2011 - H & A WORLD CRUISE - AUCKLAND

SAN FRANCISCO WAS A GOOD STOP-OVER POINT & A NEEDED BREAK BEWEEN FLIGHTS

I WILL BE LEAVING HERE THIS EVENING AND ARRIVING IN AUCKLAND AT FIVE AM THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW

CALCULATE THAT AND IT IS WAY TOO LONG TO BE AN AN AIRPLANE.

IN REALITY, THANKS TO THE INTERNATIONAL DATE LINE, THE FLIGHT IS ONLY ELEVEN SOME HOURS LONG. I SAY 'ONLY' WITH MY TONGUE FIRMLY IN CHEEK.

PASSED OVER THE EQUATOR TOO.
NO CELEBRATION OR EVEN AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
VERY HUMDRUM I GUESS.

AT LEAST THE PLANE IS NICE & COMFORTABLE, LOOK HOW HIGH THE OVERHEAD BINS ARE. NO IDEA WHAT SORT OF PLANE BUT IT IS A NEW ONE FOR ME.

ARRIVING IN AUCKLAND I HAD TO PUT MY BAGS THROUGH THE SCANNERS AGAIN. I CANNOT REMEMBER EVER DOING THAT ON GETTING OFF A PLANE SO I ASK THE GUY WHAT'S UP. LOOKING FOR PLANT MATERIAL MAINLY BUT HE SAYS THAT RECENTLY THEY FOUND A LOADED GUN ON A MAN COMING IN FROM THE USA.
OOPS!

MY CRUISE IS WITH HOLLAND & AMERICA. A STEP UP FROM MY PREVIOUS CRUISE LINES, OR SO THEY TELL EVERYONE.

H & A HAVE ARRANGED FOR MY HOTEL & INCLUDE A TRANSFER FROM THE AIRPORT.

A GUY WITH A CHAUFFEURS UNIFORM IS HOLDING A SIGN WITH MY SURNAME. I ENQUIRE IF IT IS ME HE IS WAITING FOR AND SURE ENOUGH, IT IS.

OFF WE GO TO THE HOTEL IN A CHAUFFEUR DRIVEN LIMOUSINE - ME IN BACK ON MY OWN.
I AM THE ONLY H & A PASSENGER THAT FLIGHT & THAT HOTEL.

I AM IMPRESSED SO FAR.

LET'S SEE IF THEY CAN KEEP IT UP!

AUCKLAND NEW ZEALAND

A COUPLE OF DAYS HERE WAITING FOR MY SHIP TO COME IN

MY HOTEL IS VERY SWANKY. IT'S THE ONE WITH THE BIG TOWER THAT IS VISIBLE FROM ALL AROUND AUCKLAND.

I HEAD OUTSIDE & WALK DOWNHILL TOWARDS THE HARBOUR, THINKING I WILL TAKE A FERRY SOMEWHERE.
FERRIES HAVE TO BE ONE OF THE MOST ECONOMICAL & FUN WAYS TO TAKE IN A NEW PLACE - I LIKE THEM.

GOING ON A FERRY BUT NOT THIS ONE...

THIS ONE....

WITH A LOOK BACK AT AUCKLAND'S SKYLINE WHERE MY HOTEL IS PLAINLY VISIBLE.

THIS IS WHERE THE FERRY IS TAKING ME...

I ASK A LADY WHAT IS GOING ON BECAUSE, IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY YOU CAN SEE LOTS OF PEOPLE ON THE SHORE.

IT'S AN ART SHOW. LOOKS LIKE A PLAN..

NOTE THE BIT OF YELLOW IN THE LEFT FOREGROUND. WE GET TO SEE THAT FROM THE TRAIL ABOVE IT IN A BIT

PASSING THIS SIGN,

I FOLLOW THE ART SHOW SIGNS & HEAD UP HILL FOR A LOOK DOWN AT THE FERRY TERMINAL

AND ALL ALONG THE TRAIL THERE IS ALL THIS WHIMSICAL OUTDOOR ART. WHAT A WONDERFUL IDEA!

