NZ Background, Reasons to Visit There!!

Today is exactly one month away from Thursday, Jan. 9 when we will have departed for Dallas-Ft. Worth and then Honolulu, finally arriving Jan. 12 in Brisbane and Cairns for our later Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 14-day Sydney to Auckland cruise on the Celebrity Solstice. Nine of our stops are in New Zealand. Will we like NZ?

From the Boston Globe over this past weekend, they have this headline: "Ten reasons to visit New Zealand" with many wonderful and interesting background items by this writer to help us in preparing.

Here are a few of the story highlights: "Ten years ago the film trilogy 'The Lord of the Rings' made J. R. R. Tolkien fans out of millions of moviegoers. While these Tolkien fantasies include fascinating characters, dramatic sagas, and epic journeys, there is an unbilled star behind every frame: the spectacular scenery of New Zealand. Those majestic mountain ranges, stunning alpine lakes, craggy fiords, and ancient forests are all part of a country waiting to be explored. New Zealand is uncrowded and relatively unspoiled. National parks and reserves make up a third of its land. Its small population (4.5 million people in a land nearly the size of California), its remoteness from other continents, and the thousands of square miles of Pacific Ocean that surround it, keep the country pristine. Its terrain may be the most diverse and dramatic on the planet. New Zealand offers a safe haven from a dangerous world. You won’t see machine gun-toting police on patrol. In fact, police are trained to work without guns. People are friendly, and Americans are held in high regard. Thousands of US soldiers received R & R here during World War II resulting in countless long-term relationships. New Zealand hospitality even includes free accident insurance for all visitors. The population is a rich tapestry of cultures, made up of about 68 percent European descent (mostly English and Scottish), 15 percent Maori, 10 percent Asians, and 7 percent Pacific Islanders. Kiwis are often said to be more British than the British. Prices for accommodations, food, and touring are usually 20 to 30 percent lower than in Europe. This is an ideal winter destination. A long summer season stretches from December through April with mostly sunny skies and temperatures 75-85 degrees. A foodie culture has taken the country by storm. Food is all about fresh produce, seafood from clean waters, and meats raised outdoors. New Zealand wine has made an excellent name for itself internationally. With no place more than 75 miles from a beach, this island nation is a mecca for water sports. With more than 10,000 miles of coast to explore, whether you swim, surf, sail, kayak, or fish, you will be in for an adventure."

Great summary!! Many more details and specifics are in the full article. If you are having any doubts for whether NZ will be worth it or not, just read this profile. Helps build the excitement!!

Full story at:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/travel/2013/12/07/reasons-visit-new-zealand/mbytGfuCjEnBwwF2Xk6dlI/story.html

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Celebrity Solstice Visual Highlights? From our June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in France, Italy, Kotor and Dubrovnik, I have pull together a number of wonderful visuals of the Solstice, its features, food, entertainment, options, etc. We are now at 13,183 views for this shorter version of my larger full review of that cruise and all of the port pictures/details. Check these postings and added info at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1803477

As a bonus, here's an interesting article from the Wall Street Journal section four today. They have this headline: "A New Life in New Zealand" about this writer discovering a mix of the familiar and exotic in Wellington. She first saw New Zealand while wandering around the Pacific on a sailing sabbatical a few years ago. She had no intention of leaving her home in Washington state, but those plans changed and she found a new home in Wellington.

