At Sea: Tasman Bay, New Zealand, 1/5/2023, National Geographic Orion
Aboard the
National Geographic Orion
Australia and New Zealand
Onboard National Geographic Orion we awoke again in the sheltered Tasman Bay (Te Tai-o-Aorere), that was originally known in English as Blind Bay. Feeling grateful for calm sheltered waters from the nearby passing storms, we soon hauled up the anchor and continued around the coast and eventually back on our course heading south towards our destinations on the South Island of New Zealand. By the afternoon we had the swell and the wind following us on the stern providing us with a comfortable cruise.
The day at sea passed very quickly with plenty to absorb from our expedition team providing a range of intriguing presentations and evening recaps. National Geographic Orion’s outstanding hospitality team kept our spirits high and our appetites quenched! With busy days yet ahead of us on our journey, today was a day for relaxation and contemplation.
Erin Katie is a biologist from the Northern Territory Australia. Having grown up in remote parts of the country such as the Kimberley and Central Australia where she developed a curiosity for landscapes, ecology and particularly the wildlife.
Enter travel details to receive reports from a single expedition
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Send Daily Expedition Reports to friends and family
*By clicking the submit button, I authorize Lindblad Expeditions to email me; however, I am able to unsubscribe at any time. For more details, see our Privacy Policy.
Please note: All Daily Expedition Reports (DERs) are posted Monday-Friday,
during normal business hours. DERs are written onboard the ship only and do
not apply to land-based portions of expeditions.
Today began with an early breakfast while the ship was moored in Torrent Bay in Abel Tasman National Park at the top of South Island. Departing on Zodiacs, we joined a local operator to explore the beautiful coastal park. Abel Tasman is usually known for turquoise water, sandy beaches, and warm sun. We experienced the tail end of a big rainstorm that dropped a summer’s worth of rain in one day on the northern part of New Zealand. As we began our walks through the forest of the park, the rain subsided, giving us an accurate experience of New Zealand’s temperate coastal forests! Abel Tasman is a recovering ecosystem after deforestation led to most of the ancient kahikatea and tōtara forests to be felled. Our walk took us through a mature kānuka forest with large groves of silver ferns called ponga. Our guides showed us how the forest is recovering with secondary canopy trees like rimu. Alongside the ponga groves were swathes of kawakawa, an important shrub for the Maori who used it in all sorts of applications because of its medicinal properties. Some bolder members of the group even copied the kererū and ate the kawakawa fruit, which has herby orange flesh. Arriving back at Torrent Bay, we split into groups to wander the stunning beachfront and swim in the warm water. We were welcomed back aboard with an incredible feast of pizza and other scrumptious, well-earned food after the morning walk. With the anchor pulled, National Geographic Orion set off to reach the town of Napier on the East Coast. Our route took us into the Cook Strait between the North and South Islands, which was astoundingly calm and mirror flat. As we cut through the still waters, Tua Pittman, the ship’s Cultural Navigator, regaled us with stories of amazing ocean voyages aboard traditional double-hulled wakas. The history of these incredible canoes is full of traditions and designs, and the canoes once sailed across this wild stretch of water in the Cook Strait.
With smooth, following seas, National Geographic Orion made her way north along the western coast of New Zealand’s South Island. As day broke, the massive peaks of the Mount Cook Range were under clear skies with a touch of alpenglow light on the ice- and snow-covered peaks. At 3,724 meters, Mount Cook – or more appropriately called by its Maori name, Aoraki (Sky Piercer) – is the tallest peak in New Zealand, the crown of the Southern Alps. We sailed for most of the day with this dramatic coastline on our starboard side in clear view. Late afternoon brought light showers and low clouds, only to be cleared off by northerly winds and high pressure. Along with the stunning scenery and very pleasant weather that afforded us the opportunity to spend quality time taking it all in on the decks, we were escorted by a near constant presence of albatrosses and other seabirds. They glided gracefully in the light winds on a near constant quest for food in the waters of the Tasman Sea, the body of water separating New Zealand and Australia, nearly 1,200 kilometers away. Throughout the day, several presentations were scheduled. The first was on “Threats to Seabirds in the Southern Ocean” by Jayden O’Neill. Cultural Navigator Tua Pittman shared the story of the peopling of the South Pacific and their epic voyages. Lastly, National Geographic representative Ralph Lee Hopkins spoke on travel in the days before Covid-19 changed the world. Our day was punctuated with a brief but impressive sighting of two blue whales, the largest animals that have ever lived.
The light at dawn made the calm waters of Doubtful Sound shimmer as National Geographic Orion slowly cruised through, admiring the steep walls of another part of Fiordland. On our way up the western coast of South Island, guests were treated to coastal scenery beyond belief in transit to Milford Sound.
