Escaping to the South Pacific on the Emerald Princess (Part 2: New Zealand)

Part 1: Australia
Part 2: New Zealand
Part 3: New Caledonia and Vanuatu


Tauranga
Cruise 2:
Tauranga is my favourite port in New Zealand and I always have a good time here. Something I have always wanted to do was hike up Mount Maunganui and I finally did it. In the morning I made my way up to the summit of Mount Manganui.

Sheeps at the base of Mount Manuganui

It took me about 40 minutes to reach the summit but the views were amazing the entire way up. Since the trail is around the edge of the mountain every time I looked to my right I would see the ocean below.

View from the summit of Mount Manuganui

Another view from the summit of Mount Maunganui

In the afternoon, after grabbing lunch, I spent the rest of my time in port at Main Beach using the free WiFi and also watching people surfing in the ocean.
Note: Although the WiFi is free there is a limited number of megabytes you can use in one day.


Picton
Cruise 2:
This was my first time in Picton and it's always exciting to visit a city for the first time! The ship docked at a working port so everyone needed to take the complimentary shuttle to get to and from the port and town. Along the 10 minute shuttle ride the driver gave a little talk about this town with about 4000 residents. The shuttle stopped within walking distance of the Picton Shorefront. We checked out the arts and crafts market nearby as well as the shops around town.

Picton Shorefront

Cruise 4:
I started the morning with a tour: Omaka Aviation, Moa Brewery & Chocolates
The bus drove us from Picton to the city of Omaka to explore the Aviation Heritage Museum. We had about 45 minutes to spend inside the Museum before we needed to be back on the bus.

The planes on display outside the Aviation Heritage Museum

Our next stop was Moa Brewery to sample different apple ciders and ales.

One of many New Zealand vineyards

We finished the tour with a quick stop at Makana Confections (a boutique chocolate factory) where we were able to sample some chocolates and watch them make the confections they sell.
At the end of the tour I rode the bus back to the pier to meet up with a friend. We took the complimentary shuttle into town and walked the Waikawa trail and Scout trail to get to Habour View. The view of the harbour and the surrounding tree covered hills/islands was amazing! I could have stared at the view for hours marveling at how blessed I am to be able to experience such beauty.

My photo just doesn't do Harbour View justice!

 

Wellington
Cruise 2:
After the damage caused by the earthquake in November 2016, no pedestrian traffic was allowed in and out of the port. Instead, complimentary shuttles took passengers (and crew) to/from the port to the shopping district (about a 15 minute ride).
It was an extremely windy and cold day so our walk along the waterfront to Oriental Bay was not as pleasant as the last time I was here. Not complaining, just saying.

Cruise 4:
We walked around the downtown shopping area where the shuttle dropped us off and explored many parts of Wellington by foot that we have never been to before. To finish off the afternoon we bought some sushi (I'm always craving sushi when I work on the ship). Usually I buy sushi by the roll but several sushi places in Wellington (including this one) sold them by the piece.


Akaroa
Cruise 2: 
This is a tendered port and it takes about 15 to 30 minutes to get to the Main Wharf. 

Akaroa as seen from the tender

Having been to Akaroa a few times before we decided to do something different on this day. We had seen the lighthouse while we were in the tender and wanted to take a closer look at it. On our walk towards the lighthouse we saw a sign for the Garden of Tane. Intrigued but not entirely sure what it was we followed the trail into a forest and arrived at a lookout point over the bay.

View of Akaroa from the lookout point

Satisfied with our off-the-path adventure we continued on our way to the lighthouse. With some time to spare before we needed to be back on the ship we walked along Beach Road and checked out a few of the shops.


Port Chalmers
Cruise 2:
We took a shuttle ($15 roundtrip for 2 people) into Dunedin. The 20 minute bus ride dropped us off at the Octagon. From there we made the 5 minute walk to Cadbury World. After picking out 8 bars of chocolate from the Cadbury store we went to the supermarket (Countdown) across the street to look for New Zealand treats to buy for people back home.
When I was in Dunedin two years ago I remember marveling at how beautiful the architecture of the Railway Station was. This year I decided to take a look inside the Railway Station and found out it is was not as architecturally amazing as the outside but still interesting nonetheless. 
We walked along George street which had many interesting shops and Asian restaurants (I was craving Asian food at the time). Along George street is the Wall Street Mall which we took a quick walk through. When we were tired of walking we took the crew shuttle back to the ship then used the free WiFi in the cruise terminal.

