Holiday Cruise Around New Zealand

Traveling from Sydney to New Zealand by cruise ship was sheer delight! We were at sea for Christmas and Santa found us! Travis arrived equipped with a tiny tree that had lights and ornaments and Maggie produced Christmas stockings, so we had a family Christmas in my cabin. Then Finn went to see Santa, who had remained on the ship to give the 300+ children on the ship individual, hand-wrapped gifts! The ship was decorated with a number of beautifully-decorated trees, lots of pointsettas, and a large gingerbread village in the centrum--a sort of atrium that was six stories high, located in the center of the ship.

Our first port of call was Bay of Islands, a scenic bay containing over 150 islands. Our ship was anchored in the bay and we tendered ashore in the life boat to which we were assigned. Travis remarked that he was happy our boat was used to tender because we could be confident that the motor worked and the cables that let the boat down to the water were not rusty!

"Rhapsody of the Seas", at anchor at Bay of Islands, New Zealand

Finn loved the first two days at sea, as he could sit on a pillow in my cabin window ledge and watch the water and other ships. He was a good little sailor and soon had friends among the staff all over the huge ship---they all enjoyed his enthusiastic "high fives." A lovely staff member from Jamaica was his sitter six evenings. Samona's arrival was always met with a huge grin.

We took several shore excursions in New Zealand. Maggie and I went to see a grotto with glow-worms on the ceiling and a forest of Kauri Trees, great trees that challenge the Redwoods as to height and girth. They are very straight with clear trunks (no knots) and were popular with the British for the masts on sailing ships.

Maggie (in red) and I (in blue) loved the huge trees, tree-ferns, and all the rest of the lush vegitation that grew between the kauri trees.

We also visited reserves for Royal Albatross and Yellow-eyed penguins. Interesting birds and interesting locations, as they were right on the sea coast. The penguin reserve was also a farm and had lots of interesting vegetation...below is a PP (parent penguin) with its baby.
Penny at the Penguin Preserve

My favorite area in New Zealand was seeing the sounds on the southwest corner of the south island (the farthest south I've ever been---43 degrees, I believe). They are very similar to the fjords of Norway, in fact some of the area is called "fiord country"---just different spelling. Different from Norway is the fact that the vegetation grows abundantly right down to the water in New Zealand and the area is essentially un-inhabited whereas Norwegian fjords are dottewith farms and villages and apt to have bare, rocky areas.

Here are views from Dusky and Milford Sounds, New Zealand:

Maggie and I had fun shopping for knitting yarn that has possum fur in it! Possums are considered pests in NZ so they have learned that making yarn from their fur creates a lovely, warm product---so possum fur yarn we both now have. Clever use, right?

My advice to you: The next time someone invites you to go to Zealand with them, pack your bag, pull out your passport, and be on your way! (The next report will be from Perth.)