mansion overlooking Dunedin, Otago Harbour and the Otago Peninsula.

Then a team of European craftsmen stepped in to finish the interior, including a 3000-square-foot ballroom added for the 21st birthday of Larnach’s favorite daughter, with a lavish array of masterful embellishments.

A pipe player greeted us. As we explored New Zealand’s only castle, we experienced William Larnach’s colorful era and his “bravura” lifestyle.

The Barker family bought the castle as their home in 1967 and spent more than 40 years restoring it, filling it with original New Zealand period furniture and antiques, and gracing it with a “Garden of International Significance.”

After Dunedin our Captain announced a change of itinerary “due to adverse weather condition.” We understood his warning when the ship started rocking like a hammock out of control. I was almost thrown out of the treadmill and avoided the gym without guilt. The open decks were locked to protect people from being thrown overboard. The Captain said he didn’t want to hear, “Man overboard.” We were advised to hold on the rails as we went up and down the stairs. Less and less people showed in the restaurant at dinner time for the obvious reason. But I slept like a baby in my swinging stateroom bed.

Our little group surprised me with a birthday cake. I even received a birthday card signed by the Captain.

Stay tuned for the passage through the Fjords of New Zealand and arrival in Tasmania Island.

If you like to travel and love to read, come and enjoy my international romances. Around the world through stories that simmer with emotion and sizzle with passion.