Of all the days on this trip to want sun, this would be at the top of the list. And sun it was! Dan and I were just clambering out of bed when we entered Dusky Sound, the largest and most complex fjord along NZ’s coast. We put on our bathrobes and enjoyed the stunning scenery of this 40 kilometer long steep mountainous wonderland from our balcony at the end of the ship. Thank you Hettie (for choosing such great rooms)! No roads reach the coast at this point, so it’s only possible to enjoy the beauty by air or from the water. Seals, dolphins, and whales enjoy this solitude and it’s an important breeding site for Fjordland penguins, but (sad face) we did not have a single marine life sighting.

We were dressed by lunchtime and joined the others at a table by the window where we enjoyed moving slowly through the second beautiful sound, Doubtful Sound, on the southwest corner of South Island. With green, lush peaks reaching up to 5,200 feet it takes second place as NZ’s most famous tourism destination. With annual rainfall ranging from 120–240 inches, we were so excited about the sunshine which showed it off to its best advantage. We were on the lookout for fur seals and the two types of penguins that hang out here, but we did not see any. Sidebar: I had a side of truffle fries for lunch and fell in love.

Because of the class of our stateroom, we were invited to join others on the helipad in the very front of the ship for our trip through Milford Sound, NZ’s top tourist attraction. Oh my goodness it was beautiful with its two permanent water falls and towering rock faces that rise to almost 4,000 feet. It, like the others, was carved by glaciers during the ice ages. Unlike the others, it is accessible by land and boasts Milford Lodge at water’s edge. The ship did a 180 degree turn at the end of the sound and we headed back out with a short stop at a pretty waterfall where the ship did a 360 degree turn so that everyone could enjoy the view. Clever devil the captain.

At the end of our wonderful day we attended a short lecture about the customs and culture of the Maori. The lecturer, Tony Adams, held the Guinness World Record for World’s Fastest Tap Dancer from 2008 to 2012. For real. He did a brief demonstration at the end.

Conversation cards: What would you miss most about your home if you moved? Who is your favorite professional athlete? Who’s the most optimistic person you know? Which historical time period would you most like to visit?

 

Just as Akaroa is reminiscent of France, Dunedin, 145 nautical miles south, has a definite Scottish flair. For one thing there are lots of brick buildings. Scottish immigrants settled the area, but the discovery of gold really put it on the map. It is home to Baldwin Street, the steepest street in the world, which we drove past but not up; the most iconic building in New Zealand, a very impressive train station; and the first university and the first botanical garden in the country. We were not told this is a one of a kind, but I had never seen sculptures of molars (as in teeth), six to be exact, situated at the water’s edge to signify the mouth (get it?) of the harbor. Anyone heard of hairy lemons? They were on sale: three for NZ$8.99.

We enjoyed the ride out of town. We traveled for quite a distance on a road that hugs the water’s edge. I mean it’s literally yards from the water. It seemed to me high tide would cover the road, but I guess they know what they are doing. At times the railroad and a walking path paralleled the road. Quaint boat houses lined the water’s edge. The city is built on seven hills, so the higher we went the more magnificent the views. It was so steep in places I wondered how the sheep grazed without toppling over. We passed well maintained rock walls and a self-serve roadside stand selling small bags of mulch and small bags of sheep manure. Just leave your cash in the box provided.

First stop: the world’s only mainland breeding colony of Royal Albatross. Along with the wandering albatross, they are the largest seabirds in the world, so we assumed it would be a no-brainer to spot them. Wrong! They nest in tall grass and hunker down to stay out of the wind. Bottom line: we saw the head and neck of one. The first of two redeeming features about the visit was our informative, French-accented guide who shared all sorts of details about these long-lived (40+ years) birds, their two-year breeding cycle, and the efforts of the Royal Albatross Center to support them. This year there are 52 eggs, a record.

