NZ-Australia Cruise Summary

Here’s a single summary post of our 2024 cruise from New Zealand to Australia, with links to my individual posts and more gory detail. You can also view it as a Google Doc or as a pdf. I have a separate summary post of our week in Sydney which was kind of a second vacation.

Friday, Feb. 9 – Depart Dulles

We flew six hours from Dulles Airport nonstop to San Francisco then caught our 13-hour flight to Auckland. Air New Zealand’s business class seat layout was clunky: the herringbone seat layout meant we were facing strangers across the aisle, including the bare stinky feet of a rude young man across from Barb. The seats were odd but the crew was nice, the drinks and service plentiful; the food and the entertainment system were adequate.

I tried to sleep on the “lie flat” seats but the arrangement was not very comfortable for me. I spent several hours snoozing intermittently before finally getting about 2 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Barb had no trouble sleeping solidly for 5-6 hours. I thought about having the flight attendant reconvert my bed into a seat, but figured I had paid thousands of extra dollars for the bed so decided to try to make the best of it. I think I could have happily saved a few thousand dollars and gotten an economy plus seat. Barb would vote otherwise, I’m pretty sure.

Sunday, Feb. 11 – Arrive Auckland

We arrived in Auckland’s airport at 6am, pretty quickly found our luggage and easily found our Viking representative. We learned there were 20-30 fellow Viking cruisers on our flight — who knew? We all filed onto a bus with still more cruisers from other flights for the ride to our hotel, the M Social Auckland (website). Along the way, the bus driver offered a little commentary about the city, including that it is built on the remains of 53 volcanoes (why would you do that, even if the last one erupted 600 years ago?). Auckland is home to 1.7 million people, nearly 1/3 of New Zealand’s total population. Based on the drive in, it was clearly a very modern, European/American-looking city with highways, suburbs and an urban core of high rises.

We arrived at the hotel but our rooms were not ready yet which was to be expected. We were able to change and clean up a little in the lobby bathroom, then went up one flight to a Viking “lounge” where about 50 other cruisers were already waiting like so many jet-lagged zombies. We stayed there for a while but soon hit the streets of Auckland to see what we could see. The answer was, at 8am, not much. We circled over toward Viaduct Harbour, a pretty marina with an impressive number of luxury yachts and sailboats. At least the day was comfortably sunny and we were able to get our bearings for a couple of hours.

After wandering downtown Auckland for a while, Barb and I decided to head to the Auckland Fish Market where we got pretty good fish and chips at the Market Galley. We finally got a room around 2:30pm and settled in. Barb unpacked a bit but then decided to take a nap which became a deep sleep. I went out for another wander around town and got some dumplings at a food court to celebrate Chinese New Year which we had missed due to the international date line.

Monday, Feb. 12 – Auckland

When we opened the curtains in the morning we noticed that our Viking Orion ship was already docked nearby. It arrived early in the morning on the last leg of its cruise from Sydney, the reverse of our itinerary. Passengers would have one Auckland day before they would disembark and we would board. It’s pretty amazing how well all this is orchestrated yet one can only imagine how difficult it must be for the crew to turn over an entire ship full of passengers and staterooms in just a few hours.

At breakfast it seemed like there were easily several hundred of us fellow Viking cruisers in the hotel for the two-night Auckland extension. We got ready for our 9:30am bus tour of Auckland included in our extension. We drove through the central business district, through the Auckland Domain (a sort of Central Park) and past the Auckland War Memorial Museum. We would visit the museum later in the trip so no time to stop now (or take photos).

We drove east to Michael Joseph Savage Memorial Park for a 30-minute photo op. This park with a nice view of the harbor was set on an expanse of green pasture identified as Maori land. Our guide told a confusing story of how there had been housing at some point on the land but it had been given back to the Maoris and the housing removed. It took further research for me to begin to understand the more interesting and complicated story. In a microcosm, this site of Takaparawhau or Bastion Point reflected the history of disputes, dispossession and partial restitution of Maori land since European arrival and the still-contentious Treaty of Waitangi signed in 1840. I doubt I can do the story justice, but the Maori tribe that controlled most of the Auckland area by the time of the treaty saw most of its land become English property over the ensuing decades. There was a slight reprieve in the 1930s when agreements were struck with Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage to preserve some of this sliver of the peninsula (explaining why Savage is buried in this memorial) but within a few decades even that was under threat. In the 1970s, responding to proposals to turn what was left into an expensive housing development, Maori protesters occupied the land and eventually won its return to the tribe. The tribe’s marae or sacred space and community hall now sits at the top of the land.

Next we drove back through town and crossed the Auckland Harbour Bridge. We drove onward through Takapuna and down to Devonport. Barb and I took the option to leave the tour and walk through the town of Devonport. We window shopped for a bit then took a quick ferry back downtown, giving me a chance to snap more photos of Auckland and our ship.

During the previous day’s downtime in the lounge, Barb made friends with cruise veterans Barb and Karen. They invited us to lunch at The Occidental, a Belgian mussels and beer place. We got a taxi from the hotel and got a table with a view of the Super Bowl on TV. We heard many stories of Barb and Karen’s other cruises all over the world. It was our first encounter with a community of people that love the atmosphere and lifestyle of cruising. Later on, after a rest at the hotel and running a couple of small shopping errands, I had a nice dinner at Oyster and Chop. Barb stayed in, sleeping then having some leftover snacks. We packed our bags and got ready for check out and embarkation in the morning. 

Tuesday, Feb. 13 – Board Ship

The plan for this day was to check out of the hotel, transition to the ship and start to make ourselves at home. We could get in our cabin after 1pm and had the rest of the day free. I figured I would let Barb get herself settled while I would use the afternoon hours to take a ferry to Waiheke Island, a popular destination for Aucklanders and tourists.

We packed our bags and got them out in the hall by 8am where they were swept up and transported magically to the ship. We had our buffet breakfast, already starting to worry we were eating too much. We lingered in our hotel room until 10:30am then checked out and walked over to the ship. The embarkation process involved a few slow moving lines but we made it aboard within an hour and were shuffled to a lunch buffet in the ship’s World Cafe. After lunch, we roamed the ship for an initial orientation. We were allowed to enter our stateroom at 1pm, even if our luggage wasn’t there yet. Our very friendly steward gave us a tour of our room. Our luggage arrived within an hour and we unpacked. There was plenty of drawer space for everything which was nice. It was easy to make the cabin our home for the next couple of weeks. 

Around 2:30pm I headed ashore to catch the ferry to Waiheke. I wanted a chance to cruise the Auckland harbor on a lovely day, even if there wasn’t much on the island I needed to see. Waiheke is a large island with wineries, beaches and other sights but they are spread apart. People often rent cars or take tour buses to get to various destinations. I wouldn’t be doing that. I figured I would take roughly an hour to ride the ferry to the island, wander for about an hour, then catch the ferry back for my 3-hour personal excursion. The actual 45-minute ferry ride through the eastern harbor was nice.

My thought on arriving at Waiheke was to walk around the ferry harbor and see what I could see. Unfortunately there really was nothing near the ferry dock other than parking lots. I walked to the nearest town, Oneroa, about a mile away; not a bad walk, but by the time I got to the town my allotted time on the island was halfway gone. I needed to head back to the ferry so I wouldn’t be too late getting back to the ship. I can’t say I really saw Waiheke Island but I was mostly interested in the ferry ride back and forth. I was glad to have taken the three hour excursion on my own rather than just sitting on the boat or traipsing around downtown Auckland a bit more.

Back at the ship, we had a nice sit-down dinner at The Restaurant. Afterwards, we popped into the Maori cultural show to see a troupe perform some ritual dances and songs. I was surprised Barb wanted to go. The show was short and wholesome, vaguely like a Hawaiian luau performance with a haka, the Maori ceremonial welcome often misinterpreted as a war dance, thrown in. Afterward, we retired to our room for a relatively early night and a good night’s sleep. We were getting better acclimated to the time zone.

Wednesday, Feb. 14 – Auckland

We had our first breakfast buffet aboard ship and ate twice as much as we should have, then got ready for our first excursion. 

• Highlights of Auckland, Duration: 3 hours, 8:30 AM 
• View North Island Landmarks and Visit the Auckland Museum
• Enjoy a panoramic drive of Auckland’s major sights and visit the Auckland Museum to learn about Māori culture. Meet your guide at the pier and embark on a narrated drive, passing many of the city’s landmarks. Amid its bustling streets, modern skyscrapers stand beside restored Victorian-era buildings, coexisting in perfect harmony. In the charming suburb of Parnell, pass quaint colonial-style shops. By the Central Business District lies the Auckland Domain, the city’s largest park. Within its 75-hectare grounds is the Auckland Museum, home to the world’s largest collection of Māori and Polynesian artifacts, including an 82-foot-long Māori canoe carved from a single tree. Here, you will have time to explore the museum’s exhibits on your own, and pay your respects at the War Memorial, located just outside. Afterward, return to your awaiting ship.

