World Cruise--Tauranga and Bay Of Islands

One of my fondest cruise memories is of Tauranga, New Zealand. The first time we visited on a ship, the town was in their cruise port infancy. They were so excited to have a cruise ship visit that at the end of the day they had encouraged the whole town to get out and line the shore as we departed to wish us well on our journey. At least I think it was for that. Maybe they were happy to see us go.

The town sits on a narrow finger of land extending out into the sea with beaches on both sides. The ocean side was breezy with waves large enough for some surfers to enjoy. The harbor side beach was calm and inviting to many by the afternoon for a swim.

At the end of the finger of land is Mount Maunganui, a 760 foot high “mountain” with a lookout at the top. Actually it is also an inactive volcano. This wasn’t our first visit so we knew that we didn’t have to climb up to enjoy and explore the mountain. There is a track (trail) that circles the mountain and is an easy walk that takes about an hour or so depending on how often you stop to enjoy the views of the water, neighboring outcrops of land, waves crashing against the rocks or even a couple of snorkelers after mussels or clams or something they were putting into their netted bag.

Once around the mountain, we followed the very nice boardwalk along the beach, taking in the fresh sea air and enjoying the mild but sunny temperatures. A UV index was posted by the access to the beach. It was reading a UV2 which according to their scale posted meant you didn’t need protection. My dermatologist would have had something to say about that I’m sure.

At lunchtime, we returned to the ship which was relatively empty since so many had taken long excursions for the day. There were quite a few that went to Rotorua, the city with all the hot springs and geysers, or “geezers” as our tablemates called them. Apparently that’s how it’s pronounced in England and Scotland. I had to chuckle every time they said they were going to see the geezers. Eventually I told them how we pronounced it and that geezers in America meant old men.

We relaxed the rest of the day. This was a stretch of four port days and we had one more to go. But I couldn’t resist another walk later in the afternoon. The weather was just too nice. I didn’t want to waste it. During the walk, we watched groups of teenagers competing in some long boat races. Lots of energy in those kids.

The next day found us anchoring out in the Bay Of Islands north of Auckland. It is another beautiful area of New Zealand and the place we stayed a few days to start our drive around the whole of New Zealand several years ago. The plan was to find our way to Haruru Falls and then to the wharf in Paihia to take the ferry to Russell and hopefully find the green lipped mussels we had enjoyed there in the past.

After almost an hour wait, we were able to get on a tender to shore. With 3,000 people all wanting a ride, it takes a while and excursions have priority. The tender dock was near the Waitangi treaty grounds where a significant treaty was signed with the Maori. There was the beginning of a track (trail) to Haruru falls just up the road from where we were so we headed out for that ignoring the admonition from the cruise port information lady who said it was an hour and a half out and the same coming back. We’d done that much walking before. Sounded like fun.

The trail was wonderful, a little up and down and rocky in parts but not bad at all and shaded most of the time although the temps were very comfortable anyway. At the three kilometer marker I was beginning to feel it though. No way to turn around it was only halfway. I popped the two Tylenol I’d put in my pocket into my mouth and downed them with some of my water.

At the four kilometer marker we got good news. The falls were only another kilometer away. At the beginning the sign had read six kilometers so it was really only five kilometers. I felt better already. Our information lady had promised restrooms at the falls. What she didn’t tell us was that they would be locked. A little disconcerting when we finally arrived.

We took a couple of pictures of the falls and watched a group of kayakers reach the falls and turn around. Bob got out his phone and opened his Uber app. “No available cars.” That would be the message several more times when he checked along the way as we followed the route mapped by Google to get us to Paihia, an hour and a half more of walking. This time there were a few more inclines but a nice paved pathway next to the busy road we had to follow. Half of it was in the shade but then the path crossed the street and we were in the sun for the rest of the walk.

Bob kept apologizing. He thought for sure there would be Uber service. At one point, I knew for sure we weren’t going to Russell for mussels. I told him so. The closer we got to Paihia, the more I hated the thought of giving up on those mussels. As we walked, I googled where to get the green lipped mussels in Paihia and sure enough, they were available at the wharf which is where we had to go to get the shuttle to the tender dock.

I was almost afraid to sit down at the patio restaurant. I was afraid I wouldn’t get back up. We had been walking for more than four hours with very little break. Whoever said the walk was an hour and a half one way had longer legs and a faster pace.

