January 26, 2013 (Sea Day)

We have been changing our time by one hour back for each of the last five nights since we left Easter Island. You would think that we would be having too much sleep but we have been enjoying the extra hour of the day.

Today is Australia Day, which is a holiday in Australia when the nation comes together as a nation to celebrate what is great about the Australia and being Australian. It commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet of 11 convict ships from Great Britain, and the raising of the Union Jack at Sydney Cove by its commander Captain Arthur Phillip, in 1788. More than a barbecue and fireworks, it is a celebration of the pride felt by Australians not only of the past but of the present.

We attended a port lecture with Barbara on “Things to See and Do in Auckland” this morning. Also this morning we attended a cooking class with chef Kevin on how to prepare Dungeness Crab Cakes with a Thai Sweet Chili Sauce and Marinated Cucumbers.

This afternoons activities included the movie Australia with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, which we enjoyed. Tonight’s entertainment is another concert by the group AbbaFab performing the music of Abba.