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Kadi KaljusteKadi Kaljuste
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Retired PR pro, travel fanatic, foodie, film lover. Read more Toronto, Canada
  • Australia, NZ + Tahiti
    2
    Day 36

    Auckland, New Zealand (Day 2/3)

    February 25 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 23 °C

    Today was our first overcast/rainy day in New Zealand. And calling it rainy is really exaggerating, more like drizzle. We had planned to take the ferry to Devonport, a quaint Victorian village about a 15 minute ride from Auckland. We went ahead with our plans and ventured over there and took a walk around. We were especially taken by some of the adorable cottages.

    We had scheduled an art walk for the afternoon and just as we arrived back in Auckland from the ferry, I checked my email and discovered it had been canceled. We decided we would walk up to the intended meeting point and explore on our own. The area is called Ponsonby and it’s on Time Out magazine’s list of coolest neighbourhoods. It has a “Queen West West” vibe with tons of vintage clothing stores, bars and restaurants. We had lunch at a restaurant called Lowbrow in St. Kevin’s Arcade. https://www.stkevinsarcade.co.nz/history

    After lunch, we walked through Myers Park to the Auckland Art Gallery. It just so happened that pride celebrations were going on at the gallery and we enjoyed a choir performance before heading to the exhibits. We’d been told to look for the portraits of Maori chiefs. We found them and were so pleased to have seen them.    Read more

  • Australia, NZ + Tahiti
    Day 34

    Bay of Islands - Kerikeri and Waitangi

    February 23 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    It’s the last day of our cruise and we took our first and only Oceania excursion today. Bay of Islands is a tender port so we grabbed a tender with our group just after 9 o’clock and boarded a bus, which took us about 30 minutes away to Kerikeri, which is the northern tip of the north island where settlers first arrived, and the oldest buildings standing remain in New Zealand. There are two buildings of note: the stone store, and the Kemp house. .

    From there, we visited Waitangi, which is a historic site. It is where the Mauri chiefs signed an agreement with the British crown for Brits to settle in New Zealand. We had a seventh generation Mauri guide whose Grandfathers from both his paternal and maternal sides were signatories to the treaty. He was deeply knowledgable and fascinating to have as our guide. Understandably, this site is seen by Mauri as where they lost control of their country.

    We returned to the port area and had an opportunity to stroll around before taking the tender back to the ship. Our luggage was in our cabin waiting for us and we packed in no time at all. We had yet to use our complimentary spa credits so we we both had manicures in the late afternoon.

    Dinner tonight was at the Polo Grill, the steak specialty restaurant. A fitting way to end this cruise.    Read more

  • Australia, NZ + Tahiti
    1
    1332
    Day 33

    Whangarei, New Zealand

    February 22 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    No formal plans today so we intended to get on the ship’s shuttle to Whangarei which is about 30 minutes away. As luck would have it, the shuttle was just about to leave so we managed to hop on. Just one catch: there was only one seat, so I ended up perched on Brad‘s lap for the half hour into the city. Not exactly comfortable for either of us but at least we didn’t have to wait for the next shuttle.

    Our mission was to go to the waterfalls and then to take a walk seeking the murals that decorate the downtown area. It was easy grabbing a cab to the falls which were about a 15-minute drive away. It was a nice escape into nature.

    We returned to the waterfront area and went to two art galleries and then had lunch. We decided to set out to find the murals next. We took the waterfront path and discovered that there was an open house at the Mauri cultural center. Bonus! It was wonderful to see how thread is made from flax and to meet one of the master carvers.

    From there, we made it to town and found nine of the 15 murals. By then it was late afternoon and we grabbed the shuttle back, this time with me having my own seat.😁    Read more

  • Australia, NZ + Tahiti
    3
    Day 32

    Tauranga + Whakawerawera thermal village

    February 21 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    We arrived in Tauranga this morning and went to find the tour we’d booked privately. It was a group of 11 with a couple from Baltimore and the remaining passengers from Australia. Our driver/guide Adrienne was knowledgeable and energetic and offered interesting commentary as we drove around the port town of Tauranga and a couple of other points of interest before heading to the main attraction: a thermal Māori village.

    Whakawerawera village is a popular tourist destination that incorporates an astonishing geothermal site with an actual living
    Maori village. Some 500 hot springs and 65 geyser vents make up the Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley in a caldera. The Māori Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao people have lived here for about 200 years. Today, about 20 families still live in the village and use the hot springs for cooking and bathing. It was remarkable, even with the strong smell of sulphur.

    We also learned a great deal about kiwi fruit. Brad and I had both naïvely assumed kiwi grew on trees. Hardly! Kiwi grow on vines much like grapes. Who knew?    Read more

  • Australia, NZ + Tahiti
    Day 31

    No Gisborne, at sea instead

    February 20 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We were to have visited Gisborne today but the Captain announced during breakfast that, because it is a tender port, it would be unsafe to do so today. He explained that six foot waves were expected by the afternoon which would make it unsafe to operate tender boats. Made sense to us!

    We didn’t have any excursions booked or anything in particular we were eager to see there so we were quite content to have a restful day at sea. We didn’t do much of anything other than have dinner with our new friends Bill and Terry who are from Toronto. They coincidentally are also going to the Paris Olympics this summer so we’re excited to meet up with them there as well as in Toronto.    Read more

  • Australia, NZ + Tahiti
    311
    Day 30

    Wellington, New Zealand

    February 19 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    We arrived early this morning to Wellington and didn’t really have set plans until the afternoon. We took the shuttle into the city and walked around downtown and around the waterfront and went to the museum, Te Papa. Had a bite of lunch before heading off to our 1 p.m. tour of the Weta Workshop’s work.

