Tuesday, Day 31 Feb. 6 - 7am to 7pm, Auckland, North Island, New Zealand

Beginning of the Second Segment

Auckland, “The City Of Sails”, is spread over a narrow isthmus between the sparkling waters of the Waitemata and Manukau Harbors on New Zealand’s North Island. It earns its sobriquet from having more boats per capita than any other city in the world. The first settlers here were the Maori, and they are still a vibrant component of its cosmopolitan population. Auckland offers all the amenities of a world-class city. Great shopping on Queen Street and the Parnell area with its galleries and boutiques in quaintly restored Victorian buildings. Mount Eden, the city’s highest point, offers a magnificent panorama of the city as does Skytower. Minutes from downtown one can relax on a black sand beach, or further afield there are the spectacular pine-clad Waitakere Mountains, the amazing Waitomo Glowworm Caves and the verdant vineyards of Kumeu River Wines. We were in Auckland on the Queen Elizabeth in 2015 and did a long day ships tour to Rotorua and the Thermal Valley.

Originally we had planned to take the ferry out to Waiheke Island today and explore the famous wine country, but we are still under the weather with the cough. We sleep late and finally get our act together about noon and get off the ship. We head to the BIG “I” looking for ideas and decide to take the HOHO bus that has a pick up a block or so from where the ship is docked. It offers two bus routes and a ferry ride over to Davenport, a quaint little Victorian town across the harbor from Auckland. We buy tickets for the whole deal for NZ$90 ($65.99.)

Auckland is crawling with visitors today since it is New Zealand’s version of our 4th of July. There is a big Maroi meeting at their church and cemetery grounds on the water front with ceremonial dancing and food and more food. Hundreds of New Zealand families are out in force on their bikes taking advantage of the sunny, cool day.

The first route runs along the waterfront stopping at Princess Wharf, Bastion Point, a lookout over the bay, Kelly Tarltons, a unique underground aquarium built in the old sewer system, before heading inland to the Parnell Rose gardens, Holy Trinity Cathedral and the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Here we change to the second route which takes us through some of the oldest residential parts of Auckland, past sporting venues and the Zoo before taking us back to the Museum to pick up route one back to the harbor. Auckland is a beautiful city, lots of gardens and green spaces and well preserved Victorian architecture, plus some really cute shopping areas. Once back at the wharf we take the ferry ride over to Davenport just to say we did, but we are not up to exploring the quaint little town. As we head back to the ship we stop for something to eat at the Crab Shack. As good as the fish and chips are, it is a mistake as it is 4PM and we have only had a bowel of cereal all day so it ruins our dinner and points out how tired we are.

It is the start of a new cruise so we have to have a life boat drill at 5:15PM, that includes going out on the open decks to stand beside the boats. Regent  is one of the few lines that do more than meet at the muster stations. This is a bit of overkill!

We are exhausted and ready to go to bed which we do as soon as we get back to the suite about 6PM. This cold is killing us right at the moment.