34 replies to this topic

[Oggey]

Very, very neat pics

[4Engines]

A jet ski weaves between buoys while docked at Melbourne's Station Pier

 

Part II - New Zealand

 

The Diamond Princess spent the follow two nights steaming east bound across the Tasman Sea. There were no shortage of activities to keep folks occupied onboard -  bridge games and lectures with the geriatric kept my mornings busy while the complimentary room service menu was exercised on a daily basis. Movies, live shows and bands, bars, restaurants, gambling, drinking - you name it, it was here! Customs, immigration and quarantine information was also provided and rubber stamped by kiwi authorities while the ship was at sea. In other words, about a half dozen NZ customs officers are paid to cruise two to three from Aus back to Nz for every voyage made across the Tasman

 

I was softly woken from my deep slumber one morning by a calm, Attenburough-esque voice echoing against the mountains outside... mountains? Following several days of self indulgence and debauchery by all those onboard, including myself, i'd completely forgotten this boat was actually going somewhere!

 

Beyond the peaceful confines of my cabin a local Kiwi Ranger was giving a live tour of the very serene Fiordland National Park, our first destination beyond Australia (Scenic cruising only). Broadcast across the vessels public address system, the ranger spoke directly from the bridge, where from time to time he could be seen pointing out certain species of plant and wild life. He was quite informative and oddly interesting but I think i was being lulled by the accent..

 

Good morning New Zealand! My first sighting of land for days!! The sun was just breaking over the mountain as I burst out of the elevator to grab this shot, looking aft, and myyyyy it was damn cold! Quite the contrast to my toasty bed, wasn't sure how well everything would function after that shock... Note the view on the movie screen - its from the webcam on the nose of the ship!

 

After taking the previous photo I bolted forwards to the observation deck above the bridge and caught this snap. Remember the movie screen from the previous picture? Now you can see it in full detail

 

Having already visited the Fiorlands on a scenic cruise before, i opted for only a short photo taking jaunt about the deck before retiring to a cofortable chair to enjoy my standard morning kickstart - a double shot iced coffee and a freshly squeezed orange juice, oh yeah baby!!

 

This old italian man turned was the perfect subject matter for a photo!

 

Then he turned around - but you can tell he loved it haha

 

Drifting in and out of the sounds and open ocean of New Zealand as our scenic cruising continues...

[4Engines]

My my my, so many months have passed since this trip was concluded... Thank you to all that have taken the time to read and follow what little trip reported I provided!

 

Looking at these photos reminds me of some of the incredible journeys I have completed, the people I have met and the fond memories that I hold dear to my heart. It brings me great joy to be a part of the AE community and to share these experiences with you, and without further ado, I would like to present...

 

 

Part III - The Final Highlights

 

This final, brief(ish) segment will cover several other highlights from the journey including earthquake stricken Christchurch, a volcano, Peter Jackson's Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre and their Bristol Freighter, onboard an Armstrong Whitworth AW.650 Argosy Passenger/Freighter Combi, a M*A*S*H Bell helicopter ride and the best of my Auckland spotting shots! I apologise for any below standard photos - some have been included without editing to save on time! 

 

Prior to this journey I had travelled a similar itinerary onboard the same cruise line (Dawn Princess, excellent ship) and the ship had accessed landlocked Christchurch City from Lyttelton Harbour. This was shortly (approx 2-3 weeks) after the initial major earthquake that struck Christchurch in. This resulted in relatively light damage such as broken windows, burst plumbing etc and for the most part the town was up and running spare a handful of stores that were still be inspected or had been deemed to be unsafe.

 

On this particular journey (approx three months? after second quake) access to Lyttelton Harbour had effectively been cut and our ship, along with all others bound for Lyttelton Harbour/Christchurch, were forced to use Akaroa Harbour on the northern end of the South Island of New Zealand. Christchurch' CBD had been declared a disaster area and labelled 'the red zone', whilst what remained of the cities skyline stood literally teetering on the brink of collapse or lay crumbling on the ground. Despite the vast majority of their town in ruins, the spirit of the Christchurchians, it seems, has never been stronger...

