Day 42 Wellington, NZ

Okay I have been having trouble with the days but I looked it up and it should be Day 42 because of the Internationa Date line it is messed up.

Okay here goes  today we were in Wellington, NZ and we were here in 08 and did a tour so yesterday one of the guides told Bill about a huge car museum owned by one man just about an hour south of Wellington.  Well we came back on board and I had the concierge check it out and the train to get there.  Well they are doing service on the tracks so the train is not running they are using busses and they only run every hour to 1 ½ hrs.  We talked to someone this am and we were able to hire a car and driver to take us on a private tour.  It was a lovely trip along the waterfront all the way down to the Museum.  The museum was great.  What can I say Bill was in his glory there were even two Datsun’s  a 310 and a 180 and a Prince Skyline which was bought out by Nissan.

Some of the cars were just fabulous.  He even had a boat and a couple of planes.  3 floors. 1^st and basement floor were all cars top floor was all old motorcycles.  This man collected everything old, typewriters, sewing machines and salt and pepper shakers.  When we finished the tour our driver asked us if we would like to come home a different way.  We said yes.  Well since I had that episode waiting for the tender in Easter Island I can not take windy roads and we didn’t think to ask.  Instead of coming along the water we came through the forest.  Up we went on this road that looked like it was only one way and it was really windy and then someone came and of course we are driving on the wrong side of the road it was frightening to say the least.  After about 40 minutes of this I was starting to feel not too good and was just about to ask him when we would get off this mountain when we came out onto the road we took in the morning.  It was spectacular scenery just wish it didn’t have so many curves!!!!!  I guess he figured Billl was a car guy he liked driving on these roads. 

He dropped us at the ship and we headed for a late lunch.  Bill decided to take the shuttle into town and I hit the internet café on the pier to finally try to download a few apps and update.  I did get a few downloaded but apparently 4 books were trying to download at the same time as the apps so nothing else got updated.  Try again in another port.

As I was sitting in the port Janice came back from her Gourmet tour and she sat with me and we were chatting.  Bill returned from town and said I didn’t miss anything so I was glad I didn’t walk all around again as my heel is killing me.

Another great day in New Zealand! Another day to be thankful for all that we have.

I'll take this one please

Or this one

Logs as far as the eye could see waiting to be loaded onto ships!

Rugby and Cricket Stadium right next to dock

Some beautiful scenery from our balcony

Day 42 Napier, New Zealand

I had a surprise for Bill today I had booked a tour in a classic car.  Napier was hit with a terrible earthquake in 1931 and what was not destroyed by the quake succumbed to the fire that followed.  But they built it back up it took two years to built 160 buildings and it was done in the art deco style of the 30s.  And has been preserved.  This weekend they had over 500 classic cars from the 30s and 40s here an event they hold every year now that would have been amazing to see but they do not allow cruise ships to dock during that because of the traffic no were for the buses to go.

Anyway we were picked up in a beige 1937 Dodge and driven into town.  We then did a walking tour of the town to see all the great art deco buildings.  Even going into some of these that are now government offices.  We were then taken to a hotel for a tea.  It was lovely.  After our tea we then got into cars we were in a green 1037 Packard and were driven all around the suburbs and taken to the National Tobacco Company that was unbelievable building.  In it’s day it employed 1000 people.   We were allowed to walk around the building and then we went back to the center.  These tours are done by the Art Deco Trust and we were taken to their shop.  We then had the option of staying in town and taking the shuttle back or coming back in the classic car.  I have been walking so much that my heel is hurting and as we had seen just about everything we decided to come back to the ship.  We came back in a blue Packard.  We were given information about a great car museum outside of Wellington (our port tomorrow) so we stopped at the consignor’s desk and he printed out information and directions.  We do not have a tour because we have been there before.  Neil Leifer a sport’s photographer just did a documentary on the super bowl photographers that ran on ESPN he is on the ship this segment and is showing it and having a Q&A today at 4:30 so Bill has just gone down to see that.  We have a vocalist tonight who has won “The Voice” and Tom Jones said she is fabulous so we will go to the show.  I was able to get my laundry done.

Tomorrow, Wellington, then Christchurch then Dunedin . Will be exhausted with ports everyday.  Having a ball and as my friend Ilene’s says we just pinch ourselves everyday that we are able to do this!  We are blessed! Another great day in paradise.

The 1937 Dodge we started our tour in

One of the main streets

Bill and I in our 1937 Dodge

One of the buildings

Our tea each couple got this platter!

Two of the guides and drivers.  The fellow owns the red packard

The 1937 Packard we ended our tour in.  It rode beautifully and was so quiet!

Sea Day enroute to Napier NZ

Today was the first sea day in 4 days and boy did we all need it.  Spending three days in Auckland was fabulous and then Tauranga and the shore side event last night at Hobbiton we were all exhausted.  It is hard work having so much fun!

I awoke around 5 am when the ship sailed for Napier but I decided I was too tired to get up and went back to sleep.  When I awoke it was almost 9:30 this is very unusual for me.  I am not a good sleeper at home but on here I sleep like a baby I think it must be the gentle movement.  We did absolutely nothing yesterday.  I didn’t even go to knitting.  I did go into the theatre where they were broadcasting the Oscars it was crowded so I stood in the back for a few minutes and left.  Went to talk to my friends in the shops.  Last night the whole entertainment staff put on a one time World Cruise show Hooray for Hollywood.  It was fabulous.  They sang all Oscar winner songs.   As we have an early morning tour in Napier tomorrow by classic car I headed to bed around midnight!  Bill was still having a cigar. A few more Hobbiton pix and 2 from the photographers.

Our Hobbit Guide Cass

World Cruise Shore Side Event
HOBBITON

As I said in yesterday's blog this was a fabulous event.  Even though I never read the books or saw the movies I enjoyed it immensely.  The weather cooperated as there were a few drops of rain not even enough to open an umbrella.  The movies Bill took of the ceremony and light show is great and I wish I could post it here but even though they fixed the internet in my cabin it is still slower than what we have at home.  So here goes lots of pictures....

View of farm from bus with all those rolling hills you can see why Peter Jackson picked it

Man it was hot.  The ship's photographer took one also

John Stoll, VP of land operations and us

Me, Stacey (WC hostess) Pat and a cute Hobbit

Becky do you know who this???