Thanks Dukey
I've really enjoyed your reports & am glad you & your husband had a good time in our part of the world

Glad you enjoyed the trip. Safe flight.

Thanks for a delightful report Dukey1, I enjoyed the journey with you.

I too flew back fron Auckland to Los Angeles so I know the loooong flight you have to come back home.

Safe flight to Los Angeles and then to Florida.

Once again Thank You for letting us share your down under adventure.

Dukey, I've enjoyed following along with you on your report. However, I think you missed the mark on Kawakawa. It's claim to fame are the public toilets! It was a project designed by Austrian artist, Frederick Hundertwasser, and the entire community got involved. The artistic expression of the toilets carried over to the entire town. Did you notice all the mosaic walls, lampposts, park benches? Maybe that was the certain "look" it had about it. I had to laugh that your memory of it is of Chinese takeaway and train terminus.

Now you'll just have to go back and have another look!

http://www.bay-of-islands-nz.com/hundertwasser.shtml

@deSchenke - thanks for that. I had a wonderful time in the Hundertwasser museum in Vienna, will remember Kawakawa if I ever make it back to NZ.

DeSchenke, there was absolutely nothing "Austrian" about either the Chinese takeaway food I ate or the bathroom in which I took a piss.

You must have pissed in the wrong pot.

We made a special trip to Kawakawa just to see the mosaic toilet block. Even took photos!!

Hi Dukey,

I am the person Bokhara mentioned upthread. I will be returning to Australia in a few months and this time I will take a cruise that goes from Sydney around NZ before continuing on the repositioning back to Seattle. I was wondering if you took ship tours on your cruise or did you just pick up something upon arrival at each port, or what. Was everything all planned out?

Do you have the expectation to return to that part of the world again?
Yours was a very informative trip report. Thanks for taking the time to post it.

Great report, Dukey!

So...you were the reason Wellington was so crowded when I was there lat week. And I was one of the wedding party at Begonia House.

I found Wellington was unexpectedly interesting.

I think Dukey has moved on.

What a fabulous trip report, Dukey -- thanks! We have a similar itinerary booked for 2017.

Like ahotpoet, I too am interested in whether your cruise port tours were ship's tours or independent, and if independent, would you share the contact information please?