We had a bit of a wait for the mussels we ordered but it was a welcome rest. The mussels arrived and were every bit as good as remembered although this restaurant’s sauce had a bit more spice to it. Still, the mussels were large and tender and I was so glad we were able to get them.

The shuttle bus was only a couple hundred feet from where we ate and we got in line. They had quite a few shuttle buses for us so as soon as one was full, the next one pulled up. Well done Cunard and Paihia!

We boarded ship and collapsed on the bed for a couple hours before dinner. The next two sea days would be very appreciated.

World Cruise--The Land Of The Kiwis

 We arrived as the sun was rising and spreading its warm rays on the stately buildings of Auckland, New Zealand. Before us was the iconic Sky Tower. The cruise pier could not have been more conveniently located and the welcome to Auckland more spectacular as a tug boat sprayed water into the air to celebrate the maiden call for Queen Anne.

Before breakfast, we walked out on the promenade deck and watched our huge ship apply the “brakes” as it backed into the slip and gently moved to the pier. The shadow of the ship crawled up the side of the Hilton Hotel that is on the Princess Wharf. I wondered if those staying in the hotel were going to appreciate looking into the side of the ship for two days. We were due to stay overnight in port.

Our plan, made before the start of our cruise, was to take a ferry to Devonport which sits across the harbor. It is a little town that we had visited once before and since we’d done all the city tours in the past we opted out of pounding the pavement between the buildings.

The ferry docks were close by on the starboard side of our ship and a quick ten minute walk. Our hearts sank as we neared and saw a huge line but it turned out that it was the ferry to Waikeke Island which is almost an hour away but a very popular spot with beaches and other points of interest especially with it being a Saturday. Our ferry ride would only take twelve minutes.

Devonport was a little bigger than I remembered but still kind of quaint. One of the missions for the day was to find a hair salon. We walked several blocks and saw at least three barber shops and Bob suggested I could change my hairstyle. I’ve learned to ignore some of those comments. Around a corner, we found two hair salons and I looked them up on my phone. (We had opted into a day of international service from AT&T.) The prices made me gulp but then I remembered that it was NZ dollars and the US cost was only a little more than half of that and still a great savings over what the ship charges.

Luckily they had room for me in the one shop and I only had to wait a half hour. We grabbed a cup of tea at the café across the street and waited it out. A little more than an hour later I paid for my haircut and asked if I could leave a tip. She smiled sweetly and said, "Oh no. We don't ever accept tips." "But you did such a nice job." I insisted. She shook her head, "But thank you." I was feeling pretty good with a decent haircut and the rest of the day before us.

The information center in the ferry building had maps of the town as well as several choices for self guided walks. We picked up one that listed historical places along the waterfront which is lined with a park and we headed out. The last time we had attempted to walk the waterfront there it had started raining and we had even loaned one of our two umbrellas to another couple from the ship we were on who were unprepared. This time though, the weather could not have been nicer.

It turns out we weren’t really that interested in the history so much as enjoying the sunny day with mild temperatures and a breeze that turned a bit windy later but was oh so refreshing. The information lady had pointed out that at the end of the waterfront walk there was a naval museum and a little restaurant. It was a good long walk and by the time we arrived, we were hungry.

Bob had a great bowl of seafood chowder and I opted for a BLAT, a bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato sandwich. Both servings were huge but we managed to finish it all. Somehow it felt like real food from home. The ship’s food is good but after a while it begins to taste the same.

We meandered a bit through some side streets to get back to the center of town and in doing so passed by two cricket fields. We paused just long enough to watch a couple of hits and try once again to figure the game out. No luck. We moved on.

Back at the ferry dock there was a bit of a delay when one of the scheduled runs was canceled. No panic though. We had all day to get back and as long as we could sit to wait, we were good. When I looked at my phone’s pedometer, I saw we had already walked over five miles.  (It would be closer to seven by the time the day was done.)

Our evening entertainment on the ship was a Maori group who performed many of their traditional practices with sticks and balls on strings and even a love song which seemed a bit out of character for the fierce representation of the warriors. The Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand, said to be Polynesians who arrived at the island around 1200 AD. They don’t exhibit the soft sweetness of the Polynesian traditions so much in their routines but then they had to be fierce and frightening in order to survive outside attack.

After the show, we went up on one of the top decks to see the city lit up at night. The Sky Tower was a silver silhouette and the Auckland Harbor Bridge was illuminated with multiple colors. A lovely night skyline.

