We had a great forest walk on our second day in the Bay of Islands. Our guide was great, but we couldn't find any animals or even many bugs during our walk (one owl). Learned all about their trees and plants and the stars were great. The next day, after hugging our B&B hosts goodbye, we went to the Treaty house where the Maori and British signed their pact which united the country. Then, we headed off to Auckland for a dinner with friends in the Viaduct area. The Langham is very lovely, but like the Hyatt, it is away from downtown. There is a shuttle and it is necessary to use it to get to the CBD. The Hilton is a better location for most things in Auckland and for getting to the ship is embarking, as it is right next door.

Today, we seemed to go through three different seasons. It felt like rain and a fall day this am, but gradually become a hot summer day with blue skies by 5pm. We took the ho ho bus which was just okay. While Sydney is very compact and everything in close proximity, Auckland is quite spread out. We walked around the city, went to the Antarctic Center today and then went to the Sky Tower and watched the bungy jumpers. I still have to repack. Ugh.

We thought New Zealand was a great place to visit. The people are wonderful. It has been nice to get out of the cruise bubble and become more a part of the NZ world, without 65+ of our cruising buddies.

As far as the NZ part of our cruise went, we really liked the ports, but we felt we could have given Wellington a miss. To sum up each port:

1-South Island (Dunedin, Christchurch)

Dunedin: Scottish seaside town quite like Scotland itself. Highlights were albatross, yellow eyed penguins and fur seals. However, taking the tours, you could not do both the albatross and the penguins/fur seals even though they were next door to one another. So, if I were doing this again, I would opt to do this on my own.

Christchurch: This was a great stop and we probably could have used a couple of days here. We went out to the country, into the mountains, and it was a long bus ride, but pleasant day. Those who stayed in town and/or went to the Antarctic center really had a nice time.
2-North Island (Wellington, Napier, Rotarua)

Wellington: You don't need to take a tour. You could really do this port on your own. There is a nice botanical garden and a walking tour from the top of the cable car at 10:30. You might want to get a taxi out to a beach.

Napier: Had a good half day tour to see the gannet colony. The city itself was just okay. Lots of Art Deco covered in modern signage. The beach was quite nice and in the CBD, so you could do that.

Rotorua: We took the Thermal Wonderland tour, which had 8 busloads of people. Agh. There was a decent lunch. We understand that the same tour that had a charge was the way to go. We also understand that the tour with the jet boat was excellent. There is a lot to see and do in Rotorua, so it might have been better to have done this on our own and to have avoided the busloads of folks.

Tours: These were well handled and as good as any big bus tours could be managed. Fellow cruisers were considerate and very nice. However, 65 people needing a bathroom break does eat up time. Honestly, this is the first time we have taken just about every tour offered by Regent. Usually we go on our own 50% of the time -- at least. I wish we had done that this time.

Navigator: The ship looks wonderful. It was run exceptionally well. The food, service and entertainment was excellent. I see no degradation in quality.

For those doing the Feb 2011 version of this cruise....you are doing it in the right direction as you will gain (not lose) 2 hours. Additionally, I think the Mariner is a great ship and there are more places to go on sea days.

Pre-cruise: I recommend going to the Bay of Islands. Since it is the heart of the summer, you may want to be in Pahaia, near the beach and summer sports. We never got to Queenstown, so can't comment. We loved 88 Lodge in Kerikeri and the Langham, but you might want to be at the Hilton next to the ship.

Final thoughts of New Zealand...kiwifruit, loads of rose gardens, green fields, sheep, sheep, sheep, cows, hokey pokey ice cream (It is a flavor not a company....vanilla with honey balls...yum), honey, kauri trees, seals, birds (the kiwi bird which we only saw in a zoo), beaches, cleanliness of the cities, gorgeous gardens, the lack of dangerous animals and the nicest people in the world.

As American as Australia was, NZ is decidedly more British. When we think of Australia, we will always think koala, kangaroos, wallabys, parrots, cockatoos, beaches with shark nets, and the high cost of everything due to the improvement of the Australian dollar to our own.

Doug and I look forward to returning to this part of the world but will do it as a driving trip. We plan to take in Queenstown this time, do some more extreme sports, spend more time in Christchurch, Hobart and Melborne. We will be sorry for the trip to end tomorrow.