Second Time Around!

The Mount Maunganui Hot Salt Water Pools-One Of Our Favorite Places On The Planet!

Birthday Girl!

The morning of our last full day of the cruise started out with a steady, kinda chilly rain. As I've said before you can't judge the day by the weather because it was perfect for what we had planned.
We were in the Bay of Plenty at Mount Maunganui. Our sites were set on revisiting something we discovered on a previous trip, The Mount Maunganui Hot Salt Water Pools.
These pools take advantage of the geothermal activity in the area and the endless supply of salt water to produce a magical elixir for soaking.
I'm not sure what the world record is for soaking and I'm sure we weren't close to it but we did a little over two hours. The hot pools were everything we remembered them to be and more. It was great to visit them again!
By early afternoon the rain was gone and the sun was out. We enjoyed the small beach community before heading off to retrace our journey up the dormant volcano that is Mount Maunganui.
While the climb up is nothing overly taxing it does go from sea level to about 1000 feet in around 40 minutes. It did seem as if the mountain had gotten a little steeper than it was fifteen years ago. The reward of the views from the top are well worth the effort!
The awesome day was made even more special because it was with the "birthday girl"!  We actually celebrated Beth's birthday for about 48 straight hours taking advantage of both the New Zealand time zone we are in and the eastern & central time zones back in the US. It was truly a special day with a special person.
Right now the words to one of my favorite Jimmy Buffett songs is playing over and over in my head; "and those harbor lights, oh they're coming into view. It's been a lovely cruise...."

Hawke's Bay and Napier

Today we were in the Hawke's Bay region of the North Island. This area is made up of several cities including Havelock North, Hastings and Napier.
We spent our "wandering around" time in Napier.  Which was a very interesting town because of the large number of art deco buildings and houses. There are so many that it's actually known as the art deco capital.  I did think it was funny that it was just called the art deco capital. I'm not sure if it's the capital of New Zealand, the Southern Hemisphere, the world or something bigger.
The art deco style in the city was actually the result of a rebuilding effort after a major earthquake in 1931 destroyed pretty much the entire town.
One of the stores in downtown that we got a kick out of was Opossum World. It seems as if those ugly critters that I'm used to seeing flattened on the road are big pests in New Zealand. They are also slightly different with better fur that can be used to make various items of clothing. Opossum World sold sweaters, vests, scarves and hats made from the fur of these critters. There was also a display honoring the efforts of those who had tried to eradicate them from the area. It was sort of a "Who's Who of Opossum Killers". My favorite was an old guy nicknamed appropriately "Possum Bill". Seems as if Bill's method was to feed them cyanide which resulted in something like Jonestown. Not good if you were an opossum but also not good if you were one of his dogs who were fed the ground up meat!
There is a really nice waterfront area that runs the entire length of the town. We learned that the same earthquake created new land along that area which has been developed into a nice promenade that houses the national aquarium and many seaside parks.
We also did a tour of the area that took us to the Te Mata Peak which was around 5,000 feet in elevation. The 360 degree views from the top were very impressive. There were hundreds of sheep grazing in the meadows below all of which looked like tiny white dots against a green background.
While at the top we had some unexpected entertainment. It seems as if they allow hang gliding off Te Mata and there was one hearty soul attempting it.
To fully appreciate the story you have to understand that it's pretty much straight down. So once you jump the next piece of flat real estate is way down there, like 5,000 feet or so. Now he may be the worlds greatest hang glider person but I don't think so. The first clue I picked up on was that he was by himself. One would think for a feat such as this some kind of support crew might be appropriate. I'm thinking his wife, friends and/or kids couldn't bare to watch this spectacle. Second, he kept checking and adjusting the straps connecting him to his chute. I get that you want to check them but he had this puzzled look on his face as if to be saying "does the red strap connect to the blue strap or should it connect to the green one?"  Third, the winds were gusting and swirling quite a bit. His chute would occasionally fill with air and lift him off the ground.  Fourth, there were no other hang glider people anywhere in the neighborhood. You'd think that if conditions had been favorable there may have been a few other daredevils around.
Sadly we had to leave before he either packed it up and went home or took that fateful step off the edge. If he did take it I'm thinking the sheep may outnumber the people of New Zealand by one more tonight!



Some Pretty Fancy Fur Products Inside

Art Deco & Antique Cars



Some Of The Art Deco Along The Promenade

Windy, Walkable, Well Done Wellington!