The next morning we started off with what we jokingly refer to as a “laundry excursion.” The free laundry room is always an adventure. It is one of the sore points for many. The ship does not have one on every floor so they are in high demand, especially at the cost of the ship’s laundry. It has been the source of many hard feelings and even some intimidation. People removing laundry from dryers that aren’t done or jumping the line of waiting guests to claim a machine. It was reported by someone that one lady complained to a man who was using more than one washer (there’s supposed to be a limit of one washer/guest). He turned to her and told her he was not someone to mess with, he was dangerous. She reported him to the ship’s security. Don’t know what may have happened then. So far we’ve been okay. Only once found a lady unloading my washer before it was completely done. She never apologized. So, when we showed up at 8AM just as the laundry had opened, I was delighted to see no line out the door and one washer empty. It was a great excursion to begin the day.

By the time we exited the ship to find the Hop On Hop Off bus, it was misting. I hoped the whole day was not going to be like that. The Weatherbug had predicted partly sunny, no rain. When we found the stop for the HOHO, we realized it was the second, not the first, and there was no one there to sell you a ticket. We waited a bit to see if we might buy one on the bus but as we did, I suggested that the real itinerary for the day was the visit to the aquarium. Why not just take an Uber? It was probably cheaper and wouldn’t take as long to get there. We’d seen everything on this route once before.

So that’s what we did. It was about $10USD and a delightful driver who dropped us off at the entrance to the SEALIFE Kelly Tarlton Aquarium. Sometimes it pays to be old. We got senior rates to get in.

The aquarium is very nice and has a lot especially for kids to interact with. The feature attraction, at least for us, was the penguin exhibit just after you first enter. It is the only exhibit I recall of all the aquariums we have visited that has a collection of King Penguins, the really large ones that are harder to reach in Antarctica. They are so much fun to watch. Personalities emerge if you study them for a bit. I’m sure it’s fun for the caretakers.

There were a few other surprises. Several species of jellyfish were displayed that were new to us. I’m always entranced by the grace of the jellyfish as they dance through the water.

We came to a tank that had what appeared to be strange seahorses. They were called sea dragons and looked a bit like the leafy sea dragons we’ve seen but without the “leaves”. There were the usual tanks of colorful marine fish, large groupers, sharks and rays in a walkthrough clear tunnel and one large tank were we sat for a few minutes and watched some large sea turtles swim slowly back and forth. Marine exhibits can be mesmerizing.

After our aquarium visit, we walked along the water to Mission Bay. It has a nice beach area and plenty of beachside restaurants that line the main street. We finally settled on one that had a special on sandwiches and opted to split a club sandwich that was out of this world good.

Another Uber, a short walk to a convenient store for popcorn and nuts (I was craving popcorn. Bob needed cashews) and we were back at the ship. We would sail away at seven but not out of New Zealand. Tomorrow Tauranga!

The Bridge LIst

Lists are always interesting in travel articles. They usually list a number followed by most, biggest, scariest, highest, etc. I scroll through the list of whatever and see if I've been there, done that. This time the list was 10 Terrifying Bridges. I thought of two we'd visited over the years. One made the list, one didn't.



The one that made the list is a bridge in Northern Ireland. It's a rope bridge that gets you from the mainland to Carrickarede Island. While it's called a rope bridge, there is really a plank on the rope so you are not really walking on a rope. A hundred feet or so below you are jagged rocks and water. There is only room for a single file line and no more than eight people are allowed to cross at a time in one direction.


The other bridge, a swing bridge in New Zealand did not make the list. I can't imagine why. It was terrifying in its own right. The Butler Gorge Swing Bridge is 300 feet long and has an open mesh bottom. I think that made me more nervous than the bridge in Ireland. The NZ bridge was a lot longer as well and there was a lot of water rushing underneath us.

I'm no daredevil. Not related to any Wallendas. Crossing those bridges was a one time experience. I don't know that I'd repeat either one. Been there. Done it. Don't need to do it again.

World Cruise - New Zealand's Fiordland

The morning started a half hour earlier for us. We didn’t want to miss out on the first two sounds that the Serenity would be sailing through this day. Milford Sound was familiar to us as we’d visited that as recently as 2013 but we’d not seen Doubtful and Dusky since our first cruise to New Zealand years ago.

