THE ZIED’S AND GORDON’S NEW ZEALAND-AUSTRALIA CRUISEWITH TWO NIGHTS IN SYDNEY AFTER THE CRUISE
CELEBRITY CRUISES (MERCURY)
PART 1 – TO AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND AND THROUGHOUT NEW ZEALAND
Ernie and I were having dinner at Jock and Jill’s with Ed and Mary Gordon. who live two doors down from us. We mentioned that we were taking a New Zealand-Australia cruise in December. Ed and Mary told us they had always wanted to go to Australia and might be interested in going. Later, after Ed and Mary discussed it, they advised us they would like to go, too, and asked me to book the cruise for them. Between the time of the booking and the final cruise payment, I was able to get some more discounts for us through Celebrity.
It seems like the time flew and it was at last time to depart for the airport. Ed and Ernie loaded the back of the Gordon’s pickup truck with 14 pieces of luggage early on the morning of December 7. Ed parked the truck at Parking Spot 2 (the parking facility that Ernie and I use).
Upon arrival in Auckland, we took a cab to the ship. After checking in, we participated in the life jacket drill on deck and then went to dinner. Ed joined us, but Mary said she was extremely exhausted after the long trip and was going to bed.
December 10, Tauranga, New Zealand
Ernie and I negotiated and arranged for us to take a cab into the town of Tauranga. We arranged cab tours throughout most of the trip, thereby saving money for all of us, since the ship tours usually cost twice as much.
Our cab driver (Mack) took us through some of New Zealand’s most scenic countryside, dotted with farms and forests and through the township of Te Puke, an area famous for kiwi fruit farming—aka the “Kiwi Fruit Capital of the World”. (We never did have a chance to eat some kiwi fruit.) Upon reaching the outskirts of Rotorua, you could notice the distinct smell of sulfur, seeping from the geothermal landscape of the city known as the “Thermal Wonderland of New Zealand”. While we were walking around the Te Puia, New Zealand’s Maori Cultural Centre, we saw a bird snare (see picture below) whereby a bird flies in, sits and is caught so that it can be examined and banded. At the reserve we saw the thermal valley, pools of boiling mud, silica terraces with hissing ground stream vents and the ‘Pohutu Geyser’ or Big Splash. The largest of several geysers within the valley, this powerful geyser typically erupts between 10-25 times each day, and reaches heights up to 60 feet. (Our cab driver waited for us.)
Next, we experienced a traditional Maori welcome on the authentic setting of Rotowhio Marae and a concert with tribal songs, female poi dance, traditional stick games and the famous war dance, the Haka. The Maori people are the native people of New Zealand. We toured the Te Rito – The Weaving School where we observed the art of weaving from thread from flax fiber that produces garments of unsurpassed merit. The reconstructed Maori village represents the daily environment where Maori lived alongside the shared community spaces similar to Rotowhio Marae. We saw traditional arts and crafts and signs of every day life in early Maori culture as well as the Te Wananga Whakairo – The Carving School. In this school, carving, the prestigious art of the Maori is taught. It is here that this art is passed on to young Maori trainees under the skilled hands of graduate carvers.
Next, we were off to the Agrodome where we saw a world famous and live sheep show. We thoroughly enjoyed this show. It was very entertaining with a multi-award winning stage featuring 19 breeds of sheep. We enjoyed watching the sheep, one by one, as they were let out of a gate and made their way to their very own spot on the stage, eating out of each one’s food tray along the way. There was a sheep shearing demonstration by a top shearer and a demonstration by Huntaway dogs, plus their famous “Duck” dog. Both Mary and I got a sample of sheep’s wool; however, later we were afraid it would be confiscated by Customs upon leaving New Zealand, therefore, we threw it in the garbage can in our stateroom.
December 11 was spent at sea.
December 12, Napier, New Zealand
The first stop via cab was Bluff Hill Domain Lookout for spectacular views of Hawke’s Bay across the Port of Napier and city. On the way, we could see the ship docked.
Next, we traveled along the Tuki Tuki Valley and climbed to the summit of Te Mata Peak where the views are breath-taking across Hawke’s Bay and the intensively farmed Heretaunga Plains, renowned as the ‘fruit bowl of New Zealand’.
We stopped at the Te Mata Cheese Company situated in the foothills of the majestic Te Mata Peak—the perfect setting for the creation of stunning fresh, white-rinded and blue cheeses. We didn’t buy any cheese, but we did partake of the cheese. On the way back, we rode through Havelock North and stopped at the Strawberry Patch for some ice cream.
We had the cab driver take us to Kmart for souvenirs–only Kmart didn’t have any (they normally do in the lower 48, Hawaii and Alaska. Therefore, we then stopped at a souvenir shop in Hastings to purchase some.
Next stop: The Silky Oaks Chocolate Shop (see picture below).
December 13, Wellington, New Zealand
Our cab driver took us to Mount Victoria Lookout. Notice the sign “Give Way” on one of the streets which has the same meaning as our “Yield” signs. They drive on the left in New Zealand and Australia.
The movies “The Lord of Rings” and the latest “King Kong” were filmed on the island as shown in the two pictures below.
