Posts Tagged australians
Hardy Cup semi-finalists decided
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on February 16, 2012
RSYS media
Posted: 8 Feb. 2012
 and Jordan Reece (1).jpg)
Luffing duel between Ashlen Rooklyn (6) and Jordan Reece (1)
New Zealander Josh Junior and Australians David Gilmour, Jordan Reece and Jay Griffin and their crews today emphatically won their way through to the semi-finals of the Hardy Cup under 25 ISAF Grade 3 match-racing regatta on Sydney Harbour.they will pair off tomorrow morning for two best-of-three match semi-finals with the winners lining up in the afternoon for a best-of-five duel for the prestigious trophy donated by eminent Australian yachtsman, Sir James Hardy.this year marks the 10th Hardy Cup conducted by the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, Australia?s senior yacht club that this year is celebrating its 150th anniversary.At the end of another day of close competition, particularly among the top four teams, Josh Junior from Wellington?s Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club heads the leader board with a 15 wins over the three round-robins. After losing his two races in the second round-robin, Junior stamped his authority on across-the-Tasman match racing, winning all six flights in the third round-robin.Runner-up, with 14 wins, was David Gilmour from the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club, setting up a potential repeat of last week?s final of the Warren Jones International Regatta in Perth, which Junior won from Gilmour in a hard-fought encounter.Today, they met twice, Gilmour winning the first match, Junior the second, but only seconds between them in both races.Jordan Reece, representing the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, won only one race of the third round-robin, but good results in the first two, gave him a total of 10 wins going into the finals.Fourth finalist, with nine wins, is Jay Griffin from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. Today?s flights were sailed in challenging conditions, with a south-easterly sea breeze of 10-15 knots that backed to the east-south-east, with some wind shifts of up to 40 degrees.?It was a very shifty day and you had to get in phase with the wind,? commented David Gilmour. ?The shifts at times were very big, up to 40 to 50 degrees, but the match racing was still very close.?Gilmour added that he and his crew were at a disadvantage in not having the same opportunity to sail Elliott 6 sports boats most of their competitors. Junior admitted he and his crew had started ?a bit slow? in the morning races today, but more than made up for this in the third round-robin. ?After losing our first race today against David (Gilmour), we had a great final race and a win in our second encounter this afternoon,? Junior said.?We had some great tacking duels on the windward legs and came from behind to win by seconds,? the young New Zealander added,the seven teams enjoyed steady a steady south-easterly sea breeze of 10-12 knots right from the start of competition today, with the final flights of the second round-robin and a third round-robin finished on schedule.the second round-robin ended with three teams equal first in standings with nine wins and a fourth team with eight wins from the two round-robins. Gilmour excelled with five wins in the second round-robin to share top place on the leader board with Reece and first day leader Junior. Gilmour began the day with important wins over Junior and Jay Griffin from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, who finished the first two round robins with eight wins.however, Junior and Gilmour dominated the third round-robin, Junior unbeaten with six wins, Gilmour scoring five wins.At the end of the three round-robins the score was:1. Josh Junior (RPNYC, NZL) 15 wins2. David Gilmour (RFBYC, AUS) 14 wins3. Jordan Reece (RSYS, AUS) 10 wins4. Jay Griffin (CYCA, AUS) 9 wins5. David Chapman (RSYS, AUS) 6 wins6. Tim Coltman (RPNYC, NZL) 5 wins7. Ashlen Rooklyn (CYCA, AUS) 4 winsFurther information: www.rsys.com.au/sailing/hardycuphomepage.php
Hardy Cup semi-finalists decided
Celebrity Cruise Tips – Australia & New Zealand
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on January 30, 2012
Celebrity Cruise in Australia and New Zealand if you are the type of traveler who wants to get out on his feet and do some exploring rather than sit in a cabin all day or lounge by the pool, then an adventure excursion in Australia and New Zealand is the ideal holiday for you. these two vacation spots are popular destinations for tourists who want to hike mountains, swim in and sail through ocean blue waters, explore rain forests, and discover the amazing wildlife that lies within them. A Celebrity Cruise trip will bring you right in the middle of the action where you will get to experience an eclectic mix of cultures in an environment teeming with different climates and landscapes.
