Day 1 thru day 3 (4/5/2016 - 4/7/2016)
After counting down 150 days from the time we made the plans for this trip, the day has arrived. We were picked up by D & D Limo services and were heading to LAX for our upcoming flight to Sydney, Australia.
Our direct flight on Virgin Australia was pleasant and long (14 hours) and after losing a full day (because we passed the International Date Line), we arrived on April 7th, we arived early in the morning.
We took a taxi from the airport and arrived to our hotel 30 minutes later. We checked in to the Hyde Park Hotel on Elizabeth Street. The time was 7:30 AM and as expected our room was not ready. The nice and pleasant staff of the hotel took our luggage and asked us to return by 10:30 for an early check-in.
We started to wonder around the hotel's surroundings and found its location to be perfect: It is situated right across the famous Sydney’s Hyde Park and minutes’ walk from the Financial District. We walked a couple of streets away and entered a food court where we had a light breakfast and then found a supermarket where we bought water bottles and other necessities.
We returned to the hotel and the room was ready. However, this was a very small room with only one window. I asked for an upgrade but the hotel was solid book.
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We unpacked, showered and then “hit” the streets again. We found Chinatown; about 10 minutes walk from the hotel and had a simple lunch in a great restaurant.
From there, about half a mile away we found the fabulous Darling Harbor, the large recreational and pedestrian area that is situated on the western outskirts of the city's central business district and is named after Ralph Darling, who was Governor of New South Wales from 1825 to 1831.
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| Queen Victoria Building |
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We had dinner in a Malaysian restaurant, not fr from the hotel and ordered few dishes and enjoyed each and every one of them. The place brought many pleasant memories from our trip to Malaysia in 2014 and some of the dishes were already familiar to us. I loved the chicken curry dish where they marinate the chicken with coconut milk hours before it is cooked. Yummy!!
We were back in the hotel at 7:30 and slept through the night like 2 soldiers back from the battlefield.
Day 4 (4/8/16)
Sydney, Australia
We woke at 6 and had breakfast in the room. When we passed the receptionist she had some great news for us: one of the guests canceled his reservation and for a small additional amount ($25/day) we could have his suite. We were also excited to hear that the hotel’s staff will transfer all our belonging from our present room and we wouldn’t have to worry about a thing. I signed the necessary paperwork and we started our day.
We stopped at a café in the heart of the Business District and after getting our daily shot of caffeine we headed towards Circular Quay, situated on the north edge of the Business District and is the main tourists attraction of the city.
Our eyes were filled with beautiful sights of the famous Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and the port with all size boats and ships.
We walked around the harbor and then booked a tour for the Opera House. We wandered around the harbor until it was our group’s turn for the tour.
A young & attractive lady greeted us and told us a bit of the history surrounding the magnificent structure: The performing arts center is identified as one of the 20th century's most distinctive building. In 1957 Jorn Utzon won the design competition, led by then Australia’s PM Cahill. The doors were opened in 1973 after a history of delays, scandals and confrontations. Utzon never saw the ending product of his design and died in his homeland Denmark in 2008.
Performances are presented by numerous performing artists, including four resident companies: The Opera Australia, The Australian Ballet, The Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
We visited the following venues:
Concert Hall, : With 2,679 seats, the home of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and is used by a large number of other concert presenters. It contains the Sydney Opera House Grand Organ, the largest mechanical tracker action organ in the world, with over 10,000 pipes. When we entered the theater, we were asked to keep our voices down as a rehearsal was taking place. It was amazing.
Joan Sutherland Theatre: With 1,507 seats, the Sydney home of Opera Australia and The Australian Ballet.
Drama Theatre: With 544 seats, used by the Sydney Theater Company and other dance and theatrical presenters.
Playhouse: An end-stage theatre with 398 seats.
Studio: A flexible space with 280 permanent seats (some of which can be folded up) and a maximum capacity of 400, depending on configuration.
Utzon Room: A small multi-purpose venue for parties, corporate functions and small productions (such as chamber music performances).
Recording Studio
The tour lasted about an hour and was very interesting and entertaining.