 

Akaroa Harbour is all that remains of an incredibly large volcano that once stood on this site. The ship is on the left hand side, just out of frame. 

 

The Diamond Princess in all her glory, within the safety of the now flooded Akaroa Volcano. My balcony suite (sooooo not what i'd refer to as a 'suite' but still comfy) can be seen on the first strip of cabins above the 'nose' (bow), second white support in. Oh yeah baby, forward facing for the win!!

 

The very beautiful Akaroa Harbour.

 

A tiny snapshot of what is a gigantic alfresco shopping centre, thrown together with a few shipping containers and a lick of community spirit! The very-much-beating heart of Christchurch! Note the community artworks hanging on the ruins behind.

 

Other images of Christchurch, including the very vast, desolate 'red zone', accessible to the public only by bus via the 'Red Zone Tour', conducted by the Christchurch Museum. Note the still flashing/malfunctioning traffic lights and similar.

 

 

 

 

[4Engines]

Picton, Blenheim and the Marlborough wine country...

 

Picton is on the far northern end of the south island of New Zealand. It is the gateway to the north, serving as the main port for roll on/roll off ferry services that cross the Cook Straight between the south island and Wellington on the northern island. As an interesting side note, some of these vessels are also capable of transporting locomotives, and during the peak tourist season it is possible catch a daily train from Christchurch, midway on the southern island, through to Wellington via Picton and the Interislander ferry.

 

Picton and it's considerably larger inland cousin Blenheim are located within the world renown Marlborough Wine Region. Some of the highest quality and hence priciest vintage drops of wine have been or are produced here. Blenheim is also home to the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre. Hosting a variety of aircraft, the museum is best known for its incredibly large and detailed WW1 collection owned by the New Zealand born, Lord of the Rings director Sir Peter Jackson. Sir Peter's production company assisted in the design, creation and maintenance of a variety of 'sets' and 'scenes' within the complex that provides patrons with a snapshot of the conditions faced by the airmen and aircraft themselves. Great attention to detail has been given to the aircraft, wax models of humans, costuming, set design etc and it is well worth a visit, aviation fan or not! 

 

Again, another notable piece of information - despite sitting adjacent to the main aviation centre, the Bristol Freighter (see below) is not technically on display. The doors however was unlocked, providing me with a little rush of adrenaline while I clambered through the old girl 

 

Bristol Freighter ZK-CPT resting peacefully at the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A brief trip to Woodbourne Airport, located about ten minutes drive away, provided a few more interesting snapshots, as well as my first, and quite possibly last, chance to be onboard an Armstrong Whitworth Argosy. This particular frame, ZK-SAE, is one of seven civilian Argosy aircraft built, the sole survivor, and one of six Argosys' of all types remaining on earth! It also holds the title for the largest aircraft on display in New Zealand. This small blurb, taken from here, describes some of the colour enjoyed in its career:

 

"The "Merchant Enterprise" is an AW-650 Series 222 Argosy aircraft built by the Armstrong Whitworth company at Baginton, near Coventry, England. This unique twin-boomer first flew on 10 March 1965 and was operated by BEA on their European cargo routes. It then did several years service with TransAir in Canada and Alaska before arriving in New Zealand in July 1974.

Registered as ZK-SAE, the "Merchant Enterprise" was operated by Safe Air Limited from their base at Woodbourne, near Blenheim. It flew the main trunk air routes of New Zealand as a general purpose cargo carrier. It also flew the unique Chatham Islands service, using a specially-built pressurised passenger capsule fitted inside the freight hold.

In December 1978 the Argosy was the subject of much media attention when a series of "UFOs" were seen and filmed from it while flying along the Kaikoura Coast. The "UFOs" were also tracked on radar and seen by other air and ground observers. What they were is still a matter of much debate."

