Travelog for: PoppyBear

Aloha,
At 7:00am we docked at Kona on Hawaii's Big Island which is known as the  'Orchid Isle'.

We had to travel to shore on one of the cruise ship's tenders and at the pier we joined our bus tour.
First we visited the Greenwell Farms Kona Coffee Plantation where we learned the history of coffee production at Kona and how Kona coffee is grown and produced.

Then we travelled to Puuhonua O Honaunau (Place of Refuge).  This is a lovely spot and is a sanctuary of Hawaii's past where traditional Hawaiian lifestyle is preserved.  I saw ancient temples and ki'i which are wooden images.  I loved watching the Hawaiian girls make hats from palm leaves and an old Hawaiian man made me a small fish from palm leaves.  They were very clever.

Next we visited St Benedict's Painted Church which overlooks Kealakekua Bay. This lovely little white painted wooden church was erected in 1899 by Father John Velghe.  He decorated the inside walls and the ceiling with beautiful paintings which tell stories from the bible.
You can find out more about St Benedict's Painted Church at the website. www.thepaintedchurch.org/

We continued on our journey to Kaelakekua Bay Lookout for more lovely views. Then back to the ship.  We sailed from Kona at 6:00pm.

Tonight I went to the Hollywood Theatre to see a comedian and then to the Mardi Gras Nightclub where Balde and Renetta Silva of Toby Beau performed a tribute show to the Beatles.  They were fantastic!! 
Aloha,
Poppy xxoo

Aloha,
Our ship docked at Nawiliwilli, Kauai, 'The Garden Isle' at 7:00am.  We joined our tour bus at the pier and then set off to explore this beautiful island. 
On our way to Waimea Canyon we stopped a a large tourist shop and while there I found some new friends. They were waiting for some tourists to come in and buy them so they could begin new lives in far distant countries.  I enjoyed chatting with them and told them about the adventures I had.

Our tour bus then continued on to the stunning Waimea Canyon which we were told, Mark Twain called "the Grand Canyon of the Pacific". It certainly was very spectacular.  The Canyon is over ten miles long, and almost 4,000 feet deep and was formed by erosion and the catastrophic collapse of the volcano that created Kauai.
From here we drove to the lookout at Kalalau Valley.  The views were spectacular down the valley and out to the sea.  At Kakalau Lookout I had my photo taken with my new friend, Travel Bug.  He belongs to Lorrie who has been our wonderful guide throughout our time in Hawaii. 

Back on board the ship I relaxed on my balcony, explored more of the ship and later at night I visited the Mardi Gras Nightclub and saw Balde and Renetta Silva of Toby Beau perform the songs of the Eagles.  They were brilliant!! 
Aloha,
Poppy xxoo

Aloha,
Another day spent exploring lovely Kauai. 
We went for a cruise along the Waialua River to the pretty Fern Grotto.  We saw the cascading Opaeka'a Falls, the birth stones and even the Coco Palms featured in the Elvis Presley movie, Blue Hawaii.
Our ship departed the port in Kauai at 2:00pm. 
I spent the afternoon relaxing on board the ship and viewing the spectacular Na Pali coastline as we sailed past.  Fantastic sight!!
This is our last night on board our cruise ship.  Granny and Pa have gone to a farewell cocktail party, farewell dinner and show in the Hollywood Theater.
I am taking in the view from my balcony and trying to decide what I should do now the cruise is over.
Will I ask Granny to set me free in Hawaii or will I return to Australia to join Monkey and his family on their Outback Australian Adventure??
Aloha for now,
Poppy xxoo 

Aloha Friends,
We docked at Honolulu at 7:00am.  Our plane to Sydney Australia is due to depart just after lunch at 12:40pm.

Yes, I have finally decided to return to Australia and join Monkey and his family on their adventure through Outback Australia. I have not seen very much of Australia and this outback adventure sounds really exciting. 

So it is aloha to lovely Hawaii.  Mahalo nui ioa (thank you very much) to all the friendly Hawaiian's I met, especially Lorrie, Bill and Travel Bug who made sure we all had a wonderful vacation.
Aloha (goodbye / love),
Poppy xxoo

G'day,
Yes I am back in Australia.  We arrived in Sydney late last night and spent the night at a hotel near Sydney Airport.  Our flight to Brisbane departs Sydney at 12:05pm, so we should be back at Manly West around 3:00pm.

I am going to spend a few days relaxing at Granny's house before I join Monkey and his family at their home.  I think they leave on their Outback Adventure on 16 June.
Special love to my owner who set me free on this travel adventure.  I have had a wonderful holiday in Hawaii.
Bye for now,
Poppy xxoo

Hi friends,
I am now fully rested after my adventures in Hawaii and am going to join Monkey and his family.
I have had a fun time during the last few days with the new friends I made who live at Granny's house.  Some of them are really old, especially Doggie who sadly only has one eye. They had lots of stories to tell me about their adventures over the years.  None of them have ever been to Hawaii, so I had lots to tell them.
Goodbye for now,
Lots of love,
Poppy xxoo 

Hi,

Left Manly West this morning and flew to Darwin where we are joining a Tour covering the Top End, Kimberley Region and the Tanami Desert down to Alice Springs.

In Darwin we visited the Aviation Heritage Centre and then the Darwin National Museum plus a tour around this tropical city before checking into our hotel from where where we had a wonderful view out over the blue ocean.

Left Darwin this morning and travelled south to the Litchfield National Park where we saw a number of beautiful waterfalls and swimming holes (which were closed to swimming due to the presence of crocodiles). After lunch we headed off to Jabiru within the Kakadu National Park to set up our campsite.

Today we headed off on a boat cruise along the East Alligator River which passes through Kakadu National Park. Saw lots of hungry looking crocodiles and our guide impressed on us not to place any arms or hands outside the boat.

Stopped for a walk up a rocky headland to get some photos of the river.

After our cruise along the East Alligator River, we visited the Ubirr Art Site which features some unique Aboriginal Art, and climbed 250 metres up to the top of a rocky outcrop which provided superb views over the Nadab floodplain.

This morning we visited Cooinda for a cruise on the Yellow Waters Billabong, an extensive wetlands area at the end of Jim Jim Creek. We then visited the Warradjan Curtural Centre before heading off to Katherine where we came across a statue of a drover which is dedicated to all the drovers who opened up this country.

This morning we visited the Nitmiluk National Park for a cruise on the spectacular Katherine River Gorge.

Even though we are a long way from the ocean, there are still crocodiles in this area.

While having lunch after the cruise I climbed a gum tree but could not find any koalas there.

After leaving the Katherine River we travelled along the Victoria Highway and stopped at a bridge over the Victoria River.

We then crossed the border to Western Australia before arriving at Kununurra where we set up our camp in the Campground.

This morning we headed off on an exhilarating boat cruise up the Ord River which started at Lake Kununurra and headed up river to the Ord River Dam and Lake Argyle.

We then visited old Durack Homestead Museum.

Headed off from our campsite this morning and headed for the small township of Wyndham where we visited the Five Rivers Lookout and enjoyed the spectacular view over Cambridge Gulf.

We then started along the Gibb River Road and visited Zebedee Springs before heading to El Questro where we stayed overnight in tented safari cabins.