If you would have asked me prior to today "What's the capital of New Zealand", I would have said Auckland.  I've learned that it is actually Wellington which makes sense because it is more centrally located than Auckland.
You don't see a whole lot of evidence of it being the capital other than a few buildings. This also makes sense when you consider the entire population is just over four million people.
One thing you do learn quickly on any visit down here is that there are a whole lot more sheep than people. Practically every hill and valley you see is sprinkled with sheep and current estimates have the number at over 30 million!  Interestingly this number is down as agricultural is diversifying into cattle and wine as well.
Wellington is know as San Fransisco's twin which is an accurate comparison. Although much smaller, the busy waterfront and architecture of homes and buildings are very similar.
We docked at one end of the waterfront next to what looked to be a fairly new and impressive rugby stadium that also plays host to major concerts.  Guns & Roses, Keith Urban & Carrie Underwood are going to be there soon although Keith and Carrie are not there on the same night as the Guns and Roses boys.
As usual we walked, walked and walked some more along the waterfront. Since it was a Saturday it was busy with walkers, runners, bikers and families taking advantage of a spring day.  We probably covered six miles along the waterfront before turning around and heading back towards the city center.
Now if you've been following along on this journey we're on you might be thinking to yourself "Man those Tucker's must be dwindling down to nothing with all that walking". Thank you for your concern but let me put your worries to rest!  The ship continues to provide a plethora of food including ice cream, cookies, pizza and other health food on a continuous basis. At best, nothing lost, nothing gained!
Like San Francisco there is also a cable car in Wellington. It's not a long ride but it does take you up to the Wellington Botanical Gardens which were very impressive from the top of the hill all the way back down to the city.
Making sure that we maintained our intellectual edge we spent a little time in the Museum of New Zealand which was excellent and free!  Unfortunately due to time constraints we didn't get much time in the museum but we did enjoy taking in a bit of the Maori exhibit as well as seeing the colossal squid which is the only one on display in the world. There may be bigger ones swimming around somewhere but this fella whose eyes were the size of a soccer ball could have provided a whole bunch of calamari!
Wellington has a reputation of being windy and it somewhat lived up to that reputation but not too much.
San Francisco's down under twin is well done!

Wellington Gardens

Wellington Cable Car To The Botanical Gardens-NOTE:The Earthquake that struck New Zealand about a week or two after this photo was taken damaged many of the buildings in downtown

Picton-Gateway to the South Island!

Picton is considered the gateway to the South Island although for us it was our last stop. We started on the South West side  in Fiordland National Park and have worked our way up the eastern side.
It is actually considered the gateway because it is the entry point for ferries and ships that come down from Wellington on the North Island.
As I am writing we are making our way out of the Queen Charlotte Sound and into the notorious Cook Straight that separates these two magnificent Islands. I call it notorious because the seas in the straight have a reputation for being very rough. Thankfully that doesn't seem to be the case tonight.
As we sailed in this morning we were greeted first by a beautiful rainbow over the harbor and then by a welcoming team that had made a flower corsage for the ladies. We're talking with a fresh flower!
This was another great example of the Kiwi hospitality that we've experienced everywhere.
The people and the incredible scenery really do make New Zealand a special place.
In addition to being the gateway  to the South Island it is also one of New Zealand's two major wine producing regions. The speciality for this region is the Sauvignon Blanc wines.  Eighty six percent of all the wine produced here is Sauvignon Blanc, they've kinda got it figured out.
After getting off the ship and separating from the other cruisers as we frequently do we enjoyed a hike on one of the many trails from the city that also make it popular for backpackers. Our walk wasn't nearly as long as some of the multi-day hikes but it was a nice trail along the harbor to an area called Bob's Bay.
Not wanting to miss out on what the area is famous for we booked a wine country tour for the afternoon. Their wine country consists of over 160 wineries and looks very similar to the Napa Valley region of California.
Our tour took us to five different wineries with tastings of multiple wines at each one. Our tour guide was from the U.K. and we were quite an international group. There were a total of 11 people on the tour representing four different countries (US, Canada, Australia and Panama).
None of us had met previously but by the end of the day we were all good friends......must have been something in the water!

One of the Vineyards on the Wine Tour



Taken From The Ship!

Akaroa is A OK!

If it's Thursday it must be Akaroa!  This is quite different from Dunedin which we were at yesterday. Dunedin was large by New Zealand standards and had a Scottish heritage. Akaora is small (less than 1,000 people) and the only town in New Zealand that has a heavy French heritage.
Spring is in full bloom and we've been in full stride covering most of the town and several incredible walks including the Children's Bay Trail that went up into the hills and provided great views of the city, Harbor and countryside.
We've got a good internet connection at their library so it's allowing me to get caught up.
Sorry there haven't been as many pictures as I'd like to post. I think I've thrown in the towel in figuring out how to get more posted. I'll post a whole bunch when we get back in early December.

Akaroa Bay & Lighthouse

One of the Many Beautiful Houses Around Town!

The Sounds of New Zealand and Dunedin too!