We had lunch, sitting in one the wharf’s restaurants and had Fish & Chips accompanied by a large salad & a couple of glasses with draft beer and then continued our day, heading towards Mrs. Macquarie's Chair, passing through the marvelous Royal Botanic Garden, which was opened in 1816 and was now celebrating its bi-centennial’s anniversary. We saw all kind of birds and squirrels and as we were approaching the famous Chair, the views of peninsula were breathtaking.
Mrs. Macquarie's Chair (also known as Lady Macquarie's Chair) is an exposed sandstone rock cut into the shape of a bench, on a peninsula in the Harbour, hand carved by convicts from sandstone in 1810 for Governor Macquarie's wife Elizabeth.
We crossed the garden, on our way out, and found ourselves back on the city's busy streets, next to the city’s library and Sydney Hospital. We then walked the rest of the way back to our hotel.
When we arrived, a pair of new keys was issued to us for our new suite. It was on the 11th floor and the views from our balcony were astonishing. Right underneath our room was Hyde Park the World War I Memorial. We could see views as far as Circular Quay. The room was very comfortable with a large and comfortable bed plus a kitchenette and a large balcony.========================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================
After a long rest we returned to the Malaysian restaurant from yesterday, trying new dishes. The meal was delicious.
We returned to the hotel at 10:00 and collapsed on our comfortable bed.
Day 5 (4/9/16)
Sydney, Australia
We woke up to a beautiful sunny day on a Saturday morning, had breakfast in our suite and headed towards William Street, looking for the Hop-on Hop-off station. In the corner of William and College we saw the Australian Museum and the magnificent St. Mary Cathedral. We waited for the hop-on hop-off bus and it showed up about 15 minutes later (at around 9:00).
We bought a 2-day pass and started our guided tour. We decided to stay on the bus until the end of the route and then choose which sites we would like to visit more in details.
Our first stop was King Cross, known also as Sydney’s red-light district and is reputed to be the home of Sydney’s organized crime groups. The neighborhood was filled with boutiques, restaurants and coffee shops. We promised ourselves to return here the next day.
The next stop was at the memorial El Alamein Fountain, at the entrance to the Fitzroy Gardens and then continued to Woolloomooloo Bay, the former docklands area on Sydney Harbour.
The next stop was at the Sydney Opera House and then the Botanical Gardens, followed by the State Library and then headed to The Rocks area where changed buses and continued to the Power House Museum followed by the Fish Market.
At one point we changed the bus again and hopped on another bus, which had a different route, including Bondi Beach. Which we already had plans to visit tomorrow.
At around 12:30 we hopped off in Chinatown and found (yet) another Malaysian restaurant on George Street. After lunch we walked on the bustling main street and revisited QVB, buying our grandkids souvenirs and then continued to City Hall, followed by St. Andrew’s Cathedral. The cathedral is the seat of the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney and is a beautiful building.
We strolled along and arrived back to Hyde Park, where we started our day. We walked inside the beautiful park and arrived to the amazing Archibald Fountain, across from St. Mary Cathedral. A wedding couple was taking pictures and the place was busy with the weekend crowd and the couple’s family and friends. The fountain is situated right across from the cathedral, where the ceremony of the wedding would take place later on and the views were splendid.
We sat inside a park café and had a couple of cappuccinos before returning back to the hotel, only a block away!
In the evening we had dinner at Din Tai Fung, a Taiwanese restaurant, considered to be the best in Chinese food in Sydney and was only 5 minutes away from the hotel. We waited for about 30 minutes before we were seated. We ordered different dumpling and noodle plates and agreed with the critics: 5 stars all the way!! For desert we found a small ice cream shop and had a fantastic and surprising Green Tea ice cream.
We returned to the hotel at 9:00 and sat for awhile on our balcony, admiring the views of the park at night.
Day 6 (4/10/16)
Sydney, Australia
We woke up at 7:00 to another glorious autumn day. After breakfast in the suite we headed towards Kilda Street and the Jewish History Museum, stopping in a local café for our daily shot of espresso.
The museum has approximately 9,000 objects from a private collection of Rabbi Lubofski. We found a collection of objects of ritual, religious, historical, cultural, social and artistic significance which encompass Jewish life and history. We visited both floors including the Anne Frank room, where we watched a 30 minutes video of her life.
