After storing our bags at the hotel for our late afternoon flight we crossed over the street into another world at the Weta Workshop. This is a special effects company, made famous for their work on the “Lord of the Rings” The shop alone was mind boggling….

The tour was divided into the 3 film types, horror, fantasy and science fiction. The horror section was guarded by Jeff, a full sized animatronic orc, but civilized….sort of !

Here you could practice make up, wield swords and learn how to make all types of props. H had a horror makeover, I just lost my head.…

We then moved onto fantasy, thru a workroom with the storyteller fast asleep at the table in front of his model.

Thru the next area was identical, but 9 times bigger !

The model was now huge, and you could really see how movies were filmed as you walked around “inside” it. Fantastic….we really enjoyed this set.

The final area was a film set of a science fiction film with a giant robot, over 10 metres high, capable of moving and lighting up.

It was time to say goodbye to our friend the orc, and head somewhere much scarier…..Auckland Airport !

But our flight went well, and we were met by our local friends who pet sat Cooper and Rosie last year. It was good to catch up and we’ve been spoilt with dinner and wifi ! Dunedin looks wonderful, exploring tomorrow and replacing some camera film I left in the hotels fridge….if that’s the only thing to go wrong….

After making sure Cooper and Rosie had settled in with our house sitter Joy, which took all of 5 minutes ! it was time to travel.

Tasmania looked stunning from air, but it’s always good to see new places. We will reach Antartica via Sydney, Auckland and Dunedin (all by air), then the Ross Ice Shelf by boat. No travel to South America required, one of the reasons we chose Ponant.

Qantas looked after us well, but Sydney was hot during the terminal transfer, and we got into our Auckland hotel just before midnight feeling pretty shattered. H was sore all over, stubbing her toe the night before hadn’t helped either. A nights sleep and lie in did though, but we were slow off the mark first thing.

What better way to start off the holiday by buying some local possum, merino and silk wool for the holidays knitting project ! Then onto the hop on, hop off bus to see some local sights.

Forgoing the generic, expensive shopping strip we settled on the Museum, and in particular the Māori Court with fantastic wood carving. This varied in size from intricately carved Tiki’s to canoe’s and meeting halls.

It was also a short walk to some very traditionally planted glasshouses, with ferns imaginatively planted in a ravine.

The bus took us around a loop with expansive views across the water and cityscape.

We decided to head “home”, easy to see with it being beside the sky tower and rapid rope descenders…..something for tomorrow perhaps….or will the flight to Dunedin be just as exciting !

Tasotter and H will shortly start another boating adventure, but this time swapping Prime Thyme for Le Soleal. Regular followers will recognise the name from a previous cruise around New Zealand, but this time we will be heading south to visit some Subantarctic Islands and the Ross Ice Shelf. As it’s an expedition cruise the zodiacs will take us ashore, and hopefully inspect Scott and Shackleton’s hut. All of this is very weather, ice and Captain permitting though….so fingers crossed. 🤞

We will have a couple of days first in Auckland, then Dunedin staying with last years pet sitters Steve and Lisa, who Cooper and Rosie still love. As usual I’m agonising of the choice of cameras, the harsh conditions, currently -16 degrees, make selection difficult. I’ll need a long telephoto for distant wildlife, wide angle for sweeping panorama’s and I’d like to shoot some film ! More on this later on….I’ve still got a few hours to finalise my thoughts !

We are safely ensconced in the Qantas Club at Heathrow. I’m still in shock at the size of their showers ! Double Nautica’s size and huge cf Prime Thymes….

Hopefully there will be a time to photograph the orchids usually on display at Singapore Airport.

We are sitting in the Aer Lingus lounge at Dublin Airport reflecting upon our last 7 weeks, but first a quick recap on yesterday. Liverpool’s water front and dock areas is truly impressive, with some 38 miles of wharfage.

In the afternoon we took a tour of Port Sunlight, a village built for his workers by William Lever of soap manufacturing fame, and the Lady Lever Art Gallery. This is an outstanding collection of art, furniture and ceramics.

As you can see the collection was stunning, with 8000 pieces on display and another 20000 in reserve. Our last shore excursion concluded with an afternoon tea at a local farm. We finished our cruise on a high, having really enjoyed the itinerary and friendship of fellow travellers. The only downside is of course the travelling to the other side of the world. However we have signed up to 2 big trips next year with an expedition cruise to the Antartica, and a river cruise from Amsterdam to Bucharest. Till then Tas Otter will keep virtual cruising.

Our last day on the cruise was a cracker, but the blog will have to wait till tomorrow as we’ve had to pack tonight and both have colds to improve the flight home…..not. Suffice to say Liverpool didn’t disappoint and we met 4 lovely lads ! I’ll update tomorrow during our numerous transit periods of Dublin-Heathrow-Singapore-Melbourne-Launceston…..some 36 plus hours 😳

We had a late sail out of Belfast last night. The dockyards were still in full swing, I guess they work 24/7…..and Viking Orion was still at her berth with all lights on.