Skies were cloudy and dark enough to threaten rain. I was a bit disappointed since without sunshine, I didn’t figure on getting any good pictures. When I downloaded what I took that early morning, I was amazed at the quality. Sure, there wasn’t any greenery but the grays and blacks and silvers were dramatic as was our cruise through the first several sounds.

There are actually fourteen fjords in the southwestern tip of New Zealand. They were formed over millions of years through volcanic action, erosion, and of course glaciers which carved deep gouges in the earth. There is some indication that historically the Maori used the area for seasonal food gathering but not as a permanent residence. It is said that Captain James Cook was the first European to visit the area. The Department of Conservation administers what they call Fiordland National Park working to preserve its natural and historic resources and provide recreation.

As we moved through Dusky Sound, our narrator brought on board for the day from the park system spotted some dolphins but we weren’t quick enough to get to the port side of the ship in time to see them. We rounded an island and proceeded through what is called Breaksea Sound and back out into the Tasman Sea which was being unusually calmer than its reputation.

About an hour or so later, we entered Doubtful Sound. Again the sky was overcast but there were patches of blue here and there promising that perhaps the sun would burn off some of the clouds and mist. Seeing the clouds hang onto the cliffs and mountainsides reminded me of the Smoky Mountains in the States.

Once we were to the tip of the triangular island called Secretary, we rounded it and went out through Thompson Sound. While these first sounds were amazing, we knew that awaiting us in Milford Sound in the late afternoon would be a spectacular display of waterfalls since it had rained the night before.

At four we entered Milford Sound and the sun began to break through more of the clouds giving us glimpses of green cliff tops and orange to sandy brown features in the rock faces of the cliffs. Milford’s cliff walls are much higher than the others and made it seem even more dramatic.

Sure enough there were a lot of waterfalls and of course the most spectacular, Stirling and Bowen. 

Our ship slowed almost to a stop as we inched our way to the mouth of the sound where the tour boats are moored by the information center. We needed to stop and pick up passengers who had been on an overland tour and pose for pictures taken from a helicopter. I’m guessing it was promotional video for the cruise line.

As we waited for our passengers, the captain turned the ship for its trip back out of the sound. Then as we came to Stirling falls, he slowed to almost a stop and very slowly we inched our way toward the flow of water. Crew members were gathered in the crew area in front of the ship tingling with anticipation, I’m sure. Will he put the nose into the water as he’d threatened? While he came very close, the people on the front deck only got damp from the spray in the air.

The sun shone brightly for a while as we finished our journey through the sound and back out to the Tasman Sea. On everyone’s mind who had traveled the Tasman before was the question of whether it would be kind to us or bounce us up and down and side to side. Soon we’d know.

World Cruise - Dunedin and Otago

The Otago peninsula is one of the most beautiful spots in New Zealand and the harbor by Port Chalmers is peacefully surrounded by rolling hills that were a little brown from the lack of rain. Other trips here, the green hills were amazing. They still were, just not as green. We docked at a pier full of logs again. Logging is a huge industry in New Zealand and these were probably destined for China which does a lot of importing of NZ wood.

With so many going off the ship on tours or catching the shuttle into town, we decided to do our laundry before it was time for our excursion. We loaded the washers and set the timer on Bob’s phone then decided to use our forty minutes to take a quick walk into the little port town. Our exit from the ship was blocked however for a few minutes by the scenic train picking up its passengers for their excursion to Taieri Gorge. Once on our way though we walked past all the limousines lined up for those who had ordered private cars for the day. Lovely, but not our style.

Businesses were not open except for a few cafes serving coffee and light breakfast. The church that sits on the hill is always a great picture opportunity. There wasn’t enough time to take a look inside again but I remembered the last time hearing organ music during our visit.

We scurried back to the ship (which seemed to be the tallest building in the area) when it was time to move the clothes to the dryer. It probably wasn’t necessary to hurry. The ship was pretty empty and we didn’t see anyone else waiting for the machines.

While our clothes dried, we got a cup of coffee in the Bistro on board and talked about our other visits to Dunedin to see the Larnach Castle, the train station, Cadburry’s and Speight’s and so many of the other sights passengers on excursions were enjoying.

Clothes stowed once again, it was time to gather with the others on our volunteer excursion. Since we’d visited Dunedin so many times, we decided this was a great opportunity to give back. The excursion was to the Penguin Place we’d seen on our last visit but this time we were there to do a little work—plant a tree.

