Oct 18 - Auckland, NZ

 Oct 18 - Auckland, NZ

It’s a beautiful day in Auckland - 17° and sunny!

Our tour took us to North Shore, home of sailboats and long, sandy beaches - the locals' escape from Auckland's hustle and bustle. 

From the map below you can see that we started out at the bottom on the blue dot, our berth in Auckland. 

We began in the waterfront area with David, our guide, pointing out businesses and places of interest.  It is impossible for me to describe the route we took, as we seemed to go in circles all day!!!   

                                                                  The old Customs Building

The Tower is lurking around every corner it seems!

A sort of ‘boat valet’ where wealthy boat owners store their boats and have them readied to go back in the water when they arrive!

A bank - and a closer look at the front of it - like sails strung together

Another view looking back at the city

From there we headed across the AJ Hackett Auckland Bridge towards North Shore on the Devonport Peninsula.  We spent some time in Takapuna making a photo stop at North Head, with great views of Auckland.   All of the neighbourhoods we travelled through had similar types of homes - some more lavish than others.  Most are made of wood and have no basements.  

After leaving Takapuna we went to Devonport, the oldest settlement in the area.  Devonport is home to a naval base; there is still evidence of military housing that has been converted to other offices and purposes.

It is a quaint, picturesque town filled with tourists looking for souvenirs, coffee shops, and the slower pace than in the busy city across the water.

Fort Takapuna

                                                                                                                            A navy ship

                                                       

A man from Nova Scotia brought these stained glass panels showing different sailing vessels!

At the end of the tour we boarded a ferryboat to get us back to our ship which is docked right next to the ferry terminal. 

 It was an interesting and enjoyable day!

 We said good bye to Auckland at 4:00 PM.  It will soon be dinner time followed by the show, our usual evening routine.

Tomorrow is Tauranga!

😁😁

Oct 17 - Bay of Islands, NZ

 Oct 17 - Bay of Islands

A bit of a change in the weather since our last port! When we got up it was overcast and much cooler - about 12°, reaching a high of about 15° later in the morning. We are anchored off the coast, requiring water shuttles ( or tender boats) to take passengers ashore. Because our tour was on the water, they brought the tour boat, a catamaran, right up alongside the ship for easy boarding!

 

Today we saw why this port is called Bay of Islands!!

The captain steered a course around the beautiful Bay of Islands, heading first to the northernmost point on New Zealand's North Island, to the Cape Brett Peninsula.  This is where ‘the Hole in the Rock’ is located. 

Along the way, we knew we were in for a helluva ride when one of the crew came around with pieces of candied ginger and little white bags!!! 😱  I must be outgrowing my seasickness as I kept my eyes on the horizon and wasn’t bothered by the movement. I think it is the way we were hitting the waves that caused dips and dives and huge sprays of water to come up over the bow and then ‘wash’ the windows on our side of the boat!

When we reached the point, the captain circled Piercy Island, also known as Motukokako Island, and steered us right through the famed Hole in the Rock ( which doesn’t happen very often!) one of the most naturally beautiful sights in all of New Zealand.   

The 70-meter-long tunnel (229-foot-long) was created over centuries by wind and waves. Here is a little video clip of what it was like!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaPawmbqjTk

After leaving the hole we went past the historic Cape Brett Lighthouse and the famous Cathedral Caves, created by waves over 160 million years.

On our return to the port we spotted a small group of dolphins playing in the waters around the boat!  

 

Because we were going to be on a boat, take water shuttles etc I decided to leave the walker here and use my cane.  That meant  I couldn’t take many photos !!! ( I can’t stand and balance , hold the cane in one hand, and my phone in the other.) so it’s always disappointing for me.😢. But Mary went out to the bow and got great shots going through the ‘hole in the rock’ and of some dolphins, so look for her to post them on Facebook! 📷

We were back onboard to grab a bite of lunch, and returned to our cabin for a relaxing afternoon.  After dinner we’ll head to the theatre and hopefully be entertained by Wayne Deakin, a comedian! One of my favourite dinners tonight!  Lamb Shank!  Mary had a Pork Chop !  We should have switched so we could say ‘Mary had a little lamb!’  ( Sorry!  Too much wine!!)

On to Auckland tomorrow!   Stay tuned!

The Two Sailors!

Oct 11 - 16 At sea

 Oct 11-16   At sea again!

After a leisurely start to the day we went to the theatre for Hutch’s presentation on Auckland.  We usually leave the big cities and opt for tours off the beaten track, so it was  nice to see the highlights through his eyes.

Following that, there was another in the series about the Matson Ships and their connection to the California Coast.  Then it was time to eat again!!  I decided to forego my usual Bloody Mary and branch out a bit.  The server’s recommendation was a Mojito ( rum, sprite, fresh mint and lime)  It was very nice, but next time I’ll ask for it without the mint!!

We returned to our cabin to complete the travel declaration required by New Zealand which had to be done online.  A bit of TV, some reading and a little nap and it was time to shower and get ready for dinner!  Formal night tonight!

We are waiting for the show to start shortly!  Check back here tomorrow for a description of our exciting day!!! 😂

Night! Night!

The Travellers

 PS  ❤️ Happy Birthday! Con! ❤️

Oct 12 -  Sailing Along!

OMG!  I have to start today’s blog with some comments about last night’s show!!!  Danny Elliott ( you must click on this link!)was fantastic .  He played about 10 different instruments and sang a wide variety of music including Rhapsody in Blue, Waltzing Matilda, and a fabulous rendition of Great Balls of Fire (complete with all the Jerry Lee Lewis moves!!!)  this was the most entertaining show by far!

Another good day today!  What’s not to like?  Great food, sunshine, perfect temps, fairly smooth seas!  We went to the presentation on Tauranga this morning, followed by a behind the scenes talk with some of the cast of the Princess Singers and Dancers.  What a life!   

After a short rest, a little TV, and some time on the balcony we went to another White Ships talk - Part 2 Hollywood and Hawaii.  Before this cruise I had never heard of the Matson Line and it is amazing what a huge role they played in the development of cruising as a vacation choice.  Today’s  video clips showed several celebrities who sailed with them - George Vanderbilt, Walt Disney, Jack Benny, to name a few .

Dinner is over and we await tonight’s show.  We are hearing mixed reviews already about Sean O’Shea!  ……. The show was OK. A musical impressionist with gymnastic moves, a few jokes, like - ‘Anyone here born in the 80’s? ( no responses!) OK, anyone In their 80’s?’  😂

Tomorrow evening we will cross the International Dateline which means we ‘skip’ October 14!  Sorry Sarah!, but  🎉 Happy Birthday to you!!!🎉

Night! Night! 🦃 And Happy Thanksgiving!🦃

The Travellers

😴😴;

Oct 13 - Crossing the International Dateline!

Lazy Day!

This morning, after breakfast Mary went for her walk and then we went to the presentation about Napier and how it was rebuilt in the Art Deco style after the 1931 earthquake.

Later in the morning we went to the future cruise desk to purchase deposits on a future cruise. We asked about options, looking for places we have not yet been, but it seems there are not that many choices!! So we just purchased open ended deposits and will see what new itineraries for 2026 come out.

Today was a day I have been planning for!! Instead of my usual breakfast, I had more protein in anticipation of my lunch!! No, I’m not training for a marathon or any other physical feat! Are you curious yet? This was the day I was going to have one of the ‘premium desserts’ that comes as part of our package!! Oh my! Now, I like Ice cream, but this was over the top!

We went straight to our cabin afterwards so I could sleep off the sugar coma!

Back to the theatre at 3 for the White Ships - Aloha to Arrivederci. This session was about the end of the Matson Lines luxury cruise ships. Following the war, due to high cost of fuel, the advent of air travel and the cost of refurbishing aging ships the Matson ships were eventually sold off to companies who operated them in other parts of the world like the Mediterranen, South America, and Australia. Under new names and flags they continued to sail until the late 1900’s. Sadly three or four of them suffered damage in fires and were left to end their days at the bottom of the ocean, or in a scrapyard.

I will choose sensibly at dinner, maybe even skipping dessert!! and then we’ll go to the show. Tonight’s entertainer is Paul Tabone; from what we have read about him it promises to be a good show.

When we wake up tomorrow it will be October 15th!!  That means only two more days until we reach New Zealand.  This seemed so far off when we left home just a bit over a month ago!  Now time is moving too quickly!

Until tomorrow….

The Two Sailors

😊😊

Oct 14 … No! Wait - Oct 15! 😵‍💫

We have officially crossed the International Dateline and we’re now one day ahead of home! It’s weird! My iPad still says Oct 14, but 6 hours behind you (1:20 PM as I write this). 

Ship time is actually 12:20, and we’ll be setting the clocks back another hour tonight as we 

try and align with New Zealand local time. If you are confused, don’t worry! 😵‍💫 It’s a bit 

bewildering to us too! To keep it simple we only have to pay attention to the ship time! Phew!

Today involves a lot of sitting! Presentations at 10:00, 11:15, 1:00 and 2:00!! First up was Hutch talking

about Wellington, NZ. This was followed by another ‘Behind the Scenes’ talk - today it was Captain

Christopher Lye. He told us about his background, his favourite ports, rescues he has made at sea, 

and a host of other things. He has a wicked sense of humour which made the talk that much more 

enjoyable.

He also talked a bit about the evacuation that took place on Oct 5 how decisions are made about 

whether to turn back, the likely costs, etc. all the while being very discreet about the whole procedure.

He reported that the two passengers are in stable condition at last report.

We have an hour before we’re back for The White Ships presentation, to be followed by another 

destination talk - Picton! Time to stretch our legs and go for a bit of a walk!

Tonight is another ‘formal night’! If they liked our outfits a couple of weeks ago, they’ll love them 

tonight!! We just keep rotating the same attire! LOL The show is a production performance called Disco -

Blame it on the Boogie!

