Picton and Wellington

We will be cruising next April on the Radiance of the Seas with stops in Picton and Wellington. We are wanting to see all we can while there, preferably a van type of tour.

Can anyone recommend tours of this type? Any "must sees"?

Thanks!

We will be cruising next April on the Radiance of the Seas with stops in Picton and Wellington. We are wanting to see all we can while there, preferably a van type of tour.

 

Can anyone recommend tours of this type? Any "must sees"?

 

Thanks!

Hi Carol

Have a look at this mob:

https://www.shoretripsandtours.com/Port/Wellington.php

They have an excellent reputation

cheers

Hi Carol,

I know you wanted a van tour, but have you thought of having a launch trip around the Marlborough sounds? a very unique area. I went on holiday there every Christmas when I was a little girl, 1950's! and there are no roads, so provisions have to be got by launch This website does a variety of tours, and there is one to Double Cove where you can feed the pet fish. Have a wonderful cruise!

http://www.beachcombercruises.co.nz/scenic-round_the_bays

Hi Carol

 

Have a look at this mob:

 

https://www.shoretripsandtours.com/Port/Wellington.php

 

They have an excellent reputation

 

cheers

Hi Carol,

 

I know you wanted a van tour, but have you thought of having a launch trip around the Marlborough sounds? a very unique area. I went on holiday there every Christmas when I was a little girl, 1950's! and there are no roads, so provisions have to be got by launch This website does a variety of tours, and there is one to Double Cove where you can feed the pet fish. Have a wonderful cruise!

http://www.beachcombercruises.co.nz/scenic-round_the_bays

Thank you both for the suggestions....I will check them out! I do appreciate it!

Carol

We will be cruising next April on the Radiance of the Seas with stops in Picton and Wellington. We are wanting to see all we can while there, preferably a van type of tour. Can anyone recommend tours of this type? Any "must sees"? Thanks!

While we have not been to Picton, I can offer lots of ideas for Wellington. As noted in the live/blog below, we got off of the Solstice in February. Check out these postings for more info/background on this many ports we visited.

In some areas, you really need tours to solve your logistical challenges, save time. Wellington is or can be somewhat different. Not as much about seeing nature here. We grabbed a cab and got a good driver with personality and charm for a little "mini-tour", including going to a high vantage point over this scenic area and its nearby sights. He drove us around town, giving us an excellent introduction with good background on the country, its character, history,e tc. We also hit their highly-rated museum here in the afternoon, did a great lunch, etc. We had been super busy during the three previous days with so much bus travel that a little "shifting of the gears" was important and needed for our personal needs.

Wellington is southern most capital city in world. The big ships dock at Aotea Quay, between the Interislander Ferry Terminal and the train station. The walk to the city center takes over 20 minutes. Aotea Quay cruise terminal is an industrial area. It's a five-minute walk to the train station, which has cafes, newsstands and small shops. Large industrial area near round, new Westpac soccer stadium, nothing close and/or charming in this location. We were highly flexible during this day.

Wellington displays a wide variety of architectural styles from the past 150 years. This includes 19th-century wooden cottages, Art Deco structures and curving/vibrant post-modern designs in the main business district. Old St Paul's (as shown in upcoming pictures) is an example of 19th-century Gothic Revival architecture adapted to colonial conditions and wooden materials.

Lots of shopping options in Wellington!! One area is focused around Cuba Street. It is named after an early (1840) settler ship to New Zealand. This street was closed to traffic in 1969 and is one of the busiest areas with many buildings of historic significance. This is one of the more "bohemian" areas of Wellington and home to an eclectic collection of cafes, boutique, fashion stores, art galleries and music shops.

The Museum of New Zealand or Te Papa is the NZ national museum and art gallery. The main Te Papa building is on the waterfront with six floors of exhibitions, cafés and gift shops. Yes, they have gift shops. So shocking!! The 387,000 square feet building cost NZ$300 million when opened in 1998. There has been controversy for having such a significant collections at the water's edge on reclaimed land next to one of the world's most active earthquake fault lines.

Here are some of the key summary points from some top cruise line for Wellington:

Crystal: Hugging the hillsides around Port Nicholson, a horseshoe-shaped bay that is one of the world's finest, Wellington reminds many visitors of San Francisco. In cultural offerings as well as landscape - Wellington boasts the National Art Gallery and the Dominion Museum, as well as the Government Building, one of the world's largest wooden structures.