If you have a lot of time in your hands, you may consider hiking the rough lands of Sydney by taking the Exclusive Blue Mountains tour by Celebrity Cruise. A 4WH tourist vehicle will take you across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and into the Featherdale Wildlife Park where you will be able to come up close with exotic local animals. you will also make brief stops at fruit orchards known to many Australians as the fruit bowl area.
A further drive down South will bring you to the Burralow Creek National Park where you will be able to view and smell the different flora and fauna of Australia such as the eucalyptus, grass trees, and red gums. Prepare to be serenaded by the fun chirping of the kookaburras and other native birds. the off road voyage ends with a scenic view of the Three Sisters rock formation in the Blue Mountains, an experience which many have found breathtaking.
If you’ve had enough of the rough roads and would now like to explore the beautiful coastal region of Australia, you may take the Celebrity Cruise package that lets you do some kayaking on the coast of Melbourne. upon landing in Melbourne, you will be riding the bus to the Mornington Peninsula where you will be given basic kayaking lessons. the Celebrity Cruise package already includes the life vests and the flotation equipment necessary for your safety during kayaking. after you’re all geared up and ready to go, you will head off to Port Phillip Bay where you will get a good view of the cliff mansions of the rich and the famous. as you go kayaking, you will also encounter Australia’s ocean treasures such as penguins, dolphins and seals.
Celebrity Cruise ships can also take you to the adventure lands of New Zealand. the Alpine Hammer Springs and Jet Boat tour takes you to a scenic drive along New Zealand’s mountainous landscape, and afterwards to a thrilling jet-boat ride on the Waiau River. While doing this tour, you will also get an eyeful of the culture and local life in the region. you will pass by farming regions and wine-growing communities where you will definitely appreciate the laid-back culture and warm climate. to capture the beauty of your experience, you will be treated to a photo shoot at the Mudhouse House Winery, home to the most famous wines in the Canterbury area.
The Rangitaiki Water Rafting trip is another one of the packages offered by Celebrity cruise for thrill-seekers. This six-mile adventure allows you to paddle through Tauranga, New Zealand for two hours. you will be equipped with the appropriate safety gear and given instructions to help you prepare for your invigorating journey. In the middle of your rafting trip, you will encounter the breathtaking view of the Aniwhenua Falls, a well-kept treasure of New Zealand.
The possibilities for an adventure trip in Australia and New Zealand are limitless. you can be sure that once you embark on your trip, you will be actively involved in your exploits from start to finish.
Still Driving Australia’s Tourism Economy But Times Changing
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on January 30, 2012
Drive holidays seem have been forgotten in the frenzy by Australians to fly to their destination, either here or overseas.
But the reality is that, despite the lack of hype, road trips are far from dead with Tourism Research Australia estimating that 71 per cent of domestic overnight trips still involve a car.
So fair to say that getting in the car and driving somewhere is at the very heart of the Australian regional tourism economy. Yet road trips and drive holidays are undergoing rapid change.
Better cars and roads allow people to get where they are going faster and with fewer stops.
And this is having is a significant impact on many towns and villages that depend on travelers for their economic survival.
Let me explain by way of personal example
For me the road trip was part of growing up, a series of the best memories I’ve ever had: dad, brother, car, dog, catamaran, surfboard, bikes, Pacific Highway…
The trip inevitably started in heavy traffic and it seemed like hours before we even reached Sydney’s northern edge.
Then there was the ritual stop at a milk bar we called ‘stack ‘em up Joe’s” thanks to the towering towers of Violet Crumbles and Polly Waffles created by the Greek proprietor.
We always took two days to reach the Gold Coast and stayed in a motel en-route somewhere like Kempsey or Coffs Harbour, muffling the dog while breakfast came on a tray in through the hatch.
Same routine on the way back, endless driving, stuck behind caravans, with dad and every other driver praying for the day when they improved the road.
Each year our family was good for two night’s accommodation, several tanks of petrol, two slap up dinners, numerous hamburgers, milkshakes and chocolate bars – and that was before we had even reached our ultimate destination.
In today’s dollars, you’d be talking around $800 on the road there and back going to local motels, service stations, milk bars, pubs and restaurants.
Now I drive a similar distance to Melbourne down the Hume Highway at least once a year with my own family to visit the in-laws, most recently this Christmas.
Total spend would be $300 tops.
