08. South Pacific Cruise

New Zealand

Bay of Islands

What a ride! One of the great experiences on this cruise. We were treated to a one hour tour of the Bay of Islands “wind in the hair experience” we all enjoyed as kids. The weather was fine and sunny to match the experience.

Getting ready for Waitangi day at the top of the tour.

Shirt ripped when knocked to the ground.

Just after the ride, I had a freak accident and was transported to Whangerei Hospital to have a CT scan on my head and upper body. I’m ok – now. We were under a large umbrella at a bus station and a bus hit the umbrella which sent the other side of the umbrella harpooning to the back of my head. I was knocked out and flat on my back on the ground. After the ambulance came they transported Lyn and I to Whangerie hospital about 90 minutes south. After a CT scan, and a good “going over” the doctor gave us the ok to leave the hospital and return to the ship. We then had an overnight at a motel followed by a 2 and a half hour transfer by car on to Auckland. We rejoined the Noordam two days later in Auckland.

Once reinstating our passenger status with the ship, we met up with my sister in law Lynn, (Lynn lost her husband, David my half brother, last year), a niece Sue and her son, Reece. We spent morning tea/lunch with them and then met up with a couple we had cruised with in Croatia, John and Marion. John and I both have head-splitting sneezes and have often recorded our sneezes and sent to each other via messenger. He used to be a country vet and who knows how many animals “up and got away” when John sneezed.

Almost every port we’ve been to so far has had a surprise element or a great catchup with past friends or family.

Tauranga presented us with a BIG surprise. In Honiara, we had checked the travel agency where Lyn worked in the late 1980s. We were hoping to meet up with Ane. However, we had no information that Ane had moved. Lyn had made previous contact with Don, the boss from the Honiara travel agency, and he met us at the ship to take us on a tour of Tauranga. He has, pre Covid, built his travel agency group in Tauranga so there was a lot of talk about travel and destinations. We dropped by his home and when we walked in, a dark lady was sitting in shadows in the lounge. It was Ane from Honiara who now lives nearby. What a surprise!