Day 38 ............ November 2, 2008
- Turned away from the coast of New Zealand
- toward the coast of Australia around 5:00 pm on 11/1
- Arrived in Burnie, Tasmania, New Zealand at 8:00 am on 11/4
Went through Australian immigration procedures today for entry into the country.
Weather 1st day: Overcast all day with temperature in the 60's; wind diminished all through the day, however, large swells made the day rather rolly-polly.
Weather 2nd day: Very changeable; started out overcast; couple of hours of frontal rain; then mostly cloudy with peeks at the sun; temperature in the 60's (not bad); moderate swells; BUT THEN late in the afternoon the rain returned and the wind picked up to over 50 mph (lots of pitching and rolling).
Day 37 ............ November 1, 2008 (All Saints Day)
- Dusky Sound
- Entered about 9:00 am
- Lots of small water falls
- Doubtful Sound
- Entered about 11:00 am
- Milford Sound
- C A N C E L E D
Both Dusky Sound and Doubtful Sound had 2 entrances so that we entered at one and exited at another. The sides of the
mountains rise of steeply from the water's edge and sported myriads of waterfalls cascading down.
Many of these fiords are u-shaped owing to glaciation and quite deep. Doubtful Sound
is over 400 meters deep in places.
Viewing in Milford Sounds was canceled because about 3:00 pm winds of up to 80 mph were developed near the entrance
Weather: Very changeable today; in the moring there were low clouds with mist and fog, but with patches of sunlight; cool, in the 50's; wind very brisk breeze when out in the Tasman Sea, but almost calm in the fiords; seas rough out in the Tasman Sea. In the afternoon the skies cleared but the wind picked up to 60 -70 mph out in the Tasman Sea.
Day 37 (c o n t i n u e d) ............ November 1, 2008 (All Saints Day)
As we were making our way up the west coast of New Zealand to have our scenic cruise around Milford Sound the wind
picked up and was blowing up to 80 mph at the entrance to the sound. We then diverted direcly to Australia in the Tasman
Sea where the wind was blowing 60 - 70 mph. The ship began to pitch and roll significantly, so that while playing cards on the
deck where the food buffets are set up, we heard a loud crash of dishes falling onto the floor before the area had time to secure
everything. It became very difficult to move around the ship.
Day 36 ............ October 31, 2008 (Halloween)
- Port Chalmers
- Dunedin
- Wingatui Junction
- Pukerangi
The Otago Excursion Train Trust operates The Taieri Gorge Limited along parts of the original Otago Central Railway under construction
from 1879 through 1921. The route branches north of the main trunk line at Wingatui and proceeds to the end of the tour at Pukerangi.
The railway follows the steep slopes of the gorge and provides very photogenic views along the way.
On departing the harbor we saw a nesting colony of royal albatrosses on Taiaroa Point at the end of Otago Peninsula.
Weather: Cool, in the lower 60's; partly cloudy.
(Complete power outage and blackout during the evening meal. Underway again within the half hour.)
Day 35 ............ October 30, 2008
- Lyttelton (port)
- Christchurch
- Springfield
- Arthur's Pass
A chartered train took us out of the Port of Lyttelton, through the industrial part of Christchurch and through a flat, coastal plain
(sheep, cattle, and agricultural products, including the plant from which canola oil is extracted) to the town of Springfield.
Then the railway line climbs through snow covered peaks to Arthur's Pass. This area has several ski areas and is a popular place for
hiking and back-packing. At Arthur's Pass we transferred to buses for the return trip to Christchurch. Toured the Anglican Cathedral
in Christchurch and bought A New Zealand Prayer Book which has sections in the Maori, Fiji, and Tongan languages.
Weather: Sunny on the plain area with clouds and mist in the mountains; in the 60's but cooler in the mountains.
Day 34 ............ October 29, 2008
- Land
- Blenheim and Pollard ParK
- Vineyards in Koromiko and Wairau Valleys
- Havelock and the Pelorus Sound
- Water
- Momorangi Bay back to Picton
The bus passed through steep hills covered with vegetation for sheep pastures to pine stands for timber export and
then into the valleys with extensive vineyards and back to moutainous terrain.
The excursion catamaran plied through Queen Charlotte Sound past million dollar summer retreats perched on steep hillsides.
Weather: started out sunny but low clouds moved in at Picton and plagued us throughout the tour; termperature cooled down into the low 50's.
Day 33 ............ October 28, 2008
- Drive along the northeast coast of the harbor
- Pencarrow Station and Lodge
- Leisurely stroll through downtown Wellington
- Haircut
- Lunch at the Featherstone Bar and Grill
- Wellington Cable Car
Pencarrow station is located on the most eastern point of the peninsula on the north side of Wellington
Harbor and was the site of many ship wreaks.The bus drove along a harborside road out to the Pencarrow
Lodge where we saw another demonstration of dogs herding sheep.
As the capitol of New Zealand, Wellington is a very bustling city with lots of traffic ( including rush hours), with extensive public transportation including commuter trains, and with lots of pedestrian traffic along the sidewalks.
Weather: Mostly cloudy and windy with termperatures in the low 60's.
Day 32 ............ October 27, 2008
- Clifton Station (Sheep Ranch)
- Tukituki River Valley
- Te Mata Peak
- The Strawberry Patch
Clifton Station is a working sheep ranch owned by the same family since the 1800's.
Several of the demonstrations took place in the sheep shed built in 1886.
Sheep shearing was demonstrated with a hand
shear, a hand powered mechanical shearer, and a modern mechanical shearer. We were treated to scones at the coffee shop.