Our tour guide and driver was a Maori fellow, Maiki, with full face tattoos (we really should have taken a picture when he offered). He was friendly and reasonably informative, giving us a tiny bit more of a Maori perspective as we covered some of the same ground as our Monday tour of Auckland. We stopped again at the Joseph Savage memorial with its nice views of Auckland Harbor. Because we’d been there before, rather than look at the view and take pictures, Barb and I took the opportunity to grill Maiki about Maori attitudes toward NZ history and the British. She wondered about the mixed use of Maori and English names for streets and locations and whether that was something new or trending in either direction. I wondered about how the Maori used this open land and the ceremonial hall at the top of the hill but we got little satisfaction from Maiki’s bland responses.

Throughout the trip we never got very deep into the current relationship between the Maoris and Europeans in New Zealand. There were clearly racial and historical wounds that no one, neither the Europeans or few Maori we encountered, wanted to prod. There was also some sense of ongoing desire on the part of Maoris to retain what was left of their land and traditions distinct and apart from European and tourist influence. I got more of a sense of “otherness” than I did of integration of Maori culture into modern New Zealand’s identity…though everyone was encouraged to say Kia Ora (loosely the Maori equivalent of Aloha) whenever possible. The Maori language was posted along with English on much of the tourist signage and museum displays but we never heard anyone have a conversation in Maori. Lots of Maori words were incorporated into descriptions of places or events, making some of the signage read like a sort of Mad Lib — insert incomprehensible Maori noun here. We would learn there was more of a Maori population and cultural presence on the North Island than on the South Island, largely because of the colder climate and less hospitable terrain of the South Island.

We went to the Auckland War Memorial Museum and were given 90 minutes to explore on our own which we were afraid wouldn’t be enough but turned out to be about right. We saw lots of impressive and intricately carved or woven Maori artifacts, learned a bit about the migration of Polynesians across the Pacific, some of New Zealand’s geologic and animal history, and some of New Zealand’s participation in wars from the Boer War through World War I and II. I snapped a number of pictures to look at in more detail later, rather than trying to absorb it all during our short time at the museum. Notable for their absence, there was surprisingly little about New Zealand’s colonial history, independence or current events.

One of the topics that most interested me was the progression of Polynesian or more properly Austronesian (a new term to me) immigration across the Pacific that culminated with the discovery and populating New Zealand, one of the last islands to be settled. There were several variations of graphics that told different aspects of the story but they were sometimes hard to capture the details…plus people kept getting in my way. I hadn’t realized these flows occurred in different waves over thousands of years. It makes one wonder what prompted certain groups to work up the courage (or be forced) to set out in search of new islands.

There was an impressive and intricately carved sea going war canoe or waka. Maori legends speak of the original migrations to Aoteoroa in seven or more large canoes like this. Maori tribes trace their lineages back to specific canoes which is quite a feat of oral history.

Despite only 90 minutes in the museum we were getting a little bleary eyed by the time we got back on the bus. To cap off the tour, Maiki performed a solo haka, explaining that it was a welcome, not a war chant. We made it back to the ship in time for lunch and a little downtime before our 5pm departure from Auckland. Barb made the first of many visits to the ship’s Wintergarden for afternoon tea. I made myself a gin and tonic and went to the top deck to get a good view of departure. I found several comfortable vantage points to peacefully contemplate our glide through Auckland’s extensive harbor. I spent a very enjoyable hour or so watching Auckland’s skyline fade in the distance as the sun went down. We were cruising now. I could get used to this.

I felt like we saw a good chunk of Auckland in our few days there. I’m sure there’s a lot more, but we hit the highlights and needed to leave something to the Aucklanders. Tourism is the largest segment of New Zealand’s economy and we did our bit. I ate at a couple of good restaurants, had two ferry rides, dabbled in history, met a few local people, the weather was perfect. Not a bad start to the trip. Time to move onward. 

Thursday, Feb. 15 – Tauranga

Viking Description: Tauranga, nestled on the Bay of Plenty, is watched over by the dramatic Mt. Maunganui, an extinct volcano that helped shape this spectacular region of white-sand beaches and azure waters. The Māori arrived here in the 13th century, followed by the British 600 years later. Today, the city is home to a thriving cultural scene and stunning vistas of mountains rising from the surrounding waters. Tauranga is best known as the gateway to the bubbling mud pools and thermal fields of Rotorua. The local Māori believe this cauldron-like region to be a gift of fire from the gods.

We woke just as the ship was docking in Tauranga, our first port of call after Auckland. We had an early 7:45 check-in for our excursion:

• Scenic Bay of Plenty 
  • Duration: 3 hours, starting 8:00 AM      
  • Rolling Farmland and Kiwifruit Orchards
  • Take in the beautiful scenery of the Bay of Plenty as you discover more about the kiwifruit capital of the world. Meet your guide and board your motor coach as you set off through Tauranga, crossing the city’s harbor to Te Puke. Pronounced “tay-pookey,” this is New Zealand’s premier region for the production of the nation’s namesake fruit. During your panoramic ride, you will learn more about the orchards that pepper the surrounding landscape. At a local village community hall, enjoy refreshments and a taste of locally picked kiwi, along with free time to browse for kiwi-inspired products and mementos at a boutique marketplace. Members of the local Māori tribe will welcome guests, then provide entertaining insight into their culture. Reboard your coach for a drive along Marine Parade, with panoramic views over Ocean Beach and the Bay of Plenty, before arriving back at your ship.

The description was technically accurate but the excursion itself was disappointing. I’m not sure of the actual route we traveled but we basically drove for nearly an hour while the driver related tidbits about the development of the kiwifruit industry in New Zealand. Evidently the immediate vicinity around the town of Te Puke was ground zero for kiwifruit production.

As the bus rolled along we saw more and more agricultural land, much of it surrounded by large windbreaks. These were often tall cryptomeria trees, not unlike the trees we have between our driveway and our neighbors, trimmed tightly like a 30-foot high hedge protecting an acre or two of land. It made me wonder how bad the wind was and how much trouble it must be to maintain these neatly trimmed giant hedgerows. Unfortunately, the bus never stopped anywhere to take a good picture.

Likewise, the bus didn’t stop when we passed several hills that clearly had been intensively sculpted and terraced in centuries past. The driver commented that they were old Maori settlements but he gave little background on who would have been there, how long ago they left and under what circumstances. The details were left to our imagination (or further research — it turns out the terraces were more for defense than for agriculture). I began to wonder if there was a Maori Machu Picchu somewhere offering a glimpse of what these hilltop communities might have looked like. These areas must have been fairly densely populated to support the level of terracing work.

After nearly an hour our guide drove us down a very pretty road that gave us a good view of the distinctive kiwifruit vines (originally Chinese gooseberry until it was given a marketing makeover a few decades back). Unfortunately, there was still no chance to stop or get out to get a good photo and I was on the wrong side of the bus to even try for a shot.

Our only stop was at a dingy little community center near Te Puke where we were offered tea and cookies (biscuits) then ushered into an auditorium ringed by tabletop displays of kiwi-based products. Some Viking buses were already leaving and others arrived while we were there — this was evidently an event conjured up solely for cruise ship excursions. There didn’t seem to be any other traffic. There was an emcee on the stage who extolled the wonders of the kiwi plant for about 20 minutes but the soundsystem was poor and he was hard to understand. Eventually he haphazardly introduced a Maori family in native dress (“and now for a bit of culture”) who performed a dutiful but out of place set of songs in Maori, including a haka from the males. There was no explanation of what the songs were about and they were competently if unenthusiastically performed. It was all a bit sad and cringey. I couldn’t bring myself to even take a photo. We sat for 45 minutes absorbing the culture before the show started repeating itself, then it was back on the bus and back to the ship.

Nearing the port and our ship, we drove through the little town of Mount Maunganui which had an impressively nice beach. In retrospect, we might have been better off skipping the excursion and just wandering around the town and walking by the beach, though I’m not sure how much we could have accomplished since we had to be back on the ship by 1pm for departure. I don’t know if any of the other excursions, e.g., to Rotorua (an hour away) were any better. You know it’s a bad excursion when I didn’t take any photos whatsoever. It was a rocky start to our excursion experience.

