Circumnavigate The Globe in 123 days with Bill & Mary Ann - 2011 World Cruise

[erewhon]

Kiwi Kruzer,

 

Thank you for posting these great photos of the Amsterdam in Auckland today.

Looks to be a warm cloudy Sunday.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Kiwi Kruzer,Thank you for posting these great photos of the Amsterdam in Auckland today.Looks to be a warm cloudy Sunday.

 

I am sure Bill and Mar Ann will update you.The day dawned cloudy with slight drizzle.The sun has broken through now , and it is very warm and humid.

If anyone wants to view Amsterdam on the web cam...heres the link.

its updates about every 20 minutes, and has a back button feature.

 

Auckland Web Cam

http://www.tourism.net.nz/listings/nztg/visitor-information/117380?from=http://www.tourism.net.nz/region/auckland/visitor-information/web-cams/other-listings/

[WCB]

Report # 34 February 6, 2011 Sunday Auckland, New Zealand Day 1

 

Well, here we are in the fabulous country of New Zealand, docked at Princes Wharf in the harbor at Auckland, the City of Sails. Located near the top of the northern island, Auckland has about 1/4 of the country's population, and is the most modern city in all of New Zealand. And these kiwis, as the natives are called here, love their water sports, as shown by the number of power and sailboats in the local harbors.........70,000 of them to be exact.

 

The weather was a bit on the depressing side, with skies heavy with dark clouds. There was no mention of rain, so we hoped the clouds would clear away later in the day. Still, it was warm and humid with a slight breeze....perfect for walking.

 

Since we have had the pleasure of seeing this entire area on several past trips, we decided to take the day off of touring, and go for a nice, long walk. There were a few small things we needed to buy, so the adventure was on.

 

Security has always been good in regards to leaving and re-joining the ship in Auckland. In his early morning announcement, Bruce, our CD, reminded us that we would need a government photo ID as well as our keycard. No problem. We always carry an old driver's license, expired, but with a recent enough photo on them. For a backup, we have copies of our passports, just in case. Exiting the ship, we passed through the immigrations check, where our bag was checked for any type of food item we may have accidently brought onshore. We know better, and only packed a bottle of water with us. No problem.

 

So we headed up Queen Street, one of the main avenues that has all of the cafes, restaurants, and shops you could possibly find. They also have McDonalds, Burger King, Dennys, and Starbucks among the many souvenier stores, most all of them opened despite the fact that it was Sunday. We slowly made our way up to the Sky Tower complex, where we had stayed for 2 days around 3 years ago before joining a cruise. The casino in this complex was just as busy as it was back then. We were tempted to try our luck at the slot machines, but it would involve changing money to tokens, and we did not have the time to spare.

 

We continued on, walking past parks, churches, hotels, and highrise apartments. Everywhere we turned, we could see the Sky Tower, where tourists can do a type of bungee jump, only more controlled. We have seen it done before, and there is no way we would ever attempt it. We could hear people screaming all the way from the top to the street level.

 

We must have gone into a dozen convenience shops, but had little luck finding anything. As it turned out, there was a huge 3 level mall right near the pier, where we could find everything and more. The 3rd floor had a Target-type store with prices to match. Good deal.

 

Going back to the ship, we had absolutely no problem passing the keycard and drivers license check. The usual xray machines were used to scan our bags, and off we went to our room to put our stash away. We toyed with the idea of going to lunch, but we had eaten a hearty breakfast, and we weren't very hungry. What really sounded good was a taste of that wonderful hokey pokey ice cream that you can only find in New Zealand. It's got to be the creamiest, vanilla flavored ice cream with little bits of crunchy butter brickle candy in with every bite. We were hooked on this sweet treat on our first visit to New Zealand over 10 years ago.

 

We made another pass through a larger market located up Quay Street about a mile from the pier, buying a few room snacks. The skies had cleared up by then, so we thought we would enjoy people- watching while relaxing on a bench near the ferry building. With large ferries coming and going, this spot was a busy one. Since today was Sunday, many local families were boating to the several outlying islands for a day of fun, and biking in groups up and down Quay Street. We talked to more people passing us in one hour than we talk to all day on the ship. Even the Captain stopped and sat for a spell. He was on his way out to take some photos, although, when passengers recognized him, he became the object of their photos. Never a moment of peace for Olaf, but he handles it well.

 

It was about then that we headed back to the ship. Now is when things got interesting, but not in a good way. There was a long line forming at the entrance to the pier building. For some reason, everyone was being overly screened by security fellows, with many of them being pulled aside to go to another security desk. What's going on? Well, we soon found out when our turn came to be inspected. This time the guard asked to see our drivers licenses, which were expired, but still legal for ID. Nope, no good, no way.......passport copy?......no good either. You and you....go over to the other desk. We said, "We just went through this procedure 2 hours ago, and we were OK to board the ship." He asked, "Who let you through?" We answered, "YOU DID!" , which was true. Now he really said something like, "NO SOUP FOR YOU....go to the other desk!" We joined the other guests who had been singled out, and were told by the officer to either bring a current form of ID or get our passports from the front desk. She would let it slide this time, but not tomorrow. Gosh, we thought we were destined to be incarcerated at Auckland's equivalent of San Francisco's Alcatraz!

