Introduction

In a few days we (Tyler and Paula) will embark on a 4-month adventure cruising through the Pacific Ocean to Australia, then circumnavigating it, then exploring the temperate parts of Australia on our own.  The first phase is a 55-day cruise aboard the Holland America cruise ship MS Volendam.  This is  the very same ship on which we took our first cruise to New Zealand in 2009, and the same ship again when we cruised to Alaska in summer of 2011.

Here is an iconic map of the cruise:

We will disembark in Sydney November 24, 2012, rent a car, and start exploring on our own.  We will remain in Australia until January 18, and then fly to Maui, Hawai'i to spend a couple of weeks reacclimatizing ourselves to the Northern Hemisphere.  We will return to Midland February 4, 2013.  Our kids, neighbors, and a few close friends have a detailed itinerary for the whole trip, since most of the destinations and accommodations are already arranged.

During the cruise our access to the internet will be very irregular and brief - - if we can find an internet cafe or something (and the time to use it) during our brief port calls - - so I will upload blog posts several at a time when I can.  The cruise ship actually does offer internet service:  75 cents per minute,  slow modem-type transmission speeds, with frequent crashes, disconnects, and other frustrations, so we won't be using their "service".

Until next time,
Tyler