sailingkiwi

10 hours ago, treesah said:

Auckland looks lovely.  Several years ago, we stayed in Auckland for 4 - 5 days and I remember saying that within an hour, it was sunny, then it rained, then the atrocious wind picked up and after that it was freezing.  Variety is the spice of life but that was too much.  The Kiwis are so friendly and helpful.

The Crowded House song Four Seasons in one day accurately describes the weather in Auckland. I always travel with an umbrella when I’m up there for work. 

1 hour ago, LACruiser88 said:

Great day today in Wellington!  After taking the free ship shuttle to the city center, we walked to the cable car station.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then hopped on the free shuttle to the Zealandia Sanctuary.

 

 

We began our hike into the Sanctuary hunting for the rare and elusive KaKa parrots.  The valley in which the Sanctuary is located is very Jurassic Park-ish.  It is lush, green and beautiful!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sanctuary is also home to the Tuatara.  The Tuatara are a rare reptile found only in New Zealand.  They are the last survivors of an order of reptiles that thrived in the age of the dinosaurs.  After about 30 minutes of searching for them in heavy vegetation, we found three of them!!!

 

 

A bit later, we found 3 KaKa parrots in a thick canopy of trees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After climbing further into the valley, we finally found some Kakariki Parakeets.  They were impossible to photograph.  Below, I'm pointing to a tree where they were hopping branch to branch.

 

Below is what a Kakariki looks likes in an aviary.

 

A few more photos from the valley.  A big thank you to  @sailingkiwi  for the recommendation!

 

 

 

 

 

So happy you enjoyed yourself. And amazing that you found Tuatara in amongst the bush. 

Weather looks reasonable for Wellington tomorrow. Great day for sightseeing. It is feeling quite autumnal here now. 

Anyone headed to Te Papa, be prepared for it to be more crowded than a normal Monday as it is school holidays. 

The birds in your photo are pīwakawaka or fantail. One of my favourite native birds. 

1 hour ago, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

I wouldn't bring a "puffer" but plan on dressing in layers.  If you're out late in the evening it will be cool and during the day if the sun is out and there's no wind you can wear shorts and t-shirts.  The further inland the warmer and along the coast cooler with fog in the AM.  It's seldom "ski" jacket cold, but a sweatshirt and wind shirt/jacket can be welcome.  Best thing is weather can be fairly predictable in advance.  So watch the local LA weather reports a week or two in advance and they will be pretty accurate.    

This is great advice thanks. Sounds like our autumnal weather. 

30 minutes ago, KeepCalmBearOn said:

 

No idea what a wool jersey or puffer jacket is, but you need more than a "light rain jacket". Overnight lows will be in the 40's, daytime highs in the 60's, maybe low 70's. The coast will be cooler than inland.

Thanks. Might have used New Zealand English terms rather than American.

By Puffer Jacket I mean something like this - https://www.nordstrom.com/browse/women/clothing/coats-jackets/down-coats

By Wool jersey I mean something like this - https://www.nordstrom.com/s/joie-iena-pointelle-crewneck-wool-sweater/7156648?origin=category-personalizedsort&breadcrumb=Home%2FWomen%2FClothing&color=065

9 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Google search is your friend. Try "Los Angeles January weather". 

Yes, I did that. But having lived in a few places around the world I am aware that clothing needs differ even at the same temperature. 

I will be coming to LA at the beginning of January (from a temperate Southern Hemisphere summer). What type of weather can I look forward to? I am aware it will be winter and cool, but will I need a wool jersey or puffer jacket or is just a light rain jacket sufficient.

4 hours ago, LACruiser88 said:

@azbirdmom  Thank you for the information.  We are doing the regular HOHO and we definitely like to walk.  

 

Btw, I love your profile pic.  We were in the exotic bird business for 40+ years and our specialty was White-bellied and Black-headed Caiques.

 

 

 

 

Hope you’ve got Zealandia on your agenda for Wellington to check out our local native parrots -  Kakariki and Kaka

You will definitely need warm and waterproof layers for NZ. Seems like in Wellington we are not getting an Indian Summer this year.