We were docked in an industrial port in Tauranga that had stacks and stacks of logs cut and ready to be shipped. We would see this again and again in New Zealand. Evidently, these trees were fast growing American radiata pines that are cultivated throughout New Zealand and shipped to China and Southeast Asia for processing into paper or building material. There are heavy restrictions on cutting or exporting native New Zealand flora but there’s a big market in these particular commercial pines. We never saw much evidence of the logging/harvesting but we saw an awful lot of logs waiting to be shipped from nearly every New Zealand port we visited, and we saw lots of trucks and trains with tons of the logs on the move. Officially, dairy and meat products are New Zealand’s top exports and I guess that’s what might have been in most of the containers we saw (there were a lot of them as well), but these stacks of wood — like so many toothpicks — were by far the most common product we saw in the ports.

We departed Tauranga (which we actually never even saw) at 1:30pm which gave us better views of Mount Maurangui than we got from the tour. It was another beautiful day with perfect temperatures in the mid-70’s. I watched as the tugs helped pull us away.

I went to a 3pm lecture on New Zealand history which I actually wanted to hear but I ended up dozing through most of it. Fortunately it was recorded and we watched most of it later that evening; it was a somewhat helpful overview if one could stay awake through the drone of our resident historian. I also went to a 4:30pm talk about our next destination, Napier, and was able to stay awake through that. I went to one more lecture at 6:30pm about New Zealand geology that was mildly informative but the resident geologist was even more scattershot than the historian. I was not immediately impressed with the educational quality of the onboard lectures.

Having said that about the lecturers, I will say one of the best things Viking did was televise each of the lectures and port talks so we could see them in the cabin and not have to go to the theater if we didn’t want to. They also made each of the lectures available on demand for the remainder of the cruise. They became Barb’s preferred viewing each evening and I daresay we were some of the few people that watched nearly every lecture. Some were better than others, and we ended up watching many of them more than once trying to glean some threads of educational value. It was very nice to have the option of viewing them on-demand. They were also great to have something to fall asleep to. Otherwise, the TV viewing options were fairly limited: a hodgepodge of old movies, documentaries, news channels and shows we’d either seen or didn’t want to see.

After dinner, I went to the top deck to check out the stars while Barb hung out in the room. I was surprised to see Orion and its companion which I thought was Leo but it was actually Canis Major…my constellation knowledge was rusty. Jupiter was prominent near the crescent moon which was very pretty. I saw a cluster of stars that may have been the Southern Cross but I couldn’t say for sure — I had never seen the Southern Cross (I guess I never thought to look when we were in Argentina) and it was one of my goals to see on this voyage. I also saw at least three satellites march across the sky which surprised me.

While I was out on the rear deck I got a text from Barb that the Viking astronomer was going to do a star gazing session that evening but I couldn’t really decipher her note (“Get your quiet box as the astronomer will be giving a lecture outside tonight per the Viking guy”) and I was ready to come back to the room anyway. It turned out that was a mistake — it was the only clear, dark night of the voyage and I missed what was evidently a good session. We had no prior knowledge of the process, but it turned out the stargazing sessions were a last-minute negotiation each evening between the astronomer, the captain and the cruise director. If conditions were good, the captain would agree to turn down the outside deck lighting and the cruise director would make an announcement at the end of the evening’s main entertainment show in the theater. Barb happened to be watching the live feed of that show in the room so heard the announcement that the star gazing session would be happening which prompted her text to me. But I didn’t figure all that out until later. As it was, we stayed awake until nearly 11pm before we turned the lights out. We were close to being over jet lag.

Friday, Feb. 16 – Napier

Viking Description: Napier is an impressive cityscape of art deco architecture often compared to Miami Beach for its splendor. Built after much of the city was destroyed during a 1931 earthquake, the stunning “main street” design and art deco flair combine to create a city unlike any other in the world. The National Aquarium, one of the finest in New Zealand, can be found in Napier. Nearby, Hawke’s Bay boasts more than 70 vineyards. The first ones were introduced by French missionaries during the mid-19th century. The city also holds claim as the largest wool center in the Southern Hemisphere.

We didn’t arrive in Napier until noon and departed at 6pm so it would be a short time in town. In the morning, I went to a lecture on astronomy by the fellow I missed the night before, our Resident Astronomer Dr. Alan E. Wright. He turned out to be an engaging and impressively credentialed Australian gentleman and I enjoyed his survey of the history of astronomy. He would be giving several additional lectures but unfortunately I may have missed the prime opportunity for star gazing.

As we sailed into Napier, Barb and Karen saved me a prime seat in the Explorer’s Lounge in the front of the ship. It was nice, but hard to take pictures through the slanted glass windows. We watched our approach into port until it was time to grab some lunch and get ready for our 12:30 excursion. 

• Hawke’s Bay Wine Tasting (Included), Bill and Barb
  • Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes, 12:30 PM 
  • Sample Varietals from Across the Region
  • Taste a selection of wines from the renowned Hawke’s Bay region, one of the “Great Wine Capitals” of the world. At the historic Hawkes Bay Club, meet a Hawke’s Bay wine representative who will provide a brief overview of this diverse wine-growing region, best known for its Merlot-Cabernet blends, Syrah and Chardonnay. You will receive your complimentary tasting glass, along with detailed notes of the vintages presented by the eight winemakers in attendance, then begin your tasting journey. Sample up to three varietals from various regions across Hawke’s Bay; once you have discovered your favorite, you will have the option to purchase and send a supply to stock your own cellar, ready for your return home. In the Heritage Room, local artisan producers will be offering a selection of delicacies; try a tasty treat before you depart and return to your awaiting ship.

Whereas the previous day’s excursion description was technically accurate but disappointing, this day’s description was less accurate but undersold the afternoon. First off, the Hawke’s Bay Club was an attractive building and garden near the center of town. There were more than eight wineries with tables at the Hawke’s Bay Club ready and willing to provide as many samples as anyone wanted, plus lots of charcuterie snacks. There was no time limit or presentation involved – we were free to indulge as much as we wanted. I frankly wasn’t prepared to indulge much at all, already full from breakfast and lunch. I tried a few wines which were quite nice but I wasn’t eager to buy any, nor were Barb or I eager to stay very long at the club. But we were free to take as much time as we wanted in town and could catch a shuttle back to the ship anytime before 5pm. It was nice to have that flexibility.

It turned out that this was the first day of the Napier Art Deco Festival, a fact that was not even mentioned in the port talk on the ship. The festival is one of New Zealand’s most popular, a chance for all sorts of folks to dress up in 1930’s attire and swan about town. There were dozens of spruced up vintage cars, special tours and activities, and music in the seaside bandshell. Barb and I wandered the town and did some window shopping.

Barb wanted photos with a kiwi so we took the opportunity with a stuffed toy at one of the souvenir shops. She seemed satisfied.

Barb and I found the town’s library and museum which had a good exhibit on the Hawke’s Bay 1931 earthquake including several filmed testimonials from survivors of the devastating event. We made it back to the ship in time for Barb to get some tea at 4pm. I monitored our departure from port as we sailed past the Holland America Noordam which arrived after us.

At dinner, we learned that Karen had a whole history as personal assistant to Barbra Streisand for several decades, as well as working for Stevie Nicks. She also authored a biography of Greta Garbo. She regaled us with a few vaguely behind the scenes stories without revealing anything salacious.

Saturday, Feb. 17 – Wellington

Viking Description: Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, enjoys a splendid setting and is hailed by many as the “coolest little capital in the world.” Its history is embodied in a rich collection of architecture, from classic weatherboard wooden cottages and the clean lines of art deco to Edwardian and postmodern wonders. The city’s neoclassical Parliament House stands out and is listed as a Heritage New Zealand building for its history and cultural significance. The city hosts an array of arts and cultural institutions, including museums, symphonies, ballet and film.

We awoke to the ship pulling into Wellington Harbor. We grabbed breakfast and made it down to the theater for our 9:15am check in. We found a long line and waited quite a while to get to the head of the line for assignment to a tour group. They nearly made us stay for an extra half hour until Barb complained and got us the last seats on our 9:30 bus.

