After another quiet night on the Tasman Sea we awoke at 08:00 to find us in a light swell and still heading west to Hobart. Later in the morning the cloud built and by the afternoon the wind was from the north and rain was in the air.

Overnight we made good progress on the two-day journey to Tasmania. Today is a day-at-sea and started with a slight chop and sunshine which continued through the afternoon. The day ended with calmer seas and a dramatic sunset.

At 08:30 we were off the entrance to Dusky Sound fjord in the southwest of South Island. Here westerly winds are forced to rise over the mountains so rainfall is plentiful and they are covered with temperate ‘rainforest’ of red and mountain beech trees. We have left the original landmass of NZ – the breakaway

We docked at 07:00 alongside the containers in Port Chalmers, about 10 miles away from Dunedin and for a change in a landscape dominated by sedimentary rocks with the intrusion of a few volcanoes and some big volcanic activity. Colloquially known as the ‘Edinburgh of the South’ by the Scots who moved here from 1848

After a calm overnight crossing, at 07:00 we arrived at Lyttleton under a clear sky with a hint of sunrise. We docked near container ships, again the port was dominated by former volcanoes. Lyttleton is the port for Christchurch 10 miles away across a small mountain range pierced by a tunnel, but our coach tour

We arrived at Picton, South Island – Te Waipounamu, at 7:00 a.m. after the overnight crossing from Wellington. We are in a fjord about 2 ships wide which meant we had to reverse with the help of pilots into what is normally a giant lumber dock. We are in a small port at the head

Overnight the storm subsided and, as we entered the Cook Strait, all was calm. We arrived at Wellington, NZ’s capital and smallest in the world  sited within a volcanic caldera with many bays formed by differential erosion. Houses have been upon the less steep slopes of the crater but partially hidden by the dense forest.

We were informed yesterday today’s visit to Napier was cancelled because of a forthcoming storm system with high winds and seas that prevent tendering from the ship to shore. At breakfast time from our room it was not particularly bumpy and the waves looked rather large, but when on Deck 2 and eating breakfast we

Overnight we travelled to Tuaranga in the Rotorua region. This is an ‘elderly’ hotspot where the magma is close to the surface but volcanic eruptions are infrequent, though earthquakes are more common. Here hot springs and hydrogen sulphide-loaded steam, geysers and mud pools are common. The area has been the home of Māori people for

Boarding formalities for the cruise started for us at 12 noon after the ship Noordam had arrived and was ready to receive passengers. We are in Stateroom 10002, i.e. Deck 10 out of 12 and room 002 at the front, port side. Safety features and evacuation procedures have just finished (3:00 p.m.) and we are