Go to gate 50

Auckland has to be one of the most convenient places to dock with the port right in the heart of the city. I’d been there in 2016 so I was able to contain my excitement. I ventured out alone and…

Our penultimate stop was in Tauranga on the northern coast of the North Island which is New Zealand’s busiest port and sixth largest city. It was very pretty indeed with some very expensive coastal houses. Cruise ships have become a…

Wellington is on the North Island and has been the capital of New Zealand since 1865 when it replaced Auckland. It’s the second most populous city with 420,000 people and officially the windiest city in the world. It experiences 173…

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island with a rather minuscule 380,000 people. It was another magnificent sail in with cloudless skies and stunning scenery. The city is still recovering from a 6.2 magnitude earthquake which struck in…

Our first stop of this cruise was at Port Chalmers which serves the city of Dunedin on the South Island. Dating back to 1848 when a Scottish settlement was established, its nicknames are the Edinburgh of the South or “Dunners”,…

We left Sydney on Wednesday evening and had a breezy passage during our two days in the Tasman Sea before reaching New Zealand. I hope it's better on the return as nobody wants a breezy back passage. This is my…

Arriving back from Uluru I had one night in the Shangri-La which had great views of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Six of us were meeting for dinner. Dimitra and her son John, Anne and Keith, Barbara from…

The three of us flew to Ayers Rock or Uluru as it’s now called however whilst I was on a direct flight with Jetstar, Anne and Keith were going via Sydney with Virgin Australia. I left the hotel early and…

As I left the hotel just before sunrise, walking alongside the river Yarra, my attention was drawn to the sky as five hot air balloons majestically floated across the city. I headed toward Fitzroy Gardens which has become my favourite…