• Te Papa & Highlights of Wellington
  • Duration: 3 hours, 9:30 AM      
  • Visit the Museum of New Zealand and Explore Contemporary Displays
  • Take in the sights of New Zealand’s capital during a panoramic drive and visit the Te Papa Museum. Meet your guide and set off by motor coach, passing the 19th-century Parliament buildings. During your ride, your guide will explain the history of the buildings and the city’s culture. Arrive at the waterfront Te Papa Museum and step inside to explore a celebration of New Zealand’s diverse landscape, cultures and nature. After an introduction, you will enjoy time to explore the museum at your leisure. Impressive exhibits highlight the natural world and geology of New Zealand’s islands, as well as the Māori culture and traditions. View interactive displays that educate, inspire and showcase the unique aspects of New Zealand and its history through storytelling and the latest technology. After your visit, return to your awaiting ship.

The bus drove us pretty directly to the Te Papa Museum which was busy with lots of regular New Zealand families enjoying their Saturday outings. We met a nice museum guide from Pittsburgh who gave us some usefully honest background on the relationships between Maoris and European New Zealanders, called pakehas (there are some strains as we suspected). Barb and I split up to explore the museum for a few hours. I enjoyed the wildlife section, a special Gallipoli exhibit dramatically designed by Weta Workshop (a real life manifestation of how Gallipoli plays an outsize role in New Zealand’s self image), a volcanoes exhibit (with a shaking room!), a large section on the Waitangi Treaty (no wonder there are still lots of disputes — the translation was done the night before by someone who barely spoke Maori…that, and the concepts of land ownership were completely alien), and the Passport section about waves of immigrants to New Zealand (I liked the graph charting migration over time). The museum helped fill gaps in our understanding of New Zealand’s history. 

We got back on our bus at the appointed time of 12:15pm, rode by the shuttle stop near the Beehive Parliament building, then rode the cable car (very similar to the Hong Kong Peak Tram) up the hill for what was supposed to be a commanding view of the harbor. The view barely qualified as commanding but it was fun to see a group playing cricket along the way. We walked around for a bit, decided against going to the Botanical Gardens and caught the tram back down.

We walked a short way to the Wellington Museum and spent an hour or so rummaging through their hodgepodge of exhibits all vaguely related to the city of Wellington. The price was right (free!). We walked the waterfront a few blocks to get back to our shuttle by the Parliament building (the Beehive) and the former Government Building all made of wood. We were back on the ship by 4pm, in time for Barb to get to tea once again.

I attended a discussion session about what the Commonwealth has done for New Zealand. This was a fairly interesting small group Q&A that touched on a variety of vaguely contentious historical and contemporary issues such as Maori integration in New Zealand society (it depends who you ask), New Zealand’s role and benefits (few) from the Commonwealth, why hasn’t New Zealand (or Australia) become a republic (probably someday but no current rush), and more.

Sunday, Feb. 18 – Christchurch

Viking Description: Christchurch is the largest city on New Zealand’s South Island. Named after Christ Church College in Oxford by English pilgrims from Canterbury, it retains much of its original British flavor, from the Gothic Revival cathedral to the punting excursion boats on the tranquil Avon River. The city embraces another English tradition: it is home to so many green parks that it has been nicknamed the “Garden City.” Its lush Botanic Gardens ranks among the most important in the world, hosting plants from six continents, a rock garden and a water garden of lilies and irises.

I woke early to get ready for my long day of High Country Exploring, the only excursion I paid extra to join.

• High Country Explorer, $399/p, Bill
  • Duration: 8 hours, 8:30am      
  • A Thrilling Experience Amid South Island Splendor
  • Embrace your spirit of adventure on a thrilling journey into the Southern Alps by off-road vehicle and jet boat. Drive by motor coach with your guide into the Canterbury Plains, the largest area of flat land in New Zealand and an agricultural paradise with endless grazing pastures. Upon arrival at Springfield Adventure Park on the banks of the spectacular Waimakariri River Gorge, board an off-road touring vehicle and set off to explore the rugged high country, encircled by the jagged peaks of the Southern Alps. Later, embark on an exciting ride up the Waimakariri River in a super-fast jet boat, following the steep-walled gorge to Staircase Viaduct. It is a sight to see the natural beauty of the area from this perspective, even more so on a jet boat capable of making 360° spins. After your invigorating ride, enjoy a short tour of Christchurch before returning to your ship.

Our bus first took us into downtown Christchurch for a quick view of the city still rebuilding from its 2011 earthquake. From there it was another 90 minutes west to the Springfield Adventure Park (aka Alpine Jet Thrills – Canyon Safaris). I envisaged something similar to the Argentine Adventure Park that Allie and I went to in Mendoza. It turned out to be nowhere near as imposing – we were barely in the foothills of a low and dusty section of the Southern Alps (it actually felt a bit like La Losa in Spain) and the Adventure Park itself was a couple of scruffy farm sheds sitting above what looked like the very dry bed of the Waimakariri River. What it lacked in ambiance was made up for by the enthusiasm and good cheer of the staff, particularly the owner, Paul, and his family including Peggy, the lamb. 

I was assigned to one of the jet boats for the morning. We donned some goofy looking white ponchos and life preservers before heading down to the boats. The jet boat ride was fun but I was worried about my sunglasses flying off and I didn’t want to risk getting my phone wet from rogue splashes…plus my poncho hood flapped in the wind and I couldn’t seem to tuck it in. Basically, I was distracted for most of the 30-40 minute ride and didn’t really get into the spirit of the occasion. The distinction of jet boats is that they run without a propeller in just a few inches of water and they were basically invented here on this river before becoming ubiquitous around the world in the form of Jetskis. The “wheee” moments were doing some 360 turns which were fun but a bit silly in my opinion. Fortunately, the jet boat crew kind of knew the drill and took a bunch of photos that they shared with us — so these are mostly theirs…but I’m in there somewhere.

After the boat ride we had a nice little lunch of burgers and fixings and spent some more time with Peggy the lamb. Between dealings with other customers, Paul gave us a short tour of his Jet Boat museum and regaled us with the history of Bill Hamilton, inventor of the Jet Boat. In the afternoon we boarded four-wheel drive buses for a bumpy ride on rutted roads up into the hills. We stopped at a high point for a view over the Canterbury plains then it was back in the bus for another bumpy ride to a different overlook where we could see the river we jetboated a few hours earlier. The views were pleasant but not much to write home about. At least the day was nice and clear, and not too windy which they said it often was.

Then it was another bumpy ride back to the base before getting on the buses for the two hour ride back to the ship. It was a full 8-hour excursion but it wasn’t exactly fun despite the unwavering good cheer and enthusiasm of Paul and his family, Kevin and others. They tried hard but there’s only so much you can do with two bus fulls of geriatric, overfed cruise customers.

While I was on my High Country adventure, Barb went on her own excursion to Manderley Farm to see a sheepdog exhibition.

• Manderley Farm (Included), Barb
  • Duration: 3 hours, 9:30 AM      
  • Discover Typical Country Life in New Zealand
  • Experience life on a working New Zealand sheep farm and meet the owners of Manderley Farm. Set out on a scenic drive to explore the beautiful countryside on New Zealand’s South Island. Pass Lyttelton Harbor and idyllic Governors Bay, crossing the Gebbies Pass to Manderley Farm. Set amid 300 hectares of idyllic countryside, with views over bush-clad hills and Lake Forsyth, the farm is home to more than 1,600 sheep. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by the farmer, who will regale you with tales of farm life. Then, be amazed as the sheepdogs demonstrate their prodigious talents for herding sheep in accordance with their master’s commands. Afterward, be entertained by the speed and agility of sheep shearers as they ply their trade. Join the family for refreshments before bidding them farewell and returning to your awaiting ship.

She reported that the sheepdog exhibition was fun – even if the dogs were not quite the cute Australian Border Collies she was expecting. The shepherds and dogs first rounded up the sheep from the distant hillside using only whistles from the shepherd. Did you know sheepdogs were trained not to bark? It scares the sheep.

The sheep shearing made Barb a little uncomfortable, and the sheep didn’t look too happy about it either.

After the farm excursion, Barb braved taking a shuttle into Christchurch and managed to very quickly get lost. She spent a very anxious hour or so wandering the streets, asking directions from strangers, and not really seeing any sights that impressed her. Fortunately, she did manage to find the shuttle stop to get back to the ship. 

The ship left Lyttleton Harbour at 5:30; I tracked our departure which was becoming my favorite part of the cruise.

That evening we sampled Wiener Schnitzel, Chateaubriand, fettucini carbonara and other goodies from the World Cafe. All of it was decent but none was exceptional which is more or less the standard that Viking seems to set for itself. It’s hard to argue with that standard as a customer and after all it’s no mean feat to provide even a decent quality of food for 900 people day after day. After dinner, I went to the pool deck to take in a showing of Top Gun: Maverick which I’d never seen. I lasted about 30 minutes and had more than my fill of Tom Cruise bluster and bad macho American dialogue from all the characters (caricatures). Why did people like this movie?

