May 25, 2015, Monday, Memorial Day, Aukland, NZ

We sailed into Aukland, relieved that the weather was calmer and we were allowed to dock, which was right near the center of the city.  We got on the Hop on Hop Off Bus, Blue Circle, which was $90 NZ.  That was all the NZ money we had leftover.  It was windy, and since it was their winter, the bus only came around every hour,  so we had to make our stops worthwhile.  We stopped at the Aukland Museum to see the Maori cultural show and Maori artifacts.  It was a bit pricey to see both since we only had one hour.  The first exhibit was very strange - a jumble of everyday items.  Then a children's wooded area, and then the Maori exhibit, which was mainly carved panels of long houses.  It reminded me of the Haida carvings.  There were faces on top of faces like totems as well.  The cultural show featured 4 men dressed in traditional garb and three women.  They sang beautifully their songs and performed dances which were very professional, using war sticks and the bollo balls for the women.  They mentioned the Maori came from Hawaiki.  They did not know if it was Hawaii or Polynesia.  It could have been both.  Very interesting.  They used large threatening eyes and tongue sticking out for intimidation of their enemies.  This is similar to other cultures, but also just makes sense.

Sailing into Aukland

Maori cultural performance

We were able to get back on the bus within the hour and our next stop was the Sky Tower.  It was $44 NZ for us to go to the 51 observation floor.  You could also go to a cafe, or even fly off of it attached to straps and ropes you slide down.  We saw one person do it.  It cost over $220 NZ.

It was a clear day and we could see all around the bay and city.

View of tower

View towards bridge

View towards an extinct volcano hill

View towards the harbor and our boat

view directly down and at the sky diver landing site

The Tepid Bath building

Coffe shop

America's Cup boats docked by the maritime museum and America's Cup launching site

Julie Cassidy and Robin, Professors, friends, and residents of Aukland who met us for lunch.

Our lunch restaurant is at one of the world's largest yachting areas

Roger drove us across that bridge to get this view of the city from the navy headquarters.

Another view across the bay

David and Julie Cassidy.  Although Julie is a tax law professor, she has a great interest in indigenous rights as a scholar.  She has published artilcles about the subject.  She told us that Australia has an appaling track record in the treatment of aboriginal people there, even to this day.  She moved to New Zealand a few years ago where the policies are more progressive.  She and David met in Alaska when she was researching many years ago.

We returned to the ship and warmed up before our evening's entertainment who was Vincenzo, a Spanish guitarist whom we both believe we have seen before but don't remember when or where.  It turns out he was a guest performer in Waimea at a Hawaiian music concert featuring Jeff Peterson and other well known Hawaiian guitarists.  He told us he was quite honored to have performed there and really enjoyed Hawaii.

May 24, 2015, Sunday, Tauranga, NZ - NOT!

Our sailing to get to Tauranga was very bumpy.  They switched the entertainment to a movie rather than a performance.  So we saw the Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel again and caught more of it this time.  I love to see Jaipur and the dancing.  The streets were not as frenetic as in real life, however.  I hope there will be more sequels to this because it touches on our own lives and of others our age, on so many levels.

Our excursion was to be Highlights of Tauranga and Maori Culture.  There were only 3 to choose from, and the other two were 9 hours long and cost $300 or more.

We arrived in the harbor for Tauranga on a bright and sunny day after a night of jostling, rocking and rolling and strong winds.  We went for a late hearty breakfast because our tour started at 10:15am and was for 4 hours, not including lunch.  During breakfast the Captain announced that the port was closed due to high winds.  They would not let us dock.  So the Cruise Director scrambled to set up sea day activities and everyone changed from their long johns and winter clothes to ship clothes.  Terry Ward, our guest lecturer gave a talk about Cricket.  It was very interesting.  He gave the history of the game which basically is that England imported it to its colonies.  But the first international game was between the US and Canada!  David and I are now more confused as ever about the rules and play as much as we would like to understand it all since India is now a big player worldwide.

We set sail for Aukland, this time at half speed.  The seas are still lively but not as severe, allowing us to walk without holding on for dear life.

About the food.  We have both gained about 10 pounds.  At home no one is cooking for us.  So we tend to just grab something to keep us going like a piece of fruit or yoghurt.  Here it is hard to resist the delicious food.  With the service and quality of food and menu selections, we figure the value of the meals is about $150 per day per person.  White table cloths.  Beautiful charger plates.  Two waiters who change the silverware depending on what your next course is.  A black napkin if your dress is black, women are served first, the waiter debones the fish for you, the waiters know exactly how to describe each dish, the executive chef pops out to say hello a lot and every dish is beautifully presented as in the finest restaurants.  We can have a pork chop - but the most expensive pork chop in the world from Iberico Spain - lobster prepared three ways depending on which restaurant.  there are aquariums on board.  Kobe steak,  huge prawns or scallops.  The fish, whatever fresh catch of the day, is prepared perfectly.  We have a choice of salmon, halibut, swordfish, black cod, red snapper, tilapia, and other regional fish.

