Trip Report - New Zealand ABD March 13 - 24, 2023 Updated 1/17/24!

[Jess_S]

I hope that starting the trip report is a sign that you are feeling better. Your pictures are fantastic.

 

[sayhello]

I agree, a list of first names would have been helpful!

I know, right?

I hope that starting the trip report is a sign that you are feeling better. Your pictures are fantastic.

It does, thank you! I finished the Paxlovid, and it appears to have done it's job! Symptoms mostly gone (just a touch of lingering chest congestion) and I tested negative both on Monday and Tuesday!

Glad you're enjoying the photos! New Zealand is highly photogenic!

Sayhello

 

[Shiriki Utundu]

Some of them knew each other but not all 8. It was a bummer. But I guess stuff like that can happen. I guess I can sort of understand that the TA felt responsible for the group since she'd put it together, but she was rather aggressive about making sure that her people had enough seats to sit altogether, and her people got served and her people were taken care of and kind of isolated them from the rest of us especially during mealtimes. I think she kind of put an extra burden on the Adventure Guides, but they, of course, handled it all with aplomb, and they did their best to try and break up their group and all of us for the activities so that the same people weren't doing the activities with the same people and the same Guide all the time.

Sayhello

This is a cool story but it simply did not happen this way. Pretty clear this board could use a moderator as this thread is starting out like an episode of the "The Real Housewives of Disney."

As you know, I am not part of that group of eight but I certainly observed first-hand the events you are describing. What I do not understand is why you think it is ok to come on to this board, post pictures of other travelers on the trip without their permission, use their names, discuss their professions and then cast shade on them with remarks that could not be further from the truth. If your concern was disruptive behavior at mealtime and during activities and how it affected the guides and the group dynamic, perhaps you should take some time to look at some of your own behavior.

I think most people that come to this board would like hear about the itinerary, the country, the activities and relevant insights into the mechanics of the trip and not a misguided list of personal grievances with other travelers. Or, maybe that’s just me.

 

[sayhello]

This is a cool story but it simply did not happen this way. Pretty clear this board could use a moderator as this thread is starting out like an episode of the "The Real Housewives of Disney."

As you know, I am not part of that group of eight but I certainly observed first-hand the events you are describing. What I do not understand is why you think it is ok to come on to this board, post pictures of other travelers on the trip without their permission, use their names, discuss their professions and then cast shade on them with remarks that could not be further from the truth. If your concern was disruptive behavior at mealtime and during activities and how it affected the guides and the group dynamic, perhaps you should take some time to look at some of your own behavior.

I think most people that come to this board would like hear about the itinerary, the country, the activities and relevant insights into the mechanics of the trip and not a misguided list of personal grievances with other travelers. Or, maybe that’s just me.

Wow. Just wow.

Nobody has been identified in any of the photos except for me and the Adventure Guides, but if you would like that photos including you not be posted, please let me know, and I will do so or block you out.

Sayhello

 

[tufbuf]

In defense of the 8, who are not in this forum, all of them have traveled at least 4 times in the past and have booked a cruise this December. I don’t think they were a burden to the guides, not that I watched their every move, but they sat at the back of the coach in all the coach rides. Back seat coach riders, I think are the most chill. And they weren’t rowdy, disruptive or offensive. They were all having fun among themselves and making the most out of their trip together, just like everyone else.

I also think it’ll be good or nice to ask for consent for photos to be posted online. Even ABD has that in their agreement. The other trip reporter (Eastridge) diligently blurred the faces of the other guests, even if they were far away, which I think is commendable. Not everyone is comfortable having their pics posted online. Even if the poster is protected by the First Amendment, it’ll be out of respect for privacy of the person involved. My 0.02.

 

[sayhello]

Day 2 - Aucklandish

First up for this day was a lovely view of the early-morning skyline of Auckland from my hotel window and another lovely hotel breakfast. The breakfasts at the Park Hyatt were wonderful. There was a very nice buffet with a lot of standard cold dishes and breadstuffs, and then you were also allowed to get an item off the menu. It could be a hot item like an omelet or pancakes or the wonderful yogurt parfait bowl I'd had. It was sometimes hard to get coffee or your order in because they were obviously still understaffed (and apparently "a pot of coffee" was not on the menu!) but I always managed to get things in plenty of time for the morning meetup. Just don't show up at the last minute if you want coffee and/or a menu item! But it was all very tasty, and the staff was really doing their best.