Auschwitz survivor. As we headed out we saw her: she was sitting at a round table. We approached her and asked if we could talk to her. She smiled and said: “That’s why I am here”. Her story was unbelievable. She was prisoner number 2065 in the horrible concentration camp, taken away from her family around the end of May 1942 along with her 2 sisters. The rest of her family arrived to camp a month later. It would be months before Weiss discovered that her mother and the two youngest children had been sent immediately to the gas chambers. Her father and 16-year-old brother, Karl, were selected for work but her father was beaten to death four days later and her brother, Karl, died of typhus six weeks later.
Auschwitz survivor. As we headed out we saw her: she was sitting at a round table. We approached her and asked if we could talk to her. She smiled and said: “That’s why I am here”. Her story was unbelievable. She was prisoner number 2065 in the horrible concentration camp, taken away from her family around the end of May 1942 along with her 2 sisters. The rest of her family arrived to camp a month later. It would be months before Weiss discovered that her mother and the two youngest children had been sent immediately to the gas chambers. Her father and 16-year-old brother, Karl, were selected for work but her father was beaten to death four days later and her brother, Karl, died of typhus six weeks later.
She lost everyone there, including her younger sister that almost made it but died from a terrible disease. She faced death numerous times but always managed to survive, thanks to extraordinary twists of luck, such as the day a "kapo", a forewoman, put her name forward for a position as a book-keeper. The kapo allowed Weiss to choose a pair of spectacles from a towering pile retrieved from the bodies of the dead. Without them, she could not have done the work: "That saved my life. I believe in miracles; nothing could save you in Auschwitz." Sometimes, Weiss dreams of her family. "When I do, it is a wonderful feeling. I thank God that they don't have to suffer anymore." This was an unforgettable experience and we will always remember her as a hero who managed the dark days of the Holocaust.
We walked towards King Cross and enjoyed the warm day, strolling and mingling with the Sunday crowd.
We managed to find William Street and hopped on the bus in the direction of the popular Bondi Beach. As we arrived we headed to a well known Fish & Chips restaurant “Chip Shop”. I ordered the favorite dish of fish & chips dish and Tova ordered a grilled Mahi Mahi, accompanied with a huge portion of the house salad. This was heaven!
We managed to find William Street and hopped on the bus in the direction of the popular Bondi Beach. As we arrived we headed to a well known Fish & Chips restaurant “Chip Shop”. I ordered the favorite dish of fish & chips dish and Tova ordered a grilled Mahi Mahi, accompanied with a huge portion of the house salad. This was heaven!
We headed down to the stunning beach area, which was crowded with thousands of people enjoying one of the last of sunny skies as April actually falls in the autumn period in this part of the world. We decided to walk the “Bondi Trail” toward Bronte, the most walked trail in Sydney.
The trail was spectacular with many photo opportunities and we spent about 3 hours doing it, before returning to Bondi Beach where we took a break sipping cold beers and conversing with a mother (Mendi) and her son (Sam) from Melbourne who came to spend the weekend in Sydney.
We hopped back on the bus and arrived to the city’s Central Station.
The trail was spectacular with many photo opportunities and we spent about 3 hours doing it, before returning to Bondi Beach where we took a break sipping cold beers and conversing with a mother (Mendi) and her son (Sam) from Melbourne who came to spend the weekend in Sydney.
We hopped back on the bus and arrived to the city’s Central Station.
We were back in the hotel by 9:00 and FaceTime with Emly & Noa, who is getting so big and crawl all over the house.
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Day 7 (4/11/16)
Sydney, Australia
We woke up early again and after breakfast in a deli on Elizabeth Street in the corner of Bridge Street (Grilled cheese and latte) we turned right on George Street and arrived to The Rocks, the tourists precinct and historic area of Sydney's city center, established shortly after the colony's formation in 1788 by the English prisoners and with the help of the original natives of Australia: the Aboriginals.========================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================
The close proximity to Circular Quay and the views of the iconic Harbour Bridge, as well as the historic nature of many of the buildings, makes the Rocks very popular with tourists. It features a variety of souvenir and craft shops, as well as many themed and historic pubs.
