Tauranga

We had a lovely day for our first day ashore. We didn't hear or feel the ship moving from Auckland to The Port of Tauranga which is actually at Mt Maunganui 4 km from Tauranga.  Another huge cruise ship the Nordaam was in port too so there would have been at least 4000 extra people seeing the sights in Tauranga and places further afield like Rotorua.  

We got the local bus in to Tauranga, forgetting to flash my gold card so paid for the trip but remembered on the way back after we had visited the Art Gallery,the library and The Elms, a very early mission house, built by Archdeacon Brown who came to the area in the 1830s. It was a lovely old house, full of antiques dealer artefacts.  A very knowledgable guide  showed us around house library and garden.

It was a long hot walk into town where we got a bus back to the ship where we indulged in a very late buffet lunch.

Feeling Cruisy

We embarked on the Golden Princess yesterday at Queens Wharf.  It is so much easier to get on a cruise ship two kilometres from home without having the long trip to the other side of the world, which was the case in the past when we explored the rivers and waters of Europe.

The Golden Princess is a large ship . There are 14 floors with 2000 Aussies and 350 Kiwis on board.  It helps if you are good on stairs as it is quicker to use them for a couple of floors at least,than wait for a lift which just may be full of people going where you want to go.  

Our cabin is very nice and comfortable, plenty of wardrobe space and has a porthole. We met our nice Phillapino steward early on who explained things to us and got us an adaptor.  Hope we can pick up TV at least when we are in port .  So far we have only managed to tune into The Sound  of Music and a documentary on Picasso.

Dinner was fine dining in one of three general restaurants. We chose Anytime Dining with a table for two when we booked our cruise as our travel agent suggested.  It is like going out for dinner a deux which is what we would like to do at home without having to make small talk with people you don't know, can't hear properly and don't have much in common with. That said they asked us whether we would like to join others which we will no doubt do at other mealtimes when we have relaxed enough to share pleasantries, news and views with our cobbers from across the Ditch. We are all much of a similar age with a sprinkling of wheelchairs and walking sticks.  

The menu was very inviting with lots of seafood.  I chose crepes stuffed with crabmeat for an an entree and seared scallops with a tomato and caper sauce  around a small mound of ratatouille which was topped with some  wilted spinach, all very artistically presented, for  a main. We both chose creme brulee for dessert, a very generous-sized dish too.  Time enough for healthy options tomorrow or the day after.

New Market in Western Springs

Friend Fr told us about this new market over next to Western Springs College on  the edge of the Motat aviation park .  It is a food market with all sorts of yummy things to buy and sample as well as  a few collectible and antique stalls.

Wasn't anticipating buying much but in the end made the most of the opportunity . There was a stand from Clevedon selling  fresh lush looking herbs and vegetables as well as beautiful posies which D bought one of for me.

 I put them in a lovely willow pattern jug that he bought for me in 1974 in a Tinakori Rd op shop for just $7.

Also bought some radishes, the first of the season to go in our daily salads for a few days.  Here they are in a Katie Gold bowl shaped like a boat which we bought from her studio in Upper Moutere some many years ago.

Next was an Indian food stall, Mum doing the cooking, Dad the marketing,offering passers-by samples of the cauliflower and onion ring pakoras, and son serving up one's purchases.  Bought 3 samosas with tamarind sauce before ambling on to the next stall to catch my eye, one selling Christmas goodies - cakes, little mince tarts as well as traditional NZ baking treats.

Decided to get some little mince tarts and a Christmas cake so that I have something on hand when we come back from holiday on 12 December.  

Here is the cake sitting on one of the cute table mats I got from friend A in Edinburgh .

The little mince tarts are sitting on a Christmas tea towel from friend P.

Last but not least I bought some meaty pork sausages with no preservatives from the Neat Meat butcher (of Ponsonby Central fame) which we had for our tea last night. 

Home after that to be greeted by  E with the tragic news of the Paris terror attacks which  has cast a pall over the rest of the day and weekend.

Waiheke

Approaching Waiheke and in Oneroa in reverse order!