Monday, Feb. 19 – Dunedin

Viking Description: Dunedin and Port Chalmers lie on the 12-mile-long Otago Harbour. At the heart of the city, Dunedin is home to New Zealand’s first university, built in 1871. This lively college town is one of the South Island’s cultural capitals. Neighboring Port Chalmers has a thriving arts scene, inspired by its setting. Across the water, the distinctive Harbour Cone summit rises on the Otago Peninsula. Together, this unspoiled region is a breathtaking vista of mountains and sea, and home to seals, penguins and seabirds, including the only mainland colony of albatross in the world. Note: Dunedin is a 15-minute drive from Port Chalmers.

For our last day in New Zealand, we slept in a little bit before getting breakfast and heading out on our included excursion, a Dunedin City Tour.

• Dunedin City Tour (Included), Barb and Bill
  • Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes, 9:30 AM      
  • New Zealand’s Victorian and Edwardian Treasures
  • See the highlights of the best-preserved Victorian city in the world. Drive along scenic Otago Harbor to Dunedin, founded by Scottish settlers in 1848 and named after the Gaelic term for “Little Edinburgh.” Then enjoy a scenic drive past a wealth of Victorian and Edwardian buildings, richly festooned with spires, gables and gargoyles. Pass Dunedin Botanic Garden, the country’s oldest; and the Otago Museum, with its colonnaded entry; and the magnificent Dunedin Railway Station, a jewel in New Zealand’s architectural crown. Enjoy your journey around the Octagon, the eight-sided plaza overlooked by the Dunedin Town Hall, the twin-spired St. Paul’s Cathedral and a statue of Scottish poet Robert Burns. You will also see Baldwin Street, the world’s steepest residential street, and admire striking views from Unity Park before returning to your ship.

The weather started out overcast and dry but rain was expected so our driver called an audible and took us up to Unity Park for a view of the city. The view was decent and we admired the statue of Admiral Richard Byrd who used Dunedin as a base for his Antarctic explorations.

As soon as we got back on the bus, a spitting rain started and persisted for the rest of the tour, so it was a good decision. We drove through Dunedin, passing a school that purportedly looked like Hogwarts. We stopped for a quick photo op at Baldwin Street, the world’s steepest residential street, a distinction the Dunedin folks vigorously defend. I think it would have looked a lot steeper if we actually went to the base of it but the bus couldn’t get there very easily. Likewise, we stopped for a bit at the impressive Dunedin Railway Station for more photos and a potty break for those in need.

The bus tour hit the other designated highlights of this quaintly impressive and very hilly little town. We decided to take the option of wandering around in town a bit before heading back to the ship. Barb and I first stopped at the information center where the lady gave us some good ideas to while away a couple of hours in Dunedin. We went around the corner to Velvet Burger, a spot recommended by Vika, Allie’s Babson buddy who spent a semester in Dunedin. Barb and I shared a Mini OG. Not bad.

We then walked to the Otago Settlers Museum where we were pleasantly impressed by the variety and depth of the displays. We learned more about the settlement and growth of Dunedin and the region. After about 90 minutes in the museum, we walked over to Speight’s Brewery where I had a nice porter and a lamb and onion meat pie. I had been hearing about meat pies in New Zealand and wanted to try one before we left. This was my last chance and the pie was, to be honest, not great but I crossed it off my list.

We caught the shuttle back to the ship and were on board an hour before departure. We started sneaking out the harbor a bit early so I went upstairs to watch our exit. The Dunedin/Port Chalmers harbor was quite lovely and I snapped more than a few photos for our last stop in New Zealand. I tried a few videos to give a sense of our stately progress out the harbor, and the windy calm of being the only one on deck. The crew had cleared the deck of all tables and chairs, strapping down everything that could be strapped down. Clearly they were anticipating some strong winds to come. They were right.

I especially enjoyed rounding the final headland past a lighthouse and an albatross breeding center. I loved watching the flight of these magnificent birds with nearly 10-foot wingspans. There had been an excursion out to this bird sanctuary and now I regretted not taking it – I originally wanted no part of invading the birds’ rookery but as we sailed by I realized I could have had much better views of the birds in flight which were really majestic. I tried taking some videos but it was a rather futile effort without a long lens.

As we pulled out of the harbor, the wind picked up significantly and the sea grew much rougher. I eventually had to go inside. I watched our progress from the Explorers Lounge for a few minutes until it was time for dinner. Meanwhile, Barb worked on the community jigsaw puzzle. They were making progress.

Tuesday, Feb. 20 – Cruising Foveaux Strait

The narrow Foveaux Strait separates New Zealand’s South Island from Stewart Island, also known as Rakiura (or “the Land of Growing Skies”) after its Māori name. The small town of Bluff is the South Island’s southernmost settlement and is dominated by Bluff Hill to its west. With a permanent population of less than 400 people, Stewart Island is New Zealand’s third-largest island, ringed with bays and blanketed with lush forests.

The seas stayed rough through the night. It did not really make a problem for us sleeping but the ship was definitely pitching and rolling. We could hear doors or other things slamming in other parts of the ship. It was somewhat disconcerting.

I woke around 7:30am which turned out to be 6:30am because the ship shifted time zones. The seas were quite rough and it was hard to move around. I could still see land in the distance off our starboard but it was obscured by rain and I never could figure out exactly where we were. My iphone location didn’t work through the Starlink wifi connection the ship used, nor did it automatically adjust my clock. I could never tell when we were in the Foveaux Straits nor could I see Stewart Island.

Around 10am the Captain came on the PA to announce that the heavy seas made it impossible for us to reach Hobart in time for our scheduled afternoon of excursions so they were scrapping the Hobart port visit. That meant we were sailing directly to Melbourne but it was a little unclear to me if that meant we were sailing for 3 or 4 days straight. It would be ideal if we could squeeze an extra day in Melbourne but I wasn’t sure that was the case. What seemed more likely was that we’d get into the Melbourne vicinity a few hours early but then like an airplane we would have to idle offshore until it was our time to arrive at port.

At noon the Captain made another announcement about our status and revealed that we were traveling at all of 20 knots, or roughly 23 miles per hour. That helped explain why each of the ports in New Zealand were about 200 knots or 10 hours from each other…but I was hoping they would put a little pedal to the metal for the Tasman Sea crossing. No dice, I guess. The Captain’s announcements this day were, by the way, the first time we heard from him. Evidently there was a ritual announcement every day at noon but since we were always on shore we never heard them. It was only at sea that we would hear from the Captain.

I got into a What’s App discussion with Laurie about our cruise status. The upshot was that I was hard pressed to identify my favorite thing about the cruise so far. It had all been pleasant and everyone we encountered was doing their best to ensure we had a good time and got a good impression of New Zealand. But I was concluding that cruising was not an efficient or effective way to see a country beyond the most superficial level. The most interesting times I’d had so far were mostly while walking around or being in museums on our own time and schedule. Traveling by bus in groups of 40 was rarely much fun or informative no matter how chatty the driver/guide.

A lot of this had to do with the logistics of moving 500-600 people through an activity in very limited time periods. That’s how many people on average take the “included” or free excursion in each port. I suppose there was an argument to be made for choosing the paid excursions which by definition were smaller groups but my High Country Explorer experience was hardly better for costing $400.

Barb was also none too impressed with the overall cruise experience. I don’t think either of us are eager to do more. I watched a presentation of upcoming Viking cruises for 2025-26 and frankly none of them were especially appealing. It’s an expensive but useful lesson learned, and should save us buckets of future vacation dollars. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that our Ireland vacation later this year with a personal driver/guide will prove more fruitful.

Barb and I wandered into the Team Trivia competition and won it in a bonus round when a guy next to me blurted out that the capital of Malta is Valletta. Winning a contest with 13 out of 16 correct did not speak highly of the skill level of the audience, present company included.

The good news was the sea calmed down in the afternoon. It was much easier to move about the ship though I had nowhere in particular to go. I was mostly content to hole up in the cabin close to my computer, the TV and some Diet Cokes. Barb spent the day on a couch on the pool deck, reading and snoozing…plus having tea and attending an opal discussion/sales pitch.

In the evening we had dinner with Karen and Barb at the World Cafe, comparing notes on our day. Barb’s friend Ann was supposed to join us but didn’t show up; we learned later she was seasick. Such was our first day at sea.

