Today we visited the town of Napier, our final stop on the North Island of New Zealand. It was the site of an earthquake that leveled the town. When they rebuilt, they decided to rebuild all the structures in an Art Deco style. It makes for beautiful architecture. As a result, one of our activities was a tour of the city with an emphasis on the Art Deco style and the history of the makeover. I chose the alternate program and headed to the headlands of Kidnappers Bay to visit a gannet colony. Bird colonies are unique places with not only hundreds of birds at the nesting sites but also a swirl of birds overhead as they continually come and go from nests. These colonies are magical places where we can behold a celebration of life. Check out our photos to see just a few images of our time at the colony.
12/19/2024
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National Geographic Orion
Day at Sea toward Tauranga, New Zealand
Today was a sea day on National Geographic Orion as we sailed up the east coast of New Zealand followed by bottlenose dolphins towards our destination, Tauranga. A sea day on our great ship is always full of activity, starting off the day with presentations from Cultural Navigator Tua and followed by Cultural Specialist and New Zealander Alex Hillary. A fantastic Filipino/Asian themed lunch was prepared by Chef Rannie and his amazing team and ably served by Maître d’ Mio and his spirited team in a very joyous and excited room of hungry guests. After a short rest from lunch, guests were invited down to deck two to judge a Christmas hallway of decorated doors. A competition was held where crew members would decorate their doorways in a Christmas theme, using whatever decorations they could find or make. The Christmas spirit was truly alive with festive colors, decorations, and happy Christmas songs as guests were wowed by the artistry and original creations.