New Zealand and Australia on Crystal Serenity

We arrived in Napier at 8:00am on Feb. 15.  Napier is known as the Art Deco City. This is  because of a large earthquake in 1931 – magnitude of 7.9, that rattled the city, killed 258 people and destroyed the town. The town was rebuilt in European art deco style. We toured the city by foot then rented bikes and pedaled about for 3 hours

Napier Theatre

John on bike ride- posing by fountain.

Fishbike.co.nz - The best bike rental in Napier!

We had special visit to Christchurch unaware that 4 days later this beautiful city would experience a horrific earthquake. The heart of this city is Cathedral Square and the Avon river. We were lucky enough to see this magnificent Cathedral  4 days before it was destroyed by an earthquake. We had a wonderful guide and driver who took us on a tour of the city , then to a family home to have tea and Pavlova, along with a lesson on how to make this delicious desert.

The Heart of Christchurch- Catheral square.

Tour of the art center and area around it.

View of central area of art center

Home visit -cooking lesson

Wonderful tea, sweets and company

Saying goodbye to new friends

Building being refurbished from September quake- note steeple on scaffold waiting to be lifted back onto building....

We had such a great day in this gorgeous city! Here is the E-mail regarding the earthquake I received from our lovely guide Fay:

Subject: Christchurch New Zealand Greetings from shaky City
Hi Kathy, hope you receive this message, just to let you know that we survived the earthquake but alas our City is not what you saw a few weeks ago. Keith our driver on the day lost his brother so very sad. The City looks like a war zone and so much loss of life. We are still enduring big aftershocks which are just as terrifying. I was driving at the time bottom of the hill and my car did a 360 degree spin and jumped all over the road before narrowly missing a power pole and concrete wall. I was screaming like I never knew I could but was thankful I survived. Our roads are undrivable in parts so bumpy and broken it will take 15 years to rebuild at least and 30 billion dollars to rebuild our City. So glad you saw it before this happened.
I am going to contact the couple whose home we visited for morning tea. Mona Vale is badly damaged and may have to be demolished also the Arts Centre which we walked through.
Love to hear from you, hope you are well. Kind regards Fay

just received another e-mail form Fay telling me about the The family we visited. They lost their Home.

“Hi Kathy spoke to Alison and Gavin last night the people who had the beautiful garden. Sadly they haved lost their beautiful home to the earthquake it twisted off its foundations and has been red stickered for demolishing.  The Army and police have allowed them into what is left of their street to get the vegetables and flowers from the garden but is is all just so sad for them.  They are now renting a house on the other side of town. So many people displaced and so many frayed nerves and aftershocks.  Some people are only now getting their vehicles back that were trapped in car parking buildings or in the streets when the quake struck.
The whole of the city will have to be rebuilt.  All the Arts centre that we briefly looked through is now rubble or being taken down because it is so damaged.
Kind regards Fay”

Our first sight of Dusky Sound was so magical and we were out on deck in the mist to view this beautiful area of our world. One of the most complex fjords on New Zealand’s southern coast, Dusky Sound is a place of serene beauty, accessible today only by sea or air. European explorers first spotted this treasure when Captain Cook and his crew happened upon its opening in the late eighteenth century. Although they returned to explore its waters months later, Cook and his crew named it Dusky Sound for the time of night when they first found it.

Early morning Duskey Sound

So Serene and Peaceful!

After leaving Duskey we headed into Doubtful. Doubtful Sound is a massive wilderness area of rugged peaks, rainforest and twisting, hidden inlets – all deep in the heart of Fyordland National Park.
Known for its pristine beauty and wildlife, Doubtful Sound is the second largest of the 14 fiords in Fiordland National Park and is three times longer and 10 times larger than Milford Sound. It is home to bottle-nose dolphins and fur seals – both of which are often seen. In season, you may also catch a glimpse of the rare Fiordland Crested Penguin.
In Maori legend, this colossal fjord was created by the godly figure Tu Te Raki Whanoa. Four young sea gods assisted him by carving the fiord’s long, sheltered arms.

A moment of sun in Doubtful Sound

Today, Doubtful Sound remains an unspoiled wilderness of many moods; one minute clear blue and sun-drenched, the next mysterious and mist-cloaked.

Leaving Doubtful Sound

Milford Sound was our next adventure. Milford Sound is a world-renowned natural wonder. Nowhere else in Fiordland do the mountains stand so tall, straight out of the sea. Luxuriant rainforest clings to sheer rock walls and waterfalls tumble hundreds of metres to the sea below.
In Maori legend, this landscape was created by Tu Te Raki Whanoa, a godly figure who carved the fiords with a magical adze. Without doubt, Milford Sound (Piopiotahi) is his finest creation. Whatever the fiord’s mood – brooding and wet, or tranquil in the sunshine – it will inspire you.

Milford Sound- carved by the massive force of glaciers.

I love this picture. It shows the mist and mystery in this Majestic Fjord .

Bowen Falls- Hard to imagine the size of this Falls

A gorgeous Falls we spent over an hour enjoying-Stirling Falls

Imagine the force of this water!

Leaving Milford sound