The second redeeming feature of the visit was the fact that two other birds nest there. The curious red-billed gulls, with their bright red feet and black and white polka-dotted tail feathers, nested in plain sight anywhere and everywhere. In a couple places we had to be careful not to step on curious chicks. The species of shag (or cormorants) we saw are only found in coastal NZ and were more elusive because they nested on the edge of a drop off. We were offered the use of binoculars to see them up close.

These three species of bird just happen to nest right on top of and beside Fort Taiaroa, famous for its disappearing breech loading gun, part of a coastal defense system. So, what the heck, we had a look at that too. In 1889 the British chose a small rise overlooking Otago Harbour on top of which they built tunnels and a few small rooms. These man-made tunnels led to a round pit large enough to house a rotating cannon-looking gun that retracted below ground between shots. Once all construction and installation of the gun were completed the construction engineers cleverly mounded dirt over the whole thing transforming the rise into a small hill. Next they planted native grasses, and there you have it: a gun, hidden in a man-made hill, that is capable of firing a 100 pound shell up to 8,000 yards before disappearing into the ground after every shot. It has been restored to working order. Quite impressive. Sidebar: Tsarist Russia left NZ alone early in the 20th century and the Germans did the same during WWII, so the gun has never been used for national defense.

On the grounds as well were a half dozen or so rare, brown sheep. They are no longer in favor for wool production because they shed their coats a bit at a time by rubbing against things like trees and fences. It would obviously be a bit time consuming running around collecting the wool.

As we were boarding the bus to leave, two huge albatrosses did a fly over. With a nine-foot wingspan it made for an impressive farewell. Very cool.

Last stop of the day: Larnach Castle. Before our tour we were welcomed into a beautiful large room separate from the main house where we were served tea and scones. As you might expect, we took full advantage. With stomachs full, we headed next door to see the imposing stone house built by an Aussie of Scottish descent, William James Mudie Larnach, who was recruited to manage the bank which serviced the extensive goldfields in this area. He sailed for Dunedin in 1867 and never looked back.

No expense was spared in creating Larnach’s dream home and magnificent gardens which highlight the panoramic views of Dunedin, Otago Harbour, the peninsula, and the Pacific Ocean. Approximately 200 men spent three years building the stone shell and its wraparound porch and then gifted European craftsmen spent 12 years embellishing the interior. Materials from all over the world were used: Italian marble, Walsh slate, English floor tiles, Venetian and French glass, Belgian mosaic tiles, ebony from who knows where, and beautiful Australian and New Zealand native woods. In terms of furnishings, there were two surprises for us: a 2,000 pound marble bathtub and Buffalo Bill Cody’s desk. (Seems they met at the world’s fair in Paris.)

Hold on to your hat for this! Mr Larnach felt his success was in large part due to his ability to embrace new challenges and think outside the box. I’d say he did just that when he piped horse manure underground from the stable to a specially built chamber outside the music room. Above this chamber he built a privy for the use of the family and staff, so that human waste was added to this nose-pinching brew. The resulting methane gas, which was used to light the chandeliers, was captured in a glass bubble and then moved into the castle by a boy working a foot pump. Get Out!

The Larnachs nicknamed the place The Camp. Locals nicknamed it The Castle.

Tonight’s conversation cards: Which piece of land would you preserve forever? What is the secret to a good marriage?

FUN FACTS 

Whaling was a vital economic activity from 1827 through 1964.
Whales migrated right off shore which made them pretty easy pickings.

Kiwis drive on the left side of the road.

New Zealand’s 550 mussel farms produce 75,000 tons of mussels annually.
The fleshy green lipped variety is especially prized. Cleone and Walter had some before we arrived and said they were wonderful.

There is an active program to rid the country of possums because of the damage they continue to do to forests and native wildlife.
In the meantime, the meat is exported; the skin can be used to make clothing; and possum wool is mixed with merino sheep wool to make knitting yarn. We saw lots of possum and merino knitwear for sale. Not cheap by the way; just ask Walter and Cleone.

We woke up 175 nautical miles down the line anchored in an ancient volcano. The fact that it is home to the smallest marine dolphin in the world is the reason fishing is not allowed in the immediate area. This charming little seaside burg of 600, the only French settlement in New Zealand, is a tourist destination that swells to 10 times its size in high season. Quite frankly I can’t imagine that.