We had dinner with Tammy and Andy Heath, with Martha and Gene, and Anna and Sudan.  We left for Trivia and came back for dessert.  Tammy ran the trivia, and our team finally won.  we had to get all the answers correct, but we did it!

The entertainment was the troubadore/lecturer, Cricket enthusiast, Terry Shepard.  The theater was filled, the most I have seen.  His motto is:  Adventure before Dementia.  He sang a song about travel, that he'd seen the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall, "but the coca cola always tastes the same."

May 23, 2015, Saturday, Napier, NZ

We pulled in to Napier early am. Our balcony faced a big wharf full of logs.  About 55 degrees and partly cloudy.  It is equivalent to October 23, or the middle of Fall.

After an earthquake in 1931, Napier was completely rebuilt in the Art Deco style of the time. 

There were 164 buildings constructed in Napier, 140 that remain.  Our tour took us around the city to view buildings and then we stopped in the center of town by the Art Deco museum shop and a local tour guide took us on a walking tour.  In 1985 a group of architects came to town to view some buildings, but noticed all the Art Deco buildings, some of which were being demolished to make way for modern ones.  They encouraged the city to preserve the buildings, which they finally did.  We went inside the town theater with a decorated ceiling, walls, and art deco lighting.  I compared it to the 4th avenue theater in Anchorage, which is also a very beautiful art deco building of the time.  The Anchorage one is much much nicer.  too bad the rest of the city didn't use this style.  but the histories of each city are similar in that they both had huge earthquakes that devastated the town area and had to be rebuilt.

Art deco doorway

Cute paintings on a public restroom facility

This is a hotel.  We went into the interior as well.

Another attraction is getting a tour in a vintage car

Looking down a mall area

Another famous building

The six sisters homes.  A father built each daughter a similar home.

David went to a sheep shearing and wool operation outside of Napier

A sheared lamb

Lovely countryside of Napier

The logs come from across the bay in thousands of acres of forest.  They are pine trees and are shipped to China.  They grow ready to harvest in 20 years and replanted immediately for a sustainable industry.

pine logs on the wharf

The area has a 55 km walk/bike trail around Hawkes Bay.

I got back to the ship just as it started to rain.  I wanted to see the aquarium which is where I was told you could see a kiwi bird as well, but I only had $5.00 NZ left, and it was cold.  Maybe next time?

This is one time that I did not need to go on a ship's excursion.  The shuttle bus provided took you right into town where you could walk the art deco streets on your own.  The bus also goes to the aquarium before returning to the ship.

May 22, Friday, Picton, NZ

I managed to get a photo or two as we sailed into Queen Charlotte Sound to Picton.

Picton is a town in the Marlborough district on the South Island.  Capt Cook came here to provision his boat and repair.  It is said he spent more time in Picton than anywhere else on his travels.  This area is famous for its wine.  In fact this region produces 77% of NZ wine, particularly Sauvignon Blanc.  Many other guests went on wine tours.

Lone tree on this tiny island

We got off the ship directly onto our sightseeing ship where for 2 1/2 hours we cruised the Sound.  A sound is a waterway created by a river.  A fjord is a body of water formed by glaciers.  New Zealand has an abundance of both.  Queen Charlotte Sound is naturally deep, 45 meters, ideal for a port.

On our cruise we saw the blue penguin, the smallest penguin species.  I didn't get a photo, but they truly looked like a penguin and were alone out in the sound fishing.  

We saw a seal swimming around.  They twirl as they swim.  Then we saw another one on a rock sunning himself, and then three on  someone's dock.  

There are many isolated holiday homes along the shoreline.  Most have electricity, and some even are connected by roads.

Returning to Picton.  The island ferry pulling in next to our Insignia

After our cruise we were let off at the city center where we walked up and down the small little town.  We found a restaurant that featured blue lipped mussels, and pavlova.  

Green lipped mussels.  They sell them frozen from NZ at Sack n Save!  Just as delicious.

Pavlova dessert with a delicious green fruit called Feijoa.

The beautiful mussels are farmed in the Sound's clear waters.  They were large, but unbelievably tender and sweet.  The edge of the shells were aqua color.  The desert, pavlova, has fruit and merengue and ice cream.  I got the fish and chips, or "fush n chups".  The potatoes are local Agria variety, yellow in color and the skins crispy and are delicious.   We even got a glass of local wine, Stoneleigh Pinot gris.

A beautiful day in a beautiful little town, sunny but chilly - 55 degrees, so we were glad to get back to the boat to get warm.