After yesterday’s stellar weather, I was expecting more this morning when I went out on the Terrace Deck around 6am. I wanted to see the Golden Princess sail into the deep natural harbor that is home to Port Chalmers (the cruise ship port) and Dunedin, about 7.5 miles further inland. The Princess Patter had promised a sunny day with temps around 60F, and I was hopeful. Instead I was greeted with a chilly fog and drizzly rain. How disappointing! I grabbed a bowl of cereal in the Horizon Court Buffet and when G didn’t appear, returned to the cabin. He was still sleeping and that was all it took to tempt me to crawl back into bed too. Not the best start to our day.
Finally, around 8:30am we did get up and sat in the Horizon Court Buffet where I had breakfast #2 and we watched the low clouds outside. We were joined by a wonderful couple from southern Brazil (in the Pampas region) who had studied in Vermont and so spoke perfect English and we chatted until after 10am. By then the skies had finally started to lighten and the day began to look like the Princess Patter said it would and we decided to go do...something.
Our original plan for today was to ride the Seasider train from Dunedin, and we had booked it ourselves online, but were contacted yesterday and informed that the train had mechanical issues and would not be able to run today. Well, shoot. The last time we were here, we took the historic Taieri Gorge narrow gauge railroad for an all day excursion up into the mountains. This had been in April 2006, and we were thrilled to see all the autumn colors along the way. The Taieri Gorge train ride is, I think, the very best excursion offered in this port, but at $340 AUD (over $250 USD) per person, it was not one we needed to repeat.
We decided instead that we wanted to find a way out to the scenic Otago Peninsula, on the south side of the harbor, but given our late start, weren’t sure we would be able to get there. Well, we lucked out meeting tour guide Arlene who has lived in Dunedin for 27 years and trained in tourism at the local college but who is originally from the Philippines (really). She had a new mini van and we hired her for about four hours to show us the sights on the Otago Peninsula. We ended up being with her for over five hours, as she was passionate about showing us the best of her home town and the surrounding area.
The Golden Princess in Port Chalmers.
I was stunned by the beauty of the peninsula, all green rolling hills brushed with expansive patches of wildly blooming gorse and dotted with grazing sheep, with the Pacific Ocean on one side and the crystal blue water of the harbor on the other. We rode out to the end of the peninsula on the high road that twisted and turned across the tops of the hills, until we reached the Royal Albatross Centre at Fort Taiaroa and the Taiaroa Lighthouse. We toured the center and then walked out on boardwalks that extends over the ocean to take pictures of the lighthouse and see the New Zealand fur seals playing in the water below.
You can see how the many shoals in the harbor cause Port Chalmers to be missed in
periods of high winds and low tides. They even have a dredging boat to go before
ships to clear the channel.
From Google Maps, the Otago peninsula on the right with the shallow, winding
route through the harbor to Port Chalmers.
New Zealand fur seal, spotted from an overlook near the Royal Albatross Center
(on map above).
Taiaroa Lighthouse
We returned to Dunedin via the coastal road, and were amazed at the difference between high and low tides in the area. We saw numerous small boats anchored on mud flats at low tide, and boat houses on pilings hanging high above the water. The entrance through the harbor to Port Chalmers is very narrow, and, in periods of exceptionally low tides, a dredging boat has to go before ships to open the channel. The Otago Peninsula was, at one time, an island but land has been reclaimed to connect it to the mainland and the city of Dunedin (the South Island’s second largest city with a population of about 150K). The concern now is that the recent severe earthquake activity in Christchurch, just a few hours drive away might trigger a tsunami that would wipe out all the development on that reclaimed land.
Mud shoals at low tide. The tides vary quite a bit here. In fact, the ship’s gangways
are set up at two heights, to Decks 5 and 6 like in Alaska.
Once back in Dunedin, we first went to an ATM because we had no New Zealand currency, and then to the picturesque Dunedin train station. We had seen this when we did the Taieri Gorge train ride 11 years ago, but, as the most photographed building in New Zealand, it was worth a second visit. We did skip the Cadbury factory, however. Dunedin is the home of Cadbury chocolates, but we really don’t need (and I can’t have) chocolate. Arlene next took us to the top of historic Signal Hill for panoramic views of part of the Otago Peninsula, the harbor, the Pacific Ocean, Dunedin and the countryside south of the town. This was where we could really understand the tsunami risk. Despite most of the area being very hilly, there area of reclaimed land that connected the Otago Peninsula to the mainland is pancake flat.
Still not done with us, Arlene took us to Baldwin Street, certified by Guinness as being the steepest street in the world, and G climbed up it. Because of course he did. And our final stop was at the Dunedin. Botanical Gardens, opened in 1863, where the large rose garden was in full bloom, as were the rhododendrons, and we also toured the Winter Garden conservatory. I was really impressed with the gardens, especially the fact that they were free. The day had turned brightly sunny and warm and lots of locals were out enjoying the flowers and lawns of the gardens.
It was 4:30pm when Arlene dropped us back at the ship. We had certainly seen the best of the area for the US equivalent of about $218 for over a five hour private tour. We were so fortunate with the weather and the fact that our day fell into place after all. We showered quickly and went to dinner at 5pm (starving!), but ate quickly, because we wanted to be on the open decks for what was certain to be a spectacular sail away at 6pm. It takes the ship about 30 minutes to get to the mouth of the harbor with breathtaking views on both sides the entire way. I lasted longer on the Promenade Deck (it was chilly by then!) but eventually joined G in Skywalkers where he had fled to watch the views when it got too cold.
Views at sail away.
They may consider it an invasive weed, but I loved the blooming gorse on the hillsides.
People lined up along the road on every curve to wave as the Golden Princess sailed by.
Taiaroa Lighthouse through the windows in Skywalkers.
Taiaroa Head of the Otago Peninsula.
Leaving the harbor.
I could easily have called it a day, but production show Stardust was being performed in the Princess Theater at 7:45pm, so we went to that, and it was as enjoyable as ever. G is still out to hear comedian Steve Allison in the Vista Lounge but I was up earlier than him this morning and needed to end my day...after preparing and publishing this post, of course. These are early days on this itinerary; with several ports in a row, I can’t afford to get behind.