Thursday, February 14, 2013

— My Alphabe-Thursday (2nd), the letter "M" / Thursday Two Questions —

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New Zealand and Australia; more of our most recent cruise pictures
Here we have some pictures to honor Alphabe-Thursday letter "M"

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"M" is for More.  More of good things is what people are wanting.

So here are some More of my New Zealand pictures.  This will probably NOT be my last posting of them.

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First I will show this one of the Sydney, Australia, City Hall.   The outside of the building, including the clock tower, are being renovated and cleaned.

So that the Sydney residents don't forget (why else do this??) what their City Hall should look like, the contractor has build this colorful four sided frame with the tower's picture on each side.

We did not go into the City Hall.  But is was in our line of sight from our hotel room, a couple of blocks away.

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Our plane arrived in Auckland, New Zealand, at 6:00 in the morning but our ship would not be ready for boarding until the afternoon.  So for such happenings Princess has made hotel arrangements for a permanent hospitality room.  They had tea, coffee, and  snacks for us.  Princess also had a bus tour of  Auckland which we could purchase.

Mrs. Jim and I opted to not do either, the bus tour or wait in the hospitality room, but rather go for our own sight-seeing walk.  Auckland is New Zealand's largest city with a population of about 3.5 million people while the whole of New Zealand's population is only 4.5 million.  Auckland's skyline is very impressive.
 
 

We walked about a mile down Queen Street to the harbor. My cameras have taken a lot of Burger King and MacDonald's restaurants and we passed these two on the way to the harbor. 

When we reached Australia there were no Burger Kings.  Instead we found Jack's Burgers all over the place.  Burger King owns Jack's.

 

"[The] Britomart Transport Centre is the CBD public transport hub of Auckland, New Zealand, and the northern terminus of the North Island Main Trunk line. It combines a bus interchange with a railway station in a former Edwardian post office, extended with expansive post-modernist architectural elements. It is located at the foot of Queen Street, the main commercial thoroughfare of Auckland CBD, with the main ferry terminal just across Quay Street." (Wikipedia, Auckland Britomart, for more
 
And it is just around the corner from the Burger King.  We didn't stop at the BK, instead we caught the ferry over to Devonport.  That was about a 40 minute ride, one way. We had a very nice view of the Auckland skyline from the boat.  At the right in the picture is our ship, the Diamond Princess.
 
 
 
Devonport is a pretty little town.  Its most prominent feature is a hill named Mount Victoria pictured below on the left.  Of course mountains are meant to be climbed and Mrs. Jim and I did that. On the right, above, I am standing at the top.  Up there are a weather radar and an old bunker left there from WWII.
 
While we were up there an older man and his dog arrived, both having climbed the hill.  The man told us that he had originally lived in Scotland, quite a few years back had come to New Zealand to visit his sister, and then just stayed.  He was a sheep shearer in Scotland and also did that in NZ.  But he had to learn to shear them the New Zealand way.  We talked with him for about half an hour and must have picked his brain dry.
 

 
What is a Ute?   A ute is a pickup truck that uses a car body (Ford example).  The green one above is a modern Volkswagen Golf vehicle with a ute body.  In the states the Chevy El Camino and the Ford Ranchero pickups (New Zealand and Australia called those utes) are U.S. models that you might remember.

==> You can see other "M" letter posts by visiting Jenny's blog post, Alphabe- Thursday. My letter "M" portion of this post will be critiqued by Head Mistress Jenny. I always hope for a good grade.

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Now for my Thursday Two Questions.

My last post last week was about a "L" word, Laugh (also smile).

My Two Questions for this week (you can answer just one if you wish):.

1. Do you ever have More things you like than you can ever tell about?
 
So far, since 2005, I have not run out of things to blog about.  Nor is my honey-do list ever emptied; etc. for other items.

2. What does a hill or little mountain in your way have for you to do?

I have climbed many, many, little 'mountains' and hills  Two of the most fun were Franklin Mountain in El Paso which I would climb at least once or twice every year and the little mountain range behind Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. 

With my artificial knee joint I have slowed down on the climbs but I still like and can do most of them.

Bonus Question: What is your favorite "M" word?
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==>  My post is for Amanda at her Thursday Two Questions blog, Self Sagacity.

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Comments:
I like your city scenes. When we travel we would rather strike out on our own than join a tour.

I have so many photos in my archives that I will never run out of ideas for posts. There is always something I can posts.

