We awoke to sunshine as we sailed into Port Chalmers at 6:00 AM.
The weather was sunny and warm- 60s- and we caught a glimpse of the charming village of Port Chalmers before getting on the coach for our thirty minute drive to Dunedin to see the botanical gardens and a stately home. We also spent some free time in Dunedin for lunch and headed back on the shuttle to explore more of Port Chalmers before ending our day. We sailed out at 5:30.
Here are some photos:
The stately home we visited was massive and impressive, with artifacts from all over the world. Much of the furnishings are original. It was built by hard-working enterprising Jewish immigrants who made their fortune in the furniture business. They gave back much to the artistic community of the growing town and when the family died out, the home was given to the city by the family, who maintains it to this day. Unfortunately, no photos were allowed inside.
We were set free to wander after our tour and we found a charming local place on the main street called THE REEF, where my sister had seafood chowder and I had fried calamari. Both were fresh and delicious. We supplemented our food with a pairing of beer for her and my favorite Sauvignon Blanc for me. It was a wonderful lunch.
After some souvenir shopping, we headed back on the shuttle to explore Port Chalmers before getting back on the ship. I enjoyed the funky shops. There was lots of local color with pristine views of the water.
Our sailaway was as beautiful as our sail in to this lovely part of the world, as we looked for albatross sightings.
Tomorrow: Christchurch. Another early day.
Time to sleep!
Loved today’s post…checked with Princess excursions and there is a similar excursion when we are in Dunedin in Nov 2020. Best to Bea…
Glad you enjoyed the post. It’s never too early to plan ahead. We’ve been lucky with getting our first choice so far.