 

Well, that was fun, wasn't it? We knew that this incident should be reported to someone, but while on the aft deck, who should appear, but Captain Olaf. He stopped to inform us of the exact number of people leaving and joining the ship tomorrow, a question we had asked earlier of him. Perfect chance to inquire about the overly strict procedure we all endured reboarding. He agreed that it was over-kill, and said that he and Henk would discuss this with the local authorities tomorrow. Guess many upset passengers had already reported this to the staff long before we had a chance to. Live and learn......

 

The theme for tonight's dinner was Tailgating Specialties, in honor of the upcoming Superbowl XLV, which will be televised, hopefully, tomorrow at noon. Remember, we are a day ahead of most of you now, and superbowl Sunday is really Monday for us in the USA. Nothing on the menu really enticed us, except the Setzchuan (sp) chicken. The attendance in the dining room tonight was spotty. We figured that lots of people went out to dinner onshore, or caught an early meal in the Lido. A folkloric show was held at 9:30pm in the Queens Lounge, and most second seat diners would miss it. As for most of our tablemates, we knew that it could be watched on TV tomorrow, so a relaxed dinner together took priority.

 

We have a tour booked with our travel group tomorrow, and we will be touring wineries with a lunch.

 

Until then, good evening.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[Kiwi Kruzer]

You have company today.:):)

Another record for the World Cruise?

I think thats the first time

2 HAL ships have been in Tauranga together.

Amsterdam and Volendam

 

 

[Carolin]

thank you so much for posting your daily log. I have been dreaming / intrigued by a world cruise as long as I can remember. I know your having a fantastic cruise already. I'll enjoy reading every minute of it. :D

[carosave]

I have been following along, enjoying every minute. Thanks for doing this. I really enjoy reading your activities (and hope someday I can experience cork forking.

 

If you don't mind answering, though, I am curious about whether any kids are on board for the world cruise. DH keeps saying "when I retire, we will celebrate...", and "has to be while we can still enjoy it...", which means, as older parents, our dd will likely be with us. (can we say home school for a year??) So, I am curious if anyone else out there has done this or if there are kids on board (and if there is anyone running Club Hal). (I should be honest and add I am not convinced it will happen, but never hurts to be prepared!;))

 

Thanks so much!

[WCB]

Report # 35 February 7, 2011 Monday Auckland, New Zealand Day 2

 

When we got up early this morning, a big ship had slipped into the wharf before daylight. It was the Pacific Jewel, a P&O vessel.

 

Most of today was dedicated to a tour with our travel group called "Exploring Auckland's Wine Trail". There were 48 of us, led by Tom and Ellen, our excellent hosts.

 

We boarded two very comfortable buses, and headed north to a town called Kumeu. Once we were out of the city of Auckland, the countryside opened up into green pastures and small hamlets. This part of New Zealand is still tropical, humid, and wet most of the time. It's green everywhere you look. It wasn't more than 30 minutes out of town, that we started to see sheep and dairy cattle. The entire northern section of this country has become the perfect place to grow grapes over the years. Today, we would visit three of these wineries.

 

The first vineyard we toured was called Kumeu River Wines, a family-owned business that was established in 1944. Melba Brajkovich is the matron of the facility, and runs the winery with the help of her four children. She told a charming story about how she came about to continue the family business with her husband Mate, who passed away in 1992. By sharing her past, she kept our interest for the entire tour.

 

We saw the crushing machines, the stainless steel vats, and the expensive European oak wine barrels the wine is aged in. We ended up in a large tasting room, where we grabbed a glass and formed a semi-circle to begin the tastings. Thank goodness, they offered us all cheese cubes and crackers, since we did not have time to eat breakfast. Big mistake.........a small amount of wine can really go to the knees quickly under those circumstances.

 

We sampled five wines, and really liked them all. Even though we rarely drink wine, we have had a lot of experience with these wine tastings. As long as the drink is not too sweet or dry, we can handle a small amount of it. For that reason, we prefer the whites. Melba handed us a sheet with our state's list of where you can buy their wines. The biggest store was Beverages and More. We all agreed that this was probably going to be the best tour and tasting of the day.

 

The next stop was at Nobilo, a short distance away. There was no winery tour, just tasting.......a lot of it. Gosh, there must have been 10 varieties that we tried. It was a bit more rushed here, since there was a group from the P&O ship also doing the same thing we were, just on the other side of the bar. Martha, Ellen W., and Sue formed a group with us as we judged the different cabernet sauvignons, pinot noirs, and chardonnays. One white wine actually had the aroma of asparagus. Martha found a semi-sweet chocolate bar to buy. It was infused with wine-soaked black cherries. When we asked the server for a sample, she obliged by breaking up one and giving us a taste. It was delicious.

 

For some reason, we finished the two wine tours too early to arrive for lunch at the third winery. So, we were taken over to the west coast to Muriwai Beach. On the cliffsides here, we could see where the gannets hatch their chicks every year. We could not actually walk to the steep mountainside, so we just got photos from the roadside. There was a perfect view of the black sandy stretch of beach below, that went on for miles.

 

It was finally time for lunch, so off we went to the Soljans Estate Winery and Cafe. What a lunch they served! It was a buffet that had salads, fresh rolls, vegetables, cooked pumpkin, roasted potatoes, tempura fish, and slices of roast beef with au jus. There were three bottles of wine for every table of eight. We had our fill of wine by now, so we opted for the local beer instead, making our tablemates happy, since that gave them more wine. The meal ended with a dessert of pavlova with fresh fruit, and a chocolate layer cake with whipped cream. Coffe and tea finished the feast for all of us. Needless to say, it was very quiet on the ride back to the pier.