Wednesday, Feb. 21 – Cruising Tasman Sea

“Cross the ditch” as you sail today, a term coined to refer to a voyage on the Tasman Sea, just as many Americans and Europeans refer to a trans-Atlantic journey as “hopping the pond.” Admire the views as you sail today and enjoy an al fresco dining experience. The Aquavit Terrace serves a range of International fare and casual dining favorites, as well as a range of superb cocktails inspired by our destinations.

Barb and I both woke early as we set our clocks back one more hour en route to Australia. We had a good breakfast then settled down in a quiet spot on deck 7 to while away our day at sea.

The captain made an announcement at 9:30am that we would fortunately be allowed to dock in Melbourne a half day early, so we would effectively have one more sea day tomorrow then should be in port at Melbourne by 2pm on Friday. There would be no planned excursions on Friday, I presumed, but there should be shuttle buses into town so we could explore and get some dinner. That was something to look forward to. If anything, I was happy to trade a half day in Hobart for an extra afternoon and evening in Melbourne. That said, even though the seas were much calmer the captain reported our speed was down to 20mph. It was maddeningly slow but seemed to be par for the course for cruise ships.

I listened to podcasts for a while before attending a cooking demonstration at 11am followed by another Team Trivia contest at 12:15pm. We made it to the tiebreaker round again but lost to the other team that was quicker identifying the Manila Cathedral in the Philippines. It was a good guess because Harry the emcee was from the Philippines and we had joked that it had to be one of the answers.

After lunch (where we saw a large pod of dolphins churning up the water a few hundred yards away), Barb went for a tour of the Bayeaux Tapestry artwork on the ship, then at 2:50pm we met for a behind the scenes tour of the bridge. The bridge tour was informative, about 30 minutes long, led by one of the Second Officers. He confirmed that coming out of Port Chalmers we faced wind gusts of up to 60 knots (69 mph or tropical storm strength) and seas topping at 4-5 meters (13-16 feet). That considerably slowed our effective speed which in turn delayed our projected arrival in Hobart. The mate said it was the first time in the past year that he’s been on the ship that they’ve had to skip a port.

I attended a Q&A session with the Resident Astronomer, Alan Wright. He has proven to be by far the most engaging and erudite of our guest lecturers. I enjoyed the wide ranging discussion of all sorts of astronomical topics from Dark Matter to radio telescopes to his involvement in sparking the movie The Dish about the Parkes Radio Telescope where he worked for decades. 

Thursday, Feb. 22 – Cruising Tasman Sea and Bass Strait

Separating mainland Australia from the island of Tasmania, the Bass Strait was discovered by British explorers George Bass and Matthew Flinders in 1799. This discovery allowed merchants and explorers to cut 700 miles off their journeys from Europe or India. The largest archipelago in the waterway’s eastern reaches, the Furneaux Islands, once formed a land bridge between Tasmania and Australia. In the strait’s western region, King Island hosts several settlements and is on the migration route of several bird species.

We had another full day at sea…this was supposed to be our Hobart, Tasmania day but instead we remained en route to Melbourne. The day was cloudy and gray with a bit more breeze but we plugged along and did not rock too much even though the captain said the wind got up to 40mph. Since this was supposed to be a shore day there were not many shipboard activities planned. The resident experts pulled out additional lectures but mostly it was another day of laying low. Barb napped by the pool for the morning. I listened to podcasts and watched the waves to make sure we stayed on course.

Our expectations dwindled to looking forward to the trivia contest at 12:15pm and a prospective dinner of fish and chips presented poolside this evening. Otherwise it was a day of enforced captivity and feeding on our fabulous floating retirement home. There was little choice but to roll with it. It was a good opportunity to do laundry and study up on Melbourne which I did in the afternoon.

Barb and I kicked butt at the general knowledge trivia contest, winning outright with 15 of 16 points. We had developed a reputation. I think our success spoke more to the level of our competition. It occurred to me that maybe we did well because it was only our first cruise. Perhaps the more cruises you did the softer and more out of touch your brain got.

As we were getting on an elevator, one lady asked Barb if she was a cheerleader in her youth “because you’re so perky.”  Both of us were pretty sure this was not meant as a compliment. 

I went to the 4:30pm port talk about Melbourne and learned very little about what we could or should do with our newly found time in the city. Instead, the talk was their canned discussion of Melbourne and our regular excursions planned for the next day. Quite a number of people were perturbed by the news that we would need to completely empty the ship for Australian Immigrations upon arrival. Only after everyone has been interviewed and accounted for would they let people board again. 

After the port talk, I went to a Q&A discussion about AUKUS and what it means for Australia. I had only vaguely heard of AUKUS and read up on it for a few minutes in Wikipedia. I’m pretty sure that made me more of an expert than most of the people in the room. My sense of it was that it was a tissue-thin wrapper on a deal for Australia to build next-generation submarines from American and UK designs rather than French. It may form the basis of a broader coalition of nations to counterbalance Chinese interests in Asia but it doesn’t seem to be a full fledged NATO equivalent or anything like it. Nevertheless, it seems to be a bigger deal in Australia than anywhere else. The moderator gave a few minutes overview of the newly minted (a year ago) military pact then opened the floor to questions and discussions. There were a number of ill-informed questions and comments with very little in the way of informed answers. I stayed for about 20 minutes and decided I didn’t need to wallow in other peoples’ fears and ignorance. I got enough of that by reading newspaper headlines. 

We had our first sighting of Australian land in the late afternoon, spotting Tasmania on the port side and two of its Furneaux Islands, Clarke and Cape Barren starboard. Excitement!

There was a decent sunset around 8pm. It was the first real sunset I’d seen on this trip. It was not as nice as I’d hoped but there was a clear horizon and at least a bit of cloud cover for some pinkness. Still the greatest show on earth. 

Friday, Feb. 23 – Melbourne Arrival

Viking Description: Melbourne has been called the world’s most livable city. It enjoys a scenic setting on the large bay of Port Phillip. Soon after Queen Victoria declared it a city of the Crown in 1847, the rush to find gold in its rivers made it one of the world’s largest and wealthiest cities. Today, it is celebrated as the country’s cultural capital of the arts and exudes a rich and lively British flair, from its narrow shopping lanes to the fanciful Victorian buildings along Collins Street. A literal slice of England can be found within 64 acres of beautiful blooms at Fitzroy Gardens.

We sailed most of the Bass Strait overnight and woke to a fairly rocky sea and overcast sky. We spotted the shore of mainland Australia by 9am and were approaching the outer straits of the very large Port Phillip Bay by 10am. It took nearly four hours to traverse Port Phillip Bay (at a crawl) with the towers of downtown Melbourne very slowly emerging Oz-like from the misty distance.

I watched from the upper decks as we inched our way into port. I made sure we made it safely. We docked at the Melbourne Cruise Terminal alongside the Queen Mary 2. The Cunard ship dwarfed our ship in size and carried three times as many passengers. It was on a 55-day cruise from New York to Sydney via London and Cape Town. 

After many, many, many announcements about the procedure for processing all passengers through Australian immigration, our turn finally came a little after 3pm. The actual process was easy and we were led on a long walk off the pier to a location where we could catch shuttle buses into town. Once in town we had a photo op with our cruise friends, Barb and Karen.

Barb and I split off to see more of Melbourne. We crossed the Yarra River and caught the free City Circle Tram number 35. The tram was crowded much of the way and it was often difficult to hear the recorded commentary about each stop, but it offered a good orientation spin around the city. And did we mention it was free? All trams within the Central Business District zone were free which was a very civilized approach to urban transport. The ride all the way around the loop took nearly an hour.

Next we plunged into the streets of Melbourne, walking up Elizabeth Street teeming with people on a Friday afternoon. We did some window shopping and then some real shopping once Barb found an opal store. She bought some earrings for herself and we took pictures of others to see what Allie liked. After a couple of hours we were shopped out and a bit overwhelmed by the continued hustle and bustle of downtown Melbourne. We headed back to the river, went to the Southbank area and ducked into the first restaurant we could find, Pure South Kitchen. We were pleased when they gave us a window-side seat perfect for watching the parade of people on the Southbank Promenade. The food was serviceable, not bad but we could have done better looking just a bit further at the dozens of restaurants nearby.

Our first impressions of Melbourne were quite positive. It was a vibrant, walkable downtown with a ton of foot traffic from a mostly young, fit, multicultural population. There was a density of shops, both at street level and in multilevel arcades and retail spaces within and between buildings that rivaled Hong Kong. The architecture was interesting and the river made for some expansive views; the town had a lot of green space and athletic facilities.  