We entered the Information Center and received a walking map. We started our journey at 9:00 and ended it at 1:00. The weather was hot and humid and we made few stops to relax and cool down.
Some of the highlights and “cannot be missed” attractions were:
· Millers Point: Many sandstones side-by-side with red brick stones strictures and sidewalks, created in the first decade of the 20th century, with great views of the Harbour.
Garrison Church (Holy Trinity): Located in Millers Point, was the first military church built in colonial Australia. It continues as an active Anglican Church.
The Big Dig: located between Cumberland and Gloucester Streets, is a parcel of land containing remains from the late 18th century, the time of Australia’s first European settlement. Excavations began in 1994, attracting enormous media and public attention. Some 400 volunteers and a team of 20 archaeologists took part in what was popularly known as ‘The Big Dig’. They uncovered the foundations of over 30 homes and shops, the earliest built in around 1795, and some 750,000 artifacts. These have provided a rare insight into early urban life in Sydney.
Garrison Church (Holy Trinity): Located in Millers Point, was the first military church built in colonial Australia. It continues as an active Anglican Church.
The Big Dig: located between Cumberland and Gloucester Streets, is a parcel of land containing remains from the late 18th century, the time of Australia’s first European settlement. Excavations began in 1994, attracting enormous media and public attention. Some 400 volunteers and a team of 20 archaeologists took part in what was popularly known as ‘The Big Dig’. They uncovered the foundations of over 30 homes and shops, the earliest built in around 1795, and some 750,000 artifacts. These have provided a rare insight into early urban life in Sydney.
· Hero of Waterloo Hotel: Named after none other than the Duke of Wellington, best known for defeating Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo, bringing an end to the Napoleonic era of European history. The hotel/pub/restaurant was built 170 years ago (1843) and is rich with history and good atmosphere.
We walked up George Street and Liverpool Street and arrived to Chinatown (for the 3rd time in the last 3 days...). We entered the district on Dixon Street that is a pedestrian street filled with locals and tourists. We visited the Market City on the southern side of Chinatown, and looked around the many shops, boutiques and eateries. One of the restaurants (The Eight Modern Chinese Restaurant) can sit 800 people!
At the eastern end of Chinatown, at the corner of George Street and Hay Street, we found a sculpture made from a dead tree trunk; created by artist Lin Li in 1999 and named Golden Water Mouth, it was said by its instigators to bring good fortune to the Chinese community.
We ended up having late lunch at a nice Chinese restaurant and then stood in line in a bakery in Paddy’s Market to buy Emperor’s Cream Puffs, which we consumed with tea in our room later this evening. Yummy!!!
On our way to the hotel we stopped at a supermarket to buy some necessities for tomorrow’s upcoming cruise. Tova also attempted to buy sandals in a store on Bathurst St. but they ran out of her size. The (very nice) salesperson made some phone calls and sent us about 20 minutes away to another store where they kept the pair for her at the register.
We then stopped at Lev Salon for taking care of Tova’s beautiful hair and finally were back at the hotel.
We then stopped at Lev Salon for taking care of Tova’s beautiful hair and finally were back at the hotel.
Overall we walked today for 8 miles!!!
Day 8 (4/12/16)
Sydney, Australia
We woke up at 7:00 and after breakfast we started packing our luggage. We checked out the friendly and comfortable hotel at 10:30 and the receptionist called for a taxi, which took us to the pier at Circular Quay to our awaiting cruise ship, The Explorer of The Seas, our home for the next 35 days!!
The check-in process at the pier, was very smooth and we were at our cabin #1340 at 11:30. The Jr. suite was comfortable with a large balcony, a walk-in closet and a bath.
We had a light lunch at the Windjammer Cafe and upon our return to the cabin, we found our luggage waiting for us. We unpacked and the rested until we were called to the Lifeboat Drill at around 4:30.
At 6:00 we went for dinner and our waiter, Stephen and his assistant, were very accommodating, polite and efficient.
Right after dinner we returned to our cabin, as the ship was leaving the beautiful port.
The bridge and the Opera House were magnificent at night with so many different lights.
The skyline of our beloved city was marvelous and an unforgettable sight at night.
The bridge and the Opera House were magnificent at night with so many different lights.
