First a quick resume of last night’s first encounter in the dining room, we are table 150 which is set for 10 however last night only saw 6 spots occupied. Currently we have a couple from Utah and a Scottish couple now living in Australia. We seemed lost on such a big table but all managed to get on famously.
Today we arrived at Tauranga just before 8:00am sailing in past Mount Maunganui on our way to the port.
Our plans today involved a private tour organised through our cruise critic roll call to Te Puia which is New Zealand’s premier Maori Cultural centre and the Te Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve which is home of the Pohutu geyser. The company we used was Archer Tours and came well recommended on TripAdvisor so we were very optimistic about our day.
We all rendezvoused at 8:30 just outside the port gates before taking the 1½ hour road trip to the site. Again the weather wasn’t with us as it poured down all the way there. Miraculously it stopped just as we parked up and stayed pretty much clear the whole time we were there.
Our guide and the proprietor of Archer Tours ( Jim Archer) gave us guided tour around the thermal park providing lots of details and information as we went. I have to say it was a really fascinating experience and I have taken many photos to look back on to remember this trip.
After the walk through the park we were then given a 45 minute cultural performance known as a mannaakitanga, this involved a Haka and then further Maori songs and dances inside a traditional meeting house. Absolutely brilliant entertainment and really great spectacle.
We also saw a Kiwi bird in a special nocturnal enclosure. They are a very endangered species and they have just a single hen on site which they are hoping will eventually produce some young.
It was a truly memorable trip and I can’t recommend it enough should you ever find yourself in the area.
On the drive back to port we again experienced torrential rain and we were very fortunate today in that it remained dry for our tour. All in all were away from the ship for just over 7 hours and the cost was $180 NZ per person which included entrance fees to the park and the cultural performance.
Tonight we are off to the cocktail hour which if the paperwork is to be believed has gone back to unlimited drinks. There are no vouchers and there is no mention of just 3 drinks. Watch this space tomorrow to find out more.