Cruise 4:
Once again I took the shuttle into Dunedin to buy chocolates at Cadbury World. This time I was buying for a coworker who was doing port day supervision and didn't have time to go into Dunedin. After my little shopping task I walked around town to explore the different malls.


The ports in New Zealand have a little bit of everything from beaches to the big city life to the small towns to the amazing scenery. I truly believe it has something for everyone!

A to Z: Australia to Fiji to New Zealand (Part 3: New Zealand)

Part 3: New Zealand

Hello New Zealand!

After seeing the beautiful Fjords while cruising Fjordland National Park I was very excited for New Zealand. Although the Tasman Sea had the roughest waters I have ever experienced it was well worth it to be able to go to New Zealand. Lucky for me we had back-to-back cruises to New Zealand so I was able to experience some ports more than once.

Port Chalmers:
Week 1: We took a crew shuttle into Dunedin. The picturesque drive from Port Chalmers to Dunedin was filled with images of a serene lake, several green hills as well as farms with sheeps and horses outside our window. The shuttle dropped us off across from Cadbury World so of course we had to go inside. We bought several chocolate bars and tins of hot chocolate because they were so much cheaper than in Canada. We then walked around Dunedin to get a feel for the city. We found our way to the main shopping district but didn't have much time to browse the shops. On our way back to the shuttle pick-up location we walked by the railway station. I was amazed at how beautiful the railway station was.

The most beautiful railway station I have ever seen

Week 2: We started our day by exploring the small town of Port Chalmers. We made our way up a hill so we could see the architectural handiwork of an old cathedral up close. A trail up another hill was located near the cathedral and because we were feeling adventurous we decided to make the trek up the hill. About halfway up the trail there was an abandoned 19th century cemetery in the middle of a secluded forest. It looked like something out of a horror movie set - pretty cool! Checking the time we noticed the crew shuttle was scheduled to depart from Port Chalmers to Dunedin in about 10 minutes so we quickly made our way back down to the cruise terminal to catch the shuttle. After seeing so many Japanese restaurants the first time I was in Dunedin I knew I had to satisfy my craving for Japanese food. Jitsu was the first Japanese restaurant we saw and it was full of locals so we gave it a try. Feeling satiated with the chicken teriyaki roll I ordered we headed back to Cadbury World to stock up on more chocolate!

Love this place!

Akaroa:
Week 1: I was working port day supervision so I didn't have enough time to get off the ship.
Week 2: It was too windy to tender. Such a shame because I was scheduled to go on an excursion.


Wellington:
Week 1: You can pay for a shuttle to take you to town but since it's only a 15-20 minute walk from the port to the downtown shopping area (Lambton Quay) we decided to walk. There is everything from boutique shops to department stores to electronic stores in the Lambton Quay area. Since it was the holidays most stores were still closed when we got there. We decided to go to the Civic Square and spotted the giant silver ball hanging from the "sky" - an interesting piece of modern art and a great spot to take a photo. We then walked across the City to Sea bridge to check out the waterfront area. The nice thing about Wellington is there is an abundance of informative signs all over the city so it's easy to navigate on your own.

The beautiful waterfront

Week 2: I went on an excursion called Wind Farm & Seal Safari. I could describe my experience but the tour overview described on the Princess Cruises website states it best:

This tour covers Wellington like no other tour. From the cruise ship terminal you head through the heart of the city to Otari Wilton's bush - New Zealand's only Botanic Gardens completely dedicated to Native plants, with a unique tree top walkway. Then it's over the hill and up to Tinakori Lookout, one of the best lookouts in Wellington with fabulous views over the City, harbour & surrounding suburbs. Leaving the main road, you will travel through Terawhiti Station, one of New Zealand's largest wind farms. The station has been in the same family since 1850. Learn about the fascinating history of the area and its connections to Wellington. Wind your way through towering 111m turbines that harness the wind to generate clean, renewable electricity.
Travel through Oteranga Bay; a strategic part of New Zealand's power grid where the Cook Strait Power Cable joins the North to the South Island as you make your way to the rugged South Coast of Wellington to see a Wild New Zealand Fur Seal Colony. Get up close (but not too close!) and personal with this real native New Zealand marine mammal. Seal sightings are guaranteed year round. With breath taking views over the Cook Strait to the South Island, you will soon discover why we consider this the best scenery in Wellington.

