Sea Princess sails the South Pacific (Part 2: New Zealand)

The second of three cruises on my Sea Princess contract was to New Zealand. I had done two cruises to New Zealand last year but two times just wasn't enough! The great thing about the ports in New Zealand is there are so many things to do within walking distance of where the ship docks.

Read Part 1 (Vanuatu and New Caledonia) of my Sea Princess adventures here


Auckland:
The ship encountered rough weather conditions and large swells while crossing the Tasman Sea from Brisbane to Auckland. The captain made the choice to sail the ship at a slower speed resulting in skipping this port and proceeding onto the next. Understandable decision but still disappointing since this is one of my favourite New Zealand ports!


Tauranga:
I love the beach/surfer town vibe of Tauranga! Since the weather was so unpredictable (alternating between rain storms and sunny skies) we decided not to make this a beach day. Instead we climbed the trail on the right side (when facing the ocean) of Main Beach.

The view along the trail

The lookout point at the top of the trail provided great views of the sea and beach below.

Mount Maunganui (partially hidden by clouds) and Main Beach

After heading back to the ship to eat a quick lunch we stopped by the park located beside Spongedrop bakery. We laid a towel down on the grass and enjoyed some free WiFi (provided by Spark WiFi).


Napier:
The ship was scheduled to dock at 12 noon and I had to work afternoon port day so I wasn't able to get off at this port.


Wellington:
It was a beautiful, sunny, hot day with a breeze - perfect for a leisurely stroll along the waterfront. Along the walk I saw buskers, runners, walkers and cyclists all around me. There are a lot of benches along the waterfront to sit and look at the calm blue waters.

The beautiful waterfront in Wellington

Clyde Quay Wharf is about a 45 minute walk from the port. Nearby is Waitangi Park with a large grass field great for having a picnic. I didn't bring a towel or snacks with me but if I ever go back to Wellington I plan on having a picnic at this park.

How great would it be to have a picnic here?

About 1 hour into my waterfront walk I was at Oriental Bay which had a small beach with a playground area.

Oriental Bay

After soaking in the fresh air and admiring the scenery from my walk along the waterfront I decided to head back to the port. I made a quick stop near the railway station (about a 15 minute walk from the port) to use the free WiFi (cbdfree).

Last year when I was in Wellington I went to the downtown shopping area. I had no idea Wellington had such a gorgeous waterfront, a beach and so many great places to have a picnic within walking distance of the port! I now have a much greater appreciation for this city.


Akaroa:
I was so happy I was able to get off at this port! Last year we were in Akaroa two times but I wasn't able to get off the ship both times.

This is a tendered port with a small town charm. I started my day with the Akaroa Harbour Nature Cruise. The main reason I chose this excursion was to see the Hector dolphins (which are only found in the waters of New Zealand). However, I was happy that I was able to see Little Blue Penguins, cornets, New Zealand fur seals and sheeps as well!

A Hector dolphin!

The catamaran dropped us off at the Main Wharf after the excursion and I had the whole afternoon to explore Akaroa. I turned left from the Main Wharf and walked along Beach Road until I saw a sign for a hike to Stanley Park. I love doing hikes (especially in new places) so I decided to go for it. It wasn't a long hike but the terrain was steep. Within 5 minutes of walking I was at the Beach Road Lookout which had amazing views! There was a bench up there where I was able to sit and admire the scenery.

Views like this make me grateful for nature

Just admiring New Zealand's natural beauty

There were lots of sheep hanging out around the field which was super exciting for me to see since sheeps come to my mind whenever I think of wildlife in New Zealand.

Sheeps hiding out in the shade

After spending some time admiring the scenery and the sheeps I made my way back down to Beach Road. I passed by a few shops and restaurants until I reached a park. I took a seat on one of the benches and read from the local newspaper I was handed when I got off the catamaran.

Tip: Free WiFi can be found at the library which is just a short walk from where the tender docks.

Port Chalmers:
I only had the morning off in Port Chalmers which didn't give me enough time to go into Dunedin. As I made my way out of the port area there were locals handing out a Port Chalmers guidebook which proved to be very helpful.

We went to the Four Square Supermarket (located about 300 metres from the port) because I wanted to pick up some snacks. The guidebook had a map of the Full Harbourside/Back Beach Walk which we thought would be fun to do. From the supermarket we walked along Wickliffe Tce and along the harbour until we reached the Flagstaff lookout point. From there you just walk down a hill to get back to the port. The walk took about 1 hour and we saw many friendly locals along the way.

A nice start to the day in Port Chalmers

Read Part 3 (Vanuatu and New Caledonia - again) of my Sea Princess adventures here