The skyline of our beloved city was marvelous and an unforgettable sight at night.
At 9:00 we joined the rest of our fellow passengers, which were (logically) mostly Australian, at the ship's elegant theater. The show featured a comedy routine by a funny juggler, Marty Coffey, and music by the ship’s orchestra. We also met the Cruise Director, a funny and charming gentleman by the name of Graham Seymour. His brother, by the way, works with Paul McCartney as his farm manager.
We walked on the promenade on the 7th deck, people watching and mingling with some couples.
We returned to our cabin at 11:30 feeling the rough sea.
We returned to our cabin at 11:30 feeling the rough sea.
We moved our watched one hour ahead and went to sleep.
Day 9 and 10 (4/13/16 thru 4/14/16)
At Sea
· We spent the couple of these days at seas. Our routine included eating a lot, pool, spa, reading, cocktails, more food, and sleeping.
On day 9 we enjoyed the Ice Skating Show – Spirit of the Seasons in the afternoon and moved our clocks one more time an hour ahead.
On day 9 we enjoyed the Ice Skating Show – Spirit of the Seasons in the afternoon and moved our clocks one more time an hour ahead.
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· On day 10 we met an Israeli couple that was sailing with us by the names of P’nina & Yossi.
· On day 10 we met an Israeli couple that was sailing with us by the names of P’nina & Yossi.
We attended a show, which featured a group of three singers from Australia by the name of La Froza. We enjoyed the show tremendously.·
We also met a very nice couple that looked familiar to us. Ursula and Terry had sailed with us before on the high seas.
We also met a very nice couple that looked familiar to us. Ursula and Terry had sailed with us before on the high seas.
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Day 11 (4/15/16)
Picton, NZ
We woke up at 7:00 and went to the dining room for breakfast. As we were eating our delicious food, the ship approached Picton, New Zealand.
The port was busy with crews who were arranging the thousands of tree logs on the dock.
It is mandatory in the port, to use a certified shuttle to get into town because of all the hazards a port could have. The shuttle took us to the center of this little and gorgeous town and we strolled for about an hour, awaiting our departure with the Beachcomber Cruise.
When I researched of “what to do in Picton, NZ” I found out this unique adventure: delivering the mail to the islands’ inhabitants. This opportunity would have given us not only the chance to view and explore the winding waterways of the Marlborough Sound and the beautiful Queen Charlotte Sound, but also to meet unique people, who are “disconnected” from the rest of New Zealand.
When I researched of “what to do in Picton, NZ” I found out this unique adventure: delivering the mail to the islands’ inhabitants. This opportunity would have given us not only the chance to view and explore the winding waterways of the Marlborough Sound and the beautiful Queen Charlotte Sound, but also to meet unique people, who are “disconnected” from the rest of New Zealand.
We left at around 1:30. I found a spot on the top of the boat while Tova opted to sit inside of it.
The skipper described our upcoming stops and told us that Mail Boat is the only official licensed New Zealand Post Rural delivery service by water in the Queen Charlotte Sound.
The scenery was unbelievable and as we approached our first delivery we encountered a class of dolphins, who gave us a show to remember, as they were “dancing” along our route.
The mail drop itself is a ritual routine. The island’s residents already know which day of the week the mail boat will arrive and the approximate time. As we approached the decks, all along our journey, the residents would be waiting for us. The drop itself consisted not only of letters and packages but also groceries, garments from the cleaner, alcohol, bakery goodies, hardware items, etc.
The residents themselves were so nice and polite. Their dogs will accompany them to the small deck as we approached because they already knew that our skipper has always some treats for them.
At one point we picked passengers of one of the island. They were family members who have visited their relatives on the island during the summer and it was time to say goodbye. In one of the islands we met an author, who prefers to isolate himself when he writes.
At one spot our skipper pointed out to two birds on a rock. They were 2 Giant Cormorants called in New Zealand the Black Shag Cormorants. He told us that many bird lovers are coming from the four corners of the world to watch them.