 

All aboard today was 4pm, followed by the second muster drill of the trip. We had lost about 100 guests, and gained around 50. We thought that perhaps the drill would be just for the newbies, but no, it was for everyone. Even though we did not have to bring our lifevests, the drill masters did take roll call. Not everyone went, so they will probably have to make up this drill later on.

 

Sailaway festivities started at 5pm, and was attended by mostly the new passengers. We felt like we were on a different ship, with few people we recognized. For the first time, Matthew Zak, the emcee/dj, greeted us all. Being the funny guy he is, he announced that the first person that jumps in the pool fully clothed would get a free bottle of champagne. We thought he was kidding, except for one new fellow, who immediately ran to the pool and jumped in. We were all shocked, because we really think the dj was just kidding. When the drowned man hauled himself out of the pool, he said that he thought he heard Matt say he'd pay $500. to jump in. Good try, but no banana. Now the crowd was cheering for the event staff to jump in too. With so much pressure, Matt Z. took off his shoes and in he went, followed by Matt E. and Katie P., the rest of the event staffers. Was very funny to see, but we thought for a moment that we were on a Carnival ship instead of HAL!!

 

It had been a long day, so dinner was fairly quiet and quick, since half of our tablemates were missing. That was just fine with us, because we could get to bed a little earlier. We knew that the New Zealnd portion of the cruise was going to be a very busy and tiring one. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it right?

 

Tomorrow's port..........Tauranga.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[DFD1]

Splendid account of a marvelous trip! Thank you so much. What a treat!

[Aussie Gal]

Mary Ann and Bill,

 

That white wine you tried at Nobilo that smelt like asparagus is the most popular white wine in Australia. It is Savignon Blanc and it has overtaken Chardonnay. I love it and only drink New Zealand Savs as we here can't seem to make it quite like they do with the asparagus overtones.

 

Jennie

[Kiwi Kruzer]

So pleased you went to Soljans.

Thats one my favourites out in the wine district.

 

 

[Northern Light]

I have greatly enjoyed reading your blog, Mary Ann and Bill. My sister and BIL disembarked in New Zealand to spend a month touring around NZ but I will continue to read of your adventures as this is a trip we are highly unlikely to ever take. Thank you very much for taking the time to write of your voyage. My only complaint is that HAL does not have ship cams and not all ports have webcams either so I just have to use my imagination when you describe your stops.

 

Sandy :)

[WCB]

Report # 36 February 8, 2011 Tuesday Tauranga, New Zealand

 

Today's port was the seaside city of Tauranga, New Zealand, located on the Bay of Plenty. The temperate climate in this area has attracted many local tourists to Tauranga for its beaches, boating, and fishing. Other major exports are lumber, wine, and kiwifruit. The Maori influence (the indigenous people) is significant here, since it is believed that Tauranga was where they first landed centuries ago.

 

This is also the point where tours go to Rotorua, where boiling mud pits and geysers are still very active. Since we have been there, we decided to take a tour in and around Tauranga to see what we missed the first time here.

 

We shared the dock with HAL's Volendam. We heard a rumor later that they have been traveling north from the south island, and had missed several ports due to bad weather. So far, we have been very lucky missing no ports. Back in 2002, we sailed on the Volendam for the Asia/Pacific 64 day cruise. It was while on that vessel that we experienced 55 foot seas on our way to eastern Russia. never want a repeat of that ride!

 

Our excursion (HAL) started at the Mills Reef Winery, a short drive from town. We were not too keen on wine tasting so early in the morning, especially after the copious wines we drank the day before in Auckland. We were more happy strolling the property, which was set on a grassy knoll surrounded with hundreds of blue and white agapanthas. We could picture this place as the perfect setting for wedding receptions. We had a short time here, which was fine with us.

 

Then we were off to a place called Te Puke for a tour of the kiwifruit orchard. This was more our cup of tea, since we love gardening. The road through the orchard was set up so a bus could be driven through it, with only one stop to get off. We passed samples of citrus, fruit, and nut trees, planted more for tourists to see how the fruit and nuts grow on the trees. The owner/guide explained that they get many Asian tourists who have never seen the produce growing on the trees. Never thought of that before.

 

Eventually, we arrived at the kiwifruit orchard, where we got off of the bus to get a closer look. We learned a lot from listening to the owner, who went into much detail regarding the growing of such a delicate fruit. We now know why the kiwi plants we tried to grow in northern California did not make it through the winter, since they cannot take temperatures below 32 degrees. All the fruit here is hand picked before it is ripe mostly by Asian and southeast Asian workers.

 

After the tour, we were treated to a dessert of kiwi cake with cream and fresh sliced kiwi, of course. A large store with souveniers was part of the complex, and many people went shopping. We were more concerned about an accident we had seen right in front of the orchard. A tourist had made a turn too soon, and got hit broadside by a cattle truck. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt, but the car sure was. This is one good reason that we don't attempt to drive in a country that drives on the wrong side of the road. That is, the reverse of how we drive in the USA. It's hard enough just crossing a street, let alone try to drive opposite sides of the road.

