I woke up an hour earlier than I thought, and took the opportunity not only to write a brief blog, but to catch up with some pre-breakfast walking.
Auckland looked exciting as I took my first few looks from the Promenade Deck. Viking Orion was birthing alongside, and nearby was the 2016 built Seabourn Encore. The gloomy grey day was starting well. Breakfast was unusually slow in the Britannia Restaurant this morning, and I did worry about being late for my trip….and thus, “applauded” onto the coach! This didn’t happen. Only one gangway to shore was in operation making disembarkation crowded and slow; many were finishing their cruise today.
There were plenty of empty seats on one of New Zealand’s finest coaches. I was comfortable, and extremely content with yet another driver/guide whose commentary was interesting, informative and not intrusive. We journeyed into the loveliest of NZ countryside, to one of the most spectacular viewing points I can remember, overlooking rugged cliffs and seashore, where lived a huge gannet colony. This was an ornithologist’s paradise. The pictures to follow, should be self explanatory. We continued to a massive and idyllicly set self sustaining farm, complete with fallow deer, which is visited regularly by tourists and cruise ship passengers. But, it is far from “touristy”, and I enjoyed enormously a wonderful day out. I presume the superb lunch was from food produced at the farm.
The weather was grey and drizzly. However, not having had rain since December, this was most welcome for New Zealanders.
At the end of a “landmark day”, I am writing this blog in the cafe of Auckland’s Sky Tower on the 51st floor. Below me, clearly in sight, MV Queen Victoria, where the “All Aboard” time is 21.30hrs. However, seeing it there, I have that dreaded feeling I might see it slip its moorings. Now that would be embarrassing….not so much an applause, but a standing ovation! While I have never missed a cruise ship, a Holyhead ferry to Ireland sailed without me; rail chaos at the start of a summer timetable had me stranded at Crewe….I gave up and came home again! My “date” in Belfast (or was it Dublin?), abandoned!
Below are today’s pictures.
David's Cruise 