Life's a Stitch

Riding back through the Marlborough wine country to the airport in Blenheim, we left the magical South Island by prop jet to Aukland.

We'll board Holland America's Noordam in the afternoon. The sailing  of our ship was moved up to an earlier time so there was no room for delay or we'd have had to board at a port farther in our itinerary at our own expense. They gave tides as the reason, but C questions that, having worked in the shipping industry he knows that the tides are something that don't typically change suddenly. Fortunately public transport to the pier was quick and easy.

The first stop the next day was one of my favourites, the beach community of Tauranga, about a three hour drive south of Auckland. It felt like a small to medium size town, but it has a population of 137,900 and is the fifth largest city in New Zealand. At breakfast we caught a shadow picture in the water of the ship, we're the two little dots close to the middle along the rail of the deck. C is waving. Take my word for it.

Many ports have  their "Marine Parade" or "Mall" the waterfront street that parallels the ocean, most lined with huge Norfolk Pines, but the two in Tauranga were particularly beautiful with public beaches and the Mount Maunganu, an extinct volcano at the end.

The Mount park has a level tree lined walk along the base and steeper trails with sheep dotted pasture land.

I'm afraid Vancouver's Stanley Park has a rival. Seriously, I've thought that our Vancouver area is possibly the most beautiful part of the world, but this has similar appeal without the rainfall.

(11-06 & 11-07-17)