OOPS!

A NAKED MAN. HOW DID HE GET IN HERE?

CARDBOARD CUT-OUTS

VERY IMAGINATIVE

THERE'S THE YELLOW THING .. IT'S A TUBE.

UP HERE ON THE HILL, THE ARTIST HAS A FOOT PUMP HE IS USING TO MAKE THE TUBE SNAKE AROUND IN THE WATER..

THIS GIVES A PRICE FOR ONE OF THE PIECES - HOW WOULD I GET IT HOME?

WHERE WOULD I PUT IT?

THAT'S THE END OF THE SHOW AND TIME FOR AN ICE CREAM. IT WAS A LONGISH WALK - MAYBE 2 -3 HOURS. GOOD FUN.

A BITE TO EAT AT A RESTAURANT OVERLOOKING THIS BAY.

IT WAS JUST AROUND THIS TIME I BOUGHT SOME SUN TAN LOTION. NOT SOON ENOUGH. MY HANDS ARE BURNT. I HAVE NEVER HAD MY HANDS BURN BEFORE .. THIS SUN IS INTENSE BUT NOT OVERLY HOT.

BACK TO THE FERRY . STOP FOR A DRINK WHERE THIS GUY LET ME TAKE HIS PHOTO

NICE TEA SHIRT.... MIGHT NOT MEAN ANYTHING TO ANYONE BUT HERE IN OTTAWA WE HAVE 'DUNKING DOUGHNUTS'. LOOKS LIKE THEY HAVE A VERSION IN NZ....

AND TO THE HOTEL...

CHECK THE HEADLINES....

NEXT DAY I AM HEADING TO THE WONDERFULLY NAMED - TIRI TIRI MATANGI - RODENT FREE BIRD SANCTUARY .. IT'S ANOTHER FERRY RIDE

BUT THIS IS MY SHIP, THE MS AMSTERDAM HERE A DAY EARLY. IT HAS COME FROM FORT LAUDERDALE ON THE FIRST LEG OF IT'S AROUND THE WORLD VOYAGE .. I WILL BE ON THE NEXT TWO LEGS, ENDING IN GREECE.

THIS IS MY FERRY....

AN ENJOYABLE HIKE AROUND THE ISLAND BUT NOT TOO MANY BIRDS. WE WERE ALLOCATED A GUIDE WHO KEPT US TOGETHER & ANSWERED ANY OF OUR QUESTIONS .
HE ABSOLUTELY REFUSED ANY PAYMENT, EVEN AS A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ISLAND FUND. SAID TO GIVE IT TO THE LADIES IN THE SHOP.

BACK TO THE HOTEL

I WAS AWAKEN AT ABOUT MIDNIGHT BY WHAT I THOUGHT WAS MY TV. I GOT UP TO CHECK AND HEARD THE NOISE WAS OUTSIDE.

JUST UP THE ROAD THERE WERE PEOPLE GOING UP AND DOWN THROGH THE AIR ON A GIANT ELASTIC BAND.

THE NOISE WAS THEIR SCREAMING.

CRAZY NEW ZEALANDERS.

NEXT DAY I CHECKED MY BAG IN WITH THE BELL HOP & HEAD OUT FOR THE MORNING FOR YET ANOTHER FERRY RIDE ACROSS THE HARBOUR FOR A NICE LITTLE STROLL & A SIT BY THE BEACH

I HEAD TO THE SHIP WHERE THERE IS NO QUEUE TO GET ON. HARDLY ANY FORMALITIES. I GET MY KEY & GET MY FIRST SIGHT OF THE ROOM THAT WILL BE HOME FOR THE NEXT TWO MONTHS.

AND - YESSSSS - MY BAGS ARE IN MY ROOM.

CONGRATULATIONS TO H & A. THE MOST RELAXED EMBARKATION EVER....

NEXT IS A SAIL BOAT RIDE TO SEE DOLPHINS