The Penguin Place is way out almost to the end of the peninsula where the albatross have a colony but before we even started out there, the bus took us around the city of Dunedin to show us highlights, stop for a few pictures along the way and then head out to our primary goal. “No wonder it’s a six hour excursion,” I said to Bob. We were a little disappointed because we could have done all of the sightseeing on our own if we’d wanted. Still, it was a good opportunity for those who might not have seen it all before.

I enjoyed the drive out to the Penguin Place. It’s a winding drive all around the harbor and eventually we could see our ship on the other side of it. I wondered why we couldn’t have all gotten on a boat and just ferried across to a dock on the peninsula and save time. I’m sure there were reasons.

At the Penguin Place, we divided into two groups of twelve and each had a guide to take us on a little walk to see some of the rare yellow-eyed penguins that were molting. After the egg-laying season, and raising the young, the penguins have to take a month to molt away from the sea. During the molting when the old feathers are pushed out by the new, the birds are not waterproof and the sea would kill them. That being said, they have to eat a lot before molting so that they have the energy to survive the month on shore away from their food source.

The birds we saw in the underbrush were a pair. Penguins mate with one other and as long as they keep producing young, they stay together. The male was a little farther along in his molting since the female had been on the nest so long. They were grooming each other and not moving far from where they were. The less energy spent in movement, the more likely they would survive the month of not eating.

We found some blue penguin nests. The blue penguins are burrowers and often make their own nests or expand on the little wooden shelters set up by the conservation group. They are quite small and hard to see when they are inside their nests. Hence, no pictures. Maybe some other day, some other place, at the right time. Sigh.

We took a look at the colony of young male seals below us on the beach and rocks. They were called sneakers because they would sneak around the other point of land, mate quickly with a female, and then hurry back before the alpha male of the other colony could attack them.

Up on a hillside, we could see the trailer with our tools and plants ready for us to get our hands dirty. It was actually quite an easy task since the fellow in charge had already cut through the turf. The dirt below the thick grass was easy to work and since the plants were not all that big, we didn’t have to dig much. Each of us planted one of several different varieties and watered it thoroughly. They were hoping for rain in the evening to water them again.

A little higher up from where we were, was a patch of plants, shrubs and trees that had been planted about eight years ago. Most of the vegetation was about waist high. They are slow growing plants but as the guides assured us, the new plants and vegetation would be a welcome sight to the penguins who looked for a place to make new nests. We all hoped it would encourage the penguin population to grow.

On our way back to the bus, we stopped in at the “hospital.” Penguins seem to be a delicacy for barracuda or maybe just a little fun. Whatever the case, the barracuda were attacking the penguins at sea and causing injuries. So some were there recuperating and others were there because they were young and were not eating enough to survive out on their own yet. Once their weight was increased to normal, they would be given a gentle release meaning they would be in a pen that they could leave whenever they wanted and they would continue to get fed in the pen. Our guide said it didn’t take long before the call of the sea won out and they would not return to the pen.

It was a wonderful afternoon and another scenic ride back to the ship. This is a place we would love to return to—often.

World Cruise - Akaroa (Christchurch) New Zealand

Akaroa is not the cruise port for Christchurch since the earthquake in 2011. I’m not sure if it was damage to the cruise dock there or just the damage to the central part of the city entirely that diverts the cruise ships. The center part of the city is still majorly under construction. There are many parts you still can’t get to because of the danger of buildings whose structures have been compromised. We were happy to stay in Akaroa since we’d never been there before and had visited Christchurch in ’13.

What we were actually looking for were some trails or tracks as the Kiwi call them to get some exercise and fresh air. While walking around the Promenade Deck is good exercise, it gets a little boring day after day. The Serenity anchored in the harbor and tenders were lowered and began their runs by the time we were done with breakfast.

We were met at the dock by several very polite but insistent tour guides who would have liked to show us dolphins in the harbor or take a ride in a vintage car (that one was tempting). Instead, we kept on walking to where another couple who’d visited before said there was a trail to the top of the hill. It turned out to be Stanley Park on our map and there were several tracks to choose from. It was early. We felt full of energy so we tackled the one that led to the top of the park.

At the top of one hill, there was a bench and we stopped to check in with Facebook—well, I stopped to rest while Bob used his international data to check in and Facetime with his brother. It was nice to see familiar faces from home though and catch up a bit.

