The Land of the Long White Cloud, or New Zealand, is our new stomping ground for several days now. The capital is Wellington, and we shall be stopping there soon. The population is about 4,316,000 people that speak English and Maori, the original Polynesian settlers. Described as a South Pacific gem, this country has alps, fjords, rainforests, beaches, volcanoes, and geysers. The country sides are dotted with as many sheep as people, the finest wineries, and micro-breweries these days. We have toured many of these wineries, and tasted some of the best roasted lamb ever. And the dessert called pavlova, a favorite specialty with fresh fruit and heavy whipped cream has to be the end all. Oh, but the best has to be their rich ice cream…namely Hokie Pokie, a must-do in every stop we make.
Where else can you see the world’s largest Kauri trees, visit the caves to see glow worms, or watch the kiwi bird in a nocturnal enclosure along with penguins at Kelly Tarleton’s. One of our favorite activities was hopping on a ferry and exploring the smaller islands outside of Auckland. Climbing the Auckland Bridge is a lot more affordable here, compared to doing this while in Sydney. And we are sure, it is just as thrilling. A short trip also takes you to see thousands of the famous gannets in a colony nesting on the face of a steep cliff. Unbelievable.
Auckland is a city that we have agreed that we could easily live if we ever left California. With a population of one million people, it has it all. Especially the boats, gaining them the name of “City of Sails”. America’s Cup Racing has been a mainstay of this community with over-the-top yachts like NZL 68 and NZL 41. And speaking of the Kiwis love of competition, they are most proud of their All Blacks rugby team. You’ll see the clothing line everywhere you go.
Although our stay here is for one day only, the shore excursions offered 21 tours here, as well as private cars or vans for the day. They included site-seeing, island exploring, Kelly Tarleton’s, wineries, gannets, glow worms, and adventure-type tours. And we have done them all.
We were expecting a lousy day with the weather, but to our delight, the sun was shining and there wasn’t a cloud to be see. Like a miracle, after the winds topped out at 70 mph with drenching rains last night. Of course, we did not know this until Captain Jonathon mentioned it at sail away late this afternoon. After breakfast, we left the ship keeping in mind that New Zealand has strict quarantine regulations such as no food, flowers, seeds, or plants could be taken off. Only commercially bottled water was OK. Quarantine officers were present with a dog to check our bags for wooden items, shells, corals, nuts, seeds and animal products. Made sure to remove the bamboo fan from the bag, as it is made with wood. Did not want to risk getting fined. There was also a reminder to bring the government photo ID…..a copy would not be accepted.
We had company too, as the Oceania Insignia was docked near us. A former Renaissance ship (R One), she is 30,277 gross tons and holds from 684 to 824 passengers. That is a drop in the bucket in a city this size.
So once we were clear of the pier, we walked right into a mess with the streets blocked off and much renovations happening. Seem to remember this was the case last year. There are even more cranes with all the new construction in the downtown area. Making our way around the barriers, we went up a main street towards the Sky Tower, an icon of New Zealand. They claim that this tower is the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere standing at 1,072 feet. Years ago, we had lunch in the revolving restaurant on the top, enjoying stunning views that can extend to 60 miles on a clear day. People can actually “jump” from the top, or do a simulated computer jump, looking like you did. We would opt for the latter option.
Going up a steep street, we made it to the pathway and stairs that led to Albert Park, full of huge indigenous trees, statues, and fountains. The manicured garden plots were stripped bare of the summer-blooming bedding plants. That’s due to the fact we are three weeks later this year, and are at the end of their summer. This entire area is surrounded with schools, mostly colleges, so it is not unusual that we saw a lot of students.
From here, we crossed over a foot bridge that took us to another district at Symonds Street. The old cemetery is situated down the hillside here with most interesting headstones. The sound of the cicadas filled the tree-lined sacred grounds, competing with the cars and buses on the busy street.
Crossing another bridge that spanned several freeways below, we found ourselves in the Grafton District. That led to the Auckland Hospital, and the nearby entrance to the Auckland Domain, which is really a huge expanse of a park on a knoll. On the top was the Auckland War Memorial & Museum, a neo-classical building and quite impressive. The museum houses Maori and Pacific history, including exhibits from both world wars.
More impressive are the Winter Gardens with rare plants in an ever-changing display. The gardens features two barrel-vaulted Victorian-style glass houses with a large courtyard and a sunken pool. On the backside, is a cool fern garden that has to be 20 degrees cooler with misters and trees for dense shade. There were flowers blooming in both glass houses, even though fall is approaching.
It was at this point we split up, and one of us went up to the memorial building for closer photos, while the other skirted the big trees all the way down to the surrounding road.
The time was flying by, and we still wanted to take in lunch. So we headed towards Parnell Village with boutique shopping and charming cafes between many historic buildings. A few years ago, we discovered a great place that served pizza, but they are only opened at night now. Last year, we dined at a café named Mink, and they also served a good pizza. So we went back there, but discovered that new owners had changed the menu, and pizza was no longer on it. How rude… Anyway, we substituted a chicken burger with fries and ice cold draft beers. Dessert was not really a dessert, but a breakfast item called a pancake. Not the same type we have for breakfast here, but a thick, crispy-fried cake. The toppings were sliced fruit, dotted with fruit syrup, and sprinkled with broken meringue bits. On the top, was a scoop of mango sorbet. Needless to say, it was a real treat. Too bad it was time to move on.
We still had some shopping to do at the local Countdown, a 24 hour, 7 day a week supermarket. We found most everything we needed, then hiked back to the ship. But not before stopping at the nearest ice cream stand for one scoop of Hokie Pokie. Guess what? They were sold out for the day. There is no substitute for it, so we passed.
Security by the New Zealand officials was thorough before getting back onboard. Our stuff was xrayed as usual, and it was great to be back to our room for an hour. All aboard was 4:15pm, because there would be a mandatory muster drill for everyone at that time. Except for the couple of buses that were late coming back from all day tours.
Sail away festivities were held at the Seaview Pool at 5pm, but we did not leave the dock until 6:10pm, since the buses never arrived until 6pm. Wonder if this costs HAL late fees for staying beyond their allotted time? Something tells us yes. Sailing out of the scenic harbor surrounded with dozens of islands was really pleasant. The weather gods were with us today.
Dinner was in the Pinnacle Grill for us, and was every bit as good as the last time. By the way, we have heard a rumor that the menu will be changing in here sometime soon. That might include the menu in the Canaletto too. We’ll keep everyone up-to-date if that occurs.
The next port is Tauranga tomorrow. A much different New Zealand city.
Bill & Mary Ann
