Rasheeda's Travel and Food Blog

Rasheeda's travel and food blog

Category: New Zealand and Australia Cruise, November, 2017

Hobart to Sydney, Australia on Noordam / New Zealand and Australia Cruise, November, 2017 / Travel Blog

Hobart to Sydney, Australia on Noordam

Hobart to Sydney, Australia on Noordam

Fiordland National Park offered spectacular scenery leading us to two sea days as we were headed to Australia. Of course, Hobart, Tasmania would be our first stop in Australia. Tasmanian sea guarded its reputation of being ferocious. Its wild  rough water continued to manifest in 5-meter-high swells most of the two days. I had written Hobart off as an unexciting, and unwelcoming little end of the world from where I wanted to get away as fast as possible. But when we got there I fell head over heels for Hobart. Now I tell all travel fiends that It should definitely be on their travel radar.

When we got to Hobart we took a tour which was to last for 8 hours, starting with the Bonorong wildlife sanctuary. We saw kangaroos, Koalas, hedgehogs, one of the hedgehogs had its one front leg amputated and was hobbling about happily, wombats, lizards, Tasmanian devils, and native birds. Tasmanian devils was once native to Australia, but now can only be found in the wild of Island state of Tasmania. Tasmanian devil are carnivorous. We were told by our guide that if  Tasmanian devil finds a dead body it wil eat the entire body including its clothes and all the belongings, such as bags and all its contents in a record time. Also they run very fast and hide. We got lucky and captured some really good photos. Koala who had decided to sleep all the time, suddenly decided to wake up for us and examine everything around him. Although wildlife sanctuary was a glorified outdoor zoo, but the animals were different, even unique like tasmnian devil.

Tasmania Devil

After going through the Bonorong wildlife sanctuary, we were headed toward the Russell falls

Russell Falls, Hobart, Tasmania

 and took some pictures before returning to the bus to go to Karringa Farm, in Hamilton which was quiet a drive. Karringa Farm has really been the highlight of the entire cruise. A family run farm which is run like a tight ship. When we arrived, we were guided to restroom area to freshen up, and then done to head towards a large hall where everything was set up for a barbecue meal. generous amounts of barbecued lamb was served right off the grill with very fresh salad, bread rolls, and butter. After the meal, they gave us a tour of the whole farm which was very educational. We had an opportunity to see sheep shearing  with a talk about what follows with the cut off woolen fleece of sheep,and how  different part of the wool is used for export for making variety of products out of it. After that there was an interesting display of sheep round up with the help of dogs. This activity is country’s oldest cultural tradition. It was an impressive performance by the dogs, and by the people who run the farm. 

The most impressive thing about the farm was the fact the farm is run by several generations of the same family. A young guy who was our guide for the farm had a big part in running the farm with his parents, had a  great attitude and a sense of responsibility which was exemplary. They also had farm accomadations which are run so well that they are winners of Tasmanian tourism awards. They got a place in Tasmanian TOURISM HALL OF FAME for 3 consecutive years. On the way se saw poppy fields. To most people poppy is a pretty garden flower, but in Tasmania it is a big opium business. They refine it and produce drugs such as morphines and codiene etc. It is an eye catching and lucarative crop. Apparently, some people steal them for their individual use. It has become a huge concern because it can be lethal and some people have died by drinking tea brewed from it.

 

We went back to the ship for another day at sea which ended in Melbourne, Australia. We had two family members with whome we had arranged to meet. Both young families with little kids. They lived, at least, one hour away from the port. They both knew to meet us at a designated place around 9:am. One of the family, Adil and Afreen, came at 11:am and the other, apparently,  tried and  couldn’t contact us due to phone connection problem. Unfortunately, both our phones were on the blink.  We had to get back to the ship no later than 5:pm. Therefore we decided to go with Adil and Afreen who were there for us.They were kind enough to do this with three little kids. We didn’t have much time but they were keen on taking us around in the available time. Since Jaffer’s phone was dead, we stopped at the first Apple store we saw. It was more than hour’s waiting to get someone to look at it. The girl was good and said that the phone needed some cleaning which will only work temporarily and for the phone to work well we had to leave the phone there and pay a charge of $145/-. We didn’t have enough time for it. Anyway, phone was working for the time being. We went around before stopping for lunch in an authentic Turkish restaurant for a delicious lunch. After lunch they  dropped us off to board the ship around 4:30 pm. we had to spend another day at sea before getting to our next stop, Eden, Australia. We spend another day on shore but took no tours. It was just a regular day with some shopping. We found sweatshirts with a very reasonable price tags  from a store which was owned by a Pakistani guy. After a fun time at Eden we headed back to board the ship which would sail in the evening to its last port, Sydney, for debarking the ship. Debarking the ship is not like checking out of a hotel. Ship is not just accomadation, it is also transportation so there is not just bills to settle, but also customs to clear after international travel. It is rather complicated procedure but the ship’s public address system and the ship’s most pertinent disembarkation information which is included in the daily newsletter is very helpful. 

