The saga of Wednesday March 5, 2025 in Port Chalmers and Dunedin, 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 4
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 4
We didn’t know what to expect of Dunedin. None of us had heard of it before the cruise. The boys were a bit hesitant about a half day tour driving around the city, but Chaim and I were eager to see what Dunedin had to offer. It did not disappoint.
Dunedin is stunning. Every turn is another gorgeous view or idyllic scene. Homes are tucked away inside undulating, green, hillsides, a gigantic crater lake holds crystal blue water, the air is crisp and clean, and the beach is covered in sea lions (and penguins, but we missed the season by ten days). Dunedin used to be a whaling city. According to our tour guide the water at the marina during high tide can get deep enough for whales to come right up to the shoreline. As it happened, a mother orca and her calf visited just a few days prior to our arrival.
The Dunedin Railway Station, built in 1906 in a Flemish Renaissance-style, is a beautifully stunning and still fully functional train station that sits in the heart of the city. The city is also in the Guiness Book of World Records for having the steepest street in the world. We walked halfway up before having to return to our bus. I mentioned to our tour guide, who grew up in both New Zealand and Scotland, that the city reminds me of Scotland. Turns out there are a lot of Scottish settlers in Dunedin. Many came to Dunedin in the 1800s, when gold was discovered in the area, hoping to strike “gold” as one might say.
After our tour, Chaim and I were eager to keep exploring the city, but the boys were eager to hang out in the youth lounge. We returned to our ship for lunch and dropped off the boys in the youth lounge, grateful that we would be able to grab some time together, yet fully aware that our time would be shorter than we’d liked due to the youth lounge’s pick up time.
After a quick stop at a pharmacy to restock some items, we checked out the public art gallery. If we ever have the chance to return, I’d make a beeline for the Botanic Gardens. They’re supposed to be beautiful.