Next stop Karori Wildlife Sanctuary. I arranged a private tour for us with the Tourism Co-ordinator Phillip Stuart. The Karori Wildlife Sanctuary once housed Wellington’s drinking water reservoirs. We were briefed on the exciting 500-year old conservation plan that won’t be complete until the forest has matured. Enclosed by a ‘predator-proof’ fence, the regenerating native forest and 40 species of birds are able to thrive without introduced animals and pests that have threatened large areas of open New Zealand forest. During our walk, we saw some of New Zealand’s unique bird life including the Shag Coriant, Tui (white pouch), Bellbird, Grey Warbler, Kaka (rare), Saddleback, Hihi (rare), and some other birds (we were not able to get pictures of all of them).
Possums kill birds in New Zealand and they are trying to eliminate them. The Tuatara (small lizard-looking prehistoric creatures), which are next, live to be well over 100 years. The female (albino) blends well with the forest. There was a party with TV cameras, etc. when she had babies. They eat insects called Putangatanga.
December 14, Christchurch, New Zealand
Today we took the ship’s tour–the Trans Alpine Tour. Considered to be one of the great train journeys in the world, the Tranz Alpine Express took us from the heart of the Southern Alps in comfort and style. The rainy journey began by a bus ride which took us through the port in the town of Lyttleton, with its wooden houses clinging to the steep streets above the harbor, before traveling over Dyer’s Pass and the Port Hills. We stopped at the Sign of Takahe, an old stone house on the Cashmere Hills with views of the Southern Alps, the Canterbury Plains and the city of Christchurch. We saw the Cathedral Square and its 260-foot tall steeple, the Town Hall, the Avon River as well as the landscaped gardens of the city’s suburbs. Traveling through the Canterbury Plans, we passed through rich farmland as we made our way to Castle Hill Village. We passed Lakes Gunn and Pearson, Mount Cheesman and the ski resorts of Broken River and Craigieburn before reaching the alpine village of Arthur’s Pass.
At the Arthur’s Pass Train Station, we boarded the Tranz Alpine Express. We departed Arthur’s Pass National Park area which covers over 24,000 acres of rain forest and situated in the Southern Alps. We enjoyed lunch onboard as we passed through numerous tunnels, gorges and alpine plains with spectacular view of mountain peaks, rain forests and gorges found in this remote part of New Zealand. Some of the pictures below were made from inside the train. Notice the lupins which grow wild—they are pretty and quite colorful. Upon arrival into Lyttleton, we left the train and boarded a bus that took us back to the ship.
December 15, Dunedin, New Zealand
The cab driver took us along scenic Port Chalmers Road to the World’s Steepest Street.
It is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the steepest street in the world with a gradient of 1 in 1.266.
University of Otago – New Zealand’s oldest university has wonderful 19th century architecture and attractive grounds:
A Maori Church and Meeting Place (by invitation only)
At the end of the peninsula is Taiaroa Head where the only northern royal albatross colony in the world close to human habitation can be seen. We saw some flying. They can live 50 years.
Next, we went to Natures Wonders and boarded 8×8 wheel drive amphibious vehicles. We saw spectacular coastal views (720 degrees because you look around twice), yellow-eyed penguins (walking on the beach far away – we could not see them up close), fur seals and sea lions in their natural habitat. The ride via the “Argo” was indeed an experience—we had to hold on tight.
December 16, Dusky Sound, Doubtful Sound and Milford Sound, New Zealand
It was raining, then misting rain, windy and a very miserable day going through the fiords. Rain falls in the fiords over 200 days a year. The weather is dominated by frequent westerly airflows, making it extremely changeable and often dramatic. Moisture-laden air, forced to rise over the barrier of mountains, cools quickly creating heavy rain and snow. Clearing weather often reveals thousands of waterfalls streaming from sheer-sided mountains.
New Zealand’s 14 fiords (also spelt fjords) in the southwest of the South Island are unique. They are spectacular to look at and they are host to a dazzling variety of animal life. Their waters are so dark that creatures which usually live only in the deep ocean can survive there, giving scientists a peephole into little-explored territory. They were carved out of the mountains by massive glaciers some 20,000 years ago. When the glaciers melted, vast quantities of rocky debris were left at the entrance of each fiord. These mounds formed a partial barrier when the sea level rose 6,500 years ago, and today they restrict the flow of sea water in and out of the fiords. Within each fiord, the circulation of water is confined to the top 20-40 meters; deeper waters may remain undisturbed for years.
Dusky Sound, the largest fiord in New Zealand, is situated on the west coast of the South Island. It was first sighted on March 13, 1770 by Captain Cook who named it Dusky Bay because of its somber aspect. During his second voyage to New Zealand Cook entered the Sound on March 26, 1773 and remained there until May 11, thoroughly exploring and charting the Sound.
Doubtful Sound is one of New Zealand’s most famous tourist destinations, after Milford Sound. It was given its name in 1770 by Captain Cook, who did not venture in through the narrow entrance to the fjord, being doubtful whether he would find a harbor there and be able to get out again.
Milford Sound is one of New Zealand’s scenic jewels. Its characteristic landscape is familiar from many photographs: in the foreground lush vegetation, beyond this the still blue waters of the fjord and as a backdrop the massive pyramid of Mitre Peak. Among the first Europeans to see this magnificent landscape was Captain Stokes, who put into the sound in the survey ship HMS Acheron in 1851. He anchored near the Bowen Falls and named the mountain towering above the bay (1692m) Mitre Peak, from its resemblance to a bishop’s miter. Milford Sound extends inland for 15km from its narrow mouth on the Tasman Sea and the high hills that enclose it rise steeply. Rainfall is high at an annual 6000 mm. Note rain drops on my camera lens in some of the pictures below.
