Christchurch, New Zealand

The day  to Christchurch started off with a tender into the small port town of Arcola where we caught the bus for the one in a half hour drive to Christ Church       before the 2011 earthquake the cruise ship would come into a port about 20 minutes from the city center of Christchurch. Since the earthquake all of the cruise ships come into the port and are then bussed to for 75 kilometers into Christchurch.  The road goes along the water and then immediately heads up over the mountains on a very dramatic trip with magnificent views coming over the mountains and down into valleys and the flat plains that are extremely rich with Agriculture sheep cattle and orchards. As we started to approach Christ Church the driver started giving us more detail has to the earthquake and what transpired immediately after and then in the 7 years since.. initially the town look very normal and as we approach the downtown area we found that the epicenter of the quake was nearby and follow this straight line into the downtown Cathedral area. Then as we got downtown from started to see the buildings that have been ruined and it was very evident that the quick get some of the major buildings in the downtown area. What was done immediately was $0.02 off the entire downtown area that had been affected by the quake.  They then started a process of the evaluating the damage putting all building that were in the destroyed area into three categories yellow amber and red. Today there is a great deal of construction reconstruction repair and rehabilitation going on all over the downtown area. Much has been done in these 7 years almost to an amazing degree especially with Canterbury University buildings. The Cathedral

 

 

 

itself is there is still about 1 3 totally destroyed but they have not been able to repair the balance due to issues with the church and the city. We took the tram around the downtown area and it is a hop on hop off arrangement for about $20 a person and well worth it as it gives you a ride around the town. We had both coffee and lunch and buildings that have been hit and then repaired and are fine now.

 

After the tram ride we walked around the key Cathedral grounds and then back down to the museum and the museum was exceptional and definitely a must see. The Botanic Garden is adjacent and very beautiful and well maintained and in full-bloom today..

The photos show that destruction and the work this thing done to repair but also shows the construction on the new library as well as other downtown going areas that were hit by the earthquake

 

We met back at the bus at 3 for the 90 minutes ride back over the mountain into the port ..

and into the tenders

 

Christ Church should be a must see on any New Zealand trip and the drive is well worth it over them out as you get to see the real New Zealand farms keep cattle as well as the magnificent fields and varied agricultural programs going on in this part of the country.

 

This part of the world is unknown many but in reflecting back this is one of the most beautiful areas we have ever seen the people are very friendly they have a great outlook on life are hard working and they’re very very proud to be a newsletter

 

I think my talk on this part of New Zealand should be very practical on what you  should you do and see in the time that you have using a lot of photos.

 

 

Dunedin, New Zealand

Dunedin is a remarkable little city in that it is about 100000 people and then there are about $25,000 in the university we went in in the morning for a walk around got to see the railroad station the beautiful church octagon square and it was her a worthwhile and including going to Cadbury the railroad station is one of the most famous photo spots definitely a requirement when you’re in Dunedin. We came back to the ship for lunch then. On our tour bus took is to the Olveston house which is an old 1850 home builtby at least businessman that came here and it is a remarkable house and gardens and of course and rolls Fiat 1921 Potter so well worth it to go through the house it so it one of a number of towards that are offered but the oldest in house and tour is great. We then came back by the Dunedin Botanic Garden and if it were in bloom would be spectacular but according to one of the workers the lake heavy it heavy eat that they have recently almost killed a lot of the flowers and they’re just now coming back for their second blooming … and should last through early April.  We concluded the tour buy a nother drive thru to needing to see the downtown area and back to the ship the Scottish history of Dunedin is significant as easy as report childless and definitely a day when one of the two should be taking the railroad to repair it is quite good based on the brochures and is one of the options

 

Milford Sound, New Zealand

After a day at sea we are approaching Milford sound at 7 a.m. in the morning it is raining first impression is that Rihanna back and has appears of Norway with rapidly rising huge mountains and narrow waterways which would mean the same characteristic as the Fjords in Norway with very deep channels for the shipdto go up. We were also told last night that be yours in South America as you go towards and article are also very majestic like pigs the difference at this point with these years in Milford sound and Norway is no snow on the top of these at least that I can see now

 