Light merino layers are a go to for a lot of us at this time of year. 

On 3/2/2024 at 5:21 AM, stuckintexas said:

Probably not the right place to ask this question, but didn’t really see a place to ask other than disabled cruisers…..so any help would be appreciated. Husband was diagnosed with diabetes a couple of weeks ago and we have a cruise planned in about a month. Just wondering how others navigate thru the process. I know we need to fill out a special needs form for a sharps container, but how about meals? Do you request a special type of food selection or are you able to make selections from the buffet and main dining room? He has to monitor his carb intake to keep the sugar numbers down. We have thought about canceling the trip but have had it planned for awhile and were really looking forward to it until life threw us this curve ball…..any advise would be appreciated. 

Definitely don’t cancel! I have T1 diabetes and travel all the time.

Some other things to consider:

- take back ups of everything. A spare CGM, at least a few days extra of any medication.

-purchase  travel insurance that includes the diabetes diagnosis 

- all medication goes in carry on. As do replacement CGM. Depending on the model of CGM it may not be able to go through metal detector or Xray machine. You can request a pat down and visual examination. Allow extra time for this. I wear a Dexcom G7 and it is fine for metal detectors etc.

- Be aware that heat, unusual activity may lower or raise blood sugar levels more than normal. Have some hypo treatments handy (smarties I think are common in the USA. I use mentos). 

- note from the doctor that specifically states medication and if the CGM can’t go through airport security machines can be useful (although ive never been asked for it).

Enjoy your trip! 

On 3/7/2024 at 1:50 PM, musicman85 said:

I'm also diabetic on insulin but I have a continuous glucose monitor attached.

Can anyone please recommend some low sugar alcoholic drinks? Usually I go for a nice riesling because they're not too sweet or too bitter, or a glass of champagne but I'm not sure what Royal has, and would like to try something new. I don't have the alcoholic drink package, just the soda package.  TIA! 

I’m a T1 diabetic. I find dry sparkling wines and red wines good. Any cocktails that are not too liqueur heavy and don’t contain juice, full sugar mixes or simple syrup.

I like Martini’s. I’ve found Aperol Sprtiz is also a refreshing one. 

Remember that alcohol can affect your blood sugar and may cause lows. So monitor carefully and maybe reconsider the nightcap. 

Thanks this is all good to know.

Thanks. So does that mean that people will be at different stages of dining - some people on starters and some on mains etc? 

Hi,

I am travelling by myself on the Grand Princess in January. I'd like to join other people for dinner in the MDR. From a previous Princess cruise I know that you can join a table of others who don't mind sharing. How does this work with regarding to freestyle dining or is it better to just book a time every night on the app?

I'm sailing solo on the Grand Princess in January. What is the best way to book dining if I am wanting to join others at a table?

There are some great wines made in the Gisborne area, which is where I would head - maybe for lunch.

If you are in Napier on a Sunday then the Hawke's Bay Farmers Market is definitely worth a visit. If not, Napier is one of the biggest wine growing regions in New Zealand, so I would recommend a wine tour and perhaps lunch at a vineyard.

Gisborne also has some great wine grown locally, and I noted on a local trip up there some cool looking local breweries.

Wellington (my home town) - if you are here on a Sunday I would walk around the waterfront to the Waterfront Market, have a browse and grab some food to eat from the food trucks/stalls. Highly recommend porno donuts if you have a sweet-tooth. Then I would pop into Te Papa (right next door). From there, it really depends on what you like - there are lots of local breweries in Wellington, so potentially worth giving them a visit. Parrot Dog (in Lyall Bay), Double Vision (in Miramar), Garage Project (in Aro Valley) you will want to uber to. Double Vision could be combined with a visit to Weta Workshop and a coffee at The Larder.

Here's a guide to some more - https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/destinations/nz/wellington/123420347/the-ultimate-guide-to-wellingtons-brewpubs

Coffee is also big in Wellington. Lots of local roasteries. 

I also found this tour - https://www.zozotravel.co.nz/taste-buds-tour-petone which will take you slightly north of Wellington to Petone, which is a bit of a foodie hub too.