Seabourn: Visually stunning, Wellington is nestled between a magnificent harbor and a natural amphitheatre of forest-clad hills. Its compact size, combined with cultural sophistication, makes it New Zealand's most inspiring urban destination. Wellington's cultural crowning jewel is Te Papa, a donation-only museum that celebrates Australasian natural history, science and culture. Exhibits include Maori artifacts, an extensive Pacific Cultures collection and interactive science exhibits. The city's art scene is flourishing, with numerous galleries and craft markets displaying the work of the country's top artists and craftspeople.

Oceania: Stroll past Victorian Gothic buildings, visit the exquisite botanic gardens, take the cable car up the mountain for a fantastic view, or head for the city beach. Journey around the spectacular harbor with its amazing views and visit a sheep or cattle station. See some of the sites where the Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed. Dining: Savor a variety of continental dishes in addition to succulent lamb and seafood. Shopping: Shop for arts and crafts, jewelry, fine woolens and leather

Regent: Stroll past Victorian Gothic buildings, visit the exquisite Botanic Gardens, take the cable car up the mountain for a fantastic view, or head for the city beach. Journey around the spectacular harbor with its amazing views and visit a sheep or cattle station. See some of the sites where the Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed. Shopping: Shop for arts and crafts, jewelry, fine woolens, and leather goods. Shop for arts and crafts, jewelry, fine woolens, and leather goods. Enjoy a variety of continental dishes in addition to succulent lamb and seafood.

Princess: New Zealand's capital offers stunning views of forested peninsulas, dramatic cliff-side homes and fine Victorian buildings. Settled in 1840 by the London-based New Zealand Company, "wonderful, windy Wellington" is frequently buffeted by bracing winds funnelling through Cook Strait. The sophisticated metropolis boasts museums, winding streets and even a cable car. No wonder many travelers compare it to San Francisco. Despite its steep hills, the city can be easily explored on foot. Kelburn Cable Car, stairways and footpaths climb the slopes from the city center.

Sound like fun? Added questions and info needs? Happy to share more, answer other questions.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 68,592 views for this fun posting.

We started out our day in Wellington by hooking up with an excellent cab driver for a mini-tour and introduction to this city. This included first going up to Mount Victoria for a great overview of the city and seeing many sights around town. Here is an overview for this city from this great location on a wonderful weather day. We could also the residential structures that climb up the hills all around this great, scenic harbor. And, we had a view of the Wellington airport where the top movie/computer operations for Peter Jackson and James Cameron are working their magic for future film releases. Wellington is now the center for this type of film production in the world. There was also a closer view of the Te Papa museum shown below from this vantage point.:

This is the main government center for New Zealand, including on the left with its round, Beehive building. The Beehive was built in stages between 1969 and 1979. It is extensively decorated with New Zealand art. The top floor is occupied by the Cabinet room, with the Prime Minister's offices on the ninth floor. The Parliament is located next door in the middle building shown.:

This is the inside of Old St. Paul's church in Wellington. See, we did go to church on our trip! It is the former cathedral in the Diocese of Wellington for the Anglican Church. As an example of 19th-century Gothic Revival architecture, they adapted to colonial conditions and materials. It is at 34 Mulgrave Street, close to the New Zealand Parliament. Its construction was completed in June 1866. In 1964, the Diocese of Wellington moved to the new St Paul's Cathedral nearby. After a significant battle to prevent its demolition, Old St. Paul's was purchased by the New Zealand Government in 1967 and restored. Although not a parish church, it remains consecrated and is a popular for weddings, funerals and other services. It is constructed from native NZ timbers. The interior has been likened to the upturned hull of an Elizabethan galleon. As this picture shows, it has exposed curving trusses and roof sacking. The flags displayed in the nave include the Royal Navy, NZ Merchant Navy and US Marine Corps. Many of our Marines were stationed in Wellington during World War II. My wife is in yellow walking down the center aisle as she absorb the building details. This was a very important and "moving" site to experience.:

Starting with its contemporary design, this Te Papa Museum is not a boring and/or average facility. And, the admission is FREE!! Such a deal! Well worth it, too. The second picture below reflect some of its native Maori collection and emphasis.:

Below is a view for a small portion of the Wellington downtown reflecting the architecture and art variety, style, interest, beauty, etc. Nice mix and options here for shopping, dining, sampling. Their waterfront is nicely developed with many options there for things to do and see.:

For TLCOhio - we are doing the Solstice from Sydney to Auckland in January 2015 and I am hoping you can answer a question about the Bay of Islands. I understand that it is a tender port, and was wondering if the ship's tenders drop you at Paihia or Russell? We were wanting to do an afternoon private tour leaving from Paihia and not sure we would have enough time to get back to the ship before it sailed. I know those booked on the ship's tours will get the first tenders, but was wondering if those with Elite past passenger status also get priority tenders whether they are booked on the ship's tours or not. Any info on Bay of Islands and suggestions for tours for this port and any others would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!!