We made a short stop at Ship Cove, which by itself was a highlight. This historical cove was named by Captain James Cook in January 1770 when his ship The Endeavour anchored here to replenish supplies of food, water and wood. Ship Cove was also highly valued by the local Maori. We found a memorial dedicated to Captain Cook, beautiful traditional Maori carvings and information panels that were well worth reading. We viewed the antics of the Cheeky Weka, we also saw Paradise Ducks.
We returned back to the Picton at 6:30 after visiting 6 different islands, helping the skipper in delivering the mail.
We returned to ship and went straight to the dining room for dinner and then watched a show by a magician/comedian, named Leo Ward, in the theater.
We were back in our cabin at 10:30 and found the above in our bathroom, made by our charming room attendant.
Day 12 (4/16/16)
Wellington, NZ
We woke up at 6 as the ship was approaching the charming capital of New Zealand: Wellington. We had breakfast and were out of the ship at 8:00.
We decided to have a "Walking tour" of the city. Our first stop of the day was the Parliament Building, about a 15 minutes stroll from the port at Lambton Quay. The structure is laid on a 45,000 square meters and consists of Parliament House, the Executive Wing (The Beehive), the Parliamentary Library, and Bowen House, which houses the offices the smaller parties, select committee staff, and some of the ministers and their support staff.
Across the street we found a small market, which opens every Saturday and took a taste tour from the different local vendors. We continued and marched for about 20 minutes and arrived to the beautiful Botanic Garden in the central of town. Established in 1868, it contains 3 main venues: Lady Norwood Rose Garden, Begonia House, and the Visitors Center.
The gardens cover 25 hectares of land on the side of a hill and are a main attraction of the city. We found in the garden, besides the passengers from our cruise, many locals who came to spend Saturday there on a beautiful sunny day. We walked through the many plants and trees, admiring the many exotic flowers.
We spent an hour in the magnificent garden and then walked up the hill where we found a small cemetery, dedicated to the soldiers who passed during WWI, and then continue to climb the hill until we reached the summit with its beautiful views of the city.
We took the cable car down the hill and into the city streets that were filled with the weekend crowd. We found a taxi and asked the driver to take us to Mountain Victoria, called by the local simply Mount Vic.
When we arrived to the parking lot we saw a lady posing to a camera. The photographer was filming her for a commercial. They didn’t mind that other people we looking and taking pictures.
The mountain is 643 ft high and panoramic views of the entire city were in front of our eyes. The views were unbelievable and the perfect weather made it an unforgettable experience. Our driver mentioned that the mountain was filmed a couple of time in The Lord of The Ring movie.
We spent about an hour there and then the taxi took us to Cuba Street. I originally thought that by the name we will find a Cuban street (like in Miami) and will sit in a Cuban restaurant for lunch but instead we found out that it was called after the ship that sailed to Cuba in 1840 and that was the only connection to Cuba. However, the narrow street was filled with many restaurants, boutiques and novelty shops. We found a nice place and had Fish & Chips.
After the late lunch we walked to the Downtown area to find the shuttle, provided by the RCCL, which took us back to the ship.
We arrived to our cabin at 2:30 and after a long rest we had cocktails at the Diamond Club and then joined our table, at the dining room at 6:00.
We walked for awhile around the ship enjoying the beautiful skyline of the city and retired to our cabin at 9:30.
Day 13 (4/17/16)
Napier, NZ
Once again we woke up early and found, under white clouds, Hawke Bay and the town of Napier. After breakfast we used the public shuttle, which took us to the main street of this picturesque place.
A volunteer from the local tourist’s offices, who was dressed up as a gentleman from the turn of the 20th century, told us a bit about the city:
Napier is the connection of the largest wool center in the Southern Hemisphere, and it has the primary export seaport for northeastern New Zealand.
February 3rd, 1931 is a very important day of the town’s history. On this Monday, the first day of school, at 10:47 AM, most of Napier and nearby Hastings were leveled by a 7.8 earthquake. The collapses of buildings and the ensuing fires killed 256 people. The center of the town was destroyed by the earthquake, and later rebuilt in the Art Deco style popular at that time. Some 4,000 hectares of today's Napier were undersea before the earthquake raised it above sea level.
In 2007, Napier was nominated as a World Heritage Site with UNESCO. This is the first cultural site in New Zealand to be so nominated.
