New Zealand- Auckland - 'S.S.Himalaya' - November 1970

 Wandering around Auckland for the day, through the Parks, Downtown and Museums.

Wellesley and Queen Streets, Auckland.

 Same street corner today from Google, not a lot of change.

 War Memorial Museum.

The 'Niagara'.

 The Anchor of the 'Bounty'.

From Voyager New Zealand Maritime Museum

Name/Title
Anchor from HMS BOUNTY

About this object
This iron anchor was abandoned by the mutineers aboard HMS BOUNTY after using it to free the ship from a coral reef near Tahiti in 1789, while on their way to Pitcairn Island. When, in 1789, Fletcher Christian and his mutineers brought BOUNTY back to Tahiti, they used the same spot for anchorage that Captain Bligh had used when loading his cargo of breadfruit trees. The mutineers had no intention of stopping long and having secured supplies and water, they attempted to weigh anchor, but the ship had grounded on a sunken reef. They used the ship's spare anchor as a kedge to haul her off. This was successful but the kedge was held fast by the coral so they had to cut the cable and leave the anchor behind. The incident was not forgotten by the local people. They successfully retrieved the anchor in 1935 but without its wooden stock.

Date Made
Between 1784 -1789

Place Made

United Kingdom

Medium and Materials
iron

Measurements
3800mm x 2120 mm x 500 mm (LWD)

Credit Line
Auckland Institute & Museum loan

Object Type
Anchor

Object number
332

 War Memorial Museum.

 Auckland Regional Authority Bus.

 Holden's for New Zealand, in front of the 'Himalaya'.

 Auckland's steam ferry boats, formerly worked in Sydney.

 Farewell New Zealand... we come back a couple more times.

We are almost home, can't wait!  The next two days to Sydney take forever..........

Fiji - 'S.S.Himalaya' - November 19670.

 Arriving in Suva, Fiji on a cloudy rainy day.

 A band is welcoming us.  I'm not surprised just about everyone on board was heading to the markets to shop!

Leaving Suva in a rain storm, something that happens quite often in Fiji.  We've been back to Fiji a few more times, a couple of times on ships then in about 1986, I won first prize in a local 'Little Athletics' fund raising Raffle  -  a week in Fiji for two adults and two children.   We took our youngest two that time, the other two were adults.

Letter - to David's mother Mary - 'Himalaya' - 7.11.1970

At Sea, one day into Suva. Friday 6th November 1970

Hello Mum, Dad, Andrew and Doodie,

   I guess this is my last letter to you for some time - happily the need will cease a week from today, and we're looking forward hugely to the big event.

  High on our minds today is the shopping spree on duty free bits in Suva - a good tape recorder, an adding machine ordered by Pen's Mum (we owe her $40 on account of duty paid on Tabitha), a camera for a Phelan cousin, maybe a set of field glasses if reasonably $'d.  We should have suggested a lot earlier that you tell us if you wanted something, a little transistor or whatever.  But we've tried to pick up a little goodie for each family member somewhere along our route.  Also picked up duty free grog (liqueurs) on board, all helps to moisten the coming revels.

  The ship is O.K.  - very full, mainly with very oldies - apparently all from Redfern and Newtown or England, but a few Canadians got on in Vancouver so we have made some good friends amongst them.

  We cannot get a cabin to ourselves - at times it's even hard to find two seats in the lounge, but it's wonderful outdoors weather, and deck tennis/pool etc.  activities are A1!  So expect to see us in the pink of condition - Pen somewhat weightier than before  (she told me to say that).  We have a superb table waiter, who must be the most attentive ever, and a good cabin steward.  My German cabin mate and I carry on desultory conversations in German, while Pennie's (also German, (speaks English) does nothing but sleep.

    From Pennie - Yesterday we crossed the Equator, there was a special ceremony, people were splatted with red and green muck and thrown into the pool with Dead Fish!  Thank goodness they emptied and cleaned the pool later.  I've been walking two miles a day lately, six times around 'A' Deck makes a mile.  In less that a week we will see you.

   Love Pennie and David xx

'S.S.Himalaya' Crossing the Equator - November 1970

We did become great friends with the couple standing in the middle of this photo, they were Canadian, Bruce and Steph, they settled near us in Sydney for a while and it was Bruce who encouraged David to go to the 7 Day Adventist Hospital near us for the Give up Smoking Seminars... which were very successful.  Bruce and Steph went back to Canada, they separated and we lost touch.

  

Hawaii, Honolulu - 'S.S.Himalaya' - October 1970

 Those two buildings on the left, are in the middle of the photo below that I grabbed today from Google Maps.

The 'Himalaya' was nothing like the 'President Cleveland', the ship we took from Japan to the U.S.A., probably because the 'President Cleveland' had two classes and it was one big party in 2nd Class which was where we were with loads of students heading to America.

The 'Himalaya' was one class and full of middle aged Australian and English people, there were hardly any young ones on board, plus David and I couldn't get a room together so David was sharing a room with a German fellow, my room mate was also German and spent most of her time sleeping, which wasn't much fun and totally forgettable which I have done...  completely forgotten it!   The photos and tomorrows post letter reminds me of our trip.

One of the things these middle aged people did when arriving in each Port, was to catch a tourist coach.  This is something David and I have never done and even now that we are 'middle aged' ourselves,  couldn't even contemplate doing, we've always much preferred to explore and discover each Port - Country - City down on the ground on shanks pony, local transport or even a hired car!

In 1977 we sailed once again to the U.K., we had three children 5 yrs, 3 yrs and 4 months old, we chose to travel on a Greek shipping line, on the 'Australis'.  This ship was dreadful, they had no facilities for young children and they even ran out of toilet paper.  On our return at the end of 1978 we went back to P&O on the 'Oriana', this was a fantastic trip, so good the children didn't want to get off the ship in Ports, the playroom was such fun plus the Nanny would take them to the Bar for Pink Lemonades... for the kids and Pink Gin's for her  :-)  The children still have great memories of that trip.

David and I spent the day with Janet and David Reidie, a young Canadian couple, firstly on Waikiki Beach.  I wonder what happened to Janet and David?

From Google Maps today.

I can't believe I found this weird round thing on Google Maps, it does look as though it's been moved since 1970 and the buildings around are nothing like the ones in the photo above.  I'm amazed to see how enormous Honolulu is now.

Night time, and the Hare Krishna are out and about.  We'd never seen this sort of thing before, lots of new experiences.

Shops were open at night time!  Another new experience.

Halloween is another thing we'd never seen before, we'd heard about it, seen photos but never experienced Halloween.  Not something we've ever got into here in Australia.  Look at the prices of the hamburgers!

'S.S.Himalaya' - At Sea - November 1970

 Somewhere on the Pacific Ocean!   Beautiful sunny days.

Canada, Vancouver - 'S.S.Himalaya' - October 1970

 First stop from San Francisco is Vancouver, our friends the Charlesworths, were working so we spent the day pottering around this beautiful city.

 We do arrive at this same spot in November 1978 on board the Oriana and with three little children in tow, Ted met us and took us to the snow with toboggans, that was a fun day as well.

Looking towards Grouse Mountain.

 Queen Elizabeth Park.

 Bloedel Conservatory.

Vancouver Trolley Bus.

Farewell Vancouver.