After saying goodbye, we were on our way again but it wasn’t long before we discovered why there were gates and fences along this track. We found ourselves in the middle of a “mine field” of sheep dung. At one spot is was impossible to watch where you stepped. I kept saying that it will all fall away on our way back to the ship. At least I hoped so.

There were gorgeous views from the top and we stopped often to take them in as well as enjoy some of the antics of the sheep who obviously didn’t have many people tramping through their mine field often. A track wound its way back down to Beach Street and we found ourselves at the far end of the town looking for a spot to have some coffee. It wasn’t long before we found it.

A little garden held tables and chairs and a café with a street sign in chalk that read, “Today’s special: Coffee and Danish $8.50.” Eight-fifty in NZ dollars shook out to just under $6 USD. Not a bad deal. And then we found out they had free WiFi. And it was fast! What a find!

Our coffee and Danish was delightful and once it disappeared and all of our phone updates were finished, we started back toward the tender dock. The clouds were thickening and we wondered if there would be another afternoon of rain. New Zealand was needing it. I didn’t remember it being quite so brown on our last visit.

As we walked down the street we heard an “Ohoooga”. The vintage driver with his vintage car had snagged a tourist for a ride. They were having fun.

Tendering at Akaroa was actually quite pleasant compared to some ports we’ve done in the past. The ride was smooth and getting on and off easily done. I’ve included a picture of what it looks like from the inside. This tender would be called a lifeboat if we had to abandon ship. Somewhere inside were all the emergency provisions. Probably under our seats. I’m sure the ride wouldn’t be nearly as pleasant if it were an emergency.

World Cruise - Wellington, New Zealand

On our last visit to Wellington, we had tried to get on the Hop On Hop Off bus but it was all sold out. It was also raining so we trudged through the downpour and went to the Te Papa museum which was really quite nice—and dry. This visit we did not want to miss the bus so we got online and made reservations. To be sure we would be there in time, we made them for 11 AM but we arrived at the port and were on the dock early enough that we made it to the information center by 9:30. Bob asked if we could change to the 10 AM bus but they said it was full.

Nothing like free WiFi though to make up for it. So we sat and perused email and Facebook. Just as I was finishing up another email, Bob strolled down to where the bus was loading and spoke with the driver. He hustled back to tell me that if everyone did not show up by 10 there would be two seats available. As luck would have it, two people were no-shows and we were on.

The bus is a small mini-bus that holds 11 people plus the driver. It’s small because of some of the narrow twisty roads they travel to get to points of interest. They have a system whereby they note who gets off and how many they will have to pick up with the next bus (I think there were only three operating). The system wasn’t working well this day but more about that later.

Our first stop was at the lookout at Mount Victoria. Just as advertised you could get a 360 degree view of the city and surrounding area. Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, is sprawling much like Auckland. The downtown area is full of skyscrapers and bustling with business (government as well as commercial) and tourism. The suburbs spread out in all directions across the land that is quite hilly. According to our driver, “Give a landowner an inch and he’ll build a house on it.” He was referring to all the homes sitting precariously on the hillsides. Some even had their own funicular or cable car to get them from the street to their house. Imagine carrying groceries in that way.

WETA was our next stop and we told our driver we would stay the hour so that we could get a glimpse of the free mini-museum and watch the free movie. What is WETA you ask? It is the maker of props and sets for a score of movies including Lord Of The Rings and the Hobbit series. Outside were mockups of the giant trolls and inside, the mini-museum turned out to be a museum of miniatures from the movies. I assume some were used in the mini sets movie makers use when they shoot some scenes such as a train crash.

The movie was very interesting and showed how two people who loved art and the movies had begun a studio to sculpt and make puppets for movies. It expanded and turned into quite a business and now is a very popular place with many of Hollywood’s movie makers including James Cameron (***) and Peter Jackson (who is actually a Kiwi). The business expanded into the digital area and now has several divisions that include all sorts of special effects and prop and puppet making.

Next stop for us, the top of the cable car hill. The cable car or more correctly the funicular is an icon in Wellington. It is the must see and must do of any visit. The last time we were here it was pouring rain and we ran into the little café there and had lunch. I remembered their chicken, cheese and cranberry sandwiches. (I know, more food stories.) We told our driver that we would stay here for an hour and he noted that with the dispatcher.

The other thing besides the better weather that was different was that the scaffolding was all gone. The new cable car stop was all glass enclosed and very modern looking. It is nice to be able to go inside and watch through the glass as the car comes up or goes down. We didn’t think we had time to ride up and down so we just went into the café. There was my sandwich and just as good as I remembered.