 

We got back early enough from the tour to take a walk to the beaches and through the town center. The weather could not have been more perfect. Especially for enjoying a late afternoon hokey pokey ice cream. We stopped at an ice cream palor near the beach, and ordered one cup and one cone of hokey pokey. Our young server did not know what a cup was...she just kept pointing to the 3 varieties of cones and kept talking rapidly with a definite New Zealand accent. Neither of us could understand what she was saying. We figured out that a cup really was a tub, while a cone could also be called a cup. Go figure. Eventually she got it right and we were happy campers. We'll have to walk 20 miles to burn off these decadent calories, but it was worth it.

 

Back onboard time was 6pm, even though we did not leave until closer to 7pm. Three names were being called over the PA system, and until they were logged in, we would not leave. There were so many new people that got on in Auckland at the sailaway, we felt like we were on a different ship. We did indulge in some of the good treats the fellows serve on the aft deck. One of our favorites are the chicken tenders, coated with panko breading and fried to a crisp. They serve it with a honey mustard sauce. So good.

 

The entertainer was a variety cellist, Sarah Jessica. We missed the show again, because we were totally exhausted and needed sleep more than anything. Captain Olaf had mentioned at sailaway that we might be in for some rough seas, due to a storm coming down from Tonga. The swells were perhaps 12 feet, but that was just right for rocking and rolling us to sleep.

he had also indicated that if conditions were too rough tomorrow, we may miss the next port of Napier. So far, we have been very fortunate to not have missed one port yet. So we hope the luck holds out for another day.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Aussie Gal]

Mary Ann and Bill,

 

Another great post. Now you can understand why we are reluctant to drive "on the wrong side" of the road when we are in Europe and North America. It is so hard to judge how far one is from the next car when you are not used to driving with a left hand steering wheel and the cars are all on the right hand side. We had quite a few near misses when we tried to drive in France.

 

Give me a car with a right hand steering wheel and a country that drives on the left hand side of the road any day! We drove round Ireland without any worries at all!

 

Jennie

[musicismylife]

Another informative post! Thanks Bill and Mary Ann for sharing your voyage with us. I am really enjoying learning about all of the places you are visiting.

[rafinmd]

Thank you, Bill and Mary Ann. I've enjoyed your posts as I've followed "in your wake" (about 5 days behind, Papeete to Auckland), and now will go back to living vicariously through you.

 

Roy

[fann1sh]

Mary Ann and Bill,

 

Another great post. Now you can understand why we are reluctant to drive "on the wrong side" of the road when we are in Europe and North America. It is so hard to judge how far one is from the next car when you are not used to driving with a left hand steering wheel and the cars are all on the right hand side. We had quite a few near misses when we tried to drive in France.

 

Give me a car with a right hand steering wheel and a country that drives on the left hand side of the road any day! We drove round Ireland without any worries at all!

 

Jennie

 

To me, the most terrifying place in the world to drive is St Thomas, USVI.

 

Drive on the left hand side of the road.....in cars with left hand steering wheels!

 

Insanity! :eek:

[MMDown Under]

 

If you don't mind answering, though, I am curious about whether any kids are on board for the world cruise. DH keeps saying "when I retire, we will celebrate...", and "has to be while we can still enjoy it...", which means, as older parents, our dd will likely be with us. (can we say home school for a year??) So, I am curious if anyone else out there has done this or if there are kids on board (and if there is anyone running Club Hal). (I should be honest and add I am not convinced it will happen, but never hurts to be prepared!;))

 

 

We took our pre-school and primary school daughters out of school for a year to travel overseas. The older one self taught herself from correspondence lessons. It was the best thing we ever did as a family, as the children learnt so much. So my recommendation is to just go, when you can afford it!

[Padraic]

PS No word on itinerary changes yet as far as Egypt is concerned. Once we find out, you will be the first to know.

 

My wife and I are joining the WC in Dubai and on to Fort Lauderdale. The main reason for picking this cruise was Egypt and Jordan (really Petra) so we are anxious to see what happens.

[WCB]

Report # 37 February 9, 2011 Wednesday Napier, New Zealand

 

Thank goodness the Amsterdam did not arrive to Napier today until noon. That gave us all a chance to sleep in later this morning, and be ready for an afternoon of touring. We watched from the promenade deck while the ship slipped into Hawks Bay to be docked very near the town center.

 

Napier is very different from all the other cities in New Zealand, mainly because a massive 7.9 magnitude earthquake leveled this city in 1931. The concept of "art deco" became popular in Europe bewteen the two world wars, and the folks from here decided to follow that style of architecture when rebuilding the city.

 

Perhaps you may be familiar with the Hawke's Bay name in regards to wines. They produce some of the finest qualities of wine in the outlying valleys and hills. Another attraction that has put Napier on the map is the presence of the nesting gannets at Cape Kidnappers, a short distance out of town. One of the largest colonies fly here from Australia to hatch their eggs every year. Once the chicks are fully grown, they fly back to Australia across the expanse of the Tasman Sea.....quite a feat for these hardy sea birds.

 

We joined a 4 1/2 hour HAL tour today that took us to a farm visit at Clifton Station, a half hour ride from Napier. At the farm, we first saw a 3 year old wild boar drinking a huge bottle of milk given to him by the owner, Mr. Gordon. This massive animal had been caught by his dogs when he was a young piglet, and then raised on the farm, becoming tame, more or less. What a pig, literally.