Tasman Sea- Australia to New Zealand

And the two day crossing from Hobart into New Zealand we had waves that rock the boat the first night second night was fine but depending on the weather this can be a fairly up two days or smooth as last due to the current at this end of Australia it can bury significantly and the captain kept making good reports on where we were with wind explain the dropping a weather boys explain how the crew sheep ships keep in touch with each other regarding weather very well done to inform one of the status of the ocean but so far these two days for the roughest see days we had otherwise very mild

Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

We had a very interesting day in Hobart awaking in Port to see thousands of logs timber that are waiting to be unloaded onto shift bound for China Japan. We left the ship about 11 to go to the adjoining information building which was servicing both hardship and celebrity solstice that arrived earlier in the morning. From there we walked to the Information Center to get tickets for the hop on hop off bus which we didn’t road for about 2 hours as it was slow stop a lot and very hot up top. We went through the commercial area and along the marina and Bay and Harbor which is the second largest Harbor Bay in the southern hemisphere Rio de Janeiro being larger we saw the small businesses in the commercial areas of Hobart and it is a very beautiful quaint both old and new town with the foothills and mountains coming right down to the waters edge in locations mini very expensive homes both older and new on the hillside overlooking the bay and the Tasman see. We came back through the CBD known as the central business district and then got off and walked back to the ship for a late lunch. Then later in the afternoon all day and I walked to the Salamanca Salamanca which is a street full of restaurants and bars very very pretty very European looking and right past the park called Parliament Park very beautiful.  Hobart is a city of 200000 and very interesting and that for many years has used the lumber industry as their basic source of economy it has since run to include a university and a large medical facility and serves as the capital city or the state have passed mania.   I suggest and that visitors to a heart first go to the Information Center and look at the vendors and displays then take the 20 minute walk along the bay and along the marina to the Information Center and then if interested in more than just the immediate downtown area take the hop on hop off bus which is a reasonable fair of about $30 a day

 

 

Port Arthur, Tasmania, Australia

Port Arthur is a most historical town just to the north of Hobart, the capital of Tasmania. As we approached the bay of Port Arthur it became very obvious that this area was incredibly heavy wooded….which started to verify that 90% of Tasmania is wooded…..

  1. The Bay is one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and was discovered in the early 1800’s for its timber…and in 1930 became a timber outpost for Australia , 2. Needing workers, the Australian government in cooperation with the local business people in the lumber business, decided to bring convicts to the area as laborers…and in 1833 created a Penitentiary for convicts that then became the labor force. It grew from there for the next 40 years….thus the current ruins and remains of the original town as well as the small current town, Carnarveron.
  2. The Ship docked in the bay and we got on the Tenders to go ashore…and this entire procedure was orderly and well done…with about a 12-15 minute ride in to the dock. From the dock it is easy to go to the Vistors Center and from there take a leisurely 2 or 3 hour walk around all of the buildings which have been renovated and modernized as much as possible, still making it a kind of museum…
  3. The detailed history of Port Arthur is well documented, and info on the prison, the prisoners, and their work and activity is well presented. Very well done.
  4. Included in the Ship package was the 25 minute boat tours around the Bay…where you can see where the Boys prison was, as well as the Island of the Dead, which was their cemetery.
  5. This is a great one day stop…..just enough time to see this beautiful area.
  6. In summary, so far Tasmania has been a must see spot if you enjoy natural beauty with mountains, beaches, wooded areas, and little towns right down to the waters edge….one of those best kept secrets.
  7. Another factor about Tasmania is that it is one of the southern most points before you get to Antartica. I am told the part of Antartica that is easiest to reach is from South America….but if you look at the world map you can see that Tasmania is almost as far south. One of the slogans in Burney was “welcome to the edge of the World”…..and seems to be true. But, also one of the most beautiful that we have seen in that you have the feeling of the tropical areas along with the mountains and the trees…

 

We are in Hobart now….which is about a 2 hour ship journey south from Port Arthur. Gorgeous wooded mountains coming right down to the city of Hobart, which has 200,000 people….and I I write I am looking out on acres of labeled logs ready to go on ships for export. Probably 500 containers here either filled or empty but extremely well organized and all seem to be in order. We will spend 2 days here…should be interesting.

 

All for now,