One more sea day before we reach New Zealand, and then a busy time with six ports in a row.

I’ll update here again tomorrow, and then do a new post for each of the ports in NZ!

Cheers from the Pacific Ocean!

🍷🍷

 Oct 16 - 🐢  s L O W  D A Y  🐢

Today has been the most uneventful day so far!  There was nothing on the agenda of interest to either of us!  So very little to report!  We spent the day relaxing, watching TV, playing mindless games on our iPads, and, of course, keeping nourished!!!  Perhaps this was a gift as we pick up the pace tomorrow with 6 consecutive port days!

We were slower getting started this morning; didn’t go to breakfast until about 9!  We’ll be ready for dinner tonight - ready for whatever tasty offerings they present us with. The show is Strings Alive!; it is billed as  guitars, piano, violin and vocals that rock!  Hopefully it will be entertaining.

We’ll ‘come home’ early and make sure we’re prepared for our excursion tomorrow.  There is a noticeable change in the temps - mid teens for tomorrow! So we’ll need to make some adjustments to what we’ve been wearing for the last three weeks!  It will also be our first tender port - an added step in disembarking.

Watch for the update in a new post from Bay of Islands, NZ!  

Until tomorrow!  

The Travellers

Oct 10. - Pape’ete, Tahiti

 Oct 10 - Pape’ete, Tahiti

Land at last!  

Today we are in Pape’ete, Tahiti, the capital of French Polynesia.  French Polynesia is a semi-autonomous territory of France, who oversees some aspects of government such as defence, foreign affairs, law and order, monetary policy, certain parts of education and research. French is spoken throughout

Yvonne is our guide and Yvette is our bus driver for our excursion, Undiscovered Tahiti.  It was a pleasant drive to our first stop.  Plumeria (or frangipani) are in full bloom and in a variety of colours.  The ocean is calm today, so we didn’t see many surfers as we drove the coast.  Rain had been in the forecast, but it turned out to be sunny and temps around 22°.

We visited a private almost 100 year old colonial home originally built in the early 1920s by a known English writer, Robert Keibel.  It is now owned and preserved by a Chinese Polynesia woman and her English husband.  Juliette gave  us a tour of the gardens, explaining the medicinal uses of many of the plants.  We were served a refreshing glass of orange/ mango juice as we listed to her recount the story of how Robert Kiebel came to own the house.  The grounds were magnificent. 

We then went to Vaipahi Gardens with its picturesque waterfall for a photo op, and on to Fern Mara'a Grotto Cave to view the fresh water spring pool.  Mary has posted quite a few photos from today’s excursion on Facebook.

Our next stop was at the ancient "Marae Arahurahu" - considered to be one of the most significant archeological sacred open air stone temples of the island

Our final stop before returning to the ship was at the Museum of Tahiti and Her Islands, set into a coconut grove with a picturesque view of the lagoon and Moorea in the background. This ranks as one of the best museums in the South Pacific that focuses on Polynesian history, people, language culture.  The exhibits were so interesting; a half hour stop did not do it justice!

We didn’t get back to the ship until 2:30 and we were starving!  We made a quick stop at the International Cafe for a little snack to tide us over until dinner!

We had an early night as there was no show in the theatre due to a later departure from Tahiti.  Back to the high seas tomorrow!

M & D

Oct 9 - Moorea

 Oct 9 - Almost there!!

Today we should have been on the beautiful island of Moorea - and out on a dolphin and whale watching excursion! 🥲.  Oh well.  More important that the passengers that were evacuated got the care they needed back in Hawaii.

We had a really quiet day!  I woke up with a bit of a sore throat so continued with my salt water gargle and after breakfast came back to the cabin and promptly fell asleep for more than an hour!  

Today’s ‘excitement’ was waiting for the maintenance people to reach our balcony to wash the windows!!  They open up the little doors that adjoin the balconies, and then work their way down the whole deck with a power hose washing the balcony glass (inside and out) and the balcony doors, plus all the sides of the balconies!  Now we have a very clear view of the sea!! LOL

This afternoon was another lecture about the Matson Line - Hollywood Connections.  Duncan showed a lot of clips from movies and TV series that used some of the White Ships as the setting or backdrop.  Cathy - do you remember Lucy Goes to Hawaii?  Lol

Today I had a burger for lunch from the Salty Dog Grill!  I have been waiting to do this since we boarded - and today was the day!  So I already know I will have a very light supper - a salad and Salmon!

Beven Addinsall returns tonight to entertain us!  I’ve enjoyed his show more than any other so far.  Last night was awful!!!  Steve Moris had really old jokes, and would start to sing old songs and wait for the audience to finish them!!!  So was the audience the entertainment?? Yikes!

Tomorrow we will be in Tahiti and have to meet for the tour at 7:00 AM!!!! I’m sure Mary will be first in line after all these sea days!!!! I think we’ll be having an early night!

😴😴