R. Doug Wicker's Blog, page 89

Circumnavigating Australia — Out and About in Sydney

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Sydney Central Business District (CBD)

Sydney s a great walking town, and today were going to head out from the Central Business District, over to Circular Quay, stroll along the Sydney Writers Walk, pass through The Rocks, and the head on foot over toward Darling Harbour.

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Sydney Central Business District (CBD)

Heading north from CBD youll eventually make it to Circular Quay, which is the location of the Sydney Opera House featured in Mondays article.

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Circular Quay from the Sydney Opera House...

That “X” on the Floor? It’s a TRAP ! ! !

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Standing on the X is a trap ! ! !

Circumnavigating Australia — Starting in Sydney

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Sydney Harbor Bridge, The Coathanger

Today I begin a new series that was almost a year in the making. In March, 2019, Ursula and I arrived into Sydney, Australia, for a two-month odyssey that would take us to New Zealand, various destinations along the east and north coasts of Australia, and Singapore. From Singapore we boarded a flight back to Auckland, New Zealand, and boarded another cruise ship back to Los Angeles.

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Sydney reflections

We returned to Sydney in February of this year, after...

Let’s Implement “Willful Ignorance and Stupidity Hours” at the Grocery Store

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Fun Photo Friday — Rarotonga Favorites 2

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Kayaking for Two in the Blue

One last look at Rarotonga, Cook Islands, before I take you on a photographic journey around both Australia and New Zealand:

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Listening for the Strains of the Five-O Theme

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Biking and Boating

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Gentle Surf Framed by Trees

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Seeing Red at Charlies

Rarotonga, Cook Islands — Dining at Charlie’s and Trader Jacks

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Me at Charlies

Today is a twofer two Rarotonga, Cook Islands restaurant reviews. The first one on todays menu (see what I did there?) is Charlies in the Takitumu District on the south side of Rarotonga. Charlies was easy to get to from our rental in the adjoining Muri District, about a fifteen-minute walk. Ursula read about this place before we arrived, and she told me that Charlies is famous for their fish sandwich. So, after seeing one walked by, we opted to split a sandwich and order of...

Rarotonga, Cook Islands — Taking in the Sights

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Panorama from our beach cottage

Ursula and I absolutely love the island of Rarotonga, the most populated of the Cook Islands. We fell in love during our first visit in the mid-1990s, and this was our first trip back since then. Also a fun place in the Cooks is the island of Aitutaki, but, alas, we did not make the trek out there on this trip.

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Beach outside our cottage

As you can see from these first several photographs, we had quite the beach just outside our oceanfront cottage. Heres another...

Fun Photo Friday — Rarotonga Favorites 1

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Steps Toward Paradise

Today is the first of two Fun Photo Friday dedicated to Rarotonga favorites:

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Trees and Water

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Surfs Up!

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In the Heat of Battle at the Muri Night Market

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Sunset at Charlies Café

Rarotonga, Cook Islands — Dining Al Fresco at the Muri Night Market

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Dining al fresco at the Muri Night Market

Yes, you can eat cheaply on Rarotonga. And well. And with lots of choices.

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Baby Pancakes

Four times a week, weather permitting, in the heart of Muri Beach Village on Rarotongas east coast is the famous Muri Night Market.

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Smoothies

Here youll find island food, desserts, Chinese and Indian inspired vendors, and even American favorites such as . . .

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Theres even pizza!

Here is a sampling of some of the menus youll find here:

My favorite place was...

Rarotonga, Cook Islands — An Airbnb Rental on the Beach; Dinner with Friends

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Rarotonga

It had been some twenty-six years or so since Ursula and I first visited the Cook Islands. And, with a couple of back-to-back cruises scheduled for Australia and New Zealand, Ursula decided it was time to return on the long journey to Sydney. So, on February 1, 2020, we flew out of Los Angeles for Rarotonga.

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Back Again in the Cook Islands

On our first visit to Rarotonga, I visited with the controllers working the control tower at Rarotonga International Airport in the Avarua...