After a couple of abortive attempts to organise a trip “Down Under” we finally managed to get there for the last week or so in November, arriving back in the uk on the 20th December. Originally, we were going to tour, but after our indifferent experiences in Japan we decided to spend a significant period of time in one city and then cruise to various other points of interest.
We arrived in Sydney after around twenty four hours in the air or in transit in Hong Kong, made all the more bearable by flying business class. What a world of difference that makes on a long haul flight – if you can treat yourself, then do so, definitely worth it, especially if you can get a deal! We spent 6 nights in Sydney and felt that that it was more than worth it to get a real feel for the place. Surprisingly walkable for such a big city, we managed all the main touristy sites – Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Botanical Gardens, Bondi Beach (major let-down), Manley by ferry (lovely place, excellent beach and local hill walking). We also went to the Museum of Sydney on the site of the first governor’s house which, although small, is well worth a visit ant tells the story of the city’s foundation – a little lightweight, but well laid out and informative. We took the obligatory day trip into the Blue Mountains but we suspect that the area is much more impressive than an eight hour coach tour would lead you to believe – our tip would be to find a guide to take you off the beaten track and avoid the more obvious touristy places that we visited. We also visited the Featherdale Wildlife Park, but despite its name it looked remarkably like a zoo to us. On reflection, we would have enjoyed another day in Sydney rather more. We could have stayed in the city much longer and found plenty to do – we even managed to keep going on the day it reached about 40C.
The cruise we took was primarily around the South and North Islands of New Zealand, but it did include a one day stop at Melbourne prior to the journey across the Tasman sea. We were a little underwhelmed, partly because we had been so enamoured of Sydney but also. probably, because just like that city, Melbourne needed more than a one day stop over to do it justice.
The first real cruise highlight was the trip down the Milford, Doubtful and Dusky Sounds. The Milford in particular had many similar characteristics to the Norwegian Fjords, whereas the other two were greener and less overtly dramatic, if no less scenic. They are all fjords by the way, despite carrying the name Sounds. I should also point out that the South Island was significantly colder than Sydney, not much warmer than a pleasant UK spring, which was a little bit of a shock. One or two Australians we met were definitely dressed for a UK winter, especially when we ventured out on the ship’s helipad at the bow!
Dunedin was our first land stop in New Zealand, a pleasant working town with a Scottish heritage and an unbelievable renaissance style railway station, which at one time was the busiest in the whole of the country. The booking hall features a beautiful mosaic floor of almost 750,000 Minton tiles. A frieze of Royal Doulton porcelain runs around the balcony above it from which the floor’s design, featuring a locomotive and related symbols, can be clearly seen. We took the opportunity to take a train trip along the coastline, which provided some excellent coastal panoramas but which someone failed to photograph effectively as he lost his camera’s autofocus but failed to notice until after he’d left the train!
Akaroa, our next port of call, can be found in the Banks Peninsula and is a lovely village / town in a natural harbour. Still with a major French influence, most obvious in its local place names and road signs, it is clearly a major upmarket resort town and is a very pleasant spot to while way a few hours walking the shoreline or climbing its hilly backdrop. Also to be found here is the Giant’s House and Garden, the creation of artist Josie Martin. The Gardens are worth a look and to describe them as “terraced gardens with sculptures and mosaics” doesn’t do them justice – the scale of the sculptures and the use of ceramics is breath-taking.
Until this point, we had been blessed with sunny if breezy weather conditions but unfortunately our visit to the country’s capital, Wellington, was marred to a degree by the dampness of the day. However the Te Papa museum was a fantastic experience and you could easily spend all day there. It’s the national museum and art gallery, has free admission and has six floors of exhibitions, cafés and gift shops dedicated to New Zealand’s culture and environment. We also took the cable car (actually the country’s only running funicular railway) to the top of the botanic gardens and then strolled back to the city through the gardens.
At Tauranga we decided that to get the most of the day we needed to go on a trip (and so we did!) First up was a fun Jet Boat ride on the Waikato river, which took us into what looked like New Zealand’s own version of a rainforest – lovely scenery and a speedy, if slightly dampening, jet boat experience. We also went to Hell’s Gate, New Zealand’s only Maori owned thermal park. Hells Gate is of major importance to the Ngati Rangiteaorere tribe who have interacted with this land and its unique geothermal features for more than 700 years. Home to New Zealand’s most active geothermal field that features erupting waters, steaming fumaroles, pools of boiling mud, a mud volcano and the largest hot waterfall in the Southern Hemisphere. Fascinating to see, and although we didn’t try the mud bath, someone did try the mud treatment on hers hands and arms and then struggled to get it off! BTW, named Hells Gate by George Bernard Shaw after a visit in the early 1900s.
Our penultimate stop was at the Bay Of Islands, known for both its natural beauty and cultural significance. We visited the Waitangi Treaty grounds, the historic site where in 1840 New Zealand’s most significant document was signed by the British Crown and Māori Chiefs: the Treaty of Waitangi. We had an excellent Maori guide and both the Treaty House and the Maori Meeting House were open for viewing. We also took the opportunity to visit the Kerikeri Mission Station and The Stone Store, two of New Zealand’s oldest surviving buildings. Had time for a brief stroll around one of the local Bay of Island villages ((Paiha) and then it was time to go.
We transferred from our ship to our hotel in Auckland first thing in the morning for a tree night stay, left our baggage at the hotel and ‘hopped on’ the Hop-on, Hop-off bus for an orientation tour of the city. We were slightly disappointed with what we saw – the city looked a little drab and unexciting. The next two days were much more enjoyable. Auckland’s Sky Tower provided some superb views of the city’s natural skyline (and indeed further afield) and showed the city in a far better light than the rather drab circular routes of the hop on hop off buses. We caught the ferry over to Devonport, which the locals describe as their urban seaside village – very picturesque it was too, and it’s not everyday that you get the chance to climb up two extinct volcanoes in one day. North Head houses military tunnels, bunkers and gun emplacements as well as superb views of the downtown Auckland skyline. Mount Victoria is the highest volcano on Auckland’s North Shore, rising to 87 m. Its lava flows now line much of Devonport’s waterfront. Still not sure what the “painted mushrooms” on Mount Victoria were all about though. Devonport also hosts the Torpedo Bay Navy Museum. Housed in a 19th Century submarine mining station, the Navy Museum’s exhibitions showcase the story of the Navy’s contribution to the development of New Zealand’s identity through the lens of the Navy’s values. Free and definitely worth the visit.
Flying home proved to be a bit of a let down. When we got to Hong Kong, we found our flight to London had been delayed / postponed until the next morning for “operational reasons”. So, an unexpected night in a Hong Kong hotel half an hour from the airport and an early start the next day. Business Class was virtually empty, so presumably many who were scheduled to fly had been offered alternative arrangements. Not the end of the world, but I’d planned the times so that we could sleep overnight on the 12.30hr Hong Kong to London leg, and the daytime flight meant that proved more difficult and we got into Heathrow a little tired.
We definitely made the right decision in choosing to stay in Sydney for six nights. It gave us an opportunity to see the city at leisure, enjoy its atmosphere and take our time at the places that interested us. New Zealand is a lovely country and for us the cruise was probably the most appropriate way to see some of it. But for those who are younger and have the opportunity, a longer stay and a self drive vacation would I think give more opportunities to see the natural beauty and superb landscapes that New Zealand has to offer.