 

While outside, we watching the two different working dogs bring the sheep in. One dog, the shepherd, did not bark, but only gathered the sheep by staring at them, eye to eye. The other dog, called a huntaway, barked behind the animals, then worked them towards the corral. The rancher mentioned that a fully trained dog could cost as much as $10,000.

 

Then it was time to see the sheep demonstration held inside the barn. The seating was tiered making it easy for all of us to see the stage. The rancher showed us how the sheep were shorn with old-fashioned clippers. He then compared the technique by using the modern day electric clippers. The first one took a long time, while the electric shears took less than one minute. As we exited the building, we took in the displays of tools, equipment, and sorting machines used in gathering the bales of wool.

 

Now the best part came when we crossed the road to a quaint cafe called the Clifton Bay Cafe & Bar. Here we were treated to fresh-baked scones with raspberry jam and cream. With hot coffee and tea, we were really happy campers. We really had a good time, since we shared our table with friends Bill and Leta. They are so much fun to have on a tour.

 

It was soon time to leave, and head for the Tuki Tuki Valley and up to the summit of Te Mata Peak. It was a steep adventurous ride to the top, but the views of the valley below were stunning. The whole area is covered in vineyards, forests of trees, farms, and ranches.

 

Our final stop was in the pretty township of havelock North, where we stopped at a roadside snack shop called the Strawberry Patch. We all lined up to place our order of either strawberry, blueberry, or raspberry ice cream or frozen yogurt. It was delicious, of course. Like we said, we're easy to please. They gave us 15 minutes to eat our treats, while sitting at picnic benches right next to the fields of strawberry plants. It doesn't get much better than this.

 

Arriving back at the pier, we noticed that the temperature had dropped and a strong wind had developed. We almost lost our stuff climbing up the very steep gangplank in the strong wind. In fact, it was so bad that the sailaway party had to be moved to the promenade deck. This worked out better, because we got to listen to the local ragtime band play their fun songs, while the staff was waiting for the last bus to arrive. Several antique car owners had arrived to the pier, and were in full costume matching the era of their neat vehicles. We remembered this very same thing the last time we were here over 11 years ago. This town of Napier has its own personality that is a classic. If we ever have the luck to be here again, we intend to explore the town and their dozens of cafes and shops.

 

Since we have been touring everyday now since arriving to Auckland, not all of us have shown up for dinner every night. This evening all of us came, but so did the guest chef, who joined us in Auckland. He is a friend of Ellen's and Barb's from previous cruises, and he seemed to enjoy his visit with us. However, with 11 at the table, it was crowded. There had been a bit of confusion about who was attending dinner, so someone thought there were two people missing. We all agreed not to do that again....only if we know for sure that some are not coming.

 

The entertainer tonight was Leo Ward, a magician, we are told. Since tomorrow will be another busy day, we passed on the show and called it a night once again.

 

The port for Thursday will be Wellington, the country's capitol.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[SHERGIB]

We also were on the Volendam to Russia in 2002. Seas were wild. We also had force 10 gale both ways transatlantic in 2004 on the Queen Mary and she also did some serious rocking and rolling. Absolutely love your tale of the World cruise . I'm hoping to do it in 2015. Sherrie

[MMDown Under]

Report # 37 February 9, 2011 Wednesday Napier, New Zealand

 

Now the best part came when we crossed the road to a quaint cafe called the Clifton Bay Cafe & Bar. Here we were treated to fresh-baked scones with raspberry jam and cream. With hot coffee and tea, we were really happy campers.

 

Our final stop was in the pretty township of havelock North, where we stopped at a roadside snack shop called the Strawberry Patch. We all lined up to place our order of either strawberry, blueberry, or raspberry ice cream or frozen yogurt. It was delicious, of course. Like we said, we're easy to please. They gave us 15 minutes to eat our treats, while sitting at picnic benches right next to the fields of strawberry plants. It doesn't get much better than this.

 

The port for Thursday will be Wellington, the country's capitol.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

 

Thank you so much for sharing your world cruise.

 

I could almost taste the Devonshire Tea and strawberry icecream.

 

We have a Strawberry Patch, between the Gold Coast and Brisbane, where we often stop for a strawberry icecream treat, beside the strawberry plants.

 

Hope you enjoyed your visit to Wellington.

 

Wishing you a smooth cruise to Sydney.

[WCB]

Report # 38 February 10, 2011 Thursday Wellington, New Zealand

 

The Amsterdam brought us to the port of Wellington, the capitol of this fine country. Wellington is the southernmost capitol city in the world. And because of its location near the Cook Strait, it has won the contest of being the windiest city in the world a few years ago. It is a much more modern city, scattered with a few remaining buildings from the past. And what has made this place famous more recently, is the fact that the Lord of the Rings movies have been filmed in this area.

 

Even though the ship arrived at 8am, we had decided to book an afternoon tour, so we could get a bit extra sleep and enjoy a decent breakfast. Since we had some extra time, we met with Ellen and Barb and went to the lower dining to check out a possible table for next year. We will have a large group again, so we tried 12 chairs around table 311. With that many, it was crowded, because the new chairs are wider. In a few days, we decided that we could try eating there with our present group to see how it will work.

