LFL AT SEA

Monday, 14 November

Wellington, NZ

Today we are docked in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. The Westerdam will remain here overnight and sailaway is scheduled for 4pm tomorrow. Today I enjoyed another morning excursion involving sheep, dogs, and wonderful scenery. Instead of returning to the ship, I opted to stay in the city and did much too much walking. My only excuse is that the weather was warm and gorgeous, although the forecasts all calIed for rain.

After my adventures in Wellington, I had dinner in Caneletto, the premium Italian restaurant on the ship--fresh bread slices with four kinds of dipping sauces, beef carpaccio, veal Parmesan caprese, and a wonderful Casata cake, with dried fruit and whipped cream, from Sicily. How well I remember when Will and I were there two decades ago.

But before returning to New Zealand, I want to give my ranking of the five most awesome fiords, sounds, and glaciers I have traveled through aboard cruise ships:

Number 5: Alaska's Inside Passage
May 2008

While most cruisers rave about the Alaska coastline, I rank it as number 5. There are some spectacular glaciers (the Hubbard, for example), and deep forests--but Alaska's coastline doesn't 't have the deep indentations that more exciting fiords exhibit.

Number 4: Chile's Patagonia Glacier Alley

December 2018

Chile has a high number of lofty volcanoes that line up the spine of the continent. Many glacial fiords cut down from the mountains into the Southern Pacific Ocean.

Number 3: The Fjords of Norway

August 2011 and September 2012

From Kristiansand in the southwest to the farthest reaches of the North Pole, Norway's seacoast reveals a series of magnificent fiords (fjords). They include the widest and deepest, Hadrangerfjord, and the narrow Geraingerfjord, to name only the most famous.

Number 2: New Zealand's South Island: Milford, Doubtful, and Dusky Sounds

November 2022

This edition of LFLat Sea has taken you to two of the most scenic of these fiords. I visited Doubtful Sound in January 1993 (long before the days of the blog).

--and with a fanfare of trumpets--

Number 1: Greenland's Prince Christian Sound

September 2012

This magnificent waterway, trapped between mountains and glaciers on both sides, offers a day-long journey through Nature at its most sublime.

You can have a look at these scenes by linking to the dates at the bottom of the blog page. And now that I have that off my mind, I can take the blog to the first port on New Zealand's South Island.

Saturday, 12 Nov 2022

Dunedin and Port Chalmers, NZ

Sailing into Port Chalmers, the Cruiseport for Dunedin

Lumber Is One of New Zealand's Major Exports--with Most of It Going to China

Sheep, of Course, Still Out-Number Humans by 3 to 1--But That Is Down from 5 to 1 in the Past

I have come to Dunedin to ride the rail-line that travels through the Taleri Gorge. This is a single track railway, with heritage coaches, pulled by a modern engine. The track follows the gorge as it winds up through several tunnels and over old trestle bridges. Passengers are served a box lunch. At the end of the line, near Hindon Station, we have a short time to wander and admire the scenery and the train.

View of Wild Gorse in the Taleri Gorge

One of Several Trestle Bridges the Train Crosses, Seen Through the Coach Window

Scenes in the Taleri Gorge

(Below)

The Musty Door of an Old Unused Train Car

A Friendly Local and Her Dogs Wave Us On

This was not the most exciting train ride I have experienced--if you appreciate my ranking of fiords, I will provide a later ranking of worldwide train rides--but the scenery was pleasant, the lunch was fresh and good, and I shared the ride with a delightful married couple from Idaho, Pat and Steve.

After detraining and riding the shuttle back to the port, I take a walk in the very small town of Port Chalmers to snap some shots of old funky buildings and the Neo-gothic church.