For TLCOhio - we are doing the Solstice from Sydney to Auckland in January 2015 and I am hoping you can answer a question about the Bay of Islands. I understand that it is a tender port, and was wondering if the ship's tenders drop you at Paihia or Russell? We were wanting to do an afternoon private tour leaving from Paihia and not sure we would have enough time to get back to the ship before it sailed. I know those booked on the ship's tours will get the first tenders, but was wondering if those with Elite past passenger status also get priority tenders whether they are booked on the ship's tours or not. Any info on Bay of Islands and suggestions for tours for this port and any others would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!!

Happy to share more on the wonderful and scenic Bay of Islands with our neighbor from Tenn. Yes, this is a tendered port. The Celebrity tender ship dropped us at Waitangi and then there was a free shuttle bus that took us to the nearby shopping town of Paihia. To get to Russell, you would need to take, at your cost, a water shuttle across the bay/water to Russell. As noted in the live/blog below, we set-up in advance for our group a private sailing charter for the day that worked so well. Really scenic, super adventure, great fun, etc.

You can check out these highly-detailed postings with lots of visuals for more info/background on the many different port options that we did and enjoyed so much. Go to this live/blog, tell me more on what options and priorities you most seek, like personally. Also more on your past travels, etc. I will be happy to share more info, answer added questions, etc.

Have you considered the ship's Queenstown overnight excursion? Aware of its details? Tell me more! Can share added info for why this option is worth considering.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 71,790 views for this fun posting.

From our group's Bay of Islands water fun in New Zealand, we got to do real sailing, including going out into the nearby Pacific Ocean! See the proof and success below. It was both a perfect weather day and such fun sampling this great region of northern NZ. One of the options for those in our Central Ohio group on this custom, private sailing was to help to do as much (or as little as desired) in helping make this sail experience happen. In the first picture, you can see John helping Captain Sharon in raising the front, jib sail. In the foreground of this picture, you can see Sharon from our group doing the cranking to raise and adjust the main sail. The second picture shows Captain Murray guiding the ship from this great vantage point on the back of the Zindabar. Was this exciting and scenic?:

As the three of us brave leaders got ashore in the dinghy, we walked past this scenic cove with a mother and daughter enjoying this great setting. Then, we had to climb up the Motuarohia Trail to the TOP!! How tall was this challenge? Officially, it is 450 meters or 1476 feet. BUT, by the time we got back on the boat, with bragging skills learned in Australia, that "mountain" we conquered had grown greatly up to 2414' in height. Inflation? Sure! Just makes the stories better to those who stayed on the sailing craft. And the views from up, UP there? See a couple of examples below to prove the great achievement.:

As we sailed back into the Bay of Islands, we crossed paths, again, with the Solstice. Which ship is bigger and better?? For having more fun for us, there is no doubt in my mind about which ship we liked better on this exciting day. In control are Captain Sharon (in pink) and her father, Murray. Both were super for this sailing fun.:

We will be cruising next April on the Radiance of the Seas with stops in Picton and Wellington. We are wanting to see all we can while there, preferably a van type of tour.

 

Can anyone recommend tours of this type? Any "must sees"?

 

Thanks!

Picton is near Blenheim which has wonderful wineries like Cloudy Bay.

In Wellington visit Victoria Park--and walk along the waterfront.

Hi there,

There's a number of small van-style tour operators in Wellington. While the major sites are easily reachable on foot in the downtown area, if you do want to get further afield have a look at your options here:

http://www.wellingtonnz.com/discover/things-to-do/sights-activities/search?c=All&l=all&p=all&q=tours&locale=en_NZ&action_search=Find

It's wise to book in advance and confirm the pick up location with the operator too - will they pick you up from port or from the Wellington I-SITE Information Centre?

Thanks for all the replies. Looks like we have options!!:D

In Picton where does the ship dock? Is it close to town? Can you sight see easily on your own. Is there a "hop-on-hop- off" or a walking map?

There are 2 docks in Picton.

1. Medium sized ships can dock next to the ferry terminal and you can walk the 5 minutes into town.

2. Larger cruise ships dock around the other side of a bluff next to the town at a commercial log wharf. As this is an industrial site you are shuttled through the dock area and into the town.....again only 5-10 minutes.

Picton only has 1 main street which leads down to the marina and boardwalk area. There is usually a local craft market at the foreshore. As Picton is the entry point into the South Island for the Inter Island Ferry services there are several souvenir and craft shops to be found in the main shopping street.