Our meetup time was wonderfully not-early this day (9:40am!). Our first stop for the morning was a fish market (Sanford & Sons Fishmonger) on the waterfront, a pleasant walk from the hotel. (The sun was out and the weather was gorgeous!) The fish market was in a food hall building, which seem to be very popular all over the world these days. It was called the Auckland Fish Market. We walked into the fishmonger's to look at the various fresh fish available, watch them carve up a humongous fish, etc., and just wander the area. It seems this was originally meant to be a part of the cooking class/demo experience, but that all got re-arranged due to the closure of where the class was supposed to happen. But it was still fun to see this area as they prepped for the day.









After a short time OYO to check the place out, we met up and headed to our motorcoach to head to the second stop: the Main Course cooking school, where we were to have our lesson cooking several traditional New Zealand dishes. First we watched 2 instructors show us how to make Greenlip Mussel Tempura Fritters with Kawakawa Aioli, Kiwi Mince and Cheese Pie, Red Kumara (sweet potato) Rosti with Kiwi Onion Dip and Pavlova with cream & fruit. (They gave us recipes. No other way I'd remember all this!) Some of the prep work had been done for us (the pavlovas were made but not decorated, the raw dough shells for the pies were already made & in a tiny pan, etc. But a lot of it we did from scratch!



We were split up into 4 groups mostly because of the limited stovetop surfaces. 2 groups did the hot dishes, and the other 2 did the Pavlova, then we switched.



Oooo! Concentration!



My pavlova! It wasn't too pretty, but it was delicious!





Continued in next post.

 

[sayhello]

I really loved this activity! The groups did not strictly stay separate (there was a lot of going over to the other groups to taste their hot rosti before it got cold, etc.) It was just a lot of fun, and a great way to interact and get to know each other. It was quite messy for some of us (thank goodness for good aprons!) and just very social! Sharing food you've made is also a great way to break the ice! It was a great lunch, too!





After we finished at the cooking school, we had a little detour to drive across the beautiful Auckland Harbour Bridge. Our driver (whose name I really hope comes back to me) [I think it was Gavin?] explained to us the incredibly clever way they set the bridge up to switch the middle lane back and forth during the day so that the extra lane can be used for the direction of the traffic during peak traffic hours. It was very cool!



The beautiful skyline of Auckland from the bridge.



Then we headed back to the Marina. Our next stop was the America's Cup Experience. Since we had 40 folks and most everyone was participating, they split us up into 2 groups. One group went on the America's Cup yacht, and the second group (which I was in) went on a very similar racing yacht (the Steinlager 2) that was actually meant to race in the ocean vs. the harbour. The Steinlager 2, skippered by Peter Blake, won the 1989-90 Whitbread Round the World race. I think it's fantastic they found another *very* similar racing boat so that everyone got the same experience. The weather was still fantastic, and it was so exhilarating racing across the harbour "against" the America's Cup boat.

The Steinlager 2.







Our wonderful Adventure Guide, Kira.



They let us help raise the sails, and even let those who wanted to steer the boat for a decent amount of time each. Just a really magnificent experience! There were some active bits, but a lot of it was spent with our feet hanging off the side of the boat (or leaning against a sharp turn) and just enjoying a beautiful day sailing.





Continued in next post.

 

[sayhello]

(It was also really fun that the start and end of the sailing had us going through the Marina channel, and watching the pedestrian draw bridge go up to let us past!)



We ended up in the part of the Marina where the Park Hyatt is, so at that point we could either walk back to the hotel or back into the waterfront or wherever folks wanted to go for an hour or so until it was time to gather again for our after-hours tour of the Auckland Zoo and dinner. I chose to head back to the hotel and relax and cleanup for dinner.

We then met up and took the motorcoach to the Auckland Zoo.



This corrugated metal elephant was near the entrance.



We were met by a Zoo employee who gave us a brief welcome and introduction to the Zoo and what we'd be doing for the evening.



Then were treated to a traditional Māori welcome haka. Our Adventure Guide Nettie performs with this group, so she joined them for part of the performance, which was really wonderful! It was so fun to watch (and they encouraged us to have our phones/cameras out to photograph and video it!)







