Dear Family,
I guess there is not a better time for a newsletter to come due than when you return from a three week tour of Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. At least you have lots of news. It was a wonderful trip and I am very grateful for the opportunity of going. I left on Jan. 7th, with my neighbor Karlene, here in St. George. We stayed with Carol and Blair that night and Jim took us the next day to the airport in Salt Lake and we flew to LA LAX that night at 10:30 we left for Nadia, Fiji Arriving there at 5:30 the next morning. We had crossed the international date line so it was a day and six hours later. So much for time change. That went on constantly until we returned. We were supposed to have a four hour lay over in Fiji, due to a terrible storm we had four more hours. We were the last plane to leave this airport for the next three weeks. The country was plauged with a terrible flood. (That is an entirely different story.)
We started out the next day with a tour of the Featherdale Zoo in Sydney. It had all the animals that Australia is famous for like the: Walabees, Koalas, Wambats, Tasmania Devil and many exotic birds. We saw more than that but you'll have to ask me if you are interested. We toured the city of Sydney. The big ocean road and mainly the Opera House, which is supposed to be the most famous in the World. The city of Sydney had, it seemed like hundreds of skyscrapers. With all those huge buildings right on the harbor it made for a fascinating sight.
On the 5th evening we embarked on the royal caribbean cruise ship at the Sydney harbor and set sail the following evening. It seemed we always left at night. We cruised for the next 13 days around the country of New Zealand. We toured the cities of Denidean, Christchurch, Wellington, Taurango, Auckland, and the Bay of Islands. The bodies of water surrounding New Zealand were the Tasmanian Sea and the Pacific Ocean. In aukland we rode up on a sky tower that allowed us to see the city from up above. It was a beautiful sight. The country of New Zealand is really something to see, with all its lush green grass and rolling hills amongst so much water. It was the most beautiful of everything we saw.
The last place we went was to a five star hotel on the island of Fiji. (Not an American 5 star) here I went on a river boat trip to visit a village of Fijians. (Two generations ago they were cannibals) True Story. Today they are a hard working kind and gentle people. They live in villages as families, Grandpa and Grandma, their sons and their families. Daughters go to their husbands families. First we had a session with the chief in a dwelling kind of like a bowery. We all sat on the floor on mats they make themselves. That was some scene to see, all us old folks getting down and then getting up again. The tour leader explained their customs and the chiefs duties and their responsibilities to him. Then they sang for us and then danced for us. Before we knew it we were all dancing. Real hip action to the beat of the music. Next came our luncheon. They are very poor but they fixed what they grow and displayed them very attractively. Again we sat on the floor each time taking off our shoes. The river captain was very kind to me taking off my shoes and then putting them back on and double knotting them. The trail up to village was kind of like the intermettent spring trail in Afton. I had help from the men on the tour or I may not have made it. I felt like a mountain goat.
I've left the best to last. The ship journey. It was like a little town with 11 levels. Every level had something going on. We were on the third floor with a room with a window. This was our luxury for the trip. It was wonderful to be able to look out and see the ocean at all times. Course we weren't in our room too much. Eating was the name of the game. Oh, was that food good. We ate in a dining room or up on the ninth floor in a place called the windjammer with the ocean all around us. I had planned to be careful and not overdue. But Karlene just kept eating and so I followed suit. The desserts were especially good. It helped that they took out all the calories. They had one floor that was a "shop". I told my kids there would be no gifts, that the trip was too expensive. But it was just too much fun buying all those things on sale. So they all got something.
