🥇New Zealand suggestions for Must Do's

[luv2cruisewl]

🤔Suggestions needed 🤔We only have 2 ports in New Zealand next month (arriving on Celebrity Solstice🛳 ) and would love to hear your thoughts on either Bay Of Islands or Auckland.  What are must do's when one only has 1 day in each beautiful spot?

[Chiliburn]

Last time in Auckland ,we had a lazy day and walked up to volcan lane and went to a historic pub called the occidental,which was highly recommended.

We had a bucket of green lip mussels,fish and chips.A couple of glasses of wine,a jug of house beer fo $NZ50.

It was very good.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Bay of Islands: visit the Waitangi Treaty House and museum; take the ferry across to Russell and have lunch or a beer at the Duke of Marlborough, NZ oldest pub; also there might be a small market in the park opposite where the shuttles stop in Paihia.

 

Auckland: there is a HoHo bus stop near the cruise terminal if you just want explore Auckland; a ferry trip across to Devonport is worth doing as Devonport has some beautiful old house etc; get going early and do a day trip to Waiheke Island - take the ferry across and there is a good bus service to get around the island which I think operates as a HoHo bus.

[WAVTAM]

Free Auckland walking tour. Meets at Ferry terminal L of cruise dock.

[GradUT]

What excursions are offered by the  cruise ship?  Personally, I find Auckland to be just another big city—certainly not emblematic of New Zealand as a country.  While they would be long day trips, I’d want to go to Waitomo or Rotarua rather than spend a day in Auckland.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

37 minutes ago, GradUT said:

What excursions are offered by the  cruise ship?  Personally, I find Auckland to be just another big city—certainly not emblematic of New Zealand as a country.  While they would be long day trips, I’d want to go to Waitomo or Rotarua rather than spend a day in Auckland.

 

Great idea ...but they are limited by time in port...

 

Mon 15/04/19 Bay of Islands* / New Zealand 10:00 19:00
Tue 16/04/19 Auckland / New Zealand 07:00 16:00

[Swissmiss6253]

Don't know if you have time but when we stayed at the Bay of Islands recently my husband and son did the Fullers Cream trip which they said was terrific.  It is a cruise around the islands.  The treaty grounds are also really good.  I enjoyed Russel thoroughly and liked the ferry trip from Paihia.

 

In Auckland we enjoyed the trip to Devenport, such a pretty place.  We didn't get to Waiheke island but if we go again that is our must do.  The Kelly Tarlton aquarium is interesting, as is the war museum.