We thanked the nice and interesting gentleman and visited a vintage store and Tova decided to put on her head all kind of hats. It was a funny scene.
We decided that in order to see the attractions of the city we should rent the vintage car that was just next to us. We found another couple (a mother and her daughter from the ship) who wanted to share the ride (and the cost).
We decided that in order to see the attractions of the city we should rent the vintage car that was just next to us. We found another couple (a mother and her daughter from the ship) who wanted to share the ride (and the cost).
We started our tour, as a nice lady took her place as our guide and driver and for the next couple of hours we explored the main attractions:
The ride started on Napier's main avenue, The Main Parade, with plenty of attractions around it. The I-Site Visitor Center, The Marine Parade Gardens created after the 1931 destructive earthquake. Besides the beautiful flower beds they contain the famous Pania of the Reef Sculpture, the Sound Shell and the Colonnades, the Veronica Sun Bay (named after a Royal Navy ship), the Tom Parker Fountain, The Sunken Gardens with the Bio-Morphic Sculpture and the Waterwheel, the National Aquarium of New Zealand, the Millennium Arch, the Spirit of Napier fountain, the War Memorial Center, and more...
We saw many interesting buildings like the T. and G. building (1936) the National Tobacco Company LTD.
We stopped at the Six Sisters Victorian Houses with their unique story: Built in 1890 by the English architect Robert Lamb who moved to New Zealand for health reasons and designed most buildings on Marine Parade. These six buildings were ordered by a man who wanted to build a two storey house for each of his 6 daughters. These houses survived miraculously the 1931 earthquake and still highlight Marine Parade.
We also visited a fishermen village.
We stopped at the Six Sisters Victorian Houses with their unique story: Built in 1890 by the English architect Robert Lamb who moved to New Zealand for health reasons and designed most buildings on Marine Parade. These six buildings were ordered by a man who wanted to build a two storey house for each of his 6 daughters. These houses survived miraculously the 1931 earthquake and still highlight Marine Parade.
We also visited a fishermen village.
After the interesting ride we walked the streets, sipped a delicious cappuccino at a local café and then bumped into Yossi and P’nina.
We started to walk back towards the ship and even visited the Sunday Fair Market.
We had lunch on the ship and then rested the rest of the day. As we sat for dinner I couldn't help it and went outside to take some pictures of the beautiful sunset.
After dinner we went to the theater and watched Hayden Smith and his wife Alexa Jane. They were dazzling with music and dancing. Their music covered Rock n Roll to Pop and Motown to famous musicals.
Day 14 (4/18/16)
Tauranga, NZ
We woke at 8:00 to a partly cloudy day. We had breakfast with Yossi & P’nina as the ship approached the port of Tauranga.
We booked a tour in a minivan with 2 other couples.
Our first stop was at Mount Maunganui Beach in the Bay of Plenty, located on a peninsula to the north-east of the city center. It was an independent town from Tauranga until the completion of the Tauranga Harbour Bridge in 1988, which connects Mount Maunganui to Tauranga's central business district.
We headed out of the city, driving on a nice & wide highway and arrived to a town called Te Puke and perhaps to the most notable attraction in Te Puke is Kiwi 360, with its famous landmark, the giant kiwifruit clearly visible from the highway.
Our guide took us first to an orchard and we heard from him some important details on the attraction. The informational included commentary about the processes used to harvest and export the kiwifruit and about the attraction itself: Kiwi 360 was opened in 1987 under the name 'Kiwifruit Country'. We walked between the groves of the orchard. Some of the fruits were huge.
We entered the Visitor Center complex, which houses a café, large souvenir shop selling many kiwifruit-based products, and conference facilities. We tasted some samples and liked a lot the liquor made out of the fruit.
We continued our way and after about an hour drive we arrived to the town of Rotorua and its famous lakes. The Rotorua region has 17 lakes, known collectively as the Lakes of Rotorua. Fishing, waterskiing, swimming and other water activities are popular in the summer. The lakes are also used for event venues. The guide told us that Lake Rotorua is also used as a departure and landing point for float planes.
We entered a nice & clean restaurant, situated next to the lake, and had a light lunch. We then went outside to admire the black swans, floating around the lake.