After dinner I escorted Barb back to the shuttle bus stop and tucked her onto a shuttle back to our ship. I stayed in order to see a bit more of Melbourne after dark. I decided to walk along the busy Southbank Promenade; I turned left to travel west, or downriver. There were a ton of restaurants and most seemed busy. I snapped photos from several of the pedestrian bridges over the river, another nice touch to make the city and downtown more livable. I walked by several city blocks of upscale waterfront restaurants and entrances all connected to the very large Crown Casino complex. I stayed on the promenade as far as the convention center before returning and tried to capture more of the city lights as twilight fell. I would have liked to stay longer but I was getting worn out. I found my way back to the shuttle bus stop and got back to the ship a bit after 9pm.

Saturday, Feb. 24 – Melbourne Tour and Departure

We rose early to get breakfast before our 8:30am tour of the city.

• Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria & Shrine of Remembrance (Included)
  • Duration: 4 hours,8:30 AM  
  • Horticultural Works of Art and National Monument to Service and Sacrifice
  • Explore two of Melbourne’s most important sights and admire the city’s beauty, culture and history. You will visit the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, a striking green oasis in the heart of Melbourne. Covering 38 hectares, it features more than 31 collections of plants presented as living works of art. Take a guided tour, then enjoy free time to explore on your own. Cross the street to pay your respects at the revered Shrine of Remembrance, one of the city’s most stunning landmarks. Discover the real-life stories of Australians in wartime and view breathtaking vistas of the memorial gardens and the city. Afterward, set out on a scenic drive through Melbourne. Pass magnificent buildings, such as the fortress-like Old Treasury Building and Parliament House, and the marvelous string of High Victorian Gothic buildings along Collins Street while en route to your ship.

We were in the third of I don’t know how many Viking buses setting out for the 8:30am excursion. Our guide showed us a bit of St. Kilda, the beach suburb near our ship’s dock, then around Albert Park Lake and Sports Grounds, a huge recreational area for nearly any sport imaginable. This will be the site of the Australian Grand Prix in a few weeks and we actually drove the bus on part of the raceway past some of the many grandstands being erected.

We went to the Royal Botanic Gardens and stopped for a 45-minute walking tour. Our guide was an older woman volunteer who knew quite a lot about the plants but also seemed to forget some basic things. She also huffed and puffed into her headset microphone as she walked which was a bit disconcerting. This was the first tour where we were all using portable ear pieces so we could all hear her labors. She managed to show us a few highlights of the garden, navigating us around several other clots of Viking tour groups before leading us back the way we came to the visitor center. It was nice to see a bit of the garden but I think it would have been nicer to spend an hour or two on our own, maybe with an audio guide.

We reconvened and headed across the street to the Shrine of Remembrance, an imposing edifice that also houses a museum. Ken told us a bit about the building and another briefing on Gallipoli before letting us loose in the museum for 20 minutes which was really not nearly enough to have a serious look at anything. But we had a schedule to keep.

It was back on the bus to have a drive through Melbourne’s Sports Precinct along the Yarra River, including the tennis facility for the Australian Open and the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Our guide managed to not mention that Taylor Swift had just held three sold-out concerts there the week before for more than 90,000 each night. Our shuttle driver the day before had been more impressed by the Swiftie takeover of the city the previous week.

Our guide gave us the option of leaving the tour at Queen Victoria Market which we and a few others did. We had a mission to find our opal store from the day before to get some earrings for Allie and also some Uggs slippers. It was also nearing lunchtime and somehow we were getting hungry. Barb and I wandered a bit aimlessly through the impressive collection of food, grocery and knick knack stalls at the market. I ended up enjoying a spicy lamb and cheese Turkish borek while we watched a woman in the window make cheese and spinach gozleme. That did the trick for my lunch.

We found the jewelry store and were able to make our purchase after some minor haggling on the price. We didn’t really know what a good price would be for these earrings but the job was done and we left happy. We wandered onward in the general direction of our shuttle bus back to the ship. Downtown Melbourne continued to be impressively bustling on a pleasant Saturday afternoon. We made it back to the ship a little after 2pm. We could have lingered in town for an hour or two more but we were both tired and Barb wanted to get some proper lunch.

Around 5pm I headed upstairs to watch the Queen Mary 2 depart. It was an impressively majestic process bringing hundreds of people to the decks of the two ships. There was a lot of waving back and forth. Barb reported one wag on our ship shouted “Excuse me, do you have any Grey Poupon?” We thought that was pretty clever but evidently some others tut-tutted. Stuffy bastards. There was a band playing and a big party on one of the Queen’s pool decks. As the ship cleared the dock we heard the strains of “Sweet Caroline.” Bom bom bom. Plus a big toot of the Queen’s horn. It was quite a show. 

I was surprised that we headed out, much more quietly, barely 10 minutes later. We trailed behind the Queen for hours through Port Phillip Bay and could still see her later that night. We were both headed to Sydney but according to the internet she would arrive a day after us though she had no other scheduled stops. Cruise itineraries and navigational logistics are a mystery to me (and it turned out the internet was wrong…as I need to be periodically reminded it can be).

The astronomer, Alan Wright, held a star gazing session at 10:15pm and this time I made it. There were clear skies and a full moon which was pretty but the light washed out the Milky Way and many of the constellations Alan wanted to show us. We did have an excellent view of the Southern Cross and I finally figured out which four stars were the right ones – it was much smaller than I expected. The two “pointer stars” seem more prominent (one is Alpha Centauri, our nearest neighbor) and honestly I could more readily imagine a larger constellation called the Southern Uterus but I guess other people don’t see it that way. I was pleasantly surprised that my iPhone did a pretty good job of photographing the night sky. I got snaps of the Southern Cross, Orion and tried to get one of the Queen Mary 2 in the distance but that photo didn’t come out well enough to include.

Sunday, Feb. 25 – Sailing Gippsland Coast

Viking Description: Trace one of Australia’s most scenic regions along the southeastern shore of the continent on the Bass Strait. As you sail today, savor a range of international cuisine on board. Choose from a variety of international flavors at the World Café, enjoy al fresco dining on the Aquavit Terrace, or regional specialties in The Restaurant.

I tried breakfast on my own in The Restaurant for the sake of ordering a breakfast lamb chop. It was fine but I felt no need to do that again – the buffet is more my speed. Glad we got that sorted out. I typed up notes in the morning and then went to the Explorers Lounge to get out of our cabin. Barb found me and asked about the nearby ship. It turned out we were racing the Queen Mary 2 to Sydney. She was off our starboard side all day, sailing majestically. I hoped we presented as pretty a picture for them.

Barb and I cleaned up once again at trivia, getting all the answers correct including the tricky questions about nautical miles (1,852 meters) and who sang “Rock The Boat” (The Hues Corporation). I won the playoff by being the quickest to know Jack from Titanic shouted “I’m the King of the World” though technically I left out the “the” and should have been disqualified. I was happy to share mimosas with the runner up team.

Barb and I laid low for the afternoon, enjoying our last day at sea. The weather was close to perfect, if a little breezy. Barb was on the aft deck in the sun. I was in various shady spots listening to podcasts and music. Eventually it was dinner time and we met again, this time for surf and turf – actual grilled lobster and steak. They looked luxurious and tasted OK, kind of par for the course for our meals on the ship. But we ate a lot and didn’t complain too much except to each other. I caught one last ocean moonrise and a glimpse of the Southern Cross after dinner. Thus went our last day at sea, probably for a very long while.

Monday, Feb. 26 – Sydney Arrival

Viking Description: Sydney was founded as a penal colony in 1788 and is celebrated for its magnificent natural harbor. It has grown into the major cultural center of Australia, beloved for its all-embracing, free-spirited nature. The cultural jewel in its crown is the iconic Sydney Opera House, a UNESCO World Heritage Site nestled harborside like a gleaming white bird taking wing. Adjacent, the Royal Botanic Garden displays one of the world’s most important horticultural collections across its 70 acres of flora-lined pathways.

I woke at 5:45am to get out on the Explorers Lounge bow railing around 6:15am while the sun was just starting to redden the sky. It was a clear, calm morning with a full moon in the west, gleaming over the lights of the shoreline along the Sydney headlands.

I snagged a front row position as the deck got more crowded and waited quite a while for the pilot ship to arrive and for our Resident Expert Historian to start his (only occasionally helpful) commentary through our headsets. I wanted to run around and get some good sunrise shots but I didn’t want to give up my good position at the front rail. We entered Sydney Harbor as the sun was coming up behind us and the full moon was dipping over Sydney. Pretty darn cool.