I guess there is not a better time for a newsletter to come due than when you return from a three week tour of Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. At least you have lots of news. It was a wonderful trip and I am very grateful for the opportunity of going. I left on Jan. 7th, with my neighbor Karlene, here in St. George. We stayed with Carol and Blair that night and Jim took us the next day to the airport in Salt Lake and we flew to LA LAX that night at 10:30 we left for Nadia, Fiji Arriving there at 5:30 the next morning. We had crossed the international date line so it was a day and six hours later. So much for time change. That went on constantly until we returned. We were supposed to have a four hour lay over in Fiji, due to a terrible storm we had four more hours. We were the last plane to leave this airport for the next three weeks. The country was plauged with a terrible flood. (That is an entirely different story.)We started out the next day with a tour of the Featherdale Zoo in Sydney. It had all the animals that Australia is famous for like the: Walabees, Koalas, Wambats, Tasmania Devil and many exotic birds. We saw more than that but you'll have to ask me if you are interested. We toured the city of Sydney. The big ocean road and mainly the Opera House, which is supposed to be the most famous in the World. The city of Sydney had, it seemed like hundreds of skyscrapers. With all those huge buildings right on the harbor it made for a fascinating sight.The Next Day we flew to Melbourne, had two days there. We saw lots of sheep, cattle, and horses up in the hills of this area. It was very pictureske and of course reminded me of home but in a different way. They had a deer farm. Years ago they crossed an American elk with an Australian red deer. They looked more like elk than deer. I guess a lot of people use this as their main meat item.
On the 5th evening we embarked on the royal caribbean cruise ship at the Sydney harbor and set sail the following evening. It seemed we always left at night. We cruised for the next 13 days around the country of New Zealand. We toured the cities of Denidean, Christchurch, Wellington, Taurango, Auckland, and the Bay of Islands. The bodies of water surrounding New Zealand were the Tasmanian Sea and the Pacific Ocean. In aukland we rode up on a sky tower that allowed us to see the city from up above. It was a beautiful sight. The country of New Zealand is really something to see, with all its lush green grass and rolling hills amongst so much water. It was the most beautiful of everything we saw.The last place we went was to a five star hotel on the island of Fiji. (Not an American 5 star) here I went on a river boat trip to visit a village of Fijians. (Two generations ago they were cannibals) True Story. Today they are a hard working kind and gentle people. They live in villages as families, Grandpa and Grandma, their sons and their families. Daughters go to their husbands families. First we had a session with the chief in a dwelling kind of like a bowery. We all sat on the floor on mats they make themselves. That was some scene to see, all us old folks getting down and then getting up again. The tour leader explained their customs and the chiefs duties and their responsibilities to him. Then they sang for us and then danced for us. Before we knew it we were all dancing. Real hip action to the beat of the music. Next came our luncheon. They are very poor but they fixed what they grow and displayed them very attractively. Again we sat on the floor each time taking off our shoes. The river captain was very kind to me taking off my shoes and then putting them back on and double knotting them. The trail up to village was kind of like the intermettent spring trail in Afton. I had help from the men on the tour or I may not have made it. I felt like a mountain goat.I've left the best to last. The ship journey. It was like a little town with 11 levels. Every level had something going on. We were on the third floor with a room with a window. This was our luxury for the trip. It was wonderful to be able to look out and see the ocean at all times. Course we weren't in our room too much. Eating was the name of the game. Oh, was that food good. We ate in a dining room or up on the ninth floor in a place called the windjammer with the ocean all around us. I had planned to be careful and not overdue. But Karlene just kept eating and so I followed suit. The desserts were especially good. It helped that they took out all the calories. They had one floor that was a "shop". I told my kids there would be no gifts, that the trip was too expensive. But it was just too much fun buying all those things on sale. So they all got something.When we got off the plane and came down the ramp, there was Jim, waiting for us. He had just stepped off his flight from seattle. We went down to the bagagge floor and there was Carol and Blair. It goes without saying how happy I was to see my kids. They seemed happy also.
We went with Jim in his new BMW and Carol and Blair took the luggage. Stacy and the kids met us at Carols and we had a gift opening and a hug and kiss reunion. Family is so wonderful. Phone calls were $30.00 a piece so we only talked once. I was very happy to be home and be with my family again. As I got in bed that night I thought of how much I loved and appreciated my family. That means all siblings, outlaws and inlaws and neices and nephews. The next morning Blair had us on the shuttle at Eight O'Clock and we were back in St. George by Noon. I've said enough, so bye for now. Will be happy to see you all in Afton at the family reunion.
Love to you all,
NaDean
P.S. During the family reunion, if any of you want to camp on my side of the lawn you are welcome.
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