new zealand
° Auckland ° Bay of Islands ° Devonport
° UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Auckland
Because of my daughter's illness in Roratonga, Cook Islands, we were not able to spend much time in New Zealand. We were initially going to stay in Auckland and venture out from there. However, because of her weak condition, we decided to stay in Devonport, which is a quiet little town across from New Zealand via ferryboat (in the same way that Sausalito is a somewhat quiet little town across the Bay from San Francisco). I spent some time at Auckland's wonderful maritime museum digging through articles on shipping, and found information on Captain James H. Blethen, my great-great grandfather which is on The Maritime Heritage Project site.
Like many major cities, Auckland has one of those Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus Tours, meaning you buy day passes and venture around the city at well. We've utilized these sightseeing busses in London, New York and San Francisco and find them a great way to see city sights at low cost. Auckland's includes 14 attractions such as Kelly Tarlton's, the Auckland Museum, Mount Eden and the Sky Tower.
Bay of Islands
We missed this overnight cruise through the pristine waters and spectacular scenery around the Bay of Islands. The cruise includes hotel pickup and drop-off, dinner, breakfast, snorkel gear all on the Ipipiri, a four-story state-of-the-art ship offering stylish interiors and 30 staterooms. The rooms are spread over two decks and include full sized ensuites and seaviews. Two other decks offer a spacious sundeck and a 70-seat restaurant with indoor/outdoor dining and bar. Learn about the Bay of Islands historical and cultural significance as Ipipiri cruise meanders through the 144 islands. When the ship anchors, you will have opportunities to take part in activities including snorkeling, kayaking and swimming.
Devonport
If someone said, "You have to move now. Pick a place. Go." My first thought would be Devonport, New Zealand. Beautiful. Small. Sophisticated. And just a ferryboat ride away from Auckland.
Although there are many hotels in Auckland, including the chic Hotel Lighter Quay just across the Bay by a quick ferryboat ride, our preference was the Esplanade Hotel. The Esplanade is a boutique hotel on the waterfront in Devonport and not seem to be on any hotel search site, although they do have their own Web site.
Devonport is an historical maritime village with many beaches, colonial architecture, an excellent range of specialty shops, cafes and restaurants. While we choose to stay in Devonport at the 100-year-old elegant Esplande Hotel right on the waterfront, the town can be easily reached from Auckland as the ferry trip takes only ten minutes from downtown Auckland direct to Devonport Village. If you are driving, it's about a twenty-minute drive over the harbour bridge.
Merge Sausalito and Berkeley, California, and you have the charming seaside town of Devonport, New Zealand. Numerous bookstores and a library intermingle with restaurants, pubs and boutique shops lining the main street leading up from the 100-year-old Esplanade Hotel. (While there, The Esplanade’s superb staff catered to my daughter, who was recovering from an illness, by watching over her and delivering ice cream, chicken soup and magazines.)
Spacious sitting rooms in the Esplanade's suites overlook the ferryboat landing where a ten minute cruise across Stanley Bay lands at Auckland’s Quay Street with the exceptional New Zealand National Maritime Museum, Princess Wharf and the Oriental Market. Art galleries, Albert Park and Auckland University are also a short distance from the docks.
As for the beaches, while they are vast, New Zealand would not be a place I would visit for beaches. The weather . . . at least when we were there . . . is "temperamental." At no time did we think a day sufficiently warm to visit any beach. Of course, we had just arrived there from French Polynesia and the Cook Islands with their sublime temperatures, turquoise waters and white sand beaches.
However, for beach walking/combing, Cheltenham Beach is only one mile away from the ferry terminal. Along King Edward Parade you will pass the Devonport Yacht Club, The Masonic Tavern and the cricket green. A lovely restaurant is located at the beach.
At the northern end of the beach, at Vauxhall Road and along Victoria Road, there are shops, cafes and fine restaurants, a few bookstores, the Devonport Library, wonderful boutique clothing shops, a movie theater, day spa, pubs, the post office, and just about everything else you would need.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in New Zealand
- Te Wahipounamu – South West New Zealand (1990)
- Tongariro National Park (1990, 1993)
- New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands (1998)
Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude