Oh, my gosh and golly – it’s Wellington!

Our bus driver / guide made this comment when we ended up in a difficult parking situation so I thought I’d include it here. How quaint and wholesome – as was the city itself!

We had wonderful weather for our tour of the city and gardens of Wellington, which is also filled with construction crews and roadblocks. New Zealand is building! Like Sydney and Christchurch, the city center is filled with skyscrapers but there are also gorgeous parks and landscapes throughout the city.

Our first stop was to the war memorial, honoring those who fought for New Zealand in various conflicts around the world.

We were dropped off in the bustling downtown area to take a cable car ride to the top of the city. Late spring is the perfect time to see the flowers here.

We got back on the ship late afternoon and shortly thereafter were underway once again.

I wanted to do research on my favorite drink, so when Happy Hour arrived, I asked the bartender to show me how to make the drink called Strawberry Dream. I was told it was a Holland America concoction.

Here are the directions:

Mash a piece of orange at the bottom of a glass.

Add vodka, lemon lemon mix, strawberry purée, and add ice. Shake. Add champagne. Garnish glass with a chunk of orange and pour.

We enjoyed the Lincoln Center stage group, then attended the main show, where a sand painter showed how to create his art. We concluded the evening sipping our drinks with the billboard boys. They were wild tonight! During a romantic song, Justin got silly, left his piano, and climbed on top of Anderson’s piano to serenade him. They’re so much fun – and so entertaining.

When we arrived back at the room, we were greeted by this towel animal. Can you identify it?

Our next stop is the Art Deco city of Napier, which had to be rebuilt after the 1931 earthquake. We have a tour that begins at 8:15 AM.