We were then split up into groups again that did the walking tour of the Native New Zealand animal areas of the Zoo (just walking in different directions, etc., so that no area got overwhelmed with people). We saw eels and then went to the aviary where we saw several Keas, which are very large, very pretty, very loud birds. The undersides of their wings were beautifully colored, but it was pretty impossible to get pictures of that, although they were pretty easy to photograph when they were perched. We also saw various lizards, other birds, and an area where you could see just how high the flood waters had gotten during the flooding in Auckland. I believe they said they lost one bird to the floods, but managed to find the rest of the animals, relatively unharmed.

One of the zookeepers telling us about the eels behind him.





Continued in next post.

 

[sayhello]

The Keas.







Don't remember what kind of lizard this was.



Cool brilliant green parrot.



This is where you can see how high the water got, and left all sorts of gunk on the bridge.



They also took us through their really amazing monkey habitat, but unfortunately we didn't see any monkeys. It's the downside of doing an after-hours zoo tour. The animals, a lot of them, have gone inside. It's late for them!



Eventually we all ended up at the Old Elephant House, which has been converted into a restaurant, and had a very lovely buffet dinner.



After that, it was the end of our very full, very fun and exhilarating first full day of the ABD. We were off to a great start, and I was very much looking forward to continuing our trip!

Next up: Day 3 - Zip me to Waiheke

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

Love all the pics and that blue sky! The sailing sounds like a blast.

 

[sayhello]

Love all the pics and that blue sky! The sailing sounds like a blast.

Thanks! It really was a blast! I'm sure the excellent weather had a lot to do with it, but it was another stellar first day activity!

Sayhello

 

[Eastridge]

Don't remember what kind of lizard this was.

View attachment 751784

I think this is a tuatara.

Glad to see that your sailing experience went much better than ours!

 

[sayhello]

I think this is a tuatara.

Glad to see that your sailing experience went much better than ours!

Thanks! That sounds right!

I thought of you poor guys often that day!!

Sayhello

 

[rnorwo1]

Thank you so much for the time you're taking with this trip report! We are seriously considering taking an ABD trip now, so you're answering lots of my questions. I can't wait to see the rest of it!

 

[kaseyC]

Wonderful trip report as usual @sayhello. Fantastic pictures.

 

[sayhello]

Wonderful trip report as usual @sayhello. Fantastic pictures.

Thank you!

Thank you so much for the time you're taking with this trip report! We are seriously considering taking an ABD trip now, so you're answering lots of my questions. I can't wait to see the rest of it!

You are so welcome! I really enjoy seeing everyone's reactions! Feel free to ask any questions if I don't answer them in advance!

Sayhello

 

[sayhello]

Day 3 - Zip Me to Waiheke

So today started with us heading out on the relatively short walk to the Ferry Building in Auckland, to catch the ferry over to Waiheke Island. It's a public ferry, and we all just sort of found spots and mostly just settled in for the crossing.



Once on the Island, we were split up into the "early" group with Kira, and the "late" group with Nettie. The early group was doing the zipline first, then lunch, then the visit to the beach town of Oneroa. The late group was doing that in reverse.

The early group headed off in our van for a little over 20 minutes, from the ferry terminal to EcoZip Adventures. Our driver gave us a bit of a travelog as he drove us across the Island. We were weighed and signed in (and could purchase a phone bungee, which a few of us bought). Then the first 10 people to finish putting their stuff in lockers, hitting the restrooms, etc., went to get geared up and were in the first group to head out. The rest of us went upstairs to where the first line started, and we got all geared up while the first group headed out. They did include a small dry bag that you could put stuff in (like a water bottle) if you wanted to carry it with you. It attached to your harness.

It was another gorgeous day, so it looked to be a fun day of ziplining.

Watching the first group go.



The view from the first tower. It was such a lovely area!



Now, I hadn't been ziplining since my first time doing it in 2012 in Hawaii. That time, it was a pretty tame, family zipline, but when I got to the top of the first tower (the highest one) I just couldn't step off. It was just so freakin' high! They practically had to push me off, but I did finally manage to make myself go. And the minute I stepped off the tower, and realized that it did NOT feel like I was falling, I was perfectly fine, and did the rest of the course with no problem.