Our second day crossing the Tasman Sea was pretty bumpy although by late afternoon things were settling down. Thankfully once again we had no issues with sea sickness.
We made our way to the southwest corner of the South Island and into Fiordland National Park. The park is huge, taking up over 5% of the entire land mass of New Zealand.
We cruised through three of the sounds that are located within the park, the Milford, Doubtful and Dusky Sounds. We had been through the Milford Sound previously and of course I'm a little prejudiced but I think it's the most scenic of the three. The Milford Sound goes in about 9 miles and at times it doesn't seem too much wider than the ship. The cliffs are over 5,000 feet high in many places and drop pretty close to straight down to the water then continue another 800 feet or so beneath the surface. I'm honored they named this amazing sound after me even if it was a few hundred years before I was born.
Now in case you're confused, my first name is Milford. It's a named that doesn't make the pages of "common and popular names" books. It's a name none the less that I am proud of since it was my Dad's name. If you don't know the rest of the story, he passed away a couple of months before I was born.
The Doubtful Sound was named by Captain Cook who never actually sailed into the sound because he was "doubtful" that there was a way out. Turns out he was wrong because there is an entrance and exit that was easily navigable.
Both the Doubtful and Dusky Sounds were wider and the cliffs not as high but the views were equally spectacular.
Since I'm a little behind here is a bit on Port Chalmers and Dunedin which we visited yesterday (Wednesday):
We docked in Port Chalmers which is a small quaint city that serves as the Gateway to Dunedin.
Dunedin has a population of around 120,000 which makes it the fifth largest city in New Zealand. It has a very strong Scottish heritage and is actually modeled and named after Edinburgh, Scotland. It is also home to Otago University which has close to 25,000 students and includes a medical, dental, law and engineering school.
We took a train ride on the Taieri Gorge Railway through the very scenic gorge. The views along the way were quite amazing. They were made even more impressive knowing the path for the railroad was initially cut through the mountains with shovels and axes over 100 years ago.
While touring the city after the train ride we passed a golf course I was familiar with from a past visit. Ben and I played this seaside course on a previous visit. It was July when we played it which is the middle of their winter. Conditions that day were a challenge; windy, cold, with occasional sleet and snow flurries. Until we sold the house I still had the fleece jacket I bought in the pro shop that day.
We're in ports every day from now until the end of the cruise, Tuesday, November 8.....Election Day!  We may never return!


At the "Turnaround" on the Taieri Gorge Railway

Milford Sound

Tasmania-A Devilishly Good Time!

Yesterday we were in Hobart, Tasmania which is an island state of Australia in the same way Hawaii is to the mainland US. For most folks the mere mention of Tasmania conjures up images of the cartoon character "The Tasmanian Devil" from the old Bugs Bunny/Road Runner cartoons. There really are Tasmanian Devils and they really do live on Tasmania. They are small, black, shy nocturnal critters with a unique looking face that only a mother could love. Although we didn't see one we also learned that like the cartoon character they are quite hyper but not in a destructive way like on TV.
Hobart is a town of just over 200,000 on the south side of the island. The total population of Tasmania is about 500,000 and most folks live in coastal towns somewhere around the island. Like the rest of Australia much of it's recent (200-300 year) history is based around the penal colonies that were established and used mainly by the British.
The city of Hobart was amazing!  First of all the weather was once again near perfect with sunny skies and highs near 70. Now if you think I'm making up the weather, I'm not we've just been really lucky.  Today is a sea day as we churn towards New Zealand and we're not so lucky. We actually left Hobart a few hours early to try to get ahead of a big storm. Not sure if we're ahead of it or not but all day it's been cloudy/rainy and we've had winds blowing around 50 mph with seas that are running 15 feet or so.  Not exactly cruising weather but thankfully neither of us have been bothered by the "motion of the ocean" even though there has been plenty of it. According to the Captains Report conditions should start improving after mid-night which  is still a little over six hours a way.
We were fortunate to been in Hobart on a Saturday when the Salamanca Market was taking place. This outdoor market is the largest in all of Australia. You can buy all types of crafts, fresh fruits and produce and much more along a 3-4 block section of Salamanca Place which is a street that is closed for the big event. With all that fresh/healthy stuff available we did what most folks were doing and indulged in some of the less healthy options, milk shake and doughnuts. At least the doughnuts were fruit doughnuts!
We also enjoyed taking a bus to the top of Mount Wellington which although it isn't terribly high at 1270 meters offers great views of the city, harbor and the surrounding countryside. Our driver was an older guy named Jerry who offered great narration along the way and like most Aussies he had some great little quips, I particularly liked how he called it Tazzy and not Tasmania.
We spent the afternoon taking a ferry to "the MONA" which is an amazing new building complete with a winery and restaurant that also houses their modern art gallery.
MONA stands for Museum of Old and New Art but it could be code for something along the lines of "Palace of Porn and Bizzare Stuff"!  I've never really been a fan of or understood modern art and I'm not really sure anyone does but this gallery was further out there than any I had wandered into previously!  Sure, there were a few pretty cool displays but most were beyond my grasp of appreciation, especially the 58 porcelain and clay models of women's vaginas displayed along one wall!  Not sure what the artist was trying to express but I just know I was moving towards the end of the display in a similar fashion as the cartoon version of the Tasmanian Devil!
As if the display itself wasn't enough, the gift shop was selling bar soap models of the it.  Now there's a conversation piece for the guest bathroom....if only we had a house!  I could ramble on and really take this subject into the gutter but I think I'll quit before going any further downhill.
In spite of the art gallery trauma Hobart was everything we were imagining and more.....I've found a new favorite place in a country I enjoy visiting so much.  We're already looking forward to going back to Hobart  and Tasmania......not the MONA!


https://mona.net.au/

Hobart Waterfront



Halloween Night on the Noordam-I knew that bald spot would come in handy sometime!

Halloween Fun

Pumpkin Carving Contest by the Culinary Arts Team on the Ship

From the Top of Mount Wellington!