A Glimpse of New Zealand

Crossing the IDL:

The voyage between Polynesia and New Zealand involved crossing the International Dateline.  I’m happy to report that there were no ‘line-crossing ceremonies’ involving King Neptune, however we did receive a fake Daily Times.  This included a lecture on Modern Writing by Mark Twain and a talk on Modern Physics by Albert Einstein!  We were also promised a ‘Meeting with the Ship’s Cow’  – Sir Mooselot – when we would learn how much milk was actually consumed onboard!  The ship’s entertainment team must have had some negative feedback from customers as they were offering an award-winning show by none other than Elton John!!  

A copy of the Daily Times is always waiting for us on our pillow when we get back to our cabins at night.  In our sleepy and (for some) alcoholic state it would have been easy to get taken in by the ship’s humour . . . . until you read the title – THE DAY THAT NEVER HAPPENED! Crossing the IDL from east to west meant we lost 24 hours  – the 16^th of February did not happen for us! 

Auckland:

New Zealand has always been on our ‘bucket list’ and our brief visit to this fabulous country has only wetted our appetite  – next year’s holiday is already being planned! 

We enjoyed two days in Auckland on the North Island – what a lovely city.  We used the Hop On-Hop Off bus which gave us a good feel for our surroundings.  The Māori section of the museum gave us a good insight into New Zealand’s history – their wood carvings are exquisite  – elaborate and intricate designs bedecked their boats and houses.  The more ostentatious patterns appeared on the chief’s houses. 

The Aquarium had been highly recommended to us, and we were not disappointed.  Designed by Kelly Tarlton, we were treated to an enormous King and Gentoo Penguin colony, as well as the inspirational Shark Tunnel, where sharks and stingrays swam past and over our heads – just wonderful to feel like we were swimming with nature. 

The SkyTower is a ‘must-do’ visit.  The weather was on our side  – phenomenal clear views in all directions from dizzying heights – the SkyTower can be seen from pretty well everywhere in the city.

We were lucky to spend day two on the North Shore and in Devonport.  A very informative guide gave us lots of history and took us to various points of interest.  Typical Devonport houses were built of Kauri wood – a very strong and durable native wood – with wrought iron roofs which were both cheap and fire-resistant.  This pretty community is full of shops and restaurants which kept us entertained for an afternoon before we took the regular and very efficient ferry back to the city centre.

We were very intrigued by ‘Bertie’ a cockatoo who lives in one of the houses, but flies daily to a specific tree overlooking the beach and the road, (just to keep an eye on what’s going on) before returning home to bed at night!

Picton:

Picton is located in a small inlet on the north end of the South Island.  We moored for a day next to a timber yard.  Local Radiata Pine and Douglas Fir are exported from here, along with huge amounts of wood chip which is shipped to Japan. 

Picton itself is a pretty little town, set in some spectacular highlands– when a cruise ship arrives the population is doubled for the day! 

We were thrilled to spend a few hours kayaking in Queen Charlotte sound.  After a hair-raising journey up and over the mountain, we arrived at a small beach where a friendly guide was waiting for us.  Beautiful sunshine and NO WIND made our kayaking very easy.  Just three couples enjoyed the sheer peace of the water.  Whilst paddling across and around the bay, the guide chatted away giving us more history of the area and pointing out any wildlife.  I can’t tell you how pleasurable it was to get away from 900 people for a few hours!!

Milford Sound: 

From Picton, we voyaged down the west side of the South Island to an area known as Fiordland.  Sadly, the weather had changed during our journey and we were once again doing the ‘rock ‘n roll’ in rough seas.  The plan to cruise through three different fiords was aborted due to 65 mph winds and driving rain with visibility down to less than a mile!  Dusky Sound and Doubtful Sound were both ‘non starters’ as it was too dangerous and difficult to enter.  By this time it was early afternoon, and we were all very downhearted, not to mention fed-up with being tossed about!  Was the weather ever going to be on our side?

Third time lucky! Much to our amazement, the entrance to Milford Sound appeared out of the gloom.  As we slowly made our way through the entrance, the clouds began to lift.  124 ml of rain had fallen in the previous 24 hours!!  Hence, all the waterfalls were in full flow, and as the sun began to break through, stunning rainbows emerged.  An unbelievable and totally unexpected ending to the day!

The sea has settled for now, as we make our way to Australia. . . .