So this time, I kept telling myself "You did it just fine 11 years ago. It wasn't scary once you started. It doesn't feel like falling!" I was pretty scared again, but I just made myself do it, because I knew I could, and once I stepped off that first platform, again, I was just fine! It was a ton of fun! (And honestly, the first line was pretty tame. The equivalent of the bunny hill.) It was not a seriously challenging course, but it was definitely higher and had longer runs than the one on Maui. The zipline on Waiheke is a dual zipline, so you rode with someone else beside you, which was pretty fun. As I was the odd man out, Kira was my "zipline buddy".



There were some "nature" hikes between the ziplines, where the guides explained their efforts to conserve the area, and rid it of predators like rats, stoats, possums, weasels and other non-native animals that had been brought to the islands and devastated the bird population.



The runs got progressively higher and longer, but they were all quite fun! Unfortunately, the hike from the last line back to their main building is not so fun, since you have to carry your own gear, and it's a bit of a shlep. It's not the hardest hike or anything like that, but it's pretty long, and you just want to be done. I think it's hilarious that ABD bills it as "you’ll cool off on a privately guided bush walk". Fortunately, the weather was still lovely, and we'd been warned about the hike back, so it wasn't horrid.







Once we got back and turned in all our gear and retrieved our stuff from the lockers, we got back in our van and headed off to the Stonyridge Vineyard.





Continued in next post.

 

[chuff88]

Kira was on our guides in Norway last summer and she’s just the best!! I keep hoping she’ll be in Germany this summer but I don’t think that’ll be the case.

 

[sayhello]

At the Stonyridge Vineyard we joined the late group who were already there, and had a short wine tasting of, I believe it was, 3 yummy wines (outside, under the trees, right by the vines).







Then we had a really nice charcuterie-type of lunch in a covered patio out back. It was a really nice lunch!





At this point I learned that, unfortunately, all the late group had done all morning was get driven to the beach town of Oneroa, where they were left to their own devices for 2 1/2 hours until it was time to get picked up and taken to lunch. It's a cute little town, but the early group ended up being there for less than an hour, which was more than enough time to walk down to the beach, take some photos, hike back up, and browse through most of the stores on the "main drag" in town. Since we hadn't been told that anyone would be spending anything like 2 1/2 hours at the beach, no-one had bathing suits or flipflops or any of the kind things you might bring to enjoy your time on the beach. It just seemed like a very odd way to "kill time". Honestly, I don't understand why they didn't have the late group just catch a later ferry to Waiheke, and enjoy themselves at the hotel or in Auckland until then. Since it was a public ferry, it just doesn't seem like there was any reason for them to need to catch the same one as us!

Anyway, after a very pleasant lunch, the late group headed out for their ziplining, and we were, as I mentioned, driven to the town of Oneroa, dropped off for less than an hour, and then picked up and driven back to the terminal to catch the ferry back to Auckland.

I headed down the steep path to the beach which was pretty and all, but I just took a few pictures and then headed back up to shop. I didn't find anything I wanted to buy, but it was pleasant to walk around.

The beach in Oneroa.







We got back around 5:30pm, and were then free for the rest of the evening OYO.

The Ferry Building in Auckland.



A building that was designed to resemble a cruiseship.



On our way walking back to the hotel, a bunch of us ended up at a souvenir shop (the OK Gift Shop) that was just down the road from the terminal building, and had quite the array of souvenirs. I picked up a few knickknacks.

I honestly don't remember what I did for dinner OYO that evening - I think I ate at the hotel again. I hadn't made a reservation for dinner for that night since it was pretty easy to find places to eat in Auckland, and I wasn't sure what time we'd get back. I didn't take any photos, so whatever it was, I guess it wasn't too memorable! We were heading out the next morning, so I spent the evening packing everything back up again so that I wouldn't have any issues getting my bags out the next morning at 7am! Next up was a day I was really looking forward to - the Glow Worm caves!

Next up: Day 4 - On the Glow

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

Sounds like a fun day, although I agree about option to go back earlier would have been nice. Your post reminded me of one of my reactions to the Greece ABD, which we really loved, but I was pretty over the beach/meal on your own time in a cute little town by the end of the tour as there was so much of it. I've never zip-lined, and I think it's probably not no my list. I don't have fear of heights necessarily, but that first step would be hard.