Cruise operators in port?

I have booked several shore excursions for our upcoming New Zealand to Australia cruise. Does anyone know if there are tour operators in port available to book independant excursions when we get off the ship in Picton (11/26/11); Burnie, Tasmania (12/2/11) and Melbourne (12/3/11)?

Also, we are considering the Hop-on-Hop-off in Wellington instead of an excursion. Has anyone done that?

Opinions/suggestions much appreciated from those who have been there/done that. Thanks so much.

Azeileen

We caught the shuttle bus into Wellington from the ship and walked along the Main Street in the CBD to Parliament House where we joined the public tour for free. The Ship's tour of Parliament house cost about $50 each.

At all of the Ports we called into there were independent tour operators present and/or car hire firms to do your own thing. For instance, at Tauranga (port for Rotorua tours) hire cars were being hired for $NZ99.00 to drive the hour or so to Rotorua whereas the ships tour price was about $150 each.

At Auckland we caught the free City Shuttle bus and did a lap of the city.

John

Melbourne also has a free tram that goes around the city. You do need to pay for the tram to get to the city though.

Melbourne also has a free tram that goes around the city. You do need to pay for the tram to get to the city though.

There is also a free tourist shuttle bus: http://www.thatsmelbourne.com.au/Gettingaroundthecity/Visitorassistance/Pages/TouristShuttle.aspx

Melbourne is a really great port of call for cruisers, to do on your own .

Walk to the land end of Station Pier and look to the right and slightly inland and you will see the PORT MELBOURNE light rail terminus . (Buy ticket on tram a DAILY Zone 1 allows unlimited City Area travel. Ticket machine Aussie coins only).

The 109 Tram takes you into the CBD up Collins Street into the heart of the City, alight at the Elizabeth Street stop :

From here one block up Elizabeth Street and you are in the heart of the central shopping area . To get to the Victoria Market take any northbound tram in Elizabeth Street and alight at Victoria Street , look left for the Market.

Or the next stop up Collins Street is Swanston St .

From here (Cnr Swanston & Collins St) : One block South to Federation Square (Ian Potter Gallery - Australian Art), Flinders St station (Take Upfield line train and alight at ROYAL PARK for one of the Worlds great Zoo's including Native Australian animals.) Over Princes Bridge (next to Flinders St station) for Southbank dining precinct, and National Gallery (International Collection.)

At the top of Collins Street the final stop is Spring St - alight here for Old Treasury Building and Parliament House, and Fitzroy Gardens where one can find captain Cook’s Cottage.

The Melbourne Museum is in the Carlton Gardens, alight from City Circle Tram when you see the old Exhibition Buildings (Cnr Nicholson & Victoria Sts).

A separate City Circle Tourist Tram (Maroon & Gold in colour) circles the City with commentary every 12 minutes FREE . Board these trams in either direction (clockwise/anti clockwise) in Flinders Street, Spring Street or Latrobe Street . The entire City Circle trip takes around an hour .

Great coffee and eating in the CBD or Southbank . To return to your cruise boat, just catch a 109 PORT MELBOURNE tram (Westbound) anywhere in Collins Street, and you will be back at Station Pier within 20 minutes.

Melbourne's CBD is a one mile square grid : Order of streets :

Running North/South : Spencer St, King, William, Queen, Elizabeth, Swanston, Russell, Exhibition and Spring Streets.

Running East/West : Flinders St, Collins, Bourke, Lonsdale, Latrobe, Victoria Streets.

If you are moderately fit and able to walk up and down hills, here is how you can fill a whole day in Wellington. Starting point is the Wellington CBD ( Central Business District) - usually the ships provide a shuttle from the ship to this point.

1. Short walk to the Wellington Cable Car http://www.wellingtoncablecar.co.nz/

This is an interesting short ride up to the front entrance of the--

2. beautiful Wellington Botanic Garden http://www.wellingtonnz.com/sights_activities/wellington_botanic_garden (Don't miss the Begonia House!!) . After a couple of hours here, you walk a short distance to the Wellington Waterfront where you --

3. Look through the fantastic Wellington Te Papa museum http://www.wellingtonnz.com/sights_activities/museum_new_zealand_te_papa_tongarewa ( Great for Maori cultural relics - and the "earthquake house"). You then go (either before the museum or after) to the wonderful (and adjacent to the museum) --

4. Macs brewhouse http://www.macsbrewbar.co.nz/ where you eat inexpensively and drink their fine comprehensive range of boutique beers.

This will more than fill your day in Wellington

On the day we were in Wellington - we did all of the above - plus , being a weekend, went to the Pacifica festival which featured music and dancing of all the South Pacific Nations - and also the Mermaid Conference.

We turned up in Wellington unexpectedly on QM2 - after having to cancel our arrival in Christchurch the day after the big earthquake. This day in Wellington turned out for us to be one of the best (if not THE best) port visits we have made anywhere in the World!!!

Barry

If you are moderately fit and able to walk up and down hills, here is how you can fill a whole day in Wellington. Starting point is the Wellington CBD ( Central Business District) - usually the ships provide a shuttle from the ship to this point.

 

1. Short walk to the Wellington Cable Car http://www.wellingtoncablecar.co.nz/

This is an interesting short ride up to the front entrance of the--

 

2. beautiful Wellington Botanic Garden http://www.wellingtonnz.com/sights_activities/wellington_botanic_garden (Don't miss the Begonia House!!) . After a couple of hours here, you walk a short distance to the Wellington Waterfront where you --

 

3. Look through the fantastic Wellington Te Papa museum http://www.wellingtonnz.com/sights_activities/museum_new_zealand_te_papa_tongarewa ( Great for Maori cultural relics - and the "earthquake house"). You then go (either before the museum or after) to the wonderful (and adjacent to the museum) --

 

4. Macs brewhouse http://www.macsbrewbar.co.nz/ where you eat inexpensively and drink their fine comprehensive range of boutique beers.

 

This will more than fill your day in Wellington

 

On the day we were in Wellington - we did all of the above - plus , being a weekend, went to the Pacifica festival which featured music and dancing of all the South Pacific Nations - and also the Mermaid Conference.

 

We turned up in Wellington unexpectedly on QM2 - after having to cancel our arrival in Christchurch the day after the big earthquake. This day in Wellington turned out for us to be one of the best (if not THE best) port visits we have made anywhere in the World!!!

 

Barry

WOW! What a great plan! We will be there from 10 am to midnight so will have plenty of time. I was planning to visit a winery or two while we are on our trip. Now we know where to try some good microbrew as well. Thanks again!