Farewell New Zealand

Today we were supposed to visit the Bay of Islands, but the weather has turned on us.  The Queen Victoria is trying to avoid Cyclone Luci which is bearing down on New Zealand.  So we have an extra day at sea, prior to anchoring at Nukuolofa (Tonga).  It is getting slightly rougher, and we are told to expect much more swell tonight.  The sea has been like a millpond up til now.

Since Sunday, we have visited a port a day, and lovely weather except for Dunedin which was very cold.  Some days have started off grey and overcast, but before long the sun comes out and there is hardly a cloud in the sky.

We caught the cable car up and walked down

We’ve enjoyed every port – all so different.  Dunedin has beautiful old buildings, especially the railway station; Wellington has the cable car and beautiful Botanic Gardens; Napier has lovely Art

Art Deco Centre in Napier - one of many

Deco buildings, since the whole place was rebuilt in the early 1930s after a terrible earthquake killed 160 residents; Tauranga (a replacement cruising Port rather than stopping at Christchurch) reminded us of Terrigal – lovely beaches, great shopping and modern apartments; and Auckland has a wonderful view from the top of the sky tower (60 storeys high).  And the traffic is far less urgent than Sydney.

In Auckland yesterday we enjoyed our first booked tour, very pleasant with a friendly and competent taxi driver named Joe who had migrated from Samoa 40 years earlier.  We drove across the harbour bridge and up to a lookout at Mt Victoria near Devonport.  The latter is a very old area, now very popular with commuters who take a ferry to work in the city.  Then we returned to the city, drove through the Botanical Gardens to the Auckland Museum where we spent an hour and a half in the company of a very knowledgeable senior volunteer.

Being farewelled in Napier by a jazz band

Whilst the tour was pleasant, we were less pleased with the cost - $277 for the two of us.  We didn’t think it was value for money, so will think twice about another tour.

Our taxi in Auckland

After the tour, we were immediately claimed by my cousin Mike and his wife Maureen who live in Auckland.  They took us to lunch and then up the Sky tower where the view was magnificent.  It was so nice to see them – only our second meeting – and to get to know them better.

John is resting up today – the combination of a port a day and a change in his eating habits was getting to him.  But otherwise he’s fine and has definitely enjoyed New Zealand.  I’ve been enjoying everything and am about to go and get an Internet subscription.  I shall be treating my wifi hours like gold – it costs almost as much.

Looking down on our ship from 60 storeys up.