Last port! Amazing, we cannot figure out where the time has gone! Since we’ve been to Auckland a couple of times before, we didn’t have anything special planned. Just wandering and museums. Got  out fairly early to make the opening of the Auckland Museum, about a 40 minutes walk through the city and a couple of great parks. We wound our way through the relatively empty streets up into the hillside, passing through Albert Park – a gorgeous green space with flowers and statues and a fabulous view of the Sky Tower, the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere. This whole area was really affected by the rain last week – and there are trees and limbs down across the paths in some areas. But today, the weather is beautiful and it is a lovely way to start the day.

After climbing (yes, mostly uphill) through more of the city, we finally make it to the Auckland Domain, a monstrous park built on top of an old volcano above the city. The Domain was totally flooded last week in the rains, but today, all was fine. You could definitely see the remnants of the water flow, lots of mud and broken pavement,  some trails closed, but overall, fortunately not much damage. 

In the middle of the park lies the Auckland Museum, which was just opening as we arrived. Unfortunately, due to the storms, their credit card processing system was down. So this sweet gal walked us all over the museum to different entrances and machines, but couldn’t get any of them to work. She had us wait in the coffee shop while she went to find someone to help, and after a lovely cappuccino, we ended up getting in free. Bonus!  To top if off, it was an amazing museum. Tons of exhibits and not just on the war – the bulk of the museum is devoted to Maori culture. They had artifacts and displays from all the different Polynesian islands too. We spent a great time wandering from room to room, exploring the jewelry (yes, #45 is a dog’s teeth necklace, and #57 is a fox teeth choker – eek), the traditional dress, the ceremonial huts (rebuilt to scale, I might add!) and the modes of transportation, i.e., canoes!

Plus the whole top floor was the War Memorial exhibit. That alone was was incredible with entire planes (a Spitfire and a Zero) hanging from the ceiling and a very poignant Hall of Memories.

All in all, we spent 3 hours there. There was so much to see! Then we headed back to the CBD, past the front of the museum which looks like the White House, back through the park and down into the city where we found a cute little Irish Pub for a light lunch of excellent shared chicken tenders.

After lunch we found the Auckland Art Gallery Toi O Tamaki, which was free – for real free.  And we were sort of glad it was free. Overall, it was slightly underwhelming. Except for one exhibit which re-examined paintings through an LGBTQ lens. Essentially, the gallery took all these paintings and portraits from the 1800’s and earlier, then described them from a current day perspective.  All of the paintings dealt with some sort of gay or trans subject, but at the time, the artist and the public would never have thought that way.  They dissected all the different pieces of one painting of a married couple, the effeminate way the man was sitting, the book over his crotch, the fact that he was reading poetry, a shuttlecock (the badminton thing) at his feet, the woman’s poise and bored look on her face.  All explaining that the man was gay and the woman knew it but was resigned to being together because of the era.  Totally provoking and fabulous. 

Our last stop of the day, which was next to the ship, was the New Zealand Maritime museum which was the best! First off, the girl at the ticket counter was from South Carolina,  Hilton Head to be exact!  So that started a whole conversation that held up the line forever – sorry people! Then the museum itself was fascinating. Displays on everything from old seagoing vessels to teh actual boat that sailed the International America’s Cup to a whole section on the Quincy’s – the dad was the first to row single-handedly across the Tasman, the son did it 33 years later. We loved the whole thing!  

Then it was the short walk back to the ship to prepare for our Ultimate Balcony Dinner! Yes, we sprung for the dinner, well, sprung being relative because we had non-refundable credits to use. Plus, we have the Ultimate Balcony to do it on – let’s not forget that. And we are in port until 10pm so we don’t have to worry about rough seas or windy conditions. So why not?

OMG! We will never diss the Ultimate Balcony Dinner again! It was fabulous! The best food we’ve had on the ship – and that’s saying alot because pretty much all our meals have been good. We had the best time. First the waiters come in and set everything up – and they are so sweet. The table looks beautiful. Then we are served course by course. First up are the little canapes, then the crab cake appetizer, which actually looks like a quiche, and was extremely good. Then salad, and then the surf and turf. Real lobster (not the spiny lobster junk) and the best, most tender, melt in your mouth filet you’ll ever have. Seriously incredible. And to top it off an irresistible dessert (and for us to say that, you know it was irresistible!) – the Princess Quartet, 4 quenelles of chocolate mouse; dark, milk, Swiss and white, all topped with a piece of dark chocolate and fresh raspberries. Stuffed? You betcha! Worth the discomfort? Absolutely!

Fortunately for us, tonight is the Hypnotist again, so we don’t have to leave our cabin at all. And after that meal, who wants to? So we are spending the full evening in the cabin. So worth it this suite!

And tomorrow we are on to our last sea days before heading to Bali!