    You may have never heard of them but you’ve likely enjoyed their work. Weta is the Academy Award-winning team behind the costumes, props and makeup in many films from Dune to Avatar, and most famously for Lord of the Rings. It was fascinating. A highlight was the master sword-maker Peter Lyon was actually there and we got to watch him at work. Unfortunately, photography is prohibited during the tour but there is a small exhibit of props and costumes on display that can be photographed.

    It was an early 4 p.m. sail away today so I had a chance to go to tea time while Brad took a nap.    Read more

  • Australia, NZ + Tahiti
    1
    Day 29

    Picton and Marlborough wine country

    February 18 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    We made our own arrangements today. We had prearranged transportation to wine country and had a reservation at a winery for lunch. Before we got in our van, we had time to explore the town of Picton, which is more a village with a population of about 5000. It’s nestled in a bay and quite quaint. There was a lot of activity because our ship as well as a Celebrity ship were in port so the town had ramped up for our visit. There happened to be a Highland dancing festival going on as well as a craft fair.

    The drive through the Marlborough wine region to the Saint Clair Family Estate was a pleasure. The scenery was lovely en route and St. Clair was a beautiful property and setting for our tasting and lunch. The wines were good and the food was delicious. We then moved on to one more winery called Forrest, known for producing some low alcohol wines. We did another tasting there and then hopped back in the van to return to the ship. A delightful experience.    Read more

  • Australia, NZ + Tahiti
    1
    Day 28

    Christchurch, New Zealand

    February 17 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    This morning we arrived in Lyttelton, the port for Christchurch, New Zealand. It was a surprise to look out our window and see a sister ship, the Insignia, in port as well. It’s the ship we sailed around the world on last year. It’s once again circling the world.

    We had booked a walking tour of Christchurch for 10 a.m. so we had ample time to grab the Oceania shuttle into the city and walk around a bit before meeting our guide. The tour took us around the key downtown sites and gave us a good overview of the city and the devastation caused by the earthquake. You may recall that in February 2011, a 6.3 earthquake struck south-east of Christchurch’s central business district. It damaged 50 per cent of the city’s buildings, killing 185 people.

    Thirteenth years later and the city is recovering. While there are still many projects still in the works, including the restoration of the cathedral, much has been accomplished. Where there are vacant lots, the city has been smart in creating public spaces, including playgrounds and public orchards where citizens can pick free fruit. Our guide Ben explained that the city has turned the devastation into an opportunity to reevaluate the way the city was laid out and to create a more pedestrian-friendly and bicycle friendly central business area. It would be interesting to visit the city in 20 years and see how it has evolved.    Read more

  • Australia, NZ + Tahiti
    2
    121
    Day 27

    Yellow-eyed penguins ❤️

    February 16 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Months ago when we were planning this trip, we discovered that New Zealand has a rare type of penguin, called the yellow-eyed penguin. I was determined to visit some. Up the peninsula from Dunedin, there are a couple of places where it’s possible to do just that. The one we selected is called Opera - Otago Peninsula Eco Restoration Alliance, a private eco-reserve dedicated to conservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and education.

    Yellow-eyed penguins, according to Opera, “are one of the rarest penguins in the world and are only found in New Zealand. Their Māori name, hoiho (meaning noisy shouter), was given because of their shrill calls. Hoiho are not as social as other penguins. Very shy, they prefer to nest well away and out of sight of their neighbours. Hoiho are dependent on both marine and terrestrial habitats.” You can learn more about yellow-eyed penguins here: https://www.yellow-eyedpenguin.org.nz/penguins/

    We had hoped we would see some of the yellow-eyed penguins coming in from the water on the beach. We had no such luck. That said, we knew we would see some because the centre is caring for 36 chicks that are malnourished. They’re fattening them up and will return them to their parents when they’re about three months old. The ones we saw today were two to three months old. They’re among the most unique penguins we’ve ever seen. Once they get older, their eyes will become more yellow and they will have a yellow streak running from their eyes.

    It was a very special experience and I’m so grateful we were able to see them.

    “    Read more

  • Australia, NZ + Tahiti
    112
    Day 27

    Dunedin, New Zealand

    February 16 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    We arrived in Dunedin this morning and had not booked a formal excursion. We had a couple of things we really wanted to do: first, to go visit the yellow-eyed penguins and second, to go to the steepest street in the world. We had done some research and knew that the penguins were at the end of the peninsula and it was quite a distance from the port. There is Uber here but we quickly discovered that it wasn’t so easy to actually get a driver even though the fare was a whopping $110 NZ.

    We went to Plan B and negotiated with a cab driver and hired him to take us to the penguins and back for $200 NZ. Off we went. He was a simply wonderful man with the nickname Mr. Happy which he did indeed personify. He was keen to take us to the steepest street, as well as a number of lookouts along the way, and happily waited for us while we visited the penguin site. (I will do a subsequent post about the penguins.)

    The landscape in New Zealand is simply gorgeous. It’s not quite like anywhere else we’ve been and no matter which way you turn there’s a breathtaking view. We would certainly consider coming back here for an escape-the-winter trip.

    We were interested in having local blue cod for lunch so Mr. Happy suggested we go to the Best Café, a Dunedin institution since 1932. It was classic and probably hadn’t seen a renovation in 40 years. We loved it and lunch was delicious.

    We had time to meander around the city for a couple of hours before catching the shuttle back to the ship.    Read more

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