 

We debarked in Sydney and took a taxi to our Airbnb. We have a niece, Badar and her family who live in Sydney,and knew about our arrival in Sydney. They came over the same evening and took us out for dinner. They were generous with their time and hospitality for our three days stay in spite of the fact that they both worked full time and have two adorable kids. They took us shopping, sightseeing, and to the best restauarnts where we had great meals, not to mention the meals she fixed when we were at home with them. After a great stay in Sydney we left for a direct flight to LA and bumped over the Pacific, I am sure, over the entire flight. LA to Boston was a breeze and I was happy to be back home.

I have to say that the whole trip was just amazing and my deep appreciation and thanks goes to all those people who took it on themselves to take on the task of entertaining us with devotion and love for which we are deeply grateful. Thank you guys. We owe you one and would love to see you in the US for a chance to return the huge favor by entertaining you all.  

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Napier to Fiordland National Park / New Zealand and Australia Cruise, November, 2017 / Travel Blog

Cruising from Napier to Fiordland National Park

Cruising from Napier to Fiordland National Park

Napier is a coastal city on New Zealand North Island. It is famous for Art Deco architecture. Most of the buildings were built after the devastating earthquake in 1931.  We only had few hours in Napier and  spend a lot of the time in the museum where most of the art was related to the Earthquake. We got back on board for 6; pm departure for Wellington.

Wellington, the capital of New Zealand was our next port of call. Its reputation as a Windy Wellington didn’t seem justified the day we were there. Though it was cold, but not windy when we were out. Tried to go on cable car but for various reasons couldn’t do it. Walking around we saw the parliament building, and Beehive building which is a very impressive Federal government building. 

When we  got back on board, we saw the timber ready to be exported from the Wellington port, since forestry is a significant industry in New Zealand.  we  relaxed and had dinner etc. until it was time to depart at 11:pm arriving in Picton at 8: am. We had less time in Picton. After breakfast we disembarked arriving downtown Picton. Strolled around did some window shopping and outside one of the stores saw a black sweatshirt with New Zealand’s silver fern stamped on it. Went in to find out the price and also found all kinds of artifacts with New Zealand symbols. There were lots of koru pendants from which I ended up buying one along with the sweat shirt with silver fern. Kiwi bird, of course, was another symbol I had to look for and found some snack plates with Kiwi birds. Now have all three New Zealand symbols in my possession.

 Our next stop was Akaroa which was a tender port. When we disembarked, we had to go on  tenders to get to this small town. It  had beautiful victorian villas and plenty of cafes and restaurants to savor. Because the original port Lyttleton was destroyed in the 2011 earthquake, Akaroa became the port and is the base point of excursions to Christchurch. Our stay there was very pleasant. We walked around the town until it was time to go back to the ship. First available tender brought us back to the ship. The next day was scheduled for cruising the Fiordland National Park. We were informed that the best way to see and enjoy the Fiordland National Park from the cruise ship was find a comfortable spot in the observation area. On Noordam the observation area is a chic and elegant lounge in the front of the ship. It has a cocktail bar which meant the drinks and snacks were flowing through out the day when you luxuriate on  designer furniture with huge windows all around  to view the spectacular scenery of Fiord National Park. Only problem with the place was that when a special time like cruising the Fiords, it was not only mobbed but also full of fair number of bullies who grabbed the best seats in the house and made sure they, and their friends had those seats for the day. Anyway, We just did the best we could under the circumstances. From there we were to have two sea days as we were headed to Australia. Of course, Hobart, Tasmania would be our first stop in Australia. We were warned that the Tasmanian sea is notorious for very rough water. And boy! Was it ever rough. It was so rough that we had 5-meter-high swells most of the two days. It was scary and noisy and made most people nauseous, and  we were grateful, relieved and happy at the prospect of getting some sleep when we arrived at the port of Hobart very early morning bringing us to the first port in Australia.

