Navigating the New Zealand Fjords

Day 44

We sailed through Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound en route to Tasmania from New Zealand. Both are in New Zealand's South Island.

"Sounds" are geologically different from fjords and not as narrow. But can be just as gorgeous! 

Our ship sailed into them quite easily, though it can be dangerous in inclement weather. Our morning sail into Milford Sound was abandoned, due to awful weather. Rough seas and strong winds have defined our trip so far! Our kind captain took as back in the evening once the weather had cleared. 

Both are stunning, but Milford Sound is the more breathtaking of the two. 

Enjoy the photos below. 

The approach into Milford Sound

Inside Milford Sound

Close-up of Stirling Falls, Milford Sound (can only be viewed from a ship or kayak)

Above: Photos of Milford Sound from the "Explorer's Lounge" outdoor deck (Deck 7) in the front of the ship

More photos of Milford Sound from 2019 below - note the ferocious clouds! 

We were allowed to watch from the bow of the boat (a rare occurrence)

A handful of photos from Doubtful Sound below

Approaching Doubtful Sound

From 2019

"It was quite a shake" and the windiest city in the world!

Day 42

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake in 1931 caused the sea to retreat and destroyed its inner harbor. 

The city was ablaze and houses crumbled, razing it to the ground. The earthquake was New Zealand's most significant natural disaster of the 20th century. It had a force of 100 million tons of TNT! 

What rose from the ashes was an Art Deco cityscape in Napier, which I believe rivals that of Miami's Art Deco district. Napier is a sweet coastal city in the Hawke's Bay wine region of New Zealand (no we didn't visit any wineries).  

And the "shake" in the title? Our tour guide's description of the earthquake! 

Some lovely Art Deco buildings in the photos below (which don't do justice to them, of course!). 

And the windiest city in the world? Wellington, New Zealand's capital city. It's not just the windiest capital city, but the windiest city overall, if our guide is to be believed. And it didn't disappoint on the day we visited! It's also very hilly. 

It rained a lot during our 2019 visit to Wellington, so it was a treat to be there on a beautiful day this time. It's a gorgeous city, different from Auckland, with a charm of its own. 

Wellington's buildings fascinated me - its architecture is wide-ranging, from wooden houses to neoclassical and modern buildings (and of course, some others which I don't know how to describe!). 

It is small, and very pretty. 

Enjoy the photos of Napier and Wellington below! 

Portion of Art Deco arch on Napier's Esplanade by the beach

Art Deco buildings in Napier (above)

Sculpture on the Beachfront Esplanade, Napier. Note the erosion control gravel barrier behind the sculpture. 

Logs waiting to be shipped off (at the port in Napier). Timber is one of Napier's major exports. New Zealand exports apples, kiwifruit (yup, that's what it's called in NZ), avocado, honey, meat and dairy products. Not bad. 

And now, on to Wellington. 

Pretty view of Wellington harbor. Wellington was initially built on land shaken by major earthquakes and then on heavily reclaimed land. But the harbor is deep, making Wellington an active sea port and worth the risk in investing in it as the capital of New Zealand. 

Above images from a walk through the city. 

Airport runway from Victoria Point, Wellington (another lovely view!)

Law School Building (not sure which University).  Can you believe this building is made of wood? (pic from 2019)

Old wooden houses, Wellington 

The Beehive: The Executive Wing of the Parliamentary complex. Houses offices of the Prime Minister and his cabinet. 

Above: Begonias, roses and other flowers at Wellington's Botanical Gardens

Peace Garden created by the Wellington "peace community" and dedicated to those that work tirelessly in the cause of peace. At the Botanical Gardens. New Zealand really is a kinder, gentler nation. Do we have peace communities in the States? 

Te Papa Museum facade 

Maori Artifact at Te Papa Museum (2019)

Greenstone at Te Papa Museum (2019)

Inside St. Paul's Church (pic from 2019)

It's dubbed the City of Sails, and with good reason

Day 27

Two tugboats guided us into the harbor, defying the punishing winds that threatened to slam the ship into the docks. Fascinating to watch. Picture below. 

Auckland has a kinetic waterfront with some of the most magnificent yachts and sailboats I've ever seen. No surprise, it's got the largest marina in the Southern Hemisphere. It's home to the America's Cup and of course cricket and rugby. It's a very sporty city. And has some of the best restaurants I've eaten at in a long time (yes, that includes you, New York and San Francisco)!

No less than fifty-three volcanic cones pop up in Auckland and in its waters, many of them now hilly islands with astonishing eco-diversity. 

The diversity of the people is tremendous. Maori culture continues to be increasingly integrated into New Zealand culture and politics. Maori is an official language of New Zealand along with English and, get this...New Zealand sign language!  

If New Zealand was a person, she would be a kind and loving one (and athletic).

Rain, which has been the mainstay of our trip so far, continued (ugh), but didn't stop us from enjoying Auckland. 

Speaking of which, a few days before we docked, extensive floods ravaged the city - floods Auckland hadn't seen in decades (or perhaps at least a century, maybe more). 

The same punishing winds that thrust us into Auckland were responsible for us skipping Waitangi, home of the Waitangi Treaty signed between the British and the Maori in 1841. But we visited on our last cruise, so I will post pictures from 2019. 

Stay tuned. 

Meanwhile, enjoy Auckland. 

Tug boat at front of ship guiding us to the dock

One of the magnificent yachts at the harbor 

Scene from a Haka, a traditional Maori dance performance on the ship. Haka may seem like a warrior dance but it isn't. The protruding tongue and bulging eyes are a scare of potential threats to one's family. Therefore, a sign of love and protection.

Us at the waterfront the first night - we spent 3 days and 3 nights in Auckland. Matt wants to move here. 

Auckland by night - top to bottom: view from the ship the first night, the ship on our last night on the walk back from dinner at Cafe Hanoi (fab Vietnamese restaurant), the Ferry terminal, and the Sky Tower

Approaching Davenport on the ferry from Auckland - it's a little village a 10-minute ferry ride away 

Close-up of approach to Davenport 

In Davenport where the Automatic Telephone Exchange is a bakery

And where the Post Office is a cafe

Little alleyway in Davenport

Approaching Auckland from Davenport

Railway Station in Auckland

Pottery Murals on building (sorry about that van) in Auckland

The Occidental - A Belgian beer house on Vulcan Lane - charming and historic street in Auckland

Auckland insists you maintain the Victorian facade if you want to re-build. Example of a modern skyscraper with an old Victorian facade. Several of these around the city

Destruction of the recent floods (on the grounds of the Auckland War Memorial Museum). We didn't go inside this time. We did in 2019 (some artifacts from the Museum in pictures below). 

The Wintergarden on the grounds of the Auckland War Memorial Museum

Lunching on the waterfront - giant calamari and nectarine salad (above). 

Matt making a funny face for the camera 

The Marina - view from a bus 

View from Batch Winery on Waiheke Island (excellent food and wine)

Oneroa Beach view from the main drag in Oneroa village on Waiheke Island (a 40 minute ferry ride from Auckland). Hilly island with beaches. 

Artifacts from the Auckland War Memorial Museum (2019). From top to bottom: Maori Meeting House replica, prow of a canoe carved by a Maori chief, a canoe considered sacred by the Maori. 

Matt with a Haka performer at the Auckland War Memorial Museum (2019)

Views from the Sky Tower (2019). We didn't go up this time.