 

A complimentary shuttle was running from the pier to downtown, so that was what we took around 11am. As it turned out, we traveled some of the same area we would see when we came back on the bus. The best part was that we could take photos without being in the bus being hampered with tinted windows and blurry pictures. We walked around the pier area, which was full of locals enjoying the nice weather. The last time we were here, about 11 years ago, it was cold and overcast with a strong wind blowing. Today was the opposite......sunny and almost warm.

 

We got back to the ship just in time to get "stickered" in the Queens Lounge, and join our group for the 3 1/2 hour excursion. Wish we had remembered to sit on the left side of the bus, because everything to be seen was on the left, of course. Speaking of buses, we have to say that every New Zealand port so far has had the best coaches since we left Ft. Lauderdale. They have been new, clean, and plush.

 

Anyway, the first stop was at the Kelburn Cable Car Station located on Lambton Quay. After a 15 minute wait, we boarded the Swiss-made red cable car to the top of the hill. The views up there were super. As with most public attractions, there was a gift shop at the top. But there were also clean public restrooms for all to use. We had noticed that there were many large restroom facilities in the city itself. Nice idea.

 

From there, we had a short ride to the Botanical Gardens, which included a Begonia House and the Lady Norwood Rose Gardens, which contained over 500 varieties of roses. We strolled the property, running into friends Ellen and Barbie, who did the trip up here on their own. After taking many pictures and relaxing in the warm sun, we re-boarded the bus to drive to the nearby monuments of Wellington.

 

By now, the passengers were getting worn out, and getting off and on was becoming increasingly difficult. This was turning into the "Holland shuffle", where we proceeded at a snail's pace. This really was not a one person icon tour, which means that it is very easy....more bus riding, than walking. By the time we traveled to the opposite end of the city, few people wanted to get out of the bus. We were headed along Oriental Bay for cliffside views of the harbor below. The homes in this area are quite expensive, and are built on the steep hillsides. Many had garages at the street level, then had a private enclosed lift to take them to the main house. Yes, to have these fabulous views, it must cost a small fortune.

 

We reached Mt. Victoria, where we had to climb a series of steep stairs to the top. Only half of us did the climb, but it was sure worth it. We had no idea that the city spread out over such a large area. Lucky for us that it wasn't windy, since this spot would have been the worst place to be if it was.

 

Making our way back towards the pier, the going was slow. It was commute time, and the traffic was a mess. Our driver did get to Old St. Paul's Church, but there was no place to stop, so we did not get to see the inside. He mentioned that there was going to be a wedding held there anyway, so he just passed by slowly.

 

We were back on the boat in time to attend the nice sailaway party. Leaving the harbor was really nice, especially when we spotted a pod of dolphins swimming in the wake of the pilot boat. Come to think of it, that was the first sign of sealife we have seen for quite a while.

 

Cocktail time was 2 for 1 again tonight at 7pm, but it had been a long day, and we were going to have just enough energy to last through dinnertime. And besides, we knew they were serving the 22 ounce ribeye steaks once again. We had gone without lunch so we would savor every bite, and that is exactly what we did.

 

Christchurch is tomorrow's port, and we have an all day tour. This time we will remember to sit on the left side of the bus! So we called it an evening and headed for bed.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 39 February 11, 2011 Friday Christchurch, New Zealand

 

The Amsterdam slipped into the port of Lyttelton for the city of Christchurch very early this morning. This area was settled by pilgrims from England way back in the mid 1800's. They eventually built a church and a college, modeled after Christ Church in Oxford. Then the city was built around the complex, expanding to the metropolis that we see today. The Avon River runs right through the middle of the city, surrounded by lush gardens and native trees. One can see the long boats that are pulled up the river by long sticks. It is called punting. The main exports from here are wool and lumber.

 

On our first visit to this area, we took a tour that drove us through the Canterbury Valley to a sheep ranch for a wonderful lunch. We planned on doing something simiar today on an excursion with an HAL group. Our driver took the long way around to get to the city, but it was worth it for the spectacular views. We stopped at one lookout point, called the Sign of the Takahe, where we could see from one end of the Canterbury plain to the other end. The winds had started to blow the heavy clouds away, although it was still pretty chilly.

 

We continued on to our first stop at the Piccarton House and Bush, situated in the middle of Christchurch. This is a very unique property, since it has retained a small portion of the original forest of the Canterbury Plains. In order to preserve this piece of history, the entire acreage is surrounded by an impenetrable wire mesh fencing. In addition, the top of the fence had an electric wire to keep out "larrikins", according to the ranger. A day ago, we would not have known what that word meant. But as it turned out, our Aussie buddy, Pat, has that title in his email address. When he gave us his card, we asked what that meant, and his answer was that larrikin was like being a sort of renegade, but in a good way. Just a prankster, more or less. At this park, it was meant to keep out the young teenagers who like to jump the fence and drink alcohol at night.

 

The main reason for the perimeter fence was to keep out predators that destroy the plant and animal life. Young kiwis have been introduced in this forest, and need protection from dogs, cats, weasels, and rats. On our walk through here, we never did see a kiwi bird, but we wouldn't, because they are night birds. The trees and foliage were so dense, we could have been in the Amazon for all we knew. All that was missing were the bugs and the heat.