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New Zealand and Australia Cruise, November, 2017 / Tauranga (Rotorua) New Zealand / Travel Blog

Tauranga (Rotorua) New Zealand

Tauranga (Rotorua), New Zealand

 When we got up in the morning, we had already arrived at Tauranga, our first port of call. The name Tauranga in Maori means “Sheltered Anchorage”. We got ready and went for breakfast to Lido (a huge self-service dining area with variety of food stalls from all over the world) on deck 9. It was mobbed and we had difficulty finding a place to sit. There was so much choice that it seemed like a very difficult choice. Still we manged a good breakfast.  After breakfast we went out to meet Gayleen, and Lou, who offered to pick us up and take us around in the time allowed. We had met them in Barbados while on vacation. We told them about our then upcoming cruise to New Zealand and they kindly offered to meet and take us around. When we disembarked, they were already waiting for us. They are an amazing couple. They dedicated their precious time taking us around to places that we never ever would have been able to visit, see, or even know about. They showed and educated us about Maori culture. We couldn’t have found better people to educate us about Maori culture, as they did because of their Maoris roots. They took us to important places like Rotorua, which is known for its Maori culture. Among its fascinating attractions are its shooting geysers, bubbling mud pools, and natural hot springs. While driving we noticed that there was a faint scent of sulphur a reminder that Rotorua is part of a volcanic zone.

It was interesting to see the thermal pools and even more so to see them used for cooking by the people living there. Our next stop was in Whakarewarewa, the area which is inhabited by native Maori, for an authentic experience, which no tour could have provided. We saw that they wrapped the food in foil which was cooked in a Hangi. Hangi is a Maori oven which is simply a pit dug in the ground. Traditionally food was wrapped in leaves, but they wrapped it in foil before placing in wire baskets. These wire baskets are placed over hot stones at the bottom of hangi. Then they were covered with wet sackcloth before putting mounds of earth on top to trap the heat for the food to cook for 3 or 4 hours in one of those thermal cookers made of earth and stones. It was an interesting reminder that underground stoves are also widely used in Middle eastern countries where a whole lamb is roasted in underground pit while it is wrapped first in leaves and then in a tight bundle with a sackcloth which is then placed in a pit stove for several hours, before it is removed to cut and serve. It is called Mandi. Mandi meat falls off the bones and is utterly delicious.

Hangi is not the only way Maoris cook the food. Where we were standing the hot geysers were all aound us. They had make shift rods extending into the heat and steam coming out of the bubbling mud baths and geysers. On these rods there were attached hooks. When they wanted to cook something, it was wrapped tightly in a cheesecloth bundle leaving an extension long enough to hang it down from a hook on the rod to cook the food with thermal energy. To show us how the process worked they wrapped some corn in a cheesecloth and hung it on one of those hooks to cook in the thermal heat. Cooked corn then was transferred to a plastic bag and tossed with salt and butter for us to enjoy the supernal taste. In the very spot some people were cooking vegetables, and some others were preparing food wrapped in  cheesecloth bundles by hanging it on to the available hooks in a bubbling hot bath. 

Gayleen and Lou also took us to see silver fern which is endemic to New Zealand. The unique feature of these ferns is that the leaves were green on top with a silver underside.  Its sprouting new fronds curled into a spiral called koru.  For Maoris, it is a symbol of new life and appears in all their art, carvings and tattoos. In Maori art, greenstone koru is a symbol of creation. Because of its circular shape it conveys the idea of perpetual movement.  In one of the stores, they had pendants in koru’s spiral shape representing unfurling fern frond symbolizing new life, growth, strength and peace. The sprouting frond made me think of a curled fetus in mother’s womb. Just like a baby, beautiful curled sprouting frond unwinds as it  grows and matures.  

 

The final treat for us with Lou and Gayleen before we went back to the ship was a visit to Lou’s mother, Zohra, who lives in a beautiful cottage on Lake Rotorua, in the region of Bay of Plenty. She invited us for lunch she made with her niece. The interesting part was that it was an Indian meal. A delicious chicken, and potato curry, roti, and rice. And for dessert we had golden Kiwifruit with ice cream. But these kiwis were pink inside instead of green as we know it, a big surprise! They said that the pink kiwi only grows in New Zealand. (Great lady, thank you Zohra).

Gayleen ad Zohra

(Apparently kiwi fruits were originally called gooseberries, an edible berry native to China. They made their way into New Zealand where they were grown commercially for export. The name kiwi was given because of fruit’s fuzzy appearance and skin color  that is  similar to the feathers of kiwi bird, New Zealand’s national symbol. But that is just one story, there are various other explanations is to how and why the name came about).

We really enjoyed our lunch while sitting on the porch where the table was set at a stone’s throw from the Lake Rotorua. The luxurious view, of the shimmering lake where anglers were walking around in the shallow part of the lake to catch fish, was incredible. Ultimate ambience, ultimate meal, and company provided to us by friends who made us feel like one of their own. I felt really grateful that we met them and were able to experience this phenomenal journey of sights and insights made possible by this special couple. After some relaxation and getting to know each other, our hosts, Lou and Gayleen, took us back to the ship.We sailed away from Tauranga and arrived at our next port of call, Napier, NZ.

