Cruise Day #44 - Fiordland National Park, New Zealand

As we were leaving Oban yesterday, the Captain announced that the overnight winds would reach 45 knots (52 mph)! That meant rough seas ahead… and he wasn’t kidding!

There was a nice crowd gathered in the Observation Bar as we sailed away from Stewart Island. At dinner in The Restaurant, we were seated next to a solo traveler who turned out to be one of the ship’s new entertainers, Nyree — a vocalist performing a Celine Dion tribute in a couple of nights. It was a pleasure getting to know her, and she joined us afterward for fellow vocalist Jennifer Gray’s performance in the Grand Salon. We’re even having dinner together tonight — this time at the same table! Jennifer's show was impressive, she sang mostly show tunes.

When we woke up this morning, we were already cruising through the Fiords. (Fun fact: Fiords and Fjords are the same word — “Fjords” is used in Norway, while “Fiords” is the New Zealand spelling.) It’s sunny today with just a few clouds. The naturalist’s commentary was available on the TV bridge cam channel and also being broadcast in the Observation Bar and Seabourn Square.

After toast and cappuccinos in The Restaurant ☕, we made our way up to the Observation Bar. Both the lounge and the outside viewing deck were quite busy. I snapped a few photos from the deck, although they really don’t do justice to the incredible scenery. 

We stayed up there for over two hours just soaking in the views.

By noon, hunger won out, and we headed to the Colonnade where — surprise! — it was Mexican lunch. All the favorites were there, including chilaquiles and churros. Muy bueno! 🌮

Yesterday, we were invited to a gathering this afternoon for the viewing of Milford Sound, in the Penthouse Spa Suite of our friends C & M. It was a lot of fun — beautifully catered by the bar and restaurant team with plenty of canapés, caviar, champagne, and wine 🥂. The aft suite was huge, with an equally massive veranda!

The guests were all part of our new circle of friends, and we had a great time! And the sights were absolutely stunning.

 

Cruise Day #43 - Oban, Stewart Island, New Zealand

As anticipated, the seas were rough again as soon as we left Port Chalmers yesterday afternoon 🌊 The rocking and rolling continued overnight until we reached the waters surrounding Stewart Island this morning, at the very bottom of New Zealand’s South Island.

After dinner last night, it was way too rough to stay upright, so we retreated to our stateroom and fired up Netflix — sometimes survival mode calls for streaming! 😄

This morning, we took the water shuttle into the tiny village of Oban on Stewart Island. 

You can see Oban in the center of the photo below. The photo was taken in the afternoon, after the sun made an appearance!

Oban has a population of only about 300 residents and serves as the gateway to Rakiura National Park. The rare kākā parrot thrives here, and it’s also one of the best places to spot the very elusive kiwi. 

Unfortunately for us, kiwis are nocturnal, so no sightings this trip! We were fortunate to see kākās in the wild during a previous trip to Wellington. Photo courtesy of Google. 

I did, however, spot a kererū (aka New Zealand pigeon) perched in a tree. 

It took us all of 15 minutes to explore the village, and thanks to the less-than-inviting weather, we passed on hiking into the park. Some photos from around the village. 

I spotted some nice blooming Asiatic Lillies.

Back onboard for lunch, I enjoyed another delicious locally sourced fish — trevally (aka araara). Always nice to sample the regional specialties!

Tomorrow, we’ll be cruising through Fiordland National Park, including Milford Sound. A naturalist speaker boarded yesterday and will be providing commentary during our transit — should be fascinating.

Details in tomorrow’s blog… 👀

Cruise Day #42 - Dunedin, New Zealand

Last night, the ship almost didn’t make it out of port. The wind and seas were blowing like crazy! On our first attempt to navigate the narrow harbor exit, the winds kept pushing us back toward the pier. Eventually, two tug boats had to push us sideways to get us clear of the harbor. Once we were out… boy did it start rocking! The waves were huge 🌊 The Captain later announced we were in 6-meter seas — and that it would stay that way throughout the night.

Despite the motion, we had an amazing dinner at Solis. We both started with the Lobster Ravioli (sorry, no photo!), which somehow tastes better every time we have it. We then shared the Branzino al Sale (baked in salt crust) — so good. 

Dessert was Bourbon Vanilla Gelato with macerated berries… wow!

Afterwards, we listened to the band in The Club until it was time for the show in the Grand Salon. The music was great (several Bruno Mars hits 🎶), but the seas were way too rough for dancing!

The Seabourn Singers and Dancers performed another fantastic show. The place was packed, and it looked like everyone thoroughly enjoyed it.

This morning we docked in Port Chalmers — and honestly, we were surprised the ship made it in. The seas were still very rough until we began our approach to the tiny port. And it was POURING… sideways rain ☔💨

We were up early for our excursion, which met downtown in Dunedin, about 30 minutes away. We checked with our tour operator, Clearwater Wildlife Tours, to make sure it was still on. Rachel, the owner, assured us that the penguins, fur seals, and sea lions don’t mind the rain!

So off we went on the free shuttle into town, where we met Rachel and our guide, Quinn. Along with us was another couple from the ship (San Diego), plus three shoreside couples — one from the UK, one from Australia, and one from the Netherlands.

And I must add — the rain and wind never stopped all day. Most of the time it was blowing sideways!

During the 75-minute drive out to the Clearwater sheep farm, we saw loads of birdlife — including hundreds of black swans (introduced from Australia years ago). Other sightings included:

Pūkeko

Paradise Shelduck

Spur-winged Plover

Pied Oystercatcher

White-faced Heron

Royal Spoonbill

Pied Stilt

Red-billed Gull

Unfortunately, photos were nearly impossible in the wind-blown rain.

Once we reached the coast, we hiked down to a covered blind to view New Zealand sea lions, New Zealand fur seals, and the rare Yellow-eyed penguin. 

We only spotted two penguins, but plenty of sea lions and fur seals. Again, photos were a challenge, but I managed to get a few 📸

I could not get a photo of the penguins, this one is courtesy of Google. 

After about an hour, we headed back to town and caught the shuttle to the ship.

Tomorrow we’re scheduled to visit Stewart Island — and rain is not in the forecast… fingers crossed! 🤞