Exploring Oceania:  Australasia, New Zealand’s North Island and the Cities of Wellington, Napier, Tauranga, Auckland, and Waitangi

Sunday-Friday, March 10-15, 2024

HAL Grand Australia & NZ Cruise

Just to recap:

The South Island of New Zealand is now behind us.  We have transited Cook Strait and arrived in the North Island.  Here we will visit Wellington, Napier, Tauranga (actually, the Tauranga Port city of Maunganui), Auckland, and Waitangi.

(CIA, Public Domain)

Starting with Wellington:

The Māori are said to have originally settled the Wellington area sometime in the 10th century.  But hard evidence indicates the earliest human activity in New Zealand occurred about 1280.  None-the-less, it is well-known that the Māori culture was fully established in the Wellington area by 1642 when Abel Tasman sighted and recorded New Zealand.  But European settlement in the Wellington area did not begin until the ship, Tory, arrived on September 20, 1839, carrying the advance party of the New Zealand Company, (founded in 1839 with the distinct purpose of colonizing New Zealand.)  This was followed by the Aurora on January 22, 1840, with 150 settlers.  Wellington was declared a city in 1840.  By February 1840, the Māori chiefs and United Kingdom signed the Treaty of Waitangi, declaring New Zealand a colony of the British empire.  In 1865, Wellington was declared the capital city of New Zealand.  With the Constitution Act of 1986, New Zealand achieved total independence in 1987.

And the photos: 

Arriving in Wellington, the shuttle dropped us off in front of The Old Government Building. Completed in 1876, it was the second largest wooden building in the world until 1998. Today it houses Victoria University.
Today’s government complex is across the street. That round building, nicknamed “The Beehive”, houses the executive branch of government. The larger building to the right is the Parliament.
As one strolls along the downtown streets, unusual and eye-catching art work comes into view!!
The city has a lot of artwork to capture your attention!!!
It’s everywhere!!!
Also in the downtown area, one will find the Wellington Cable Car. Actually, it is a funicular from the business district up to the hilltop area of Kilburn.
This is the view from the top. You will also find a museum, observatory, restaurant, and shops.
This is a photo of Cuba Street. We have not, yet, been here but it is on the list for our next visit to Wellington!!!
(by Ballofstring, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International )

Next, Napier:   

Napier is the seat of the Hawke’s Bay region.  It is known as “The Art Deco Capital of the World.”  The history of this city includes the devastation and destruction of the city in a 1931 earthquake.  Rebuilding the city in the 1930s resulted in a dominance of Art Deco buildings and a goodly amount of Spanish Mission architecture.  As a result, Napier has become a popular tourist city.  Thousands of people come to Napier every February for the Tremains Art Deco Weekend, a celebration of its Art Deco heritage and history.  In addition, Napier is also popular for the food and wine events of the Hawke’s Bay wineries.  As a matter of fact, on this adventure, we spent the day visiting several wineries in the area!!!     

Here are the photos:

Arriving in Napier, we were greeted by the local residents.
We boarded our tour van and set out to taste wine!!!
The Art Deco buildings are easy to spot.
The entire city is just a cornucopia of interesting architecture!!!
The shopping in Napier is also wonderful!!! But today, we are on a tour. It’s too early for the shops to open. And we have other sights to see.
Our first stop was the Bluff Hill Lookout.
The view is lovely.
Before long, we’re viewing vineyards. We have arrived in the Hawke’s Bay area.
Our first tasting is at the Mission Estate Winery.
We tasted 5 wines…..
…..and bought the 2023 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc.
Next, we drove into the hills…..
…..and visited the Craggy Range Winery…..
…..another lovely setting…..
…..where we bought, (you guessed it, didn’t you) another Sauvignon Blanc!!!
Our final tasting was Askerne Winery.

…..but also enjoyed a light lunch. Sadly, we did not purchase wines at this Cellar Door.
We returned to the ship and departed for our next port: Tauranga

Now on to Tauranga:   

Tauranga is in the Bay of Plenty Region.  It is about 2 ½ hours south of Auckland and is one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing areas due to its wonderful sunshine and beautiful beaches.  The original settlers of Tauranga were the Maori who arrived in the 13th century.  The first European ship to enter Tauranga Harbour, the Herald, arrived in June of 1826.  The Herald returned in December 1826, and again in March 1827, to obtain supplies from the locals.  By 1838, a church mission station was established.