Because Napier is a town rebuilt in the art-deco style in the 1930's after a devistating earthquake, we were greeted with a lineup of 1930's automobiles and a swing band on the dock as we returned from our tour.
Weather: mostly sunny with temperatures in the 60's.
Day 31 ............ October 26, 2008
- Vista toward east overlooking village of Paparoa
- Ceremonial dance performance
- Tribal Meeting House (Marae) visit
Today's tour takes us to the village of Paparoa, home of members of the native tribe which has sponsored the visit to their sacred
meeting house. Our guide, Mere, is a member of that tribe. First we were entertained with ceremonial dances at the local village
War Memorial Hall. At the tribal meeting house we experienced the approriate rituals and a greeting in the native language
by the presiding elder of the klan. Part of the ritual greeting is shaking hands and pressing foreheads and noses.
Weather: Rain showers and cool (in the 50's).
Day 30 ............ October 25, 2008
- Departed Auckland at 11:59 pm on 10/24
- 10/25: Scenic cruise through the Mercury Islands
- 10/25: Scenic cruise around White Island/li>
- Arrived in Tauranga at 7:00 am on 10/26
Second time into the port at Tauranga. The distance from Auckland to Tauranga can be traveled overnight; but because Auckland
was the disembarkation point for one cruise package and the embarkation point for another cruise package, the day at sea was
scheduled as a scenic cruise day to provide a travel adjustment period.
The slow circuit around White Island was interesting because it is and active sea mount volcano which last erupted in 1914. Plums of sulpher vapors were seen spuing up from the caldera.
Weather: Partly cloudy to sunny with brisk breeze from the west; seas moderate, but smooth sailing.
Day 29 ............ October 24, 2008
- View of Auckland from highest natural vista: Mt. Eden
- The War Memorial Museum
- Along the shoreline via Tamaki Drive
- Through an upscale neighborhood
- Across the harbor bridge
- Leisurely stroll through downtown Auckland
Auckland is a very bustling, busy city and comprises about one-fourth of New Zealand's population. And by observation
has a very diverse ethnic identity. It is located on an isthmus narrowing to about 4 miles between the Pacific Ocean
and the Tasman Sea. One in four households own boats; houses with views can top several million dollars.
The War Memorial Museum provided exibits of the Mauori culture, including Mauori interpretive tales
of how their culture interacted with the natural habitat within which they dwelled.
Weather: Partly cloudy to sunny with temperature in the 60's; rained as we departed at midnight.
Day 28 ............ October 23, 2008
- Leave Wellington at 6:00 pm on 10/22
- Arrive Auckland at 7:00 am on 10/24
Auckland is a disembarcation point for many of the passengers on this leg of the cruise.
Weather: Bright and sunny with some high clouds; in the 50's, seas slight for smooth sailing.
Day 27 ............ October 22, 2008
- Tour: Wellington Heritage Walk
- Early Historic buildings cemetery
- Rose Garden (not yet blooming)
- Government buildings
- Anglican Cathedral~~the modern and the original
- Tour: Seal Coast Safari
- Trip out via rugged highlands
- Seal area on rocky south coast
- Trip back along the shoreline
Guides on the tour gave us a good perspective of early life in Wellington, which is very hilly and has many similarities to
San Francisco. The original Anglican Cathedral, built in 1866, is completely made of wood with an intricate gothic interior and
beautiful stained glass windows.
The trip to the area where the seals are located was supposed to offer magnificent views of the coastline; however, that part of the journey took place within the clouds. Down at sea level the winds were blowing at gale force. Rather than hundreds of seals, we saw only about 5 or 6 seals (New Zealand fur seals).
Weather: AWFUL (and that does not mean full-of-awe); in the 50's, overcast with rain, mist and low clouds; wind gusts over 40 mph.
Day 26 ............ October 21, 2008
- City of Napier
- Gannet nesting colonies at the end of Kidnappers Cape
In the 1930's Napier was rebuilt in the art-deco style following a devastating earthquake.
Trip out to the cape took us through rugged terrain of valleys and steep hills which provided the pasture for both sheep and cattle. A golf course on this private property has a greens fee of $400 per day, but does provide its own helicopter landing area.
Weather: In 60's with slight seas.
Day 25 ............ October 20, 2008
- Lake Rotorua
- Rainbow Springs
- Agrodome
- Lunch and Native Show
- Staged performances
- Te Puia~~culture center and geo-thermal formations
Tauranga is the second fastest growing city in New Zealand and an important sea port.
Rotorua is a popular tourist sport area with several lakes in the vacinity.
Rainbow springs is a private nature center fed by natural springs containing trout and an aviary exhibit which includes Kiwis.
The Agrodome show displayed various brands of sheep and demonstations of sheep shearing and working sheep dogs.
The geo-thermal site at Te Puia included a boiling mud pot and active geysers; the cultural center is preserving the native craft skils.
Weather: In 60's; showers in the morning then turning partly cloudy.
Day 24 ............ October 19, 2008
- Manginangina Kauri Walk in the Paketi State Forest
- Bus tour through the New Zealand countryside
- Glow-worm grotto in the Kawiti Cavern
The Bay of Islands is a popular resort area for Kiwis (the term for resident New Zealanders, from the native bird and not the fruit which was
introduced from China and originally know as the Chinese goose berry).
The large, tall and straight Kauri tree is a member of the pine family and can live to be over 1,000 years old, not unlike the redwoods in California.
The glow-worms, approximately 2 - 9 centimeters long, cling to the roof of the cavern areas and emit a greenish-blue bio-luminescence from their tale ends giving the effect of stars in a night sky.
Weather: In the 60's; light rain shower in the morning, but clearing and sunny in the afternoon.