Like so many others, we do it in a single burst with the journey taking around 10 hours, flashing past towns and villages that resonate in Australian history.
Not so long ago drivers would have had to go through them all, large small and everything in-between.
But over the past few years these small towns and hamlets have been literally disappearing from the Hume Highway.
A series of new bypasses allow motorists to speed past with the air conditioning on at 110km/h.
Blink and you’ll miss them.
Tarcutta, population 440, is the most recent domino to fall with the Hume bypass opening less than two months ago.
It is the first time since Thomas Mate opened an inn and store on the track between Sydney and Melbourne in 1837 that Tarcutta has been excluded from the highway trade.
The economic impact has been devastating for some local businesses.
According to a story in the Wagga Daily Advertiser, takings at the Tarcutta Caltex fast Food are down by more than 50 per cent since the $225 million bypass opened.
Owner and manager Jenny Cesnik admits: “We're battling", adding that Christmas Eve takings were $21,000 this year compared with $47,000 on the same day in 2010.
The upside is that Tarcutta is now a nicer place with hardly any traffic and a $1.3 million grant to beautify the town.
However, there will never again be the same tourism dollars flowing through the economy of Tarcutta.
It will mean a faster trip but one not without casualties.
This story was orginally published in The Weekend Australian
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Still Driving Australia’s Tourism Economy But Times Changing
Waterfall to satisfy city’s thirst for thrills
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on January 22, 2012
“After 15 months of work and hundreds of people involved in the preparations, we are getting ready to go” … Clover Moore. Photo: Simon Alekna
A MULTICOLOURED waterfall will cascade from the Sydney Harbour Bridge for the first time, while a pyrotechnic rainbow, clouds and green-eyed butterflies form overhead, to bring in the new year.
The lord mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, and the acting Premier, Andrew Stoner, yesterday revealed plans for the $6 million annual fireworks display, which is expected to attract 1.5 million people to the harbour foreshore.
Cr Moore said it would be watched on television by more than 2.6 million Australians and another 1 billion people around the world, providing ”immeasurable” economic benefit to Sydney in terms of tourism. she said the new Year’s Eve event would be carbon neutral.
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”We’ve got 11,000 shells and 25,000 shooting comets and 100,000 individual effects and seven tonnes of fireworks,” Cr Moore said.
”There will be a crew of 45 people … and 80 kilometres of wire and cables, combining to produce what is always a breath-catching event.
”After 15 months of work and hundreds of people involved in the preparation, we are getting ready to go.”
Cr Moore said the theme of this year’s display was ”time to dream”, which she hoped would prompt Sydneysiders to think about their aspirations for the coming year.
Mr Stoner said the new Year’s Eve celebration was the event that put the city on the map.
”This is an event that will be bigger and better than it has ever been before,” he said.
”The NSW government is very pleased to support this event. It generates [$156 million] for our state economy.”
Mr Stoner defended the state government’s decision to close the Harbour Bridge over three weekends in January for maintenance work.
The Opposition Leader, John Robertson, had criticised the closure of the bridge during the busy Sydney Festival period, saying it would undermine its financial return.
Mr Stoner said it was the quietest time on the bridge to complete the work, as there would be 30,000 fewer vehicles on the road.
He said extra bus, train and ferry services would run during the festival period and the Harbour Tunnel would remain open.
Australians escape cruise ship disaster
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on January 16, 2012
An Australian couple who were on board an Italian cruise ship that ran aground off Tuscany were among the last passengers to board lifeboats.
Twenty-three Australians were among more than 4,000 passengers on the Costa Concordia, which on its side off the island of Giglio.
Most of the passengers and crew reached land by lifeboats, but some braved the icy waters and swam ashore.
Three people have been confirmed dead and a for dozens of others who are unaccounted for.
Grant and Tessa Strickland from Newcastle were celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary on the night of the disaster.
Tessa's mother Robyn Watts says her daughter and son-in-law are in good spirits and preparing to return home.
“They seem to be doing quite well,” she said.
“They were lucky in that they were in their cabin when it happened – unlike a lot of passengers who were dining – so at least they had access to get their coats and were able to be warm.
“And they were in one of the last few lifeboats to actually get away from the ship.”
Ms Watts says the couple are due to arrive in Sydney late tomorrow.
“They were happy to be safe. it was a fairly confused atmosphere. I think they weren't really sure what was going on,” she said.
