Australia and New Zealand

Our final return to Scarborough Marina (Brisbane, Australia) as we prepared for the cruise up the Queensland Coast to Darwin — February 22, 2025  through May 1, 2025 (subtitle: Apparently the cruising gods felt it was important to remind us what we signed up for — and it wasn’t pretty — but alls well that ends well)

As you know, after 3 months away from Che Figata traveling through Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia and Vietnam, we returned to Che Figata on February 22, 2025.  Our travels through Southeast Asia exceeded our expectations.  It was just the perfect combination of travel with friends and family, experiencing different cultures, exploring Read more…

By Jillhummel, ago

Our visit to the USA and brief return to Che Figata — September 29, 2024  through November 30, 2024 (subtitle: A wedding, visits with family and friends and a presidential election (but we don’t talk about that) or Sometimes the best adventures are close to home).

REPEAT WARNING:  Once again, this is not a sailing related entry. This, as well as future entires through April/May 2025, reflect our effort to capture our experiences while we explore Australia, New Zealand and other places (now Southeast Asia) across the world from the country we call home by land Read more…

By Jillhummel, ago

A brief return to Australia — August 9, 2024  through August 31, 2024 (subtitle:  A short but joyous reunion with Che Figata in between air and land-based travels)

REPEAT WARNING:  Once again, this is not a sailing related entry. This, as well as future entires through April/May 2025, reflect our effort to capture our experiences while we explore Australia, New Zealand and other places in the southern hemisphere across the world from the country we call home by Read more…

By Jillhummel, ago

Traveling New Zealand Part VII — July 30, 2024  through August 9, 2024 (subtitle:  The dragons to disasters tour of the North Island or “Honey, I found the tourists!”)

REPEAT WARNING:  Once again, this is not a sailing related entry. This, as well as future entires through April/May 2025, reflect our effort to capture our experiences while we explore Australia, New Zealand and other places in the southern hemisphere across the world from the country we call home by Read more…

By Jillhummel, ago

Traveling New Zealand Part VI — July 7, 2024 through July 29, 2024 (subtitle: A farewell to the South Island of New Zealand with an amazing final flourish!)

REPEAT WARNING: Once again, this is not a sailing related entry. This, as well as future entires through April/May 2025, reflect our effort to capture our experiences while we explore Australia, New Zealand and other places in the southern hemisphere across the world from the country we call home by Read more…

By Jillhummel, ago

Traveling New Zealand Part V — June 21, 2024 through July 7, 2024 (subtitle: Completing our circumnavigation of the South Island and learning that, in New Zealand, the shortest distance between 2 points involves a corkscrew drive through the mountains)

REPEAT WARNING: Once again, this is not a sailing related entry. This, as well as future entires through May 2025, reflect our effort to capture our experiences while we explore Australia, New Zealand and other places in the southern hemisphere across the world from the country we call home by Read more…

By Jillhummel, ago

Traveling New Zealand Part IV — June 13, 2024 through June 21, 2024 (subtitle: The awesome West Coast of the South Island has it all — from gorges to glaciers; rivers and rugged rocks to rainforest; coastline to coal mines — and don’t forget about the kiwis! )

REPEAT WARNING: Once again, this is not a sailing related entry. This, as well as future entires through May 2025, reflect our effort to capture our experiences while we explore Australia, New Zealand and other places in the southern hemisphere across the world from the country we call home by Read more…

By Jillhummel, ago

Traveling New Zealand Part III — May 30, 2024 through June 13, 2024 (subtitle: From dramatic glacier carved fiords to limestone caves and verdant moss covered rainforests, the South Island of New Zealand does not disappoint. The only thing missing is the hobbits!)

REPEAT WARNING: Once again, this is not a sailing related entry. This, as well as future entires through May 2025, reflect our effort to capture our experiences while we explore Australia, New Zealand and other places in the southern hemisphere across the world from the country we call home by Read more…

By Jillhummel, ago

Traveling New Zealand Part II — April 23, 2024 through May 30, 2024 (subtitle: In a tragic twist of fate 😉, we had to extend our stay in the South Island of New Zealand.)

WARNING: Once again, this is not a sailing related entry. This as well as future entires through May 2025, reflect our effort to capture our experiences while we explore Australia, New Zealand and other places in the southern hemisphere across the world from the country we call home by land Read more…

By Jillhummel, ago

Traveling New Zealand Part I — April 9, 2024 through April 22, 2024 (subtitle: A surprise immersion in the New Zealand health care system at no extra cost or running with scissors is all good fun until somebody gets hurt!)

WARNING: Once again, this is not a sailing related entry. This, and probably the next, now indefinite, number of blog entries, reflect our effort to capture our experiences while we explored Australia, New Zealand and other places in the southern hemisphere by land with some air travel assists. We are Read more…

By Jillhummel, ago

Melbourne to Sydney — March 24, 2024 through April 9, 2024 (subtitle: From gourmet meals to goat farming, mountains to rainforests and beaches and fancy hotels to safari tents — gobsmacked in Southeast Australia!)

WARNING: Once again, this is not a sailing related entry. This, and probably the next 2 – 3 blog entries, reflect our effort to capture our experiences while we explored Australia and New Zealand by land with some air travel assists. We are metaphorically putting our memories in a bottle Read more…

By Jillhummel, ago