Here are a few of the interesting and maybe useful items for our upcoming visit there on Wednesday, January 29 that are reflected from her column highlights: "New Zealand simply captivated me. I was seduced by its mixture of the familiar and the novel. Familiar, because English is spoken (though not always in a familiar way), grocery stores stock many of the same products as U.S. supermarkets. Novel, because New Zealand has a distinctive mix of European and indigenous heritage. Rugby, cricket and netball are the sports to watch here, instead of football, baseball and basketball. The indigenous people are Maori, whose ancestors sailed here from Polynesia. Maori names, words and culture are everywhere. The city is the southernmost capital in the world (and titled "coolest little capital" by Lonely Planet). It's on the edge of Cook Strait, a notorious wind tunnel between the country's North and South Islands. The winds mean no smog and no mosquitoes. And ever-changing weather—though rarely anything extreme. But as night falls at any time of year, another layer is needed. No umbrellas please; they blow out in short order and are a hazard. Considering its relatively small size (less than half a million people), the Wellington area has an amazing amount going on, thanks to a creative, energetic and diverse population. Two of my favorite things here are walking and eating. Wellington is ringed by hills and fringed by greenbelts; you can be walking in the woods within 15 minutes of anywhere in the city. Wellington's immigrants include some excellent cooks from all parts of the globe. Dining choices run the gamut, including Malaysian, Vietnamese, French, Italian and, more recently, Mexican restaurants. Local specialties include fresh seafood, wines and olive oil from the Wairarapa Valley, and a craft-beer scene to rival any other. New Zealand is pricey in general, and there's a 15% general sales tax. Including tax, gasoline costs nearly $7 a gallon (in U.S. currency), a pint of beer goes for $7 to $10, and a main course at dinner runs $15 to $40 or more. (But tipping in restaurants isn't expected.) Has it been worth it? Definitely. On a recent evening, just after sunset, I climbed the hills above Wellington for a 360-degree view of the city. The South Island mountains shadowed the fading horizon, and the smoky-blue Pacific lapped at Lyall Bay beach as downtown lit up below me."

Four of the key highlights she suggests for consideration in her profile are the Te Papa Museum, the Wellington Cable Car, Matiu Somes Island with its blue penguins and the Wairarapa Valley.

Full story at:

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303763804579183632903727024?KEYWORDS=new-zealand

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 127,087 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Terry, great articles.

My own personal experience is that we love New Zealand and Australia. There is so much to do and to see and we also enjoy the lifestyle, and the people. We never tire of these places and look forward to our next return.

Keith

Interesting articles. A beautiful country but we did find it surprisingly expensive last year, even by Sydney standards.

Hope you are buying your Aussie dollars while the rate is going your way. (Haven't been tracking the NZ dollar)

I assume your cruise on the Celebrity Solistice will bring you through the Sounds?

Awesome experience.

Here is my blogpost.

http://guitar123foodandtravel.blogspot.sg/2013/09/voyager-of-seas-new-zealand-sounds-part.html

Terry I know you've been planning this for a while. We are just starting a 2016 New Zealand cruise planning and I have questions for you upon your return! We visited Sydney, New Caledonia and Vanuatu last winter and loved Sydney. Eager to hear your impression/experiences/recommendations! Hope you are having a great trip!

Karen (also from Ohio)

Ilovecruising2- your blog is wonderful. What great pictures. Thanks for sharing!

Karen

What beautiful photos! Reminiscent of our trip in September to Norway, yet clearly NOT Norway.

We're going to New Zealand (among other places) on our cruise this winter. I read the articles above with interest. I'm eager to find ways to see some locations from the Hobbit and LOTR movies primarily for the scenery, but I admit I wouldn't mind getting to Mata Mata to see "Hobbiton". We'll be on Oceania Marina and although the excursions aren't posted yet for our January sailing, I rather doubt they'll cater to interests such as mine.

If you or anyone else has any recommendations for how best to reach some of the more easily-reached locations (I am always in fear of missing the ship when hiring independent tours!!), I'd be happy to hear of them.

What beautiful photos! Reminiscent of our trip in September to Norway, yet clearly NOT Norway. We're going to New Zealand (among other places) on our cruise this winter. I read the articles above with interest. I'm eager to find ways to see some locations from the Hobbit and LOTR movies primarily for the scenery, but I admit I wouldn't mind getting to Mata Mata to see "Hobbiton". We'll be on Oceania Marina and although the excursions aren't posted yet for our January sailing, I rather doubt they'll cater to interests such as mine. If you or anyone else has any recommendations for how best to reach some of the more easily-reached locations (I am always in fear of missing the ship when hiring independent tours!!), I'd be happy to hear of them.

Good luck to our fellow Midwest traveler with your awesome upcoming adventure in the South Pacific, New Zealand and Australia. As noted in the live/blog below, we got off from our down under trip in February. We have also done Norway. Both are spectacular areas. Check out these postings for more info/background on these ports and the many options, etc.

Not sure that I can help on sites for Hobbit and LOTR movies. Was trying to find your specific cruise and the specific NZ ports, but no luck on my part. What are your specific port stops in NZ? Maybe I can make some added suggestions. We super loved our time in NZ and ALL that we we saw/experienced there.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 148,414 views. Nice to be hitting this high of a level for viewership. Appreciate the interest and follow-up questions/comments!!

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

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 65,646 views for this fun posting.