All the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies were filmed outside of Auckland, New Zealand in a town called Matamata. Of the 42 people in our tour group, I was the only one who hadn’t read the book, or seen any of the movies. I was surrounded by 41 aficionados who happily snapped pictures and bought bags of Hobbit souvenirs. There was even a marriage proposal that took place right out there on the grounds. Take a guess at what the wedding theme will be.
After the Hobbit movie set tour and a delicious lunch of steak pie and carrot cake, we drove to Waitomo to see the underground caves. The guides do an excellent job explaining the formation of the stalagmites and stalactites, and how the caves were discovered over 130 years ago. Then we entered a boat that took us underground. As our guide maneuvered the boat in the cool, dark, damp and sometimes dripping cave, we stared upwards to see thousands of pin-dot lights emitted by the worms. Truly an attraction not to be missed if you plan a trip to NZ.
If you’re looking for an ultra luxury cruise, Silversea is perfect for you. I sailed on the Silver Muse from New Zealand to Australia in February 2024. 11 decks, max pax 596, with crew of 411. Gratuities, shore excursions, drinks and wi-fi — all included! For solo travelers, they arrange a meet up daily with a crew member attending. The all-suite cabins include a balcony and personal butler. My butler Blaise, a very pleasant chap from Cameroon, delivered my morning coffee & croissant daily, and ice & limes for my evening cocktail. I had no problem falling and staying asleep on their luxurious Italian linens, blackout curtains and gentle rocking of the ship.
One of the nicest restaurants on the Silver Muse is called The Silver Note. It has about 14 tables, and offer live jazz music each night. This highly coveted restaurant requires reservations as do several others on this ship.
Our first port stop was in the Bay of Plenty, an area notable for the treaty that was signed between the Māori chiefs and British government in 1840. Twenty four of us paddled a double hulled canoe, called a waka, and learned about the plight of the Maorians. It was a fascinating experience and I came away with a sense of reverence and respect for this culture. To this day, it’s kept alive by the indigenous people through their customs, culture, arts and beliefs.
Wellington, the capital of New Zealand is a very cool city to visit. The major museum, Te Papa Tongarewa displays a colossal squid measuring 2.5 meters (8 feet). Caught in 2014, it is the only colossal squid on display in the world.
I did get a chance to play golf at the Miramar Links Golf Course, a public course near the airport. It was easy to get to via the airport express bus. From the airport, Miramar is a short 5 minute walk. It’s very windy, but a decent course. The locker rooms and clubhouse are clean and well kept. The clubs, irons and pushcart are rusted but worked.
In my high school history class, we were taught that Australia was where the criminals were sent. My visit to Port Arthur, Hobart, Tasmania provided an eye-opening awareness which expounded that history lesson. Port Arthur was a penal colony back in the 1830s and not all criminals sent there were murderers and molesters. Some were sentenced for stealing a loaf of bread or forging a bogus check. One rather humorous story was about a man who said his grandfather was sent to Port Arthur for stealing a rope. After researching further, apparently the story is half true. There was a horse tied to the other end of a rope. Port Arthur was originally commissioned to rehab the prisoners and train them to lead productive lives when they served out their term. The main export was timber and the prisoners labored in lumber. The tour of Port Arthur and surrounding islands could easily have taken half a day but getting there and back in time for sailaway made the excursion way too short. Best to go on your own so you can wander through this UNESCO heritage site at your leisure.
Another highlight of Hobart is the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. Here you can see wombats, echidnas, quolls, cockatoos, tawny frogmouths, and of course the Tasmanian devil in their natural habitat. Injured animals are brought here and then released when they have recovered. For a fun experience, they let you feed pellets to the forester kangaroos who are gentle and docile.
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Aloha from Arizona. I love your blog. Truly living the good life! And I am living it with you, albeit but vicariously. Keep em coming my friend.
Thank you Sheila. Glad that you’re enjoying my stories.
I love seeing your travel photos and reading your informative and well-written posts. You always describe exactly what I’m interested in reading about!
Thanks Wendy. There’s so much more, but I try to keep it short.
Dear Val, I love seeing and reading your travel posts, and this New Zealand one was no exception either, it’s very educational, interesting, and very easy to read! Your Silver Seas cruise ship looked amazing and I loved all the photos you took! Keep them coming and I can live vicariously through your vlogs!
Xoxo,
Susan
Thanks Susan. I appreciate your feedback!
Great photos and insights of your adventures. Keep ’em coming!
I forgot to mention that there was a casino on board the Silversea. Glad you liked my post. The next one will be about my cruise to Scandinavia on Celebrity.