We spent half a day on a 1960s Routemaster double-decker bus (one of four in New Zealand we were told with pride) touring the countryside which, thanks in part to the sun peeking in and out, was spectacular. The hilly countryside had a couple things we had not seen here yet: olive groves, areas where salmon is fished, and wild calla lilies.

Our driver, just like all the others we’ve had, was fun, funny, and full of interesting information. He pointed out rather unattractive manuka trees (indigenous to New Zealand and Australia) which are fast becoming known worldwide for their high quality honey which is used both medicinally as well as in cooking. He explained that the Maori who lived in this area back in the day practiced cannibalism. Yikes. Another tidbit was the fact that when the English arrived the Maori did not have a written language and asked the English to help with that. An alphabet of 15 English letters was developed to represent the sounds of their language. There is a compulsory number of spots in the government for Maori (don’t forget to roll the r).

We asked to be let off the bus on the edge of town so we could stroll back to the tender. We stopped at St. Patrick’s, a charming 150 year old wooden Catholic church, to light a candle for Josie’s Great Aunt Jerry. We took Hettie’s picture in front of a rock and crystal shop named, of all things, Hettie’s; passed charming cottages smothered in flowers; saw the smallest library I’ve ever seen; and passed a huge outside fireplace with three giant cauldrons that had been used at one time to render oil from the blubber of whales caught right off shore.

Tonight’s conversation cards: I had so little time to shower and dress for dinner that I ran out without the cards, so Walter stepped up and asked questions. What was your first date? Do you and your spouse have a song? If you could invent anything, what would it be?

FUN FACTS

There are only two spiders in New Zealand, one native and one from Australia.

Hokey Pokey is a popular flavor of vanilla ice cream which is laced
with chunks of honeycomb toffee.

New Zealand experiences about 15,000 earthquakes each year, most of which
are too deep to be felt. That said, 150 to 200 are felt.

Swimming shorts are togs; flip flops are jandals; sweets are lollies;
to stroll is to have a wander; and piss is alcohol.

The world’s first ever commercial bungy jumping establishment
is located in Queenstown, NZ.

At the southern tip of North Island roughly in the center of the country sits Wellington, the southernmost capital in the world. Population including the suburbs: 500,000. We had gone a whopping 96 nautical miles overnight and woke up to a cool, wet day. Rain gear required. Acres and acres of pine logs were stacked on the dock where 30,000 Americans disembarked during WWII and where we left the ship this morning.

We passed on the chance to go to the real Middle Earth and other Lord of the Rings filming sites and chose instead to visit a large cattle and sheep property. On our way out of town we passed the second largest wooden building in the world and stopped briefly at a beautiful rose garden in full bloom (where US Marines camped in the 1940s). We drove past mature Norfolk pines that were planted years ago in the hopes they would be good for ship masts, but they proved to be too weak, so they were left alone and are now there for everyone’s enjoyment. We passed a former lepers island, seaside homes, sandy beaches, an island that served as a Japanese POW camp, lots of bush brush, flowers, and flowering shrubs in full bloom. Less the oceans views, it reminded me in some ways of the Rockies only smothered with low vegetation in various shades of green. We were told that there are some 400 cable-car-access-only homes built or being built on the side of the mountain. What is that about? Much of what we saw out the window of the bus was shrouded in haze and low clouds but still picturesque.

The seaside sheep and cattle property was beautiful, even in the rain. The funny thing about these huge properties is there were no clusters of animals. It’s doubtful I’m going out on a limb when I say the animals have no issues with personal space. We were invited to watch a sheep dog demonstration. Rain gear required. Both herders on this huge property are women. One introduced us to two of her dogs, one a silent stalker that is trained to sneak up on the sheep that are out in the open and one a barker called a Huntaway. She explained that Huntaways flush sheep out of brush-filled gullies where they are not easily visible. In full view of the sheep as well as the ocean, we enjoyed what was billed as tea but was actually more like a full meal at the property’s Pencarrow Lodge: homemade cookies, sandwiches, mini-meat and -cheese pies, bread, and all the tea and coffee we wanted. We sat near the fireplace and chowed down.

