November 29, 2024

ST. KITTS, West Indies

A P&O Cruise Ship with 5,500 passengers and an AIDA Ship with another 3,000 passengers were both in port at ST. KITTS with us today. The Port shopping, ferries, water taxis and beaches were packed. We decided to get out of town and go to Nevis Island - to explore the more quiet and upscale areas. Below shows port area at St. Kitts and then taxi drive south, with overlook stops to see where both oceans are visible over narrow stretch of land. The Atlantic (rough water) to left and Caribbean (calm seas) to right, looking south toward Nevis. The beaches down at this south tip were lined with umbrellas and tons of English and Germans packed in.

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Private Water Taxi  way to go! Going over and coming back 10 minutes each way! Great ride!

NEVIS ISLAND - Lunch at the 4 Seasons! Rod's quote "this don't suck!"

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Our new friends in Nevis told us after lunch, we had to stroll down the beach to the Sunshine Cafe and swim & get Bee Stung! So we did and the Bee Sting is house special, rum punch, with honey and lemon juice. We each had a mini and left our mark on this place.

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WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND

By Patricia Patrick • March 4, 2026
We had a beautiful sunny day to explore Wellington ! Was a very nice change from the stormy, big swells weather we have had the last two days! Wellington is the Capital city of New Zealand and the CBD is nice and big with lots of shops and museums. We didn't make it to the LOTR studios due to the time crunch but we took the cable car up to the top, for a scenic overlook of the port and then leisurley walk down through the Botantical Gardens, parks and historical cemetary.

ROTORUA CITY HIGHLIGHTS - NEW ZEALAND

By Patricia Patrick • March 3, 2026
Rotorua became a bonus city for us. Our Port stay in Tauranga got cut down to one day, due to NZ biosecurity regulations and since we really wanted to do Hobbiton, we decided to get off the ship and stay in hotels and get back on the ship, in a few days. Due to a variety of factors, the Ship ended up doing a quick pick up of us in Tauranga, three days later. The Kiwi's we encountered along the way, who helped with all our last minute details, were amazingly kind, hospitable and generous. Below is our tired, chilly group huddled at the security shed, outside the Port in the wee hours (1:30 am) Monday morning, awaiting our final hurdle of getting back on our Home. Home sweet home! What an adventure!

ROTORUA, NEW ZEALAND

By Patricia Patrick • March 3, 2026
Rotorua, New Zealand is known for it's geothermal activity ( geysers, mud pools, hot springs) and rich Maori culture . I saw lots of that last time I was here in 2016, so this time I wanted to see their Redwoods in Whakarewarewa Forest. John and Colleen joined me in exploring. Their redwoods are smaller than the ones in Muir Woods California, but still impressive. Both are planted forest dating back to around 1908.