R. Doug Wicker's Blog, page 180

Fun Photo Friday — Leafing through Lifou

MS Oosterdam

Today we say goodbye to Lifou before heading to our next port-of-call Vanuatu. Specifically, next week we’re going to take a look at Mystery Island. Until then, here is today’s Fun Photo Friday gallery of Lifou favorites:

Filed under: Fun Photo Friday, Photography, R. Doug Wicker, travel Tagged: Fun Photo Friday, Lifou, New Caledonia, photography, R. Doug Wicker, travel, travel photography

Thanksgiving Day Wishes

May all my friends, family, blog followers, and book fans have a great, warm, and wondrous Thanksgiving Day celebration. Just don’t burn the turkey. Or, as the late John Houseman would say, “We blacken turkey the old fashioned way. We BURNnnn it”:

To paraphrase John Houseman: “We Blacken Turkey the Old Fashion Way. We Burn It.

And for those too young to get the reference:

Filed under: Humor, Social Networking Tagged: R. Doug Wicker, Thanksgiving

Trekking Lifou

Lone Tender

I’m usually not a big fan of tendering to shore. It takes time and it frequently requires long waits in line. But there’s something about being transported over crystalline blue waters that somehow makes it all right.

Crystalline Blue Waters

A short, hot, uphill trek from the shores of Santal Bay takes you into dense jungle with some really interesting flora.

Lifou

Once you get to the end of the trail you arrive at the charming little Notre Dame de Lourdes Chapel — now fully restored t...

Arrival Lifou — Loyalty Islands

MS Oosterdam Arrives Lifou

Cruise ships arriving to Lifou anchor in Santal (Sandalwood) Bay. From there passengers wishing to visit Lifou must tender into port, meaning that they most board one of the ship’s tenders and ride it to shore.

Tendering into Lifou from MS Oosterdam

As with Nouméa (see last week’s posts), the island of Lifou is also part of New Caledonia. Lifou, neighboring Tiga, and several other smaller islands make up the French commune (administrative division) of Lifou, which in t...

Fun Photo Friday — Time to Reflect on Sydney

The Sydney portion of this post was originally scheduled for an earlier date. Alas, that conflicted with my Halloween short story. So, I’m combining today’s last Fun Photo Friday look at Sydney with our goodbye to Nouméa.

For this first part of today’s Fun Photo Friday it’s time . . .

Looks to be about 20 minutes past March

. . . to reflect . . .

Reflecting on Sydney

. . . on Sydney with one last look. Hope you enjoyed the tour.

Part two presents one last look at at Nouméa with some of my favorite...

Nouméa Cathedral and Chinatown

Nouméa Cathedral

Now for some points of interest from our foot journey around Nouméa, capital city of New Caledonia. One of those sights is Nouméa Saint Joseph Cathedral. And while it may not look very opulent by European standards on the outside . . .

Nouméa Cathedral

. . . it is nevertheless impressive on the inside:

Nouméa Cathedral

Nouméa Cathedral

Northwest of Nouméa Cathedral is Nouméa’s weekend gathering place, the Place des Cocotiers, or Coconut Square. Place des Cocotiers is a large, lush...

Next Stop — Nouméa, New Caledonia

Nouméa Graffiti

The upper left portion of the above picture gives you our first port of call following the MS Oosterdam’s departure from Sydney, Australia. Yes, it’s Nouméa, the capital of New Caledonia.

Nouméa

New Caledonia is currently undergoing a transition from French control to total autonomy. As such, New Caledonia is no longer a French Overseas Collectivity. Rather, New Caledonia enjoys a unique though temporary designation known as Special Collectivity.

Nouméa Bougainvillea

As for Nouméa,...

Fun Photo Friday — The Rocks and Birdcages

Is it Street Art . . . ?

Take a look at the image above. What do you see?

Are you sure?

. . . or is it Street Stairs?

Now for some not-so-optical illusions:

Filed under: Fun Photo Friday, Photography, R. Doug Wicker, travel Tagged: Australia, birdcages, Fun Photo Friday, photography, R. Doug Wicker, Sydney, The Rocks, travel, travel photography

Out and About — Random Sights of Sydney

Sydney Skyline at Night

Today I’m going to just post pictures of places of interest in Sydney not already covered. The following photographs are in and around Sydney’s central business district. Included are images of the Queen Victoria Building (a great shopping venue with lots of unique and interesting shops to peruse), the Sydney Cenotaph in Market Place (location of a World War I memorial), and “Forgotten Songs” (110 birdcages suspended over Angel Place between Pitt and George Streets.

File...

Bartender — I’ll Have a Sydney on The Rocks

Campbell’s Cove

There is an area in the shadow of the Sydney Harbour Bridge known as “The Rocks.” It lies, more or less, in the area from Circular Quay along the western edge of Sydney Cove to Dawes Point. It is here that the first settlers from England set up home back on January 26, 1788.

George Street, The Rocks

Contained within The Rocks area are winding streets, charming façades, and reasonably priced dining establishments (comparatively speaking). That last item is no small feat in overpri...