Mum and I have visited New Zealand on a few different occasions, but always using air flights and hire cars. Two places we never managed to actually get to. We visited Pahaia in the Bay of Islands (North Island), but were unable to actually go for a tour of the bay and the famous "Hole in the Rock" because of some shocking weather. We also attempted to visit Milford Sound (South Island), but it was too far for a day trip. Our cruise would be visiting both these places.
We boarded our ship, "Sun Princess" on 4th December, spending that afternoon and the following two days at sea, before arriving in the Bay of Islands. The catamaran picked us up from the ship, and we were fortunate enough to see a pod of dolphins on our way to the Hole in the Rock. With the seas being quite calm our catamaran was able to traverse through the Hole twice. The tour included a lovely trip around the bay, while our guide gave a most informative talk on the visit by Captain Cook, and his encounter with the native Maori people.
The next day we visited Auckland, where we boarded a Discovery bus for an hour tour of the town. At dinner we had eight other people sharing our table, who proved to be most enjoyable companions. It was most interesting to hear what each pair had been doing during the day, and to listen to their adventures on their selected tours. They were:- Terry and Lesley from Sydney; Steve and Pam from the Central Coast; Bill and Shirley from USA; and our younger couple, Terry and Julie.
Our third stop was Mt Manganui. One of the main tours from the ship was to Rotorua to see the hot springs and mud pools. We had already visited there previously, so skipped that, and Mum and I visited the town of Tauranga and had a walk around looking at the shops.
Fourth port was the capital of New Zealand, Wellington. We had briefly passed through some years ago and were eager to see more of the town. Our tour took us to the Cable Car, then to the Botanical Gardens where we had time enjoying the Lady Norwood Rose Gardens (magnificent), before reboarding the bus for a trip to the lookout at Mt Victoria, with lovely panoramic views.
Next the ship moved on to the South Island where we visited Christchurch, where the recent earthquakes were. Such a pretty town, and such a shame to see the damage they are working so hard to repair. We took a trip on the Vintage Tram, taking in the lovely old buildings, and with an interesting commentary from our Tram driver.
Last port was Dunedin, where we once again took a bus tour, travelling into Dunedin from the port alongside the water. We visited the train station, which was of historical importance, then a visit to the Cadbury Chocolate Factory where we received free samples. Lastly our driver took us past some of the renowned buildings in the area before returning to the ship.
