A Silver Shadow Over The World - December 2023 to May 2024

[mysty]

6 hours ago, highplanesdrifters said:

Great orca shots.  Hope all is well M.

 

Thank you @highplanesdrifters!  Just a minor side effect from the antibiotic.   It's all okay! 😁

[mysty]

Today we are docked in Nelson,  New Zealand.   We have an excursion early afternoon called Discover Nelson on Foot.  Photos to follow.

 

Tonight we are scheduled to have our 4th special meal request in our suite.  This is the crayfish dish I described in an earlier post.  It may be lobster because the Chef does not have access to crayfish. 

[highplanesdrifters]

1 hour ago, mysty said:

 

Thank you @highplanesdrifters!  Just a minor side effect from the antibiotic.   It's all okay! 😁

Aok!!!

[mysty]

Photos from today's Discover Nelson on Foot excursion.....

 

Walk along the Maitai River.....

 

 

Queen's Garden.....

 

 

 

 

Beautiful tree on the walk...

 

Melrose House....

 

 

Christchurch Cathedral...

 

Tomorrow we are in New Plymouth, New Zealand.

[JoGay]

We went to the classic car museum, and then a walk, on our own, through town.

[mysty]

Today we are in New Plymouth, New Zealand.  Photo from the sail in and one from our greeting by a choir from a local school.....

 

 

 

[mysty]

We did an excursion in New Plymouth called Pukeiti Gardens and Okurukuru Winery.  The Gardens have many Rhododendrons.  Photos from Pukeiti Gardens.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 19 by mysty

[mysty]

Photos from the winery Okurukuru......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow is a sea day en route to Sydney, Australia.

[rojaan19]

I love sea days  !!

[Host Jazzbeau]

9 minutes ago, rojaan19 said:

I love sea days  !!

The amount of love may depend on the state of the Tasman Sea...

[mchell810]

@mysty  I continue to enjoy following along with your travels.  

 

A question about your tour since I am scheduled to for a stop at New Plymouth in December:  As I recall, when the stop at New Plymouth was added, only extra cost tours were offered. (My cruise still has only pay tours.)   Did SS offer included tours?  Are they billing you for this tour when there weren't included tours?  

 

I've signed up for the winery tour (it looks great!) and will choose it anyway; I just would like to know what SS has in planned. 

 

Thanks. 

Edited February 19 by mchell810

[mysty]

1 minute ago, mchell810 said:

@mysty  I continue to enjoy following along with your travels.  

 

A question about your tour since I am scheduled to for a stop at New Plymouth in December:  As I recall, when the stop at New Plymouth was added, only extra cost tours were offered. (My cruise still has onlly pay tours.)   Did SS offer included tours?  Are they billing you for this tour when there weren't included tours?  

 

I've signed up for the winery tour (it looks great!) and will choose it anyway; I just would like to know what SS has in planned. 

 

Thanks. 

 

The excursion has a charge.   It was $169 pp USD.  There was an Included excursion called New Plymouth Panoramas.   There was also New Plymouth Historic Walk and I'm not sure whether or not it was Included.

[mchell810]

Wow!  That was a quick reply.  Thanks for the information.  I suppose SS will move the "Panoramas" to an included tour -- it's currently listed as a pay tour.  No matter I plan to hit the winery.   🥂

[mysty]

11 minutes ago, mchell810 said:

Wow!  That was a quick reply.  Thanks for the information.  I suppose SS will move the "Panoramas" to an included tour -- it's currently listed as a pay tour.  No matter I plan to hit the winery.   🥂

 

Just to caution you @mchell810, the Included excursion that visited 2 wineries in Napier offered better wine than Okurukuru (in our opinion).  This is not really a wine growing area.  The Gardens were beautiful though.

[mchell810]

Thanks for the warning; I can adjust my expectations.  I am signed up for the Napier winery visits as well -- and I admit a couple others.  Yes, I am a bit of a wino 😜

[mysty]

2 minutes ago, mchell810 said:

Thanks for the warning; I can adjust my expectations.  I am signed up for the Napier winery visits as well -- and I admit a couple others.  Yes, I am a bit of a wino 😜

 

Myster and I are both big fans of wine!  We're looking forward to Australia and Japan. 😁

[rojaan19]

53 minutes ago, mchell810 said:

Thanks for the warning; I can adjust my expectations.  I am signed up for the Napier winery visits as well -- and I admit a couple others.  Yes, I am a bit of a wino 😜

 

mchell810 -  you might need to  adjust your teminology for NZ/Aust  =   🙃  🤭  🙃

WINO  = a person who drinks excessive amounts of cheap wine  !!!  🥂  🥂

[Host Jazzbeau]

6 minutes ago, rojaan19 said:

mchell810 -  you might need to  adjust your teminology for NZ/Aust  =   🙃  🤭  🙃

WINO  = a person who drinks excessive amounts of cheap wine  !!!  🥂  🥂

That's what it means in North America too – but some of us claim the name with pride!!!  [I hate to be called a 'wine snob'...]

 

@mchell810 – for US$338 ($169 x 2) you can surely hire a private guide to take you the best wineries in New Plymouth (assuming there are any)

[mchell810]

@Host Jazzbeau  Thanks for explaining my use of the term “wino”. 

 

The New Plymouth area isn’t known for wine, however, I like to try local wineries whenever I can. My cruise will hit most of New Zealand’s wine regions so I’m well covered.  Yes, I’d definitely do a private tour to get to a special winery (like Penfolds outside Adelaide). 
 

@mysty I look forward to reading about your adventures in Australia (and beyond).  Your tales keep me busy until I get there myself. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

3 minutes ago, mchell810 said:

The New Plymouth area isn’t known for wine, however, I like to try local wineries whenever I can. My cruise will hit most of New Zealand’s wine regions so I’m well covered.  Yes, I’d definitely do a private tour to get to a special winery (like Penfolds outside Adelaide).

If you are going to Picton, I can recommend the Forrest Wines – a boutique winery that grows lots of unusual grape varieties (e.g. Petit Manseng) and experiments with interesting combinations.  One of the wines we tasted was an 'accidental blend' that was created when the 'wrong' juices got blended together – and made a synergistic combination of strengths [not on their website, only sold on site].

https://www.forrest.co.nz

[jpalbny]

6 hours ago, mchell810 said:

Yes, I’d definitely do a private tour to get to a special winery (like Penfolds outside Adelaide). 

 

We used Barossa Exclusive Tours for that region and they were great. If you're interested - https://barossaexclusivetours.com.au/

 

I'm sure there are plenty of options though!

[mchell810]

@jpalbny  Thanks!  I am making a note. 

[mysty]

Today is a sea day.  Here are some random photos from our adventure.

 

Special request dinner served in our suite was lobster instead of crayfish (might have been thermidor and not my recipe as that dish is always available in the Restaurant).....

 

 

 

Our cruise corner in the suite (New Year's Eve head gear, Mardi Gras adornments and the Valentine's Day rose in a water glass from the Pool Deck)......

 

 

[drron29]

It is very likely that lobster was loaded in New Zealand. An eastern rock lobster.

https://australian.museum/learn/animals/crustaceans/eastern-rock-lobster/

[mysty]

59 minutes ago, drron29 said:

It is very likely that lobster was loaded in New Zealand. An eastern rock lobster.

https://australian.museum/learn/animals/crustaceans/eastern-rock-lobster/

 

Thank you @drron29!  You are a wonderful source of info!  🥰