Day 36, Auckland, New Zealand (Updated with some extra pictures)

- February 12, 2023

Today we stopped in New Zealand's biggest city with 1.5 million People.

We watched our docking as we were enjoying our breakfast on the balcony.

Downtown Auckland

Our sister ship, the Coral Princess, was right behind us. She is on a 14 day cruise out of Sydney, Austrailia.

Sunrise over the Coral Princess

Our tour today was one of the Princess Local Connections excursions are designed for Princess and where you get to go to a local family business. Today it was with the owner of The Vineyard Cottages.

Welcome to Auckland

On the Bus

Soon out of the city and into the country

They like their traffic circles

Roses at the end of a row of grapevines because the bugs attack the roses before the grapevines and they can save the vines. Their canary in the coal mine.

Other plants were covered

American BBQ in New Zealand

The police officer taking it easy on this driver and was holding the mailbox up!

Stopped for Coffee, Tea, Hot Chocolate and snacks. They didn't have those mass produced teabags from the store and Toni said it was strong! Ginger Crisps were good.

Then we were back on the bus and on our way to the Maukatia Takapu (Gannet) Refuge

A beautiful overlook on both directions from the overlook

There were thousands of gannets

One of the tour guides pointing out things to Toni as one of the gannets fly by

One of our tour guides pointing out things to Toni

A selfie and a shot that one of our fellow passengers took for us

After the gannet refuge, our tour guide/host Elle Armon-Jones, owner of The Vineyard Cottages, took us to her place for a feast. First, we had cheeses and fresh baked breads with some wine. Then a meal that included Salmon, Lamb, Potatoes (White and Sweet), and salad with some wine. Then we had Apricots and Brownies... with some wine. Hey, it was a vineyard!!

Besides the bigger venue that we were at (that they have weddings, retreats and other events), they have about nine cottages.

They had a lot of "antique farming equipment in their yard.

When we got back to the city, Elle pointed out a place called Holey Moley. If you have seen the TV show, you might have an idea of the type of putt putt that this would be. It was themed with a lot of TV shows and movies.