After a day at sea, it felt good to set our feet on land again, especially when that meant hiking the forest trails and golden sand beaches of Abel Tasman National Park. At the northern tip of South Island, occupying a blunt peninsula between Tasman Bay and Golden Bay, Abel Tasman is known for the beauty and rich living communities of its land and seas. We spent our day wandering the winding trails through the forests of tree ferns and kanuka or strolling along the beach on a photo safari.
11/11/2024
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National Geographic Orion
Napier
Our first full day on North Island, New Zealand was spent in Napier, the art deco capitol of New Zealand. Many opportunities to fully grasp the splendor of this unique town and surrounding area were afforded to us, including independent explorations (on foot or by bicycle), the National Aquarium of New Zealand, Art Deco Town tours, and of course the Australasian gannet colonies out at Cape Kidnappers Cove. It was truly a glorious day filled with sunshine and warm spring weather. The statue “A Wave Through Time” is modelled on Sheila Williams, daughter of Ernest Williams, one of the notable architects of the post-earthquake rebuild era. The statue also features a greyhound, although Sheila had horses not dogs, images of exuberant women with elegant dogs were a popular theme during the Deco period. Sheila was also the Carnival Queen of the New Napier Carnival in January 1933 to celebrate the town's recovery from the earthquake.