Tonight’s conversation cards: What did you get in trouble for when you were a kid? What is your favorite quotation? Would you rather age backward or forward from this point?

FUN FACTS

Three quarters of the New Zealanders living abroad are in Australia.

New Zealand was the last habitable land mass to be populated.

Baron Ernest Rutherford, a Kiwi, was the first man to split an atom
and he discovered (and named) the proton.

New Zealand has two national anthems: God Save The Queen
and God Defend New Zealand.

Fifteen percent of New Zealand’s population are Maori.

 

 

 

Our 241 nautical mile overnight journey brought us to the small town of Picton on the far north end of South Island. Its 27 inches of rain and 2,500 hours of sun make this, the Marlborough region, New Zealand’s premier wine region. It is home to the Edwin Fox, the ninth oldest ship in the world and the only surviving ship that transported convicts from Britain to Australia.

Our adventure today was riding on a heritage train to and from Blenheim, a town of 32,000 about 20 miles from Picton. Our charming car, a wooden carriage built in 1909, had been carefully restored before being put back in service. We were pulled by a restored steam locomotive, the Marlborough Flyer, that dates to 1915. She’s a memorial locomotive which was given the memorial name of Passchendaele in memory of the 447 New Zealand railwaymen who died during WWI. She is also famous for having hauled the royal train of the future King Edward VIII and later that of the future King George VI.

Our trip took us through dense vegetation, past small sheep farms, and through a wetlands that is slowly being brought back to its former glory as all the willows the English planted (to dry it up) years ago are being systematically poisoned. The locals are excited because the birds and other wildlife have already stared to return. While we were enjoying the scenery Hettie surprised us by spontaneously reciting a train poem. Amazing! We arrived at the charmingly restored 1909 train station in Blenheim and were turned loose to shop, grab a bite, and stroll around before heading back.

Blenheim hosts the Yealands Classic Fighters Airshow every other Easter. It sounds like a whole lot of fun for aviation buffs as well as WWI and WWII enthusiasts with it’s vintage aircraft, mock land and air battles, vintage uniforms and who knows what else. Preparations are underway now for the 2019 show. Another cool thing next year is the combined commemoration of the arrival of the Maori and later Captain Cook. Three double hulled canoes, a Tahitian canoe, a replica of Captain Cook’s ship Endeavour, another tall ship, and two modern navy vessels will make their way into the harbor. Sounds like a grand spectacle! Sadly this event is late in the year, so you might have to plan two trips to New Zealand next year.

Tonight’s Conversation cards: Mustafa, our waiter, came prepared with his own question tonight: What was your first car? He lead with his answer and delighted in telling us about the used car he bought from an American in his home country of Turkey. Other topics: Have you ever had an experience that led you to believe in angels or ghosts? What’s your favorite song to play in the car? If you lived to be one hundred years old, would you rather have a sharp mind or a fit body?

FUN FACTS

The logo for the Royal New Zealand Air Force is a kiwi.

The giants of the snail world, the carnivorous Powelliphanta snails,
are only found in New Zealand.

In 2006, the Queen, the Governor-General, the Prime Minister,
the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Chief Justice were all women making New Zealand the only country in the world where all the highest government positions have been simultaneously held by women.
Can I get an Amen?

There are no nuclear power stations in New Zealand.

All television advertising is banned on Good Friday, Easter Sunday,
ANZAC Day, and Christmas.

We slept through the 285 nautical mile overnight journey and woke to tugs backing us into our narrow little slip on the dock in Napier, a city of 60,000. We watched intently from our decks at the end of the ship. Fascinating how something so big can be maneuvered by something so small.

Similar to the previous two ports, there were acres and acres of logs stacked on the dock ready for shipment abroad. New Zealand has ideal conditions for growing pine and interesting to note is the tree of choice to grow for export is California pine which matures quickly (20 to 25 years) down here.

