This entry is actually for April 12 and 13. Our shore excursions were canceled on the morning of the 12th. Akaroa is a small port where we needed to tender into the port, but the winds were up to 30 mph and higher so we couldn’t get off the ship. The other problem was that since the situation wasn’t confirmed until 7:45AM, it was too late to try and make our next port-of-call, which is Picton, New Zealand.
In Picton, our guide Lucy took us on the Picton Waikawa Track, which goes through some of the bush behind the town. Picton, by the way, is another gorgeous little seaside village. This one is smaller than most of the others we’ve visited—there are only 4,000 residents. What that means is that when a cruise ship comes in, the population of the town can double! They have a small market to show off local arts and crafts, which they only put on when there’s a ship in town. Our guide on the Picton Seaport Walk told us they’d had 52 cruise ships this season, which I’m guessing began in about October since New Zealand’s seasons are the opposite of those in the northern hemisphere.
The ship was quiet in the afternoon since many of the passengers were onshore. After our tour, we walked around a bit, then returned to the ship for lunch. Because I have Celiac disease, it can be much easier to be assured of a gluten-free meal here than onshore. However, New Zealand is far ahead of the US in its awareness of the need for a gluten-free diet. Australia is also ahead of the US, even California.
Want to follow along on our journey? Here’s a link where you can find all the entries in our travel journal.
Photos from Picton, New Zealand
Meow Gallery: The gallery is empty.
We were cruising the Hawaiian Islands in 2014 and all I really wanted to see was Kona as we had done a cruise before and saw the other islands but it was too choppy and it was the only stop where we had to tinder in so I did not get to see it. Know what you were going through.
It’s too bad you didn’t get to see Kona. Shirley. It’s a pretty little town. And unfortunately, the weather does sometimes make it unsafe for our little journeys…sigh. But, we’ve had plenty of other great sights! Thanks for commenting!