Interesting fact: New Zealand Fur Seals are actually sea lions and not seals because of the way they walk. This tour gave me a chance to see rural New Zealand and it was so much fun riding in the 4-wheel drive vehicle through the rugged terrain!

New Zealand Fur Seals

Napier: 
Week 1: The ship docked in a commercial shipping port so a free shuttle was provided from the port to your choice of either the city square or the aquarium. The city of Napier is filled with Art Deco architecture. In the city square there were people dressed in vintage style outfits performing a dance and vintage cars were on display as well. While walking around I noticed a skate/scooter park in addition to a multitude of other recreation facilities. We perused the shops before reaching a park called Clive Square. This park had bells which rang every half hour which I thought was pretty neat. I was very impressed with the care this city put into public spaces like the gardens and parks. Before heading back to the ship we wanted to walk along the beach. The beach is covered with pebbles and rocks instead of sand so it wasn't crowded with people suntanning. 

Take a step back in time in Napier

Week 2: I went on an excursion called Hawke's Bay Express. As described on the Princess Cruises website this city tour was in "a modern road train that's styled like an old-fashioned steam engine, but it travels on road, not rail, so you can get up close and personal with the city". I really enjoyed this tour because it gave me a chance to see Napier from a different perspective than the first time I was there. Also, the tour guides were extremely friendly and knowledgeable. I came away with a better understanding and respect for the city of Napier and its history.


Tauranga:
Week 1: I didn't get a chance to get off the ship because I was working port day supervision. However, the view of Tauranga from the ship made me excited for the next time we were there.
Week 2: The ship docked at Mount Maunganui and this place had a surf town feel to it. Pilot Bay is right where you exit the pier to your left. If you walk across the island, to the right of where your exit the pier, there is Main Beach. Main Beach is a more sheltered beach so it's popular with surfers and it is a bigger beach than Pilot Bay. We made our way to Main Beach to soak in the sun and use the free WiFi to reconnect with family and friends back home. Before heading back to the ship we made our way to Burger King to enjoy a Frozen Coke - perfect on a hot day.

Pilot Bay

Auckland:
Week 1: We started our morning by getting a green tea from Starbucks to enjoy while walking around the city. By the waterfront area there are some giant wooden lounge chairs perfect for relaxing and getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city. We spent some time on these lounge chairs before walking around the city again. We passed by the Sky Tower which has the distinction of being the tallest man-made structure in New Zealand. At a supermarket I bought a cold green tea drink and we headed to a park nearby to enjoy our drinks and to people watch from a bench in the shade.

The famous Sky Tower in Auckland

Week 2: I planned to buy some souvenirs here as my time in New Zealand was coming to an end but nothing really piqued my interest. We discovered another park called Albert Park which was much more scenic than the park we went to the first time we were in Auckland. This park had interesting looking trees as well as a fountain surrounded by a garden of flowers. It was nice to just breathe in the fresh air while lying on the grass. On our way back to the ship we walked by several back alleys that were lined with restaurants and shops. It made me realize there is something for everybody in Auckland - from the the big city atmosphere to the peaceful getaway of the parks and waterfront area to the trendy shops and restaurants in the alleys - it definitely became my favourite port in New Zealand.

Peaceful day at Albert Park

Bay of Islands:
Week 1: This was a tendered port and a free shuttle into Paihia was provided. We visited an arts and crafts market which contained only New Zealand made souvenirs. We also went inside a supermarket to buy some snacks. The local library has free WiFi so we made a brief stop there. Then we walked up to a lookout point at the waterfront to get a nice view of the different islands that make up Bay of Islands.

View of some of the islands that make up Bay of Islands

Week 2: I was working port day supervision and didn't have enough time to get off the ship. Until next time New Zealand!


Read Part 1: Australia here
Read Part 2: Fiji here