Day 77: Akaroa

The rockiness of yesterday evening abated sometime overnight, and we actually slept fairly well. I watched the final part of our sail into Akaroa harbor this morning from the Horizon Court Buffet and took my phone off Airplane Mode as soon as tender operations began. The Golden Princess’ anchorage was considerably further away from town than it had been during our last visit here, and I had just enough of a local cellular signal to receive a text containing horrible news about an extended family member. However, I didn’t have enough of a signal to get a phone call out to Mom. I covered the ship...top, bottom, forward and aft trying to get internet, to no avail. And the ship’s WiFi wasn’t strong enough to call out either. 

Akaroa Harbour Heads

Eventually, we tendered to shore where I did have a signal and made a phone call. It’s hard to move past news like that, and we did not feel up to taking any tours (we had already done what we believe was the best one, Pohatu Penguins, during our last visit). Still, we took a nice walk along the harbor and beach and up on the hill on one end of the harbor. The views accompanied by the solitude were just what we needed. Though the day had started (typically for New Zealand) overcast and chilly, the afternoon was sunny and warm. There were plenty of families in Akaroa for the holidays, and the water was full of kayakers and SUPs and even jet skiers, though everyone was wearing wetsuits. 

Boar War, WW1 and WW2 Memorial

We tendered back to the ship about 4:30pm, leaving just enough time to get cleaned up before going to dinner at 5:30pm (shrimp, salad and sea bass with roasted peppers and broccoli). Sail away started about 6:45pm, and we opted to skip vocalist Donna Campbell’s show in the Princess Theater in favor of going up to Skywalkers to watch the gorgeous views of Akaroa harbor and the sea cliffs of the Banks Peninsula. 

Shrimp starter

Sea bass 

We sat alone in Skywalkers until nearly 9pm as the eastern coast of New Zealand faded in the distance, waiting for sunset. It was nearly 9:20pm when it finally sank into the ocean but now, at 9:50pm, it is still light out and the entire horizon is aglow in oranges and reds. What a fantastic time of year to be this far south!

Ship’s webcam at 9:50pm

Today was our final tender port, and tomorrow in Port Chalmers is the final port of our seven cruise season. Given an empty cabin, I think we’d stay even longer. G said today that, except for the Pacific Princess in French Polynesia (which we know will never be topped), the Golden Princess has been the best ship experience of any of our extended cruise seasons, and these itineraries have been ideal. Five countries, varied climates offering different kinds of activities, and always with those friendly Aussies...it will be hard to see this one end.