Four Days at Sea: Cruise #2

Apr 02

Since we were on a second cruise on Ovation of the Seas, we were happy to discover not all of the activities were going to be the same.



This was our favorite breakfast spot. The Solarium is a kid-free zone. There were 425 children on this cruise so we were happy for our little Oasis.





Room service, inside, was a treat when the weather was iffy.
This roving pianist brough joy wherever he rolled.

Balcony savoring involved coffee time and two fun reads (with just enough bodice ripping).


Each sea day had Guest Enrichment Lectures by Dr. Rodney Boucher. His geology talks were informative and each covered examples from each post we visited. His topics ranged from exactly what Geology was to the timely Volcanoes & Earthquakes to the intriguing, "Who killed the dinosaurs?" Cruises are more than buffet lines.
Cruise Director Ricky was a riot. He called himself a 'disco ball' in this jacket. I'm still cracking up.
I have yet to try Vegemite! Before we leave!!!

While we didn't participate in theme nights, we certainly appreciated them.
Sunrises and sunsets varied in beauty and dramatics.
I learned, barely, how to belly dance while the cinephile in me was delighted with the opportunity to see Wicked and Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice!
We were supposed to visit four ports of call but a huge storm arose and our final port, Picton, New Zealand got canceled so that we could go way north to avoid the 30 foot swells. What a ride! This was the wildest seas we have been in yet. With 24 foot swells, walking at times was interesting.
It was disappointing to miss another new place to discover but safety was a priority. Conveniently, the downtime coincided with Steve and I coming down with a cold and we welcomed the opportunity to just take it slow for a couple of days.
Shows entertained. Les Femmes was an incredibly talented girl trio whose performance showcased classic male artists. We were dancing in our seats
We were wowed by "Rockstar Violinist" Yoomia with her unique blend of classical elegance and rock energy. From tango to cinematic favorites to Led Zeppelin and Queen... Everyone found something to love.
An afternoon with the officers is always informative.
I will definitely miss our trivia sessions with the incredibly special Fernanda!
We interacted numerous times a day with our cabin steward, Mel. What an awesome guy.
Since Mel always left us with a towel animal, I thought he'd appreciate my 'owl'.
What lovely dining companions: Kim and Jo, Laurie and Mark, Jill, and our dining gods, Mark and Gerardo. What a treat.
Tonight's finale was one for the books. The Headliner Showtime, Rat Pack Reloaded, was one that was highly anticipated. These crooners really put on a great cruise finale and would have made Dean, Frank, and Sammy proud. Their finale of Elvis' Viva Las Vegas had the entire Royal Theatre dancing. Wow.

We lose our sea legs tomorrow as we will be on land for five days. We have been thoroughly impressed by our first two Ovation of the Seas cruises. What memories. On to the next Australian Adventure.

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Wellington is Swellington!

Mar 30

Okay, cheesy post title but after three full days of exploration, I'm getting a bit slaphappy! Our third cruise stop was in Wellington, capital city, port, and major commercial center of New Zealand, located in the extreme south of North Island.

In 1839, a ship belonging to the New Zealand Company arrived with officials who were to select a site for the company’s first settlement. The site chosen, at the mouth of the Hutt River, proved unsuitable, and a move was made to Lambton Harbor on the west shore. The settlement was named in 1840 in recognition of the aid given the company by Arthur Wellesley, 1st duke of Wellington. It was made a borough in 1842 and a city in 1886. In 1865 the seat of the central government was transferred there from Auckland.
We began the day's explore by climbing up the hill on the Wellington Cable Car which has been operating for 123 years.
In the late 19th century an increase in Wellington’s population led to the development of new suburbs, spreading out from the central city onto former farm land. Some prominent businessmen saw this as a commercial opportunity and private companies were created to oversee new developments. One of these companies was the Upland Estate Company whose subsidiary was the Kelburne and Karori Tramway Company.
In order to provide both access to the new hillside suburb which was to eventually become Kelburn, the company decided that a cable tramway was the best solution. Backed by politicians, the line began to be development in 1899. The resulting Wellington Cable Car opened in 1902, but despite its name was a combined cable tramway and funicular system. Designed by James Edward Fulton (1854–1928) and constructed by Maurice O’Connor (1840–1921), the line traverses a steep gradient, passing through three tunnels and over three viaducts. And here it still is.
Today, it was our only way to get to our destination and oh man, what a fun ride.



At the top of the Wellington Cable Car, and just minutes from the central business district, lies 64 acres of beauty, peace and tranquility. Established in 1844, the Wellington Botanic Garden is home to some of the oldest exotic trees in New Zealand.










I love the bees here.
These buildings were fun to discover. Tea breaks were an unknown luxury in the New Zealand workforce in 1911 (a Labour Government finally introduced the idea in 1935), but staff here did need a lunchroom, and in 1911 they demanded better facilities. Above all, they wanted a flush toilet. It was a three-year wait, but in 1914 they finally got one.



I do love to visit cemeteries. It's where history lives. Bolton Street Memorial Park is the oldest cemetery here and dates back to 1840.

This monument pays tribute to Richard Seddon (1845–1906). This seemingly great man was the longest-serving Prime Minister of New Zealand (from 1893 to 1906), was the first to grant voting rights to women, and instituted old-age pensions to citizens.




Our final planned stop as at the Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush, he only public botanic garden in New Zealand dedicated solely to native plants.
We were here for The Flies of Aotearoa and The Spiders Who Love Them.

"Join Julia Kasper, Te Papa’s Lead Curator Invertebrates, for a fascinating look at these little critters that might make some of us shudder, but which are all an integral part of nature."

"This walk is part of the Autumn guided walk series brought to you by the Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush Trust. This year’s selection offers a varied mix, guided by experts in their fields, that will let you explore and learn about many facets of Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush and New Zealand’s natural biodiversity."

We not only learned a great deal during our 90 minute guided explore, we had the opportunity to wander about on our own and felt like we were truly IN New Zealand.









A highlight was visiting Moko, the celebrated grandmother of Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush, has presided over the land for more than 800 years, a guardian for the largest remaining forest remnant in Wellington.

It was so wonderful to spend the day in nature! As John Muir so aptly said, "Of all the paths you take in life, make certain some of them are dirt!" We loved getting our shoes dirty today.

Scenes of the city were unique and interesting.



And we even got to watch some cricket! Wow.

Cruises to me are like appetizer plates... little bites to know if you want to eat an entire meal. We certain have found places we would like to explore more thoroughly. All have been quite delicious.

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