The harbor entrance was majestic on this perfect morning. I snapped away as we went through the outer harbor but I will spare you most of my 100+ photos — you can see them in my main post. We rounded a corner and the iconic Opera House and Bridge came into full, glorious view. It was a sight of a lifetime, a peak moment well worth the cost and minor aggravations of the journey. The full moon even obliged with a prime position over the Harbour Bridge. 

Lo and behold, the Queen Mary 2 was already docked in the prime location by the Opera House. They beat us in somehow, but it must have meant they came in even earlier which must have been inconvenient for their thousands of passengers. Too bad for them. The Queen actually distracted a little from the Opera House and Bridge visual. The ship was a little out of scale. But it was still kind of cool to see her there. We were so lucky to have clear skies and mild weather. Cue the choir of angels. We slowly came parallel to the iconic and eye-catching Sydney Opera House. Did you know it was three separate buildings?

With the Queen Mary 2 hogging the prime parking spot, and with our ship being smaller and able to slide under the Harbour Bridge, we were relegated to the secondary White Bay Cruise Terminal across the ANZAC Bridge about 20 minutes from downtown. The good news was we were able to sail under the Harbour Bridge, something the Queen Mary 2 passengers would never experience. Hah!

As we were about to dock, I gave up my front row position and ran down to grab some breakfast before our excursion. We had the first one of the day, and the ship was already running slightly behind schedule. I found Barb at breakfast after I finished. She had watched the Opera House go by from our room’s balcony and on deck with one of her buddies who took some shots of her (unfortunately pointing into the sun but still not too bad).

With all that, our first day in Sydney was just beginning. Time for our excursion! We were the first ones off, though in fact our ship arrived about 30 minutes later than planned…mostly due to waiting for the pilot boat. The upshot was that our excursion time was trimmed a bit since our bus and guide were scheduled for different excursions in the afternoon.

• Sydney Panorama (Included), Barb and Bill
  • Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes, 8:30 AM     
  • Scenic Drive through Australia’s Cultural Capital
  • Be captivated by vibrant Sydney and take in the city sights in comfort on a scenic motor coach tour. Begin your journey to Circular Quay. Along the way, your guide will regale you with stories of Sydney’s past and present, and point out various sights around the city. Historically, some of its denizens were colorful characters who had moved to Sydney from elsewhere and were known to adopt a somewhat unconventional view of the law. Biographies of these immigrants make for entertaining stories today. Take in views of Jørn Utzon’s Sydney Opera House across the water and the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Then, step on the shores of the world-famous Bondi Beach and enjoy the stunning views. You may choose to return to your ship by coach or ferry; alternatively, explore more of Sydney at your leisure.

Our guide Carol was a very talkative and informative Australian lady, probably the best guide we had on the trip. She kept up a nonstop patter about the places we passed by on the bus. We made a quick stop at Mrs. Macquarrie’s Chair for photos though given the quick time (dictated by the Sydney traffic cops) we had to choose between getting the view of Opera House or running over to see the granite chair carved by convict laborers for the Governor’s wife.

We drove out to South Head near Watson’s Bay to see harbor entrance headlands we had just sailed through. From there, we drove to Bondi Beach where Carol gave us 30 minutes to go to the bathroom or dip one’s toes in the water. Barb was able to do both. I admired her resolve. Bondi is a lovely looking beach but I’m still not a fan of actually getting on the sand, much less in the water.

Our bus headed back downtown where Carol gave us the option to get off near the Queen Victoria Building, a landmark shopping venue. I took the opportunity while Barb stayed on the bus to get back to the ship and finish packing. I spent a few hours getting oriented in Sydney. I wound my way downhill toward Circular Quay and the Opera House. The Opera House was as much a sight up close as it was from a distance. I snapped away then bought two tickets for a tour the next day at 1pm. Mission accomplished. 

My quick first impression of Sydney was that the harbor was certainly glorious, well earning its reputation as one of the greatest in the world. The variety of stunning views and nooks and crannies around the harbor were impressive and I looked forward to exploring them further. The Opera House and Harbor Bridge were truly iconic, standing out even against the busy skyline and natural setting of the city. The downtown area seemed bigger, richer and a bit more business-like than Melbourne – a little more like Manhattan but still with a lot of shopping areas and a definite buzz in the streets. It would be fun staying here for a week and exploring. 

I got back to the ship shortly after 3pm and 15,000 steps later. I settled down to type up notes and enjoy our final night aboard the Viking Orion. We had to get our main luggage ready to put out by 10pm, vacate our room by 8am the next morning, and be off the ship by 9am at which point we will taxi (or maybe Uber) over to the Four Seasons for the next stage of our adventure. Once we got our bags packed and in the hallway I took a stroll around the ship taking a few more shots of our Sydney surroundings.

Our last night on the ship was quiet. Barb and I ate at the World Cafe buffet then met Karen and Barb one last time for dessert. Barb worked on the community puzzle which was still not quite finished. I took a walk around the top decks one last time then settled in the room to pack and make sure there was no free alcohol left.

Here are a few observations from our journey, with particular regard to cruising.

• Ocean cruising is problematic, not something we will do often, if at all, again.
  • Ocean ships crawl along at maybe 20 miles per hour. It’s an agonizingly slow way to cover large distances.
  • Ships can only dock at certain coastal ports, making it difficult/inconvenient to get a sense of the interior of a country/region. Many of the most beautiful/interesting parts of New Zealand are the mountain ranges, fjords and lakes of the interior. We didn’t see them. I sort of knew that from the itinerary but it was more glaring on the ground.
  • The ships often dock at industrial ports and passengers have to get shuttles to/from anyplace interesting. That means moving up to 900 people in tour buses which is always slow and mind numbing.
  • If we ever do an ocean cruise again it probably won’t be on Viking, though we’re still fans of their river cruises. The river cruises tend to dock in the heart of town making it easier to come and go as one pleases. We’ve heard good things about Regent Seven Seas cruises, an even more first-class, all-inclusive line. If we try other ocean cruises someday it would likely be with them.
• There is the cruising itself (the time and experience on the ship) and then there are excursions (the experience in the port where you’re traveling).
  • I’d say Barb and I enjoyed our time and experience on the ship but rather like an all-inclusive resort, four nights was about enough. The enjoyment diminished after that even though the Viking ship and crew were unerringly pleasant. The point of the trip for us was less about hedonism and more about learning something about where we were going…that may have put us in the minority.
    • There were a ton of people, possibly the majority, who were there mainly for the cruising. Repeat customers on their umpteenth cruise, many of them on the ship for two or more legs of a 90-day journey from Auckland to Vancouver. These people were nuts, as far as we could tell.
    • Among the most enjoyable experiences on the ship for me were entering and departing the various harbors, with our entrance into Sydney Harbor way at the top of the list. That morning alone pretty much made the whole trip worthwhile for me, made even better with some fine weather. Actually each of the port departures were highlights for me. I enjoyed spending time mostly alone on the upper deck watching the process with the tugs and pilot then watching the port slide by and recede in the distance. 
    • I was curious about the joys of open ocean cruise days. We ended up with four days “at sea” and my conclusion was that one or two is enough. It’s nice to have a down day to catch up on rest or notes or whatever, and the ship afforded plenty of nooks and crannies to find some personal space. But a couple of those days are all one needs, and they’re not a primary reason to go on a cruise as far as I’m concerned. The thought of doing a “repositioning” cruise with more days at sea no longer appeals to me.
  • The excursions in port were hit and miss, and more of a miss directly in proportion to the amount of time we spent in a bus. Tauranga and the kiwi fruit tour was the worst – 90 minutes by bus to spend a lackluster hour in a  community center promoting kiwi products and then 90 minutes back. The better mix was a quick overview of a port/city and then time to wander around on our own…but it’s an iffy experience wandering on foot and there’s only so much one can do when the ship is about to leave at 5pm. Melbourne worked out better because we had an extra (unscheduled) evening to wander.
  • The on board lectures and education efforts were, on the whole, weaker than I’d hoped. The best thing about them is they were taped and available to view throughout the cruise. Our resident astronomer was excellent, the historian was mediocre and meandering, the naturalist/archaeologist (or were those two different people?) was largely incomprehensible. The Q&A sessions were mildly interesting but not very illuminating – more Q’s than A’s.

Having said all that, I’m very glad we made the trip, and very glad everything worked out well — we didn’t get sick, we didn’t lose our luggage, the world didn’t explode around us. It was worth the wait and all the planning and anticipation. Happy anniversary and retirement to us all!