The seas picked up later on and by the time we approached the Isle of Man it was very confused with moderate winds and whitecaps. There was no way we could lower the tenders and the harbour wasn’t big enough for us. So with no free berths in other ports around us it’s a sea day today. Some passengers are a little disgruntled but I wouldn’t have wanted to tender in those seas. Tomorrow we will be at Liverpool, hopefully our last tour to Port Sunshine will be a good one.

It was a beautiful day when we moored up this morning, and it’s only got sunnier and warmer ! The view from our balcony is over the old Harland and Wolfe dry dock with its emblazoned cranes, and the new angular Titanic exhibition center with all its shiny exterior plates.

Today’s tour was to Mount Stewart House and gardens. But first a stop at Stormont House, Northern Ireland’s Parliament House.

Then onto the main attraction. Mount Stewart House is still privately owned and lived in, whilst the National Trust run the gardens. I had heard about them, but they exceeded my expectations.

The sunken garden led into the Italian garden. With partial glimpses of the house and a bewitching array of tropical plants (with the Gulf Streams warming effect), it was a delight to walk around and photograph. The fantastical statues greatly added to it, with naughty monkeys and Dodo’s.

The Italian garden ran into the Peace, Spanish, Mairi gardens and then the Fountain walk. All had a distinct different feel to them.

By now half of our time was up ! We still had a lot more to see, so split up. Hazel “did” the house whilst I continued to roam around the garden. The lake had a circular path around it with paths radiating out to a walled garden, rose garden, family mausoleum and a red squirrel hide (sadly it was too warm/late to see any).

A great morning, but you really needed the whole day to do it justice. The drive back to the ship thru Belfast then showed man’s ugly side with sharply divided communities still evident.

So a great morning ! Sadly all that activity wore me out….we didn’t bother going into town for shopping this afternoon. We have a dinner in the speciality restaurant Toscana tonight, and then only 2 days more cruising before the long haul home.

After yesterdays enforced sea day we were looking forward to land and a shore excursion, Killibegs didn’t disappoint!

We wandered into town with a free morning, it was small but extremely friendly. A local shop provided a few mementoes.

This afternoons tour was to the Wild Sliabh Cliffs, at 601 metres they are the tallest in Europe ! Hosted by Maureen and Peter these 2 sparked off each other, and their passengers providing a lot of laughs. Our first stop was a photo opportunity of where we had entered earlier that morning into a good deep water berth.

As usual the roads were narrow and at one stage the bus and a tourist car got stuck, somebody else got out of their car and drove the car out of the way. The difference between local and tourist drivers was very evident.

We were transported up to the top of the cliffs by a smaller bus, with the local guide breaking out into song at every opportunity, fortunately he had an excellent voice !

I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves, with the perfect weather it made a memorable tour.

Well we had no sea days in our itinerary but the weather had different ideas. Our anchorage spot for today at Galway was too exposed to the Captains liking, so all day tours were cancelled and we sailed on. I think we are taking a roundabout way to our next port, where we will arrive at our planned time. So let’s go for a wander around our ship, Nautica

The ship Nautica

As part of a renovation project in 2014 the Nautica was transformed into a almost new ship and now captivates with the finest elegance as the other fleet members. The decks are made of the finest teak, custom stone coating and high quality tiles. The lounges, suites and cabins aboard this ship are luxurious and feature neo-classical furniture. Four first-class restaurants with free choice of seats and dining time offer exquisite food, eight lounges and bars complete the culinary offer. There is also a fitness center and a spa area aboard Nautica. The 180-meter-long ship accommodates 684 guests at double occupancy. There are few children aboard, there is no childcare. In April 2022 the ship was renovated once again continues cruising with a new design.

Nautica facts

• Year of construction: 2000
• Home port: Majuro
• Length: 181 m
• Tonnage: 30,277
• Speed: 18 knots
• Decks: 11
• Passengers: 684
• Crew: 400
• Language: English
• Currency: US $
• Internet: Wi-Fi (free of charge)

Horizons is a great spot to watch sail always or relax in during Sea days. Home of the afternoon tea and happy hour cocktails before dinner, a favoured spot for us.

The 2 speciality Restaurant’s, Polo Grill and Toscana, are also on the top decks, but pointing aft. Toscana, the Italian themed one is definitely the best in our opinion. Pics to follow when it opens.

The library is a haven of peace and provides a wide range of books to fill in those odd hours when not touring, sleeping and eating. Off the pool deck, 1 small pool and 2 heated jacuzzis, is Waves Bar and Grill, perfect for a burger and drink. That flows into the Terrace Cafe, used for all meals it provides a casual area for eating, a preferred choice for breakfast.

Down to Deck 5 now, with a couple of shops, lots of seating and Grand Staircase to Reception.

You can walk thru Martinis, an evening Piano Bar or the Casino towards the rear of the ship for further dining options.

Baristas provides the best onboard coffee and small snacks. A usual spot for lunch for us rather than going for another meal.

If we are not in a Speciality Restaurant the Grand Dining Room is our preferred choice. Most people get dresssed up, but it’s usually just a jacket, no ties or formal wear is required onboard.

Aft of the ship is the lounge, used for shows and talks we also meet here prior to planned shore excursions. Finally our cabin, which has everything we require including a small veranda.