I used to do more climbing than I do now. The hills and mountains of Georgia and North Carolina were my favorites back then. I have climbed a few around Nome, Alaska and the Oregon Coast. My favorite little ones now are in Baja California and Baja Sur.

My favorite "M" word, Meow!
 
i love the reflection in the building.A camera is so good at making memories that we forget .
 
I have just realised I did not finish the task at hand and answer the questions. Hills and I do not go together I have a major back problem and whilst I coul dwalk for miles on the flat put an incline or hill in my way and I am stumped.And my favourite word is Mum I never get sick of hearing it. I am a Mum to 5 and love it
 
enoying your trip photos very MUCH!

sometimes i think i have too much,many, or more art supplies, but, it is hard to let go of my pencils, watercolors and paper.

there are no hills here, flat. just flat. but sometimes, i feel like i am climbing a hill when dealing with health issues for the girlie! but, then i think, if i feel like this then what can she feel like? and i kind of get a second wind and keep moving onward and upward!

 
Love the Down Under photos. I want to go!!
 
1. Do you ever have More things you like than you can ever tell about?

Hubby and I volunteer way too much. The work is never done and we just keep plugging away. Often the things need doing at home and the yard get neglected. We know this, but we just keep plugging away.

2. What does a hill or little mountain in your way have for you to do?

I'm with you on this one. I just climb them and I've done some pretty high ones too. Good exercise.

Bonus Question: What is your favorite "M" word?

My favorite 'M' word is motivation. It's an essential part of being productive.

Have a terrific day. ☺
 
Sounds like Princess treated you all very well. I have to remember to use them next time. I have used Carnival, Royal, and some other one, can't remember right now. They great one was the one I can't remember...oops!
I do have a lot of things that I like, and I have a lot to share, as you've said, you haven't ran out of things to blog about, neither have I. I also like to blog about relationships- and often really wanted to but I have to remember to do my duties first.
I have climbed some hills and some small mountains, I usually feel great after doing it, it is just hard to get to the point to wanting to do it.
 
I have so many ideas for blog posts! I just can't cook/write/blog fast enough!
 
1. Oh yes. I could go on and on with blogging. I have 3 posts in my mind, but don't have time to post about them today. There's always tomorrow.
2. I'd climb over the hill or mountain to! That is if it's not too steep and I had the right shoes on. My left ankle turns in. I have to wear special arch supports now.
3. Magnificent is the coolest m word in my mind. Mica would be up there to. That's my son's name and it's a shiny silicate mineral with a layered structure, found as minute scales in granite and other rocks, or as crystals.
 
Wonderful photography, Jim!

Wonderful memories too of a fantastic trip!

Have a great weekend,

Lola & Nora:)


 
We enjoyed your lovely photos marvellously. Please share more of them. Thank you so much, Dr Jim :)

(Three "M" words)
 
Wonderful photography ~ looks like a marvelous trip ~ Wow! ~

Carol of (A Creative Harbor) ^_^
 
These tour posts are so much fun

Even if you are snow shovel deprived ha ha
 
Love, love your posts; so many pictures and so much to learn! M words to love are the one you used "more" and another I like is music. I am forever thinking of more things I could or should have put in my post, but my bed calls me and I must surrender to sleep or fall asleep at work the next day. - not good. lol
 
Tada! This is such a wonderful post and I love reading it. Very informative and stunning photos, too. My favorite M word is Melody-that's me! My real name:) Melody that stands for sweet music.

Have a lovely weekend and looking forward to read MORE of your post!
 
Wonderful travel photos, Jim. Please keep them coming.
I can't think of a favorite M word. This week I wrote about mementos, though.
 
I enjoyed reading that Jim.

Such an adventure and in places I'd love to visit!

1. Yes I do believe so. Sometimes the liking is easier in silence...
2 I'd love to climb hills. LA doesn't have those available readily though.

And my M word is - Multitasking.

Enjoy your weekend!
 
Hi Jim,
What a fantastic post..with beautiful photos to see!

My favorite M word is Miracle!
 
Great photos! I bet you enjoyed your trip. I'm Australian so your Down Under photos always remind me of home. Thanks for sharing.
 
Thanks for the photos of Sidney and New Zealand. I'd love to visit both!
 
Some years back my husband was doing some business in New Zealand. He bought two tickets. A huge family emergency kept me home, but I've always regretted it.

We have friends that visit us yearly from NZ and I really hope we can reciprocate one of these days!

I think my favorite "M" word for the moment is marvelous!

And your post was that!

Hills slow me down a little because I have constant vertigo. I do a little better on flat land!

Thanks for a fun link.

A+
 

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