Napier is known for fruit and wine production as well as its town center’s Art Deco architecture. The backstory on the Art Deco is a sad one. In 1931 a 7.8 earthquake and ensuing fire leveled the area destroying essentially everything. It was decided to rebuild in the popular style of the day giving it its current nickname Art Deco City. It would be fun to attend their annual February festival celebrating all things reminiscent of the ’30s.

We enjoyed seeing what we could of the distinctive architecture from the window of the bus on our way to and from our destination for the day: a gannet rookery. The birds have thankfully chosen to nest on a gigantic property owned by a family very interested in their welfare. The family has spared no expense …think in the millions of dollars… to build a rodent fence to keep out the land animals (cats, possums, and rats in particular) that like to eat the birds and their eggs. Thousands of traps are set to catch (for release) the ones who manage to get onto the property from areas not suited to fencing. The huge property is situated on ridges with beautiful views of the ocean. The birds have no predictor instinct, so we were able to get very close to them, their nests, eggs, and hatchlings.

Knowing absolutely nothing about theses birds there is no reason I should have been surprised by their habits, but I was. For one thing they make little dirt nests with small craters where they lay their eggs on a bed of sea weed. In the lushness of New Zealand I just assumed they would make a nest more representative of their surrounds. The birds are beautiful with their black-tipped wings, snow white bodies, golden-orange heads, and distinctive beaks. Funny story about the babies: they gain so much weight before they fledge they can’t afford to practice flying because they would not be able to take off again unless they had a ledge to accommodate a flying leap. So, when they are ready to head to Australia where they’ll spend their youth, they walk off the ledge and fly nonstop. Should they not be so bright and decide to land on the water to eat or take a break, they’ll be shark bait since they’d be too heavy to take off from the water.

We were treated to tea and goodies once we left the birds. A new treat for us were the tiny silver dollar pancakes with a layer of homemade jam and a big dollop of whipped cream. Yum!

In the spirit of the 1930s and Art Deco, we were welcomed back to the dock by a collection of vintage cars and their owners dressed in period clothes. A cute little extra the townsfolk do as a show of appreciation for our visit to their fine city.

Surprise of the day: Hailed as my birthday cruise, Walter and Cleone surprised me with gifts: beautiful Rustic Cuff earrings and a framed picture from our trip to Morocco earlier this year. At dinner the group surprised me with a cute little cake!

Tonight’s conversation cards: If you could master one instrument what would it be? Which event in the past, present, or future would you like to witness? What’s the funnest advice your mother gave you? Which is more important, intelligence or common sense?

Our waitstaff at dinner has taken a liking to us and our spirited dinner conversation. Tonight they asked about the conversation cards and took it upon themselves to answer a couple of questions.

FUN FACTS

Kiwi is a nickname for kiwifruit, a slang term for a New Zealander, and a flightless bird.

New Zealand was the first country to introduce the eight-hour work day.

No part of the country is more than 79 miles from the sea.

New Zealand is home to more species of penguins than any other country.

New Zealand was once governed as a part of Australia. When Australia federated in 1901, New Zealand was offered a place as one of their states. New Zealand refused and is its own country with no official ties to Australia.

We continued our clockwise journey around New Zealand during the night and woke up …Happy Thanksgiving!… 211 nautical miles later to sunny skies in Tauranga, largest city in the Bay of Plenty with a population of 135,000. It boasts the largest export port in the country. The earliest known settlers, the Maori, trace their origin to canoes that arrived here from Polynesia during the 1300s. Captain Cook arrived in the 1800s and gave the bay its current name.

We resisted the urge to visit the Hobbit movie set location and decided instead to visit a kiwi farm which we found totally fascinating. We learned that kiwi is native to China, who knew, and arrived in New Zealand in 1904. It did not become a commercial product until the 1960s, when it was renamed kiwi, and is now a NZ$2.5 billion dollar business. Although China and Italy outproduce New Zealand, the quality of the exported fruit here is considered the best in the world. A new variety has taken off big time: gold kiwi.

