04 Jan 2011

First morning at sea. Leaving Auckland yesterday was exciting. The boarding process went smoothly owing to our wonderful travel agent back home who had all the T' crossed and I' dotted as far as our documentation went. We found our cabin which is on the starboard side of the ship and surprise surprise our cases were in the cabin waiting for us. The actual departure was typical with the ships horn blaring and all us passengers at the rail waving to nobody in particular. A quick sail to Tauranga which is rich in beautiful pristine beaches and a few active volcanos plus thermal hot pools boiling and throwing up lots of mud. Our group of eight ventured into many trails led by a guide who kept cautioning us not to touch the pools of water as we passed. Of course I paid no attention to that and had to see for myself how hot the water was. Ouch, he was right. Back to the ship and away again. Tomorrow, we are at sea all day.