“We were able to contact DFAT for them and the consulate met them when they got to the mainland which was really helpful.
“They've been looked after quite well and they were given accommodation and clothes and they've sorted some airfares back for them.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has accounted for all of the Australians known to be onboard the cruise ship.
A spokeswoman says the Australian Embassy in Rome has confirmed the safety of 21 of them.
She says the other two passengers made contact with family members after they were evacuated from the ship.
Consular officials are at the mainland reception point for evacuated passengers in Porto Santo Stefano.
They are still trying to determine if any other Australians were onboard.
Australia fumes over smoking kangaroos
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on January 15, 2012
SYDNEY, Australia – the Australian government on Friday hit out at British American Tobacco for using images of kangaroos to sell its cigarettes in Europe, telling the company to "get your hands off our icons".
BAT, which is battling Canberra over moves towards plain packaging in Australia, is selling its Winfield brand overseas with a picture of a kangaroo on the front and a map of Australia on the back.
It is also using the slogan "An Australian Favourite" and Attorney-General Nicola Roxon, the former health minister, is not amused.
"I think many Australians are going to be outraged that a big tobacco company all the way round the world is using Australia’s healthy lifestyle to market their deadly products," she told reporters.
"what I think it’s really showing is the sneaky levels that tobacco companies will go to to encourage people to buy their products."
Australia is set to be the first country to mandate plain packaging to reduce smoking rates under a groundbreaking law passed in November.
Under the legislation, all tobacco products sold in Australia must be in in drab, olive-brown packets with large, graphic health warnings showing diseased body parts and sick babies from December 1 this year.
Brand imagery will also be banned, sparking a furious response from the major tobacco companies who have launched a constitutional challenge to the High Court, claiming it infringes their intellectual property rights.
Despite her dismay at Australian images being used to sell cigarettes in Europe, Roxon admitted there was little she could do about it.
"whilst it’s probably unlikely that we can do anything to stop these packs being sold in Europe, we certainly can call on British American Tobacco, as the Australian public can, to say ‘get your hands off our icons’," she said.
"Don’t use them to sell your product which actually has nothing to do with Australia.
"They are trying to imply to the European market that this is something that Australia promotes, that this is something that Australians prefer, that this somehow is connected with our healthy lifestyle."
Australia dreams of the future in 2012
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on December 30, 2011
Australians hit by a year of natural disasters and economic uncertainty will be invited to dream of the future when the harbour city hosts the world’s largest New Year’s Eve fireworks display.
An estimated 2.6 million Aussies and one billion people around the world are expected to watch as the sky above Sydney Harbour lights up with seven tonnes of colourful explosives in two sets of fireworks displays.
In Sydney alone, 1.5 million revellers will crowd around the harbour foreshore as a simple theme ushers in 2012: Time to Dream.
The sounds of Darwin songbird Jessica Mauboy’s R’n'B hit Inescapable will entertain families at 9pm when the first round of fireworks will be launched.
The midnight fireworks display will for the first time be accompanied by an all-Australian soundtrack, including indigenous musician Gurrumul Yunupingu.
In a nod to Australia’s multicultural mix, the Harbour Bridge pylons will say ‘Welcome to Sydney’ in 16 languages, including the tongue of the indigenous Gadigal people, the traditional owners of the land around central Sydney.
A four-hued ‘endless rainbow’ will then adorn the bridge as part of the Time to Dream logo.
In Melbourne, the city’s skyline will shimmer in gold as the city rings in 2012.
As part of the $2.6 million celebrations, the city’s landmark buildings will play a key role and the theme of gold will be used to hark back to the gold rush era that spawned their creation.
The festivities, which involve setting off almost 10 tonnes of fireworks, will culminate in a midnight explosion of golden fireworks from 17 city locations.
Half a million revellers are expected to pack Melbourne’s CBD for the balmy party as the temperature hits a forecast 32C.
In Perth, more than 3000 people are expected to attend New Year’s Eve on the foreshore, with the mercury expected to hit 30C.
Local councils are putting on their own free events, including the cities of Mandurah and Rockingham, which are using their foreshores to provide family entertainment.
Mandurah will have two sets of fireworks displays at 9pm and midnight, while Rockingham will have a concert headlined by Mental as Anything.