The farm we visited is owned and operated by Graeme, a celebrity in his own right as a former captain of the All Blacks, and his wife. Graeme gave us a wonderful tour of their vines, tall enough to walk under by the way, and explained all about the production. He pointed out the really tall windscreens or shelter belts grown around the fields of kiwi vines. They prevent the wind from making the fruit bump into one another causing bruises and spoilage. These 30 to 40 foot tall, thin hedges have to be trimmed each year. In order to pollinate the fruit, bee hives are rented … a whole lot of hives. The going price for one hive is NZ$200. Kiwi is handpicked, so each year 25,000 pickers are needed in this area of the country. Who are these pickers you might ask? Answer: short term work visas are granted to enough foreigners to fill in the gap created by too few locals, retirees, unemployed, and backpackers.

After visiting the vines we went to the nearby community hall where Graeme’s wife served us scones and tea as well as samples of all sorts of things made from kiwi: liquor, jam, candy, juice, dried fruit. We got to sample gold kiwi and found it delicious. It was a surprise to see kiwi soap, lotion, lip balm, and candles. We enjoyed chatting with Graeme’s wife and hearing about the life of a famous rugby player’s family. She was charming.

Another fun visit was to the Te Papa Mission Station, also known as The Elms, which was organized much like the first mission station we visited. Beautiful gardens surround the house. A fun thing on the grounds was a bacon curing shed. Think chicken-wire cage that resembles a small aviary large enough for a few small birds. Add a metal roof, put it on stilts, and boom, you have an outdoor curing shed.

This area of New Zealand is known for its thermal activity. We visited the Whakarewarewa Valley for our first look at a gray burbling mud pool. Not a first for us but fun to see were a geyser, hissing steam vents, and aqua blue pools of scalding water. These therapeutic waters gave rise to baths. The one that hosted us for tea and scones had fabulous gardens in front as well as the first bowling green and lawn bowling club I’ve ever seen. Bowling green as in a 34 to 40 meter immaculately groomed grassy square, rimmed by a small ditch, built a few inches lower than the area around it. All I know is players take turns rolling small bowls toward a jack at the far end of the green. The baths, gardens, and the green indicate it might be a fun place to pass a sunny afternoon. Sadly earthquake damage prevented us from going inside the most famous bath at the end of the garden. It looked spectacular from the outside.

I really enjoyed the Maori (pronounced mow as in cow -ree) cultural park we visited. Our guide was a young Maori woman who showed us an iconic red and white meeting house, storeroom, long canoe, and elaborate carvings of the eight gods. Much of it was similar to what I had seen in the museum in Auckland. She explained some of the history and traditions of her people and then walked us through a wonderful new school dedicated to teaching traditional arts and crafts. We saw students carving green stone and whale bone; women making baskets, skirts, and blankets out of flax; and men in the wood carving shop. The most impressive carvings we saw were massive, maybe 30 feet tall and 8 feet wide, tributes to the New Zealand soldiers who died in WWI. These beautiful carvings will find a home in Belgium early next year.

Longest word I’ve run across: whakarewarewatangaoteopetauaawahiao.
Translation: war dance of the war parties of Wahiao.

Tonight’s conversation cards: What would you love to find at a garage sale? What are your favorite apps? Which American landmark would you most like to see? What was your most memorable meal ever? Would you be likely to survive alone in the wilderness?

FUN FACTS

In the 1860s a warrior named Heni-te Keri-Karamu was known to have
fought with her baby on her back.

Bats are the only native land mammal in the country. The rest
were introduced by Maori and Europeans.

Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to reach the summit of Mt. Everest,
was born in New Zealand.

Denmark and New Zealand are considered the least corrupt nations in the world.

 New Zealand has the 9th longest coastline in the world, with a length of 15,134 km. (Multiply by 0.6 to convert to miles.)

