The happenings of Thursday March 6, 2025 in Fiordland, New Zealand (Cruise)
This entry is part of my cruise series where the focal point is the day trips we took and less about our day to day. Each entry begins the same way. If you’ve already read the first entry, skip to the third paragraph to read about this day trip.
When Chaim and I were planning our yearlong adventure, we figured building in a cruise after five weeks in India would be a great way to help give me some personal time while the boys hung out and were overseen by other adults in the youth lounge. We also felt like it was a great way to experience a cruise and get a taste for different areas of Oceania without having to pack up every few days. Overall, it was a great choice. The boys, especially Matanel, loved the youth lounge and the opportunity to hang out with a few other children on a regular basis playing games and participating in crafting activities. Even with everything going on, the boys were still able to complete their schoolwork.
We all agreed we’d love to try another cruise, but perhaps a shorter one because two weeks with multiple sea days was a bit much for some of us – okay just me. The reality is we had an insular room with no window. We could feel the rocking of the ship and the lack of a window made time feel elusive, even with our watches and phones keeping time for us. If we were to do it again, I would pay every cent I had for a window. Heck, I’d sell my own leg for a balcony.
The following are excursions and experiences from our first week of the cruise: Below is Entry 5
On our cruise we sailed through Fiordland National Park. It is magical and breathtaking. I could have stayed outside all day staring at the mountains, pristine rivers, and waterfalls, looking for dolphins (we spotted a whole family diving in and out of the water!), and watching birds skim the water. It is one of the most awe-inspiring places I’ve ever seen. I was filled with what seemed like an endless sense of wonder. I couldn’t stop marveling at the beauty of planet earth, feeling tremendous gratitude for the gift of seeing this fairyland place. It felt like we were in a National Geographic video and David Attenborough was going to come on to the speaker at any moment to narrate our experience.
That morning, an information packet was delivered to our door with facts about Fiordland National Park. We used this as a springboard to learn about what we were seeing and to understand the difference between a fjord and a sound. Apparently, bights are shallower, and fiords are narrower, than a sound.
Chaim had to work so he was only able to enjoy the views during his breaks. The boys spent an hour with me outside appreciating the views before they were ready to hang out at the youth lounge. I spent the rest of my day sitting outside and catching up on my journaling.
It would be a dream to return.
