Day 2 Tauranga, North Island, NZ

Abridged version of todays blog:

After a restless night in a different bed, we were up early for coffee before heading to La Terrazza for a buffet breakfast. Before our 9.30am Maori Experience tour, we were unexpectedly asked to meet New Zealand Customs again, despite having already done so when boarding the ship.

Tauranga, the sunny gateway to the Bay of Plenty, greeted us with views of sweeping beaches and fertile farmland dotted with kiwifruit, citrus and avocado orchards. Rain was falling heavily when we arrived at the Maori Cultural Centre, where we were formally welcomed and learned about Maori culture inside a beautifully carved meeting house.

After refreshments, young Maori warriors delivered a powerful and entertaining performance of traditional dances, ending with a dramatic haka. We then returned to the ship via a scenic route, arriving mid-afternoon and enjoying a late lunch by the pool. Skipping dinner, we finished the day with canapés and gin and tonics as Silver Moon departed Tauranga, watching the tugs guide us through the narrow channel before an early night.

The longer version.

After a somewhat restless night in a different bed, we were awake by 6.00 for our morning coffee.  The machine takes coffee pods and I'm not in love with the coffee but beggars can't be choosers.  It was then off to breakfast at La Terrazza for a buffet breakfast.  

Our tour today is a Maori Experience that departs at 9.30 but prior to leaving we are asked to have a face to face meeting with New Zealand Customs officials.  We explained that we had already done this when we boarded the ship, but apparently nothing was recorded!

Tauranga is New Zealand's sunny capital with wide sweeping beaches and surfers curling across cresting waves.  Tauranga is also the entry point to the Bay of Plenty.  As we head towards the Maori Cultural Centre we pass by the hanging Kiwi Fruit farms as well as citrus and avocado farms.

It takes us around 30 minutes to arrive at our destination and by this time the rain is tumbling down.  When the other buses arrive we all huddle under a small shelter where we stand with women to the front and men to the back.  We are welcomed by one of the Maori warriors, who looked more threatening than welcoming, and then led to the meeting room.  We are asked to take off our shoes before we enter this building  that is full of beautiful hand carved artwork.

For the next hour or so we are told about the Maori Culture and then invited to ask questions.  It was all very interesting but I found myself losing attention at times.  That is typical of me who would rather read  than listen.  There is no photography allowed inside or outside of this building.

After the talk we are taken to the large dining room for refreshments.  There are three stands selling Maori trinkets but nothing that grabs my eye.  It doesn't take long before young Maori warriors, both male and female, take the stage for a brilliant and entertaining performance of some of the traditional dances.  Of course we finished with the Haka.  This is the Maori war dance that can be quite terrifying to watch with all the feet stamping, thigh slapping and "big eyes".

It was a great performance and afterwards the warriors go outside where we are invited to join them for photographs.  The views from here, over the bay, are fabulous.

It's time, once again, to board the bus for our return trip to our ship.  Our bus driver takes us a different route where we have some truly spectacular views from the bus and lookout.

We arrived back at the ship around 1.45 and by this stage I was starving!  So straight to the pool deck grill for shared fried camembert with dipping sauces followed by a tuna salad sandwich for me and salmon wrap for Philip.  As it was such a late lunch we skipped dinner last night and got the butler to bring us canapés washed down with Gin and Tonics.  

Silver Moon departed Tauranga at 7.45pm and we watched as the tugs manoeuvred us into our departure position through the narrow channel.  Quite fascinating.  We were in bed by 8.30!