 

 

After sailing all of 139 nautical miles, we woke up anchored in the Bay of Islands on the northeast coast of North Island to spectacular views of some of the 144 islands that give the area its name. Besides its natural beauty, the bay is home to the most important historic site in the country, the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, where New Zealand’s founding document was signed.

After a quick breakfast of  fresh fruit and possibly the best ham I’ve ever eaten, we headed to the tender for the quick ride to shore. The highlight of our day was visiting the Kawiti Glow Worm Cave, owned and operated for generations by a Maori family. These little bio-luminescent living flashlights are actually carnivorous beetles and were really fun to see. We followed a wooden walk into an honest to goodness cave with stalagmites and stalactites carrying lanterns which we turned off once we were far enough in. Boom, the ceiling of the cave looked like the Milky Way as the faint little light from tens of thousands of glow worms decorated the ceiling. Our guide told us all about the life cycle, eating habits, and peculiarities of these little creatures.

We enjoyed a stop at Te Waimate Mission Station, fourth mission built in New Zealand. It was established by the London-based Church Missionary Society to instruct Māori in European farming techniques while promoting the Christian way of life. Besides the charming house and beautiful gardens, there’s a sweet church with a graveyard and a building called a Sunday school. We were treated to scones and tea. A point of pride for Te Waimate is that Charles Darwin visited in 1836.

Totally unanticipated was the unassuming one-stoplight town of Kawakawa where we visited the Hundertwasser toilets designed by the world famous artist of the same name. Seems he wanted to honor this country he loved, so he designed and installed these beautiful, unusual toilets. Picture multicolored tiles of random shapes and sizes arranged hodgepodge on the floor, walls, and in the stalls; a wall of bottles that let natural light through; and a tree growing onto the roof of native grass. It certainly ranks up in the category of unique public toilets, especially considering its location. While we were in town we grabbed one of the highly recommended mock cream doughnuts. Think glazed doughnut without the hole, sliced almost in half, stuffed with a slightly sweet glob of cream and a smear of jelly. Divine!

Today’s conversation question: What is your favorite quote?

Worst surprise of the day: There is a scale in our room! Why? We decided, for grins, to weigh ourselves this morning and then again at the end of the cruise. Fingers crossed.

Best surprise of the day: Dan put $10 in a slot machine … pulled once … and won $500!!!

FUN FACTS

Hiking is called tramping.

Timber is the #3 industry in New Zealand. Pines are sold all
around the world but particularity in Asia.

There are nine sheep per person in New Zealand, making it the country with
the highest ratio of people to sheep in the world.

In 1893 New Zealand became the first country to give women the right to vote.

There are no snakes in New Zealand. None. Zero.

Hettie outdid herself with the hotel selection! It is actually situated right on the pier. Our ship, Celebrity Solstice, was docked outside the door when we woke up this morning. See why She’s the cruise director? All we had to do was walk out the door of the hotel and get in line to in-process for the cruise. We had that accomplished by noon and were among the first people enjoying the lunch buffet.

We had a low-key day unpacking and getting acquainted with the ship. We met for cocktails at 5:00. Cleone volunteered to choose a location each day for our little happy hour. I volunteered to be in charge of cocktail conversation, so I brought along a box of conversation cards that Matt and Emily had given us. For the duration of the cruise we’ll pull cards from the box and each share our answers. The questions tonight were: what time period would you like to go back and visit? Happy conversation hour was followed by dinner and then we headed to our rooms to get organized for tomorrow. Dan is in charge of the seating arrangement each night for dinner, by the way.

Our spacious staterooms are on the 12th floor at the very back of the ship. Hettie is a keeper!

High of 59 with sun and rain playing tag all day.

FUN FACTS

New Zealand was first settled in the 13th century by the ancestors
of the present day Maori.

Europeans immigrated to New Zealand looking for a better life.
Most were from Britain with a substantial number from Scotland.

In 1840 New Zealand became a British colony. By 1852 the colony’s settlers
were granted the right to self-governance.

Rugby rules the extensive sports world here. The All Blacks is the national team
and  Australia is their arch enemy.

Sailing/yachting is the second most coveted sport.