Today, cruise ships dock at the Port of Tauranga.  Mount Maunganui (a suburb of Tauranga) is within walking distance of the dock.  There are beaches, water sports, and hiking trails nearby.  Shopping and dining opportunities are plentiful.  This is where we spent the day.

Here are the photos:   

We truly enjoy the Port of Tauranga.
We dock with a view of Mount Maunganui. This is a suburb of Tauranga and one of our favorite places to visit. The beaches are great.
The shopping is very, very nice; as is the eating and drinking!!!
Latitude 37 is our favorite restaurant and we have a great time sharing a charcuterie board with friends!!!
And then, at the end of the day, we said, “Goodbye.” to Mount Maunganui and Tauranga as we sailed away, heading to Auckland.

And then, an overnight stay in Auckland:

Auckland is a large and interesting city; it is the major area within the Region; 33% of New Zealand’s population is here; and the Auckland Region has the largest economy in New Zealand.  Cruise ships dock within easy walking distance of the downtown area.  Shopping, dining, museums, and attractions are all nearby.

Here are some photos:

The dockage in Auckland is very convenient. That is the Ferry Terminal on the left; in the center, you can see the downtown area; and that tall tube on the right is the Sky Tower.
We walked into the downtown area…..
….. and made our way to the Sky Tower!!!
The view is amazing!!!
Afterwards, we walked over to Dr. Rudi’s for the usual afternoon libation of french fries with beer and wine…..
…..we had a vast selection to choose from!!!
This time, our visit to Auckland was overnight. So we had the fun of another day of exploration!!!
Afterwards, we walked over to Coop’s for the usual libation.
The pizza was very, very good!!!
After a little more shopping and sightseeing, we headed back to the ship. Along the way, we found Somm……
…..they were having a wine tasting!!! Who knew!!!
Who could refuse? Not us!!!
We opted to try the Sauvignon Blanc tasting. Wound up buying them all!!!
And then we went back to the ship. Next stop…..Waitangi and a visit to Paihia.

And finally, Waitangi:

Waitangi is in the Bay of Islands in the Northland Region.  It sits on the Waitangi River and is a dockage for tenders coming from cruise ships anchored in the Bay.  Passengers are then shuttled from the Waitangi Wharf to the town of Paihia, the main tourist town.  Waitangi is famous for the Treaty of Waitangi, the document that established New Zealand as a colony of the United Kingdom.  Paihia is known for its central location, shops, restaurants, lodging, ferry service, and delightful waterfront.

And the photos:

Arriving in the Northland Region, we anchored in the Bay of Islands and took the tender over to Waitangi where we boarded the shuttle to Paihia.
The Waitangi National Reserve commemorates the Waitangi Treaty of 1840 that made New Zealand a colony of the United Kingdom.
The shuttle dropped us off in Paihia where we spent the day sightseeing, shopping, geocaching, eating and drinking. Pretty much a typical cruise day!!!
The shopping was quite extensive.
The town is charming.
We did not take the helicopter tour; but we did make a mental note to do so on our next visit!!! Looks like fun!!!
We stopped for lunch at the Zane Grey’s Restaurant…..
The view was lovely and the breeze felt good!!! And yes, the food was tasty!!!
After lunch, we took the shuttle back to Waitangi.
After tendering back to the ship, we departed New Zealand and headed back to the waters of Polynesia. Our adventure is coming to a close.

We are now leaving the Australasia.

Australia and New Zealand are behind us.  We will go back thru Polynesia as we return to San Diego and end this Grand Australia & New Zealand Cruise through Oceania.  We will visit Tonga, Bora Bora, Moorea, Huahine, Fakarava, Tahiti, and Nuku Hiva along the way.  We will continue sailing along Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica,The Panama Canal, Colombia, and The Bahamas as we return to Florida.    But will not be posting as these islands and countries have all been recorded earlier—some several times!!!

Thank you for joining us on this incredible journey.

It has been an amazing adventure and it’s been our pleasure to share it with you!!!