Stepping off in Auckland
Our second and last stop in New Zealand was Auckland. We had an early excursion time so that meant breakfast in Oceanview and then off to the theater, where we were escorted off the ship, thankfully without a tender today. We didn't understand why we had to be off so early though, as we had to stand around in a long line for the ferry that would take us to Waiheke Island to leave at 9AM. The ferry ride was relatively calm and gave us good views of both Auckland and the harbor.
On the Bus
We were met at the dock by our bus driver, who led us to our big red bus for the day's excursion. He drove us first to Mudbrick winery, where he used to work as cellar master. While we didn't taste any wines here, it provided some great views of both vineyards and the harbor.
Stonyridge Vineyard
Our first wine stop was at Stonyridge Vineyard where we were greeted outside the vineyard for our first sip, which was the Stonyridge Reserve Viognier, a nice fruity wine made with grapes from Waiheke Island. Then we walked up into the vineyard for our next wines, Fallen Angel Sauvignon Blanc and Fallen Angel Pinot Gris. The Sauvignon Blanc is made from grapes from Marlborough. The Pinot Gris is a blend of wines from other vineyards in New Zealand.
Onetangi Beach
The bus took us next on a tour of the island, stopping for a little while at Onetangi Beach, where we were able to walk out onto the white sand and take some photos of the ocean.
Batch Winery
We were driven to the top of the hill to Batch Winery, which was another stop with no wine, but a chance to see some incredible views of the island back towards Auckland.
Cable Bay Winery
Our final stop was at Cable Bay Winery, where we would be served some snacks along with our wine. We were not as impressed by the wines at this location as the first and the server did not provide any explanation or description of the wines except for the list provided on the table.
Back to the Eclipse
The bus dropped us off at the pier where we had a short wait for the ferry back to Auckland. We thought about doing some shopping but decided to just walk back to the ship.
We headed to the room to change where Janie decided to take a short nap. J. R. wasn't tired so went down to the martini bar, where he chatted with a couple from the U.K. who had done the bungee jump off the tall tower in Auckland. After a few too many martinis, Janie met him and they headed off to the theater to see Danny Elliott perform. Elliott is a musician and singer who plays a wide variety of instruments and was very entertaining.
We had dinner in Blu and then went to see Darren Sanders late-night comedy show.