In Canberra’s Civic Square, former Cold Chisel frontman Ian Moss will belt out some well-known Australian ballads, with a 15-minute fireworks display marking the start of 2012.
With the weather bureau predicting morning showers for Sydney, now is the time to dream for clear skies.
Southeast Queenslanders who head out to celebrate New Year’s Eve will be able to access free public transport until dawn.
Celebrity Cruise Tips – Australia & New Zealand
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on December 25, 2011
Celebrity Cruise in Australia and New Zealand if you are the type of traveler who wants to get out on his feet and do some exploring rather than sit in a cabin all day or lounge by the pool, then an adventure excursion in Australia and New Zealand is the ideal holiday for you. these two vacation spots are popular destinations for tourists who want to hike mountains, swim in and sail through ocean blue waters, explore rain forests, and discover the amazing wildlife that lies within them. a Celebrity Cruise trip will bring you right in the middle of the action where you will get to experience an eclectic mix of cultures in an environment teeming with different climates and landscapes.
If you have a lot of time in your hands, you may consider hiking the rough lands of Sydney by taking the Exclusive Blue Mountains tour by Celebrity Cruise. a 4WH tourist vehicle will take you across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and into the Featherdale Wildlife Park where you will be able to come up close with exotic local animals. You will also make brief stops at fruit orchards known to many Australians as the fruit bowl area.
A further drive down South will bring you to the Burralow Creek National Park where you will be able to view and smell the different flora and fauna of Australia such as the eucalyptus, grass trees, and red gums. Prepare to be serenaded by the fun chirping of the kookaburras and other native birds. The off road voyage ends with a scenic view of the Three Sisters rock formation in the Blue Mountains, an experience which many have found breathtaking.
If you’ve had enough of the rough roads and would now like to explore the beautiful coastal region of Australia, you may take the Celebrity Cruise package that lets you do some kayaking on the coast of Melbourne. Upon landing in Melbourne, you will be riding the bus to the Mornington Peninsula where you will be given basic kayaking lessons. The Celebrity Cruise package already includes the life vests and the flotation equipment necessary for your safety during kayaking. After you’re all geared up and ready to go, you will head off to Port Phillip Bay where you will get a good view of the cliff mansions of the rich and the famous. as you go kayaking, you will also encounter Australia’s ocean treasures such as penguins, dolphins and seals.
Celebrity Cruise ships can also take you to the adventure lands of New Zealand. The Alpine Hammer Springs and Jet Boat tour takes you to a scenic drive along New Zealand’s mountainous landscape, and afterwards to a thrilling jet-boat ride on the Waiau River. while doing this tour, you will also get an eyeful of the culture and local life in the region. You will pass by farming regions and wine-growing communities where you will definitely appreciate the laid-back culture and warm climate. To capture the beauty of your experience, you will be treated to a photo shoot at the Mudhouse House Winery, home to the most famous wines in the Canterbury area.
The Rangitaiki Water Rafting trip is another one of the packages offered by Celebrity cruise for thrill-seekers. This six-mile adventure allows you to paddle through Tauranga, New Zealand for two hours. You will be equipped with the appropriate safety gear and given instructions to help you prepare for your invigorating journey. In the middle of your rafting trip, you will encounter the breathtaking view of the Aniwhenua Falls, a well-kept treasure of New Zealand.
The possibilities for an adventure trip in Australia and New Zealand are limitless. You can be sure that once you embark on your trip, you will be actively involved in your exploits from start to finish.
Australia Going Solar – Gonna Cost Ya, Mate at Oil Price
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on December 5, 2011
Green activists, take note – for Australia fully to embrace solar power, Canberra would have to spend $100 billion, with photovoltaic cells to generate the electricity covering an area twice the size of Sydney in order to replace Australia’s indigenous inexpensive coal-fired power plants with renewable energy sources. This is not an insignificant figure, as Australian coal currently generates 80 percent of Australia’s electrical energy output. The grim statistic was contained in the recent report, “Keeping the Home Fires Burning,” issued by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. So, who is the Australian Strategic Policy Institute? Tree-hugging, wallaby and kangaroo friendly ecological leftists or energy company flacks? Uh, no. According to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute website, “ASPI is an independent, non-partisan policy institute. it has been set up by the government to provide fresh ideas on Australia’s defense and strategic policy choices… it aims to help Australians understand the critical strategic choices which our country will face over the coming years, and will help government make better-informed decisions.”