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New Zealand and Australia Cruise, November, 2017 / Travel Blog

To Auckland on Noordam, Holland America Cruise line

 To Auckland on Noordam, Holland America Cruise line

Noordam, Holland America Cruise LIne. Stock photo

We flew into Auckland, New Zealand on November 1, 2017. At the airport, we were met by Nizam, Salma’s son.Salma is our first cousin, and her son lives in New Zealand. He came to receive us at the airport and  drove us to the apartment we booked for three nights where we planned to stay before embarking on our ship, Noordam, Holland America Cruise line for our New Zealand, Australia cruise. It was a centrally located, cosy, one bedroom apartment with basic amenities, such as a small refrigerator, microwave, and a stove. With Nizam’s help we settled in, got the internet connection, and got adapters from the front desk. Since this apartment was part of a hotel, they provided the adapters.

Nizam left promising to come back to take us for dinner to a restaurant. He returned on time, and very thoughtfully brought milk, sugar, and teabags for breakfast, for the following morning just in case we wanted to stay in. He then took us to a Hyderabadi restuarnat for a great dinner. Nizam is one of the  large group of people from Hyderabad, India living in Auckland. This Hyderabadi diaspora has carved a niche for itself in the food business in Auckland. And it was a treat for us to be so far from home and yet enjoy great home food. We returned after a great evening,  and delicious food with Nizam. The journey had wiped us out. We went to bed and had a good night’s sleep.

We got up fairly early, and just as we got ready Nizam was there to make sure we were alright, and to help us with the breakfast. Instead of staying in for breakfast, we decided to go for breakfast to a Dunkin Donut. We found a satellite dunkin donut and had donuts that were lot smaller, seemed like it must be in keeping with the size of the place. Even coffee sizes were smaller and  didn’t taste quite the same as in the U.S. which was a normal experience while traveling to different destinations.  After breakfast we went to the War Memorial museum in Auckland. Museum’s collection concentrates on New Zealand’s natural, regional, and military history and  beautiful construction gives it the satus of New Zealand’s finest heritage buildings. There were extensions built after the World War 11 to house all the memories including the names of all those who lost their lives.

 

On the ground floor of the museum a gallery which contains artefacts dating back to the time when Maoris came to New Zealand from Polyneshia and settled. There is a magnificent carved wooden gate to the meeting house in the gallery which contains host of objects for presentation of Maori everyday life. Maori people have been able to retain their ethnic identity inspite of the modern pressures and influences. We were able to see the Maori Haka dance they perform twice every day at the Musuem. Haka dance is a ceremonial dance performed before going on to the battlefield, and also after the peace  was accomplished. It was very interesting, and was a fierce display of pride, strength, and unity. Their fiery actions of foot stamping, tongue protrusion was accompanied with women’s delicate action of constantly fluttereing  their fingers in the manner, as if they were humming birds, was awesome. All the while they danced there was a loud Chanting and body slapping by all the dancers.

We stayed in Auckland for three days, and Hyderabadi  restaurant became our regular haunt, except a few times, when we had lunch at the food court in the mall, or grabbed something quick from a fast food joint to save time for sight seeing which included One Tree Hill, a volcanic peak in Auckland, NZ. The idea was to go up for the view across the Auckland area. I opted to stay in the car because of what seemed like gale force wind  I can never deal with. Jaffer and Nizam decided to climb the mountain but, of course, they quickly discovered it to be impossible as it was too windy and they returned promptly. We had a light meal at a fast food place before returning to the apartment.

One Tree Hill Monument, stock photo

 

In the morning, we went out and spend some time driving around, had lunch before getting dropped off at the port. Our cruise ship was to set sail at 6:30pm and we had to be on board before 3:pm.

 All went smoothly with the boarding process except Jaffer and I got separated in the commotion of security as we got on board. I experienced a few minutes of panic because all my stuff was with him including my passport. I had visions of getting arrested and never to see the light of day. Yes, it sounds like exaggeration but it can happen? Anyway, all went well when we found each other. We headed to our stateroom 7145 which was one of the Neptune suites with wrap-around aft balcony. Even before we settled in, there was loud announcement calling all passenger to go to an assigned deck for a safety drill. Obedience was exacted saying that those who don’t follow the rule will not be able to go on the cruise. The deck seemed crowded but they made everyone fall in line with a military discipline.It was done fairly smoothly and quickly. We were all back in our cabins planning the exploration and fun. We set sail at 6:30pm from Auckland.The evening progressed according to the timetable given to the passengers. we sailed away from Auckland to our next port of call, Taurranga (Rotorua).

View from the Ship

 

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