 

Next, we toured the house, which had an interesting history in regards to the Deans family who immigrated from Scotland. The original homesite in the mid 1800's included property that went six miles in every direction. Their farm housed a dairy herd, crops, and fruit trees. The original Deans family were John and Jane, who had one son named John. In time, young John married and had 12 children, eight of whom survived. John Sr. died at the age of 34, and John Jr. died in 1902, leaving Jane with her many grandchildren. She died at the age of 87 in 1911.

 

In their lifetime, they had built this fabulous mansion as well as maintaining the bush area of the property. At one point, they had to leave the farm, and live on another ranch because they were forced to give up this grazing land. We would visit that ranch later on the tour.

 

We spent a short time meandering through the house, because they were obviously setting the lower dining room for a wedding later in the day.

 

The next stop was at the second ranch of the Deans family, which consisted of 30,000 acres situated in the Canterbury Plains. We saw the farm buildings, their small souvenier shops, the spinning wheel demo, and lunch being cooked on the BBQ. Gosh, it smelled good! With all the exercise and fresh air we all got, we were ready to chow down. Once the dinner bell was rung, we all entered the dining room of the farm building to enjoy a buffet of grilled chicken, lamb chops, and bacon-wrapped filet mignon. Also served were small boiled potatoes, a rice salad, mixed greens and whole wheat bread slices. Water, wines, and local beers helped warm us up too. Needless to say, we were all happy campers.

 

Next, we were ushered outside to see another sheep shearing demo. Except this time, the sheep was not too cooperative, or the shearer was not as limber as the last fellow we watched. This is hard work, especially taking a toll on their backs. And the sheep didn't look very comfortable either, as they are dragged onto their back, and layed over between the shearers legs. They seem to go into a comatose stage in this position. Anyway, he had the animal stripped in about three minutes. We have heard on previous demos that these newly shorn sheep have to be kept out of the sun to keep them from sunburn for a few days. They go through this process three times a year. Someone asked how much yarn one sheep would provide at a time. The rancher said two cardigans for a full-grown sheep.

 

We viewed the rancher attempt to herd the sheep with Dog, but this time, the dog was being chased more by his owner than the dog herding the sheep. It was really amusing to watch.

 

The original home that was built here in the 1800's had been destroyed with the recent earthquake that hit this area last September. Unfortunately, it had to be taken down, and by the story told by these remaining Deans family members, it was really tragic and heart-breaking. And to add more interest to the history, they told us that the family was ousted from the original property due to the fact they were Presbyterian Scots, and were not welcomed to mix with the native population. Talk about discrimination? Today, the Riccarton House and Bush belongs to the City Council "compliments" of the Deans family, since their 100 year stewardship had ended.

 

Our next stop was at the International Antarctic Centre, one of the unique venues in Christchurch. It is part museum and Disneyworld -type adventure. We began with a 4D movie, with side effects. Our small group filed into the theater, where we sat in these strange-looking bucket seats. Little did we know, we would be rocked and rolled with s simulated ship's motion, and sprayed with blasts of water as the video proceeded with a tour of South Georgia Island near Antarctica. It was really a thrilling movie, however, we could have done with less of the water. We all spent more time wiping off our magic glasses, than watching the film! It was fun.

 

Next, we walked into a sub-zero whiteout room, outfitted with heavy arctic jackets and little paper booties on our shoes to keep us from slipping on the iced floor. We did not last long in there, since we had worn shorts today. And besides, we were just in Antarctica last year, experiencing the same conditions, but for real. Several others joined us, exiting stage left quietly.

 

Last, but not least, we witnessed the feeding of a handful of fairy or little blue penguins. These little fellows are native to the southern part of the country, and are quite good at diving for their food. Once they were full, they got out of the water to sit and do nothing. At least they know when they are stuffed, unlike most passengers on the ship!

 

There was little time left to see the main attractions in Christchurch, but we did stop at the Arts Cenre and walked past some of the historic buildings. No time for shopping (the husbands were thrilled), we drove by the rest of downtown Christchurch on our way back to the ship. This time, we took the Lyttelton Tunnel, which saved at least a half hour of driving.

 

Sail away festivities were at a minimum, because it was cold and windy. If memory serves correct, we watched it from the promenade deck as we left the harbor.

 

Exhausted, we missed going to the Crows Nest, but did make it to dinner. Tomorrow will be another busy day in Dunedin, so we retired for the evening once again.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[sue117]

Hey, My mother is on that World Cruise too! If you see "Jane" and "Adelia" be sure to tell them Hello and that Jane's Daughter Susan says Hi and to BEHAVE! :)

 

Just for fun I thought I would send my mom a letter...I mailed it to Aukland about 2 weeks before I knew she would be there and she got it! FUN!! :)

[WCB]

Report # 40 February 12, 2011 Saturday Dunedin, New Zealand

 

Around 8 o'clock this morning, the Amsterdam sailed into Otago Harbour to Port Chalmers, where we docked. At the end of this eleven mile long bay, lies the city of Dunedin. Originally occupied by the native Maoris, European sealers came in search of the seals and penguins, later followed by whalers, who processed the whale for their oil. Scottish immigrants, in particular, arrived in the 1800's and were responsible for creating this charming setting we see today.

 

There are many attractions here such as riding on the Taieri Gorge Railway, wildlife cruises, kayaking, or visiting the penguin and albatross reserve. We had seen the reserve 11 years ago, so we chose to go to the Larnach Castle with our travel group.

