Travel Diary – Day 1# Australia (10-30-22)
Pray with me as we Travel to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.
Today at five minutes to one in the afternoon, the larger part of a group of 32 persons boarded an airplane that will ultimately take us to Australia. There are others who will join us from St. Louis and the Washingto DC area. Later this evening, we will join one another in the Los Angeles Airport and take off together for our first stop which is Australia.
The flight to Australia is long, but the planning for this trip has been longer. Our last trip was to Israel in 2018. As is the custom of our Travel Ministry, when we conclude one trip, we always ask the travelers where they would like to go next. A significant number of persons indicated they would like to go to Fiji.
The Travel Ministry of the Plymouth United Church of Christ in Detroit, MI began in 2009 with a trip to Egypt. Actually, our traveling began in 1988 with a trip sponsored by the late Arthur White to his native land, Liberia. After a 21 -year break, we resumed traveling with a church sponsored trip to Egypt, almost by accident in 2009. Two young law clerks for my wife, inquired if Denise and I would like to visit Egypt? We replied with an unequivocal yes. Their wives organized the trip, and we were off and running!
Our trips have included: South Africa 2012, Ghana 2014, ”Following the Footsteps of Paul,” Greece and Rome 2016, China 2017, and Israel in 2018. When we returned from Israel, planning for the Australia trip began with a singular focus. Because of the Covid outbreak world wide, this trip was delayed for two years.
I am disoriented and have lost track of time. It feels like we have traveled 24 hours. After a long wait and a 13-hour flight to Auckland, New Zealand, and a long layover in the airport, we are now back in the air en route to Melbourne, Australia. Our travel group is intact and cheerful. I encourage you to keep up with us daily at www.puccdetroit.org/travel-diaries or at http://nicholashoodiiiministries.wordpress.org
I ask that you pray for us. Lord willing, I will write a travel journal each day, and I hope you will read and follow travel with our group vicariously.
Blessings,
Nick
Travel Diary – Day #2 Australia (11-2-2022)
First, I would like to apologize to the persons who read my WordPress page who live in Australia for visiting your beautiful country and not contacting you first. Every week, I receive a notification that some persons read me who are based in Australia. My challenge is that I do not know who you are, or your email addresses. I want to thank you for reading my joy and passion, and I hope you will understand why I have not tried to contact you. Also, this particular trip to Australia is a part of my pastoral ministry in Detroit, Michigan, USA, which was planned before the pandemic, and now, finally happening.
Yesterday, we flew from Melbourne to Cairns. Cairns is north of Melbourne, closer to the equator, so it is much warmer than Melbourne. The temperature here is in the ninety degree range. At the time of this writing, it is near midnight. Tomorrow, our schedule will take us to visit the Great Barrier Reef. I am looking forward to seeing what I have heard and read about for so many years.
Photos by Pastor Nick Hood3
Travel Diary – #3 “Glass Bottom Boat” Australia (11-4-22)
Yesterday, we spent the majority of the day sailing to the Great Barier Reef. The sun was magnificent, the water was majestic, and the food on board was great. Several members of our group put on wet suits and donned snorkel gear. Greg Whiting took on the name, “The Black Shark.”
I was moved to be at a place that is suffering erosion because of climate change.
We boarded a glass bottomed boat went ashore on one of the sandy islands. On the return to Cairns, the water was rough , but we toughed it out. This morning we are scheduled to fly to Sydney.
Thanks for reading.
Blessings,
Nick
