We finish our cruise soon, but there are 450 new customers who will be back in the Bay of Islands in two days, plus thousands more over the next few weeks as Odyssey does the New Zealand season.
We tender across to the Yacht Club and Copthorne Hotel, close by to the Waitangi Treaty Ground.
We take the scenic drive route, except we’re on foot, and wander through the golf club, following the road which soon becomes a grit pathway.
Continue along this route as it passes though delightful countryside, until the falls carpark is visible.
From here we drop down onto the edge of the falls for a great photo, and then continue on the falls pathway which returns to the Waitangi area.
This 6km route is delightful, through the silent primeval forest including a mangrove walkway where the only sound is of the snapping shrimp make loud clicking sounds in the erie calm.
Soon after we emerge near the treaty grounds after a 7.5 miles round-trip.
It’s just a one mile walk back into town, from where we catch the ferry across to Russell.
Last visited in 2003 we cannot remember much about the little town, apart from how cute it is.
We stop for pie, then head over the saddle to the beach side, before a quick wander around the town, then returning to take the ferry back.
Our afternoon is rudely interrupted by the terrible job of packing – it really shouldn’t be allowed – as we have to have our cases picked up around 23:00. I mostly keep out of the way.
Meanwhile the deck area is being dressed for the Epicurean even which always ends every Seabourn cruise. This is where officers act as servers with stalls full of treats from cocktails to caviar, sausages to sushi. The culmination of the event is when many representatives of each department onboard circle deck nine and we are able to thank them all for their wonderful service – always makes me cry.
Our last dinner is downstairs, a farewell party arranged by our lovely neighbours and their neighbours. We enjoy caviar, then rich consommé, chateaubriand and finish with a gorgeous assiette of pudding. There is much toasting (with slivovitz mostly!) and many speeches.
Although we started early we only just make the show which is running late thankfully, and enjoy a fabulous performance of many arias and other well know classical music.