There being some time left in our hour, we strolled into the gardens that are there and took a look at the observatory. There are actually two there but we wondered just how good they were any more. The city lights had certainly gotten brighter since they were built. Bob tried his hand at telling time with the human sun dial. We would have been late if the sun hadn’t finally come out from behind the clouds.

We met the bus on its scheduled stop but found it full. No problem, there was a second one right behind and we could get on that. We did, only to be told after the driver called in that there wouldn’t be space because he had to pick up someone else. As we waited for the driver to coordinate our pickup, I suddenly noticed what looked like a scorpion crawling up my pant leg. I screamed and knocked it down and then found that everyone was enamored with the critter. Turns out it was a weta, a grasshopper relative that doesn’t hop any more. Thankfully this was a female and didn’t have pinchers. In all our visits to New Zealand this was one critter we’d missed. I don’t need to see one again—especially on my leg.

All told there were six of us that stood waiting another whole hour for a bus. Something or rather someone wasn’t keeping records right, or so we were told. “The new guy is gonna have to get it together.” We weren’t terribly upset. We had all day and in the extra hour had made friends with a lady, her husband and two brothers from New Mexico and Colorado. They were cattle ranchers and had traveled extensively. We swapped funny stories about driving experiences in other countries and other travel moments to remember and what was happening back home—our new furnace and her new calves. Before long the hour was up and an empty bus came for us.

A short stop at an old wooden cathedral that was unique and beautiful inside and then an option to get off at the waterfront which we took. It was a beautiful afternoon. Sun shining, the kind that makes you just want to sit watch the water and the activities associated with it. Very relaxing.

We found our way back to the ship’s shuttle and rode back to our home-away-from-home. The one where someone makes your bed every day, cleans your bathroom, puts out fresh towels, and offers food and drink all hours of the day. It’s a tough life.

World Cruise - Napier, New Zealand

After our huge night out at Hobbiton, we really needed the next sea day to recover. It was good to relax and take the day as it came. We listened to our favorite speaker, Ken Rees, talk about the next ports on our schedule throughout New Zealand. He had to squeeze them all in at once since this would be the only sea day for a while.

It was Academy Awards day and we got to watch them in the afternoon instead of the late hour we normally would have at home. Our evening show highlighted movies of the past and ended our day with the anticipation of one of our favorite ports in the morning, Napier.

Napier is a town that suffered a devastating earthquake in 1931 that literally leveled the whole place. Perhaps leveled isn’t a good description since the way the fault line shifted the earth actually rose seven feet and created 9,000 new acres of dry land. When the rebuilding was planned, the committee decided to do it in an art deco style that was popular in Europe in the 1920s. What resulted was a unique town with a passion for the style of the 20s and 30s.

Vintage cars lined the dock as we came down the gangway. We’d been to Napier just a little over a year ago but by car not by ship and not during the summer season when all the activities were in full swing for the tourists.

We took an early morning walk and looked to see if the dolphins were in. The last time we’d walked here we had watched them in an early morning feeding swimming back and forth near the beach. We passed the yellow bed and breakfast where we’d stayed and noticed the no vacancy sign. “Someone is sleeping in our room,” my husband said with a sigh.

We continued on and found one of those sculptures that makes you ask, “What is it?” My app for walking was talking to me so we thought it best to turn around before we ventured so far we’d need a taxi ride back.

Coffee sounded good and we headed for the little coffee shop on the corner of the square where we’d stopped before. Nostalgia was strong, the coffee almost as strong. Who knew though that we would be in time for all the end of summer sales? The prices here were so much better than in Auckland. There was even a department store where we finally found pants that Bob liked—as close to Dockers as you could get. And I managed to find a top and a necklace. Me, a shopper? What is the world coming to?

It was a great day and I didn’t take my camera on purpose (the few pictures I took are from my iPhone). Some days are just made to enjoy and remember without the bother of a camera. If you’d like to see more of Napier, check out my blog post from our last visit in 2013. It’s still as beautiful and the gannets are still there.

World Cruise - Hobbiton

It was a big secret until just a few days before we were to arrive in Tauranga. We knew there was to be a special event for all of the world cruisers but we had no idea what and then the notice arrived. We were all being treated to an evening at Hobbiton!