 

This castle was built in 1871 by a wealthy baron and politician, William Larnach, for his first wife Eliza. It took up to 11 years for the project to be completed. And it was completed in style with materials and craftmen from all over the world. This 40,000 square foot house required 46 servants, quite an extravagance in those days. Unfortunately, the history of the family was tragic, with not only the death of his wife Eliza, but also the passing of his second wife, Mary. With several children nearing adulthood, William married for the third time, but to a very young woman. As the story goes, about the same time, William had a bad misfortune with his holdings, sending him into a depression. To make things worse, his young wife had taken up with William's youngest son. Rumor has it, that despondant William received a letter while in his Parliament office, informing him of his wife's affair, and the shocking fact that she was pregnant with the son's child. It was then that William sadly took his life with his revolver. His unfaithful wife was sent away to Europe, and eventually the children sold the property and all that was inside of it.

 

Being abandoned, the castle suffered great damage due to leaky roofs. The gardens were overgrown and it a sad state. In 1967 a couple by the name of Barker, purchased the ruins and resurrected the castle to its current condition. The furniture was replaced and re-bought or donated. Even though they did not reside here (the kitchen was never replaced), they lived on the property in the nearby coach house. We were surprised to actually meet Margaret Barker, the same lady that bought and restored this castle over 40 years ago.

 

After touring the entire house, which was fabulous, we were escorted by Margaret through the extensive gardens, of which she was enormously proud. Over the years, she worked right along with the many gardeners planting and weeding. She handed us two well done guides for the gardens as well as a guide for the names of the native plants and trees. The trail led from the fountain and pond in the front, then cascaded down the steep hillsides in several levels. Being gardeners ourselves, we appreciated the time and hard work that went into this construction. It took us an hour to cover the entire grounds.

 

Then, it was time for the Haggis Ceremony. We are not exactly sure what the Haggis ceremony was, but it involved a skit that included three passengers.....Martha, Johnny, a very friendly Dutch fellow, and one other gentleman in our group. We had been invited to fill the tables that were set in the former castle ballroom/ restaurant. Fires had been started in the two fireplaces, making it nice and cozy. Drinks of wine, beer, or juice were served, then it was time for the show. Our friends had been escorted behind the double doors, where they were transformed into Scottish bar servers and a maid. We died laughing when they came out with red wigs, Scottish hats, and traditional aprons. Johnny carried a tray with shots of scotch whiskey, Martha held a butcher knife and the Haggis ball, and the last fellow had a big sword. The plaid-kilted bagpipe player led the parade, followed by the similarly dressed town crier. The whole ceremony revolved around the Haggis ball, which is stuffed with a concoction of food items, and not always used food items. We have seen how this product is made on the Discovery channel, and we vowed never ever to taste it!

 

During the skit, Johnny served the scotch to his stage members, while martha sliced the Haggis bag. But the last fellow missed his cue, and had to be prodded by Martha (quietly) to raise his sword in triumph. That is the first time ever, that we have seen Martha say something quietly! With the job completed, they marched out with the noisy sounds from the bagpipes. These instruments are not made to be played indoors.

 

OK, time to eat. We were served a large plate of the Haggis, surrounded with lots of crispy crackers. Everyone said it tasted like liverworst. Not all of us like liverworst, so not everybody tasted it. You just never know what is in a mixture like that. To me, it looked a bit like Fancy Feast cat food. No thanks.

 

The entree was slices of chicken breast on a bed of salad greens. Potatoes that were boiled were on the side, and fresh bread was served to our table three times. It was the best. Dessert was a generous slice of pavlova with a fruit compote. It was a great combination. Then to top it off, we were served shortbread cookies....two platefuls for our table. They must really like us, or they were trying to impress Tom, our host, who shared the table with us.

 

It was time to leave this beautiful spot, and head back to the ship. Our driver took us through Dunedin, offering any of us the chance to get off in town to do some shopping or siteseeing. By now, it had started to rain, so only one couple got off. There was also a festival happening in the city's center , which would have been nice to see if it was not raining. So to make us happy, our driver took us to see the steepest street in the world, located near the downtown area. Some braved the rain to get pictures of this street, which did have houses built off of it, but no cars could be driven up there. Our guide said that a favorite pastime of the local college students is to ride the "wheely bins" or garbage cans, down the street. That reminded us of the time many years ago that Bill's sister rode the garbage can down the street by accident at her home. That's what you get when you attempt to jump on the bags to make more room in the can. Luckily, she was not hurt, only her pride!

 

Before we reached the dock at Port Chalmers, our driver took us up to a vista point that provided a panoramic view of the entire city and bay. Sure would have been nice if we had a sunny day with blue skies. Even though it is summer down here, the weather is never predictable.

 

We got back to the ship just before the sailaway party. It must have been moved to either the promenade deck or the Crows nest, because nothing was happening in the back on deck 8. It was just rainy and windy, but we stayed and watched the sail out of the harbour. When we reached open waters, we could see the penguin and albatross reserve at the end of the peninsula. We could see the large wingspan of the albatrosses as they floated on the updrafts of the cliffs.

 

Only six of us showed up for dinner tonight, so the service was quick. We have one last port of call tomorrow, and it will be a new one for us and most everyone else......Oban, Stewart Island.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

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Port Chalmers Hotel