Accordingly ASPI’s conclusions cannot be seen as either energy industry shills nor environmental advocates, which makes them accordingly worth careful consideration.
The report starts ominously, “Australia, like all modern economies, needs an assured supply of energy to function effectively. As a net exporter of energy, Australia is well placed in most respects. But we are still reliant on external sources of oil.”
Authors Andrew Davies and Edward Mortimer pull no punches, first noting that Australia’s massive indigenous energy reserves of coal and natural gas would shield it from political disruptions in the Middle East before adding, ”The energy security policy challenges of the next 20 years are likely to pale into insignificance compared to those that will arise when the availability of fossil fuels declines significantly. unfortunately, it doesn’t look like renewable sources of energy will be able to provide adequate substitutes, at least based on current technology. Developing countries are even less likely to be able to adopt alternative energy sources on a large scale. As a result, any large reduction in fossil fuel usage will most likely be due to scarcity and price rather than choice. The timescale is decades rather than years, and the decline of existing fuel stocks will be gradual rather than precipitous, so there’s scope for technological advances to come to the rescue – but there are no obvious solutions at the moment.”
So, solar power to the rescue? According to the authors, ”The requirement (to generate solar power per capita) can also be expressed as 200 square meters of panel per person, or about four times the average amount of roof area per person in Australia today.” As for the country weaning itself off fossil fuel power and diverting to solar power generation, the authors conclude, “As a rough estimate, if the cost per panel could be halved (due to economies of scale), the total cost would be around $100 billion.”
Davies and Mortimer suggest that in conjunction with neighbors new Zealand, Papua new Guinea and the Pacific Island countries Australia develop a strategic oil reserve to maintain transport and industry if and when Middle East disruptions imperil supplies. for a government sponsored institute providing “fresh ideas,” ASPI seems stuck in a “business as usual” rut, looking at the immediate bottom line versus the long-term picture.
As for establishing an oil strategic reserve, the rising tensions in the Middle East over Iran’s nuclear programs could change the dynamics of Persian Gulf oil exports to East Asia long before strategic reserves could be established.
Australia does indeed have significant reserves of coal as well as access to natural gas, including the offshore Sunrise natural gas field, shared with Timor Leste and estimated to contain 5.1 trillion cubic feet of liquefied natural gas and 226 million barrels of condensate, the largest petroleum resource in the Timor Sea. Development of the field with Timor Leste has been blocked by disputes with the Timorese government for the last nine years.
Charming as the idea of boring holes in the ground and pumping Middle Eastern oil down them for a rainy day, would it not be in Australia’s interest to negotiate fairly with Timor Leste over the Sunrise field? even if solar power gives Canberra sticker shock, it seems preferable to make local arrangements for more environmentally friendly fuels such as natural gas rather than continuing to import hydrocarbons from the Middle East or burning local coal. best then, at the end of the day, it’s an economic issue, with quality of life considerations coming second.
But if Canberra has to give its energy import policies hostage to fortune, Timor Leste is a lot closer than the Persian Gulf.
By. John C.K. Daly of Oilprice.com
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Cruising in paradise
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on December 2, 2011
AS MORE and more Australians look to cruising holidays, one of the biggest cruise companies in the world is starting to focus on down Under.
Royal Caribbean, with a fleet of 22 super liners, is moving towards basing three of its super ships out of Sydney.
One of these is predicted to be the Rhapsody of the Seas, a magnificent vessel that can cater to almost 2500 passengers at any one time.
On the invitation of the company, I boarded this liner in Hawaii recently for a 14-day cruise across the Pacific taking in Tahiti and the French Polynesian pleasures of Moorea and Bora Bora.
along with me on the cruise were more than 800 Australians and 500 Kiwis.
the remaining guests were nationals from more than 51 other countries.
A surprisingly large percentage of passengers said they had sailed with Royal Caribbean before.
the only other cruise I had ever done was with a European company. It was memorable but I did find it a little stuffy for my liking.
On this cruise, the message from Captain Rick Sullivan to his 800 staff was to make this trip as relaxing and as friendly as possible for the passengers.
the crew on the Rhapsody of the Seas was named the best in the Royal Caribbean fleet last year and they lived up to that ranking.