 

In a similar fashion to the Bristol Freighter preserved at Omaka, this Argosy also remains unlocked at all times and the attached cafe/owners actually encourage you to look inside! I had great fun mucking around inside, manually opening and closing the nose door, something I must recommend for the avid aviation fan!!!! Note in the photos the 'smile' caused by the gap in the already ajar nose door. Despite my best efforts I was unable to literally 'close the gap' and hence the nose itself. I wonder how long this aircraft has sat with its interior exposed to the elements?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ahhhhh wine country:

 

[4Engines]

Mount Monganui and Tauranga provided me with my first and again, possibly last, chance to fly in a helicopter. This opportunity was too great to miss for a HUGE M*A*S*H tv series fan and aviation enthusiast like myself, compliments of the 'Legacy Jet Centre' aviation museum:

 

 

Metroliner!

 

 

 

Sabreliner!

 

 

 

Here we go everyone prepare for take off!!!:

Oh my god, oh my god, oh my holy lord in heaven, its a M*A*S*H heli. Kill me now I've seen and done everything I need to!

 

Flying high above Mount Monganui and Tauranga. my hip can be seen facing the camera, behind the pine trees on the far side of the peninsula.

 

Chopper blades in the way, something I haven't had to compensate for before this!

 

 

 

Time to get back on dry land, sort of.. Heres a pleasant photo of Mount Monganui, taken from my cabin while I enjoyed a little complimentary room service. The photo below shows the crew pool, situated directly on the bow of the ship, in front of my balcony, one floor below. See above (Section on Akaroa/Christchurch) for a photo of the front of the ship and the location of my cabin. 

 

[4Engines]

Auckland

 

The rejuvenated, redeveloped and very trendy waterfront area

 

A piece of artwork ^ A walkway to no where...

 

Tourist information is provided by gentlemen on segways, how novel!

 

Spotting in Auckland

 

 

 

 

 

[4Engines]

 

 

 

Emirates now operate three daily flights into Auckland, from each Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. The Brisbane flight is operated by a B77W.

 

All loaded and ready to go! We'll follow you out shortly A6-EGE! For operational reasons all Emirates flights arrive and depart within and hour or so of each other.

 

My ride home taxis in from a remote stand.

 

Goodbye Air Pacific, enjoy the warmth back home DQ-FJF!!

 

 

 

Sydney gets the world expo jumbo (foreground) while Melbourne will be receiving the Facebook jumbo

 

And that, ladies and gentlemen, concludes the trip report I should have finished months ago! Thank you all for taking the time to read and hopefully enjoy this photographic epic!

 

[4Engines]

I'd like to leave you with this photo, which I hope will bring a smile to your face as it did mine  Nothing like a little touch parking...

 

[ar157]

Great trip report and excellent photos, do you have anymore trip reports coming up?

[4Engines]

Thanks heaps ar, incredibly glad you enjoyed it

 

I'm actually travelling on a another cruise in January, 12 nights around the pacific islands onboard the Carnival Spirit! (And paying for it, yelp, need to keep saving) I'll be travelling on one of the last QF 767-300ER services so it probably is a good opportunity to throw together another report! I'll try and prepare this one in a slightly more timely manner

[Domster]

Wonderful, insightful. Top notch quality, 4E.

[QK Flight Industries]

I quite enjoyed this photo journal, 4E. Thanks for sharing, and look forward to any future presentations you may post

 

(also, that car )

[4Engines]

Thanks dom, qk

 

I'm excited to announce that my next trip report is well on its way and will be centred around flights on MH's all new 738 and HGW A330 aircraft. The report will include spotting visits to SGN (Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City), HAN (Hanoi), PXU (Pleiku), KUL (Kuala Lumpur) and MEL (Melbourne), and a brief report on the now defunct Air Meekong and their CRJ900.

 

Tours will also be given of several Vietnamese icons such as the Hanoi Citadel and connected Vietnam Military History Museum, the War Remnants Museum, known formerly as the Exhibition House for US and Puppet Crimes (more on this later), and possibly the coolest snapshot of the swinging 60s and 70s on the planet, the Reunification Palace.

 

See you all in Vietnam ae!

 

[Royen]

Awesome pics 4Engines and love all the information you've provided on your visit to NZ! And totally agree, Akaroa is very beautiful! Can't wait for the Vietnam pics and trip report! Keep it up! 

[zipp]

it made for good reading Good job.