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

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