In spite of big plans to sleep ‘til noon, we woke rested around 5:30 ready to take on the day. We met Walter and Cleone for a leisurely breakfast overlooking the water. I broke my fast with a delicious international meal of melon, kiwi, fried rice, pot stickers, local cheese, a mini-roll, and three divine mini-pastries and coffee. Once we had all made as many trips to the buffet as we wanted we took off in the direction of the hop-on-hop-off  bus.

We enjoyed both bus loops but did not get off at any of the sites. Auckland, by far the largest and most populated (1.5 million) city in New Zealand, is situated on seven extinct seaside volcanoes, so the terrain is a series of rolling hills. This part of North Island is so narrow in some places that one side of the city faces the Pacific Ocean and the other side, just over half a mile away, faces the Tasman sea. The streets are wide and the architecture unremarkable for the most part. We have been surprised by the number of people sitting quietly on the sidewalk with a donation cup close at hand. A few homeless napped in nooks and crannies and buskers played music and performed for tips. My favorite was a small skeleton marionette singing in front of a mini-microphone.

Nicknamed City of Sails (pronounced si-uls), boats are everywhere. Some of the inlets have so many boats it’s hard to see the water. Reminds me of a parking lot at Christmas. It was estimated at one time that there is one boat per every dozen people leaving the residents to brag the highest percentage of boat ownership in the world.

Once we completed the second bus loop, Walter and Cleone headed back to the hotel; Dan went shopping; and I went to the Auckland War Memorial Museum to see the largest collection of Maori artifacts in the world. Let’s just say the Maori are and were carvers and woodworkers on a grand scale! An old home of a prominent family and a large storage house were in the museum and every square inch of the walls was carved. Like nothing I have seen. There were also swords, masks, clubs, spears, shields, small dug outs, and one freakishly long, narrow canoe. Some things I have never seen before include wooden headrests, used primarily by men, that looked like low footstool and were used in the place of pillows. Ouch. New for me also were the intricate, decorative hair combs, again used primarily by men; fly whisks with intricately carved handles and bushy tails used to swoosh away insects; and beautiful bark cloth made out of, you guessed it, tree bark!

Totally unanticipated was the Field of Remembrance made up of 18,227 small white crosses displayed on the slopping lawn in front of the museum. It is a temporary display commemorating the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice ending World War I. Each cross had the service number, rank, and name of the deceased. Families suffering multiple losses were remembered in a separate Brothers Field where there were crosses for 636 sets of two brothers, 51 sets of three, and 9 sets of four brothers. I approached a man carrying one of the crosses and asked if removing the crosses was allowed. He explained that three days were set aside toward the end of the display when family and friends were encouraged to wander the field and remove the crosses of loved ones. Finding a specific cross is no small task since they are not in alphabetical order. Other than being displayed by year of death, they are random to commemorate the way each person fell. The man I met was carrying his great uncle’s cross and his brother had just located the cross of another relative. This field of remembrance, very special to see, was just one that communities around the country have done.

Everyone met back at the hotel in time for a casual dinner in the lobby bar. Hettie and Ronnie arrived safe and sound while we were all out playing, so the highlight of the evening was reuniting with our cruise director and her designated plus one. A funny: Ronnie had recently had eye surgery that required him to wear a patch over one eye for awhile. To show our solidarity Cleone brought each of us an eye patch, so we rode down in the elevator (taking a few people by surprise) wearing our eye patches and strolled over to where H&R were waiting for us. It got just the reaction Cleone was after!

FUN FACTS

The unofficial symbols of the country are the silver fern and the flightless
kiwi bird, sadly now rare and protected.

New Zealand has more national parks, as a percentage of the country’s land area, than any other country in the world, approximately 20%! Entrance is free. No dogs allowed.

Speed bumps/humps are called traffic calmers or judder bars.

Tipping is not expected and sometime considered an insult. My kind of country!

New Zealand was formed 100 million years ago when it detached from the original landmass of the southern hemisphere.
As a result, much of the animal and plant life is unique to New Zealand.