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| Auckland |
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| Auckland Harbor |
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| Agrodome |
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| Sheep Shearing |
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| Maori Meeting House |
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| Geyser |
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| Geyser |
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| Maori Dance |
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| Maori Warrior |
Feb 20, 2017 When we were forced to bypass Tonga, arrangements were made to arrive in Auckland a day early. We had a day at sea and arrived at 17:00 in the afternoon. After dinner, Sandra and I left the ship and walked a short distance into town. The walk gave us a chance to find an ATM and get some New Zealand dollars.
The events prior to our arrival included the last lecture by Pip Burley, “The Golden Age of Song - George Gershwin”, another great presentation. I also attended Professor George Losey’s talk on “Fishes of the Coral Reef”. The evening show was tenor Benjamin Makisi with songs from the South Pacific Islands.
Feb 21, 2017, Our first full day in Auckland. We have a ship’s tour booked today. We are taking a bus trip to the spa town of Rotorua. The city is located in an active volcanic area with hot springs, mud pots and geysers. The city is also a three and a half hour bus ride from Auckland.
Getting from the middle of Auckland to the outskirts of the city was the slow part of the journey. Once in the country, the ride became very pleasant, green rolling hills, wide valleys and some rugged hills. For a short period of time, we were driving through small hills that were really small volcanic eruptions. Five miles before reaching Rotorua, we stopped at the Agrodome, a sheep exhibit, farming display, show, tractor and wagon trip around the farm. The show included a live display of all 19 varieties of sheep found in New Zealand. Then there is the sheep shearing demonstration all done in about a minute and a half. Followed by the sheep dog demonstration. This was all done on a large enclosed stage. We then were given time to walk through the gift shop.
Back on the bus, we drove the five miles to Rotorua and the Te Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley and the Maori Heritage Center. We talked our guide into doing the buffet lunch first. A very good lunch, the equal to the lunch served in the Lido. After lunch, we visit the school where Maori young men were taught the wood carving techniques used by their forefathers. The young ladies were taught various weaving techniques using natural fibers. We walked down to the geothermal area with several active geysers, limestone terraces, and mud pots bubbling and boiling.
Walking from the geothermal valley, we stopped at the kiwi bird display. The kiwis are nocturnal only coming out at night. They fool the birds by keeping them in dark enclosures during the day, so they are active. At night, the lights are turned on and the birds go to sleep. However, seeing the birds in a darkened room is not easy. I am not sure if I saw a bird or not.
The last event was a welcome ceremony performed by the Maori men and then several dances performed by both men and women. All of this was done in a traditional Maori meeting house decorated with wood carvings and painted a deep red color.
Going back to the ship, we drove around the city of Rotorua, stopping at an old Victorian hotel with a large garden and bowling greens. An hour into our trip back to Auckland, we passed through a village that is about twenty miles from the sets of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies. We did not see the movie sets. However, we did see the Library in town, built to resemble a Hobbit house.
Late in the evening, we left the city of Auckland and headed north to The Bay of Islands
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