A small percentage of people had no idea of what to expect because they’d never read the J.R.R. Tolkien books or seen any of the movies. The rest of us were pretty excited. We opted to take the whole tour that was offered. Some could not because of the walking and climbing but they were to be treated to a wonderful time anyway.

Our buses arrived (Bob counted 20) and the first ones with the tour people set off for Matamata around 5:40 p.m. It was a little more than an hour drive and over a mountain range as Bob and I reminisced of our road trip in New Zealand, October of 2013. We hadn’t made it to Hobbiton so we were excited to see something very new to us.

Just into Matamata, we stopped to pick up our guide for the tour. She was dressed in costume and barefoot! “Because,” as she said sweetly, “Hobbits don’t wear shoes.” Her feet weren’t nearly big enough for a Hobbit either.  We each received a brochure and some information about Hobbiton and how our tour would go.

Arriving at Hobbiton, we were greeted by ship’s photographers. I wondered how many people had actually purchased the $2000 picture package for the world cruise. When the pictures were done, we were greeted by one of the sons of the Alexander family, the owner of the huge 1250 acre sheep and beef farm where the Hobbit and Lord Of The Rings movie set was built.

The original set for the first series of movies was built in 1999 (involving the NZ Army’s earthmovers) as a temporary place. As the story went, they were in the process of tearing it all down when the Alexanders realized its potential as a tourist attraction. When Peter Jackson decided to do the Hobbit series, he returned to Hobbiton to rebuild and add to the set. This time the contract with the Alexanders said that it had to be permanent. The structures that are there now will hopefully last until the Hobbit fever finally gives out.

Bags End-middle tree is artificial.

Each Hobbit dwelling we stopped at was picturesque in its own unique way and I had trouble refraining from picture snapping. Much of the vegetable gardens and some of the displays were real but there were some that were props and you couldn’t tell the difference.

Our guide pointed out a tree on the hillside where Sam comes running down with his contract in hand and said it was artificial. Until you got closer, you never would have known. When the first movies were shot, they planted the tree trunk with its branches and then in order to make it an oak tree, they glued or wired on the leaves. For the Hobbit movies, the tree was actually made of steel and silicon. There was only one problem however. Shooting of the film was slowed when the director took ill and by the time it started up again, the leaves had faded. They had to be individually painted to refresh it.

We climbed to the top of the hill to Bags End and back down again to the Green Dragon. Lots of canopies were set up to make it look like a market place and under each was a different kind of food to be sampled. We were told there would be appetizers but these appetizers were more than Hobbit-sized. Pork sandwiches, grilled sausage bits, toast bits with cheese and veggies, mussel fritters (who knew?), and even lamb chops. Wine and ale and cider in mugs flowed freely.

There was a pig roasting over an open fire and as we crossed over the double arched bridge, we found ourselves in front of the Green Dragon. We couldn’t resist a peek inside. Two huge tables of more food were set up but even better, we got to feel what it would be like inside the Hobbit tavern.

A little worn out, we found a bench to sit on and watch the activities around us. There was a fire eater performing and Bob got coerced into being part of the act. Costumed characters roamed all around us either offering food or just being part of the character of the place—some were on stilts, although I don’t recall how that fit with the movies.

Gathered around the center lake, the sun having set a couple of hours before, we listened to Gandolf (who sounded an awful lot like our cruise director, Gary Hunter) as he introduced the people involved with our gala event. Then we were entertained with videos projected on a wall of water being sprayed into the air (ala Disney style). It was a special video that told about Hobbiton but also offered birthday greetings to Crystal Cruises on their 25^th silver celebration. Of course all of it ended with fireworks that were set off in sync with the fireworks in the video of the Hobbit celebration from the movie.

But the evening wasn’t over yet. There followed a spectacular laser show before we were invited to return to the buses and start our ride back to the ship. While I thought everyone would sleep on the way back, I found that we were all too excited. The bus buzzed most of the way back with excited chatter recounting the gala event. It had been quite an evening to remember.

Back at the ship, we entered the atrium to find that there was a buffet set up—just in case anyone was hungry since we’d missed dinner. And yes, there were people eating. Yikes! It was almost 11 and past our bedtime. (We’re so old.) We passed on the food and went straight to bed.

The next day our ship left Tauranga at 5 AM but I don’t think there were many passengers up and about to hear our departing song played. I seriously doubt they played it or else I was so sound asleep I didn’t hear it. We are definitely not party animals.