Unlike on the European cruise, there were no language difficulties. Even though the crew was drawn from more than 50 different nationalities, they all spoke fluent English: a prerequisite to get a job with the company.
So let's get down to the basics: what was great about the cruise, what was okay and what was annoying?
before I left, I checked out an internet site called "Cruise Critic". Plenty of bile and venom.
the biggest whinge is that you can't take your own alcohol on board.
my advice on this is to accept it as part of the cruise cost.
the prices aren't as bad as you'd find at your local pub.
A stubby costs you under $5 and a glass of good quality wine around $7.
the next biggest gripe was about boarding times.
It was true of Honolulu port.
For most, it was a case of waiting for two hours before you finally set foot on the ship.
Blame strict US immigration security and the en masse arrival of most passengers at noon, even though the ship wasn't scheduled to leave until after 5pm.
This cruise carried 1883 passengers so any mass movement created the risk of bottlenecks.
It wasn't a catastrophe but some passengers complained about it for days.
Royal Caribbean, or any cruise liner for that matter, should prioritise boarding for passengers 75 years of age and over and for the disabled.
the one thing no-one could ever complain about on this cruise was hunger pains.
the food was varied and excellent in quality and never boring.
the wine list was mostly American wines but you could find a good drop of Peter Lehmann Shiraz for $33 which was one of the cheaper on the list.
Splashing out on the best champagnes and wines set you back from $60 to $90 so it matched up to a good local city restaurant.
I am sure everyone put on at least 5kg during the 14 days but if you are going to be worrying about putting on weight because of great food, then don't go on board a cruise ship.
when we departed port, the five-day first leg that took us to Papeete in Tahiti felt like a long haul.
the stop here is a necessity for the liner to take on fuel and fresh supplies although, at a pinch with the right weather, the Rhapsody of the Seas can sail for 14 days without requiring a port visit.
Papeete Tahiti sounds a magical place, doesn't it?
Don't be deceived. the area is dirty and unfriendly and the island has few magic spots.
I hired a car for the minimum price of $145 and in just five hours, drove around the entire island.
I won't be going back.
but my disappointment with Tahiti was quickly forgotten the next day when we landed in nearby Moorea.
here was the real magic you expected from an island paradise.
A tour to swim with stingrays proved an incredible experience as they gently nestled up to you, looking to be fed.
I was fortunate to share a dinner table throughout the cruise with Betty, a spritely 79-year-old woman, from Mount Maunganui, in New Zealand.
Betty was the talk of the cruise after she jumped off the small tour boat fully clothed during the stingray experience so she could join in.
She'd forgotten her swimmers, but what the heck. She wasn't going to miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
if Moorea was wonderful, then Bora Bora was incredible.
the turquoise of the waters, coral outcrops and shoreline bungalows were enchanting.
Mind you, at $800-plus a night to stay in them, they should be.
here you could also swim with placid giant stingrays and, as an added bonus, you could also get up close and personal with sharks.
we watched in awe as the young men on our tour boat swam down three metres to grab hold of the fins of lemon sharks and ride them around the ocean depths.
These were the only three stops on the cruise before we upped anchor and embarked on the long cruise across to our destination port of Auckland.
There was plenty to do on the ship and even my teenage daughter who accompanied me never uttered those famous words: "I'm bored".
that was quite remarkable as this was a cruise dominated by retirees. This is logical as many of them have all the time in the world and enough savings to enjoy it.
my dislikes were but a few and barely rate a mention.
Overall, it was a wonderful experience, worth the money and made even better because you can spend a few days in Hawaii before you join your cruise for a shopping fix with the strong Australian dollar.
out of 10, I rated the cruise a 9.
I took one point off because nothing is perfect, although this was a close as you could get.
the writer was a guest of Rhapsody of the Seas.
Five helpful cruising tips:
1. Go for an inside cabin and save big dollars because you rarely use the balcony.
2. be aware, you are expected to tip your three dinner waiters and cabin attendant at the end of the cruise. These tips will cost you around $130 per person for the trip. This is not mandatory, but is expected as most staff rely on this gratuity to top up a low wage.
3. You can save 40% by booking your excursions on shore.
4. if you start to feel ill, get immediate attention and medication.
5. Don't plan to get online every day to stay in contact. It costs 65 cents a minute.
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