As with most of our excursions, we were late departing (in this case due to the sheer logistics of the tour’s 300 passengers disembarking and transferring to the privately chartered train - this took an hour). We were directed to a particular wagon (so did not get a choice of a period or modern carriage). We had to climb 4 steep ladder steps to board our modern carriage with panoramic windows, with four seats grouped round a table. Clean toilet (one per carriage).

The first of only two disembarkation stops was the picturesque, historic Dunedin Railway Station, with its elaborate Victorian façade, complete with towers. The galleried ticket hall has stained glass windows, a colourful tiled frieze and a splendid mosaic floor comprising almost 750,000 Royal Doulton porcelain tiles. The station is surrounded by lovely gardens, with other charming historical buildings nearby.

The train then follows the route of pioneers & prospectors. It took quite a while to reach the more picturesque river gorge area.  En-route two lovely volunteers served our picnic lunch. The tour included unlimited hot, soft and alcoholic drinks (beer and wine) throughout. We saw some pretty, but not spectacular scenery, and struggled to get a good view of the viaducts. Our photos were pretty rubbish (the observation car was too bouncy) - better just to sit back and enjoy. Also, we couldn’t really hear the onboard commentary. There was nothing at the second and final photo-stop where the train headed back along exactly the same route. The carriage was full, so I had to travel backwards and ended up feeling quite sick. Whilst we enjoyed a relaxing picturesque trip, with hindsight we probably would have picked a different tour, especially as were booked on the more scenic Southern Alps train the following day.

The cableway is over a 100 years old. It climbs almost 400 feet in just three minutes. We visited on a Princess Cruises excursion and so were able to skip the long queue; otherwise I don’t think we would have bothered. The car was very crowded (part seats; part standing room). You need a clear day to enjoy views of the city and harbour below. Not cheap either. 

Worth a quick peak in the Cable Car Museum at the top. It is home to the cableway’s historic winding machinery and two of the original cars. It is free and there are information boards explaining the history of the cableway, plus some quirky artefacts. Weather permitting, don’t take the return cable car; instead take a relaxing stroll down through the beautiful botanical gardens.

New Zealand’s national museum is aptly named (roughly translates as "our place of treasures of this land"). Make sure you allow plenty of time here. Entry is free. We visited on a Princess Cruises excursion. This included the museum’s own 60-minute ‘Introducing Te Papa’ Tour (AUD$20). We started with the Māori collection, with fascinating stories of migration, settlement and survival. The artefacts included canoes, tools, weapons and architecture. The beautifully carved marae (meeting house) was designed and created by Maoris. The History Collection included dresses and textiles. We spent quite a lot of time in the art and sculpture collections (some of the paintings focused on local history were interesting, but the modern stuff wasn’t really for us). Sadly, both the natural history section (including the giant squid exhibit) and the earthquake simulator are closed for refurbishment until April 2019. Also, we didn’t have enough time to see either the Gallipoli exhibition (due to the long queues) or the culture show. There is a decent gift shop, although this is lacking a decent detailed museum guide-book, and a nice café. Worth a quick peak into the adjacent basement exhibition, showing how the building was made earthquake-proof (it is sited on reclaimed land next to one of the world's most active faults!)

With hindsight, for greater flexibility, we would have preferred to visit by ourselves rather than as part of an organised excursion. We would recommend taking the museum’s 60-minute ‘Māori Highlights’ tour, then exploring the other collections at your pace. Allow at least 3-4 hours to get the most out of this unique and fascinating museum.

We started with a stop at Kiwifruit Country.  Simon, one of the owners, took us around the farm on a quirky electric buggy. Early October was not the best time to visit as the branches were pretty bare, but Simon held our interest with his explanations of the growing, pollination, harvesting and marketing processes. He is obviously passionate about what he does. After the tour (normally costs AUD$20), you can sample green and gold kiwi fruit. A small shop also sells some interesting and innovative kiwi based products, such as ice cream and relish made.

The highlight was a visit to Te Puia. This is a large site with lots to see (working craft college, Maori culture show, bubbling mudpools, geysers and, if you are lucky, the elusive kiwi).  We loved our 1.5 hour guided tour. Our guide was really friendly, knowledgeable and passionate. She started by providing a quick outline of the tour and a brief insight into the Maori culture and heritage. It was really interesting to learn about the traditional arts and crafts (carvings, jewellery and weaving), including seeing the students at work. With this tour you don’t need to clock watch the geysers - based on their experience the guides know when the eruptions will be at their peak and ensure that you arrive at the optimum time. There are several viewing platforms but, as others have said, it is difficult get a good view with a natural background. The Pohutu geyser can reach up to 30m and having some people in the foreground of your photos adds a sense of scale. Check out the naturally heated steps. The mud pools are nothing special if you have seen something similar before. We didn’t get to see the elusive kiwi (not surprising as the building was partly lit up by people’s mobiles and i-pads). The cultural show started outside the Meeting House, with a tribal welcome (including the famous haka) performed in traditional costume. The lively and interactive show continued inside with local legends, singing and dancing. Photos are allowed but, as is often the case, some folks were more courteous and considerate than others in respecting the performers and other visitors. This detracted from the show and made it feel more touristy. There was a nice gift shop but it is a shame that it didn’t stock more locally produced carvings.

The Polynesian Lake Spa Retreat is supposed to be one of the Top 10 Spas in the world. There are four main areas, with different price points and offerings – the main Deluxe Lake Spa (included in our tour), plus family, adult only and private pool sections. Our excursion was advertised as having a maximum of 8 people, but they take up to 30 and, on the day, there were actually 17 of us in two mini-buses. Big mistake, as there were only four or five changing cubicles. This area felt very tired - definitely not ‘deluxe’. There were five ‘natural’ hot pools, with different temperatures, some covered and others with infinity views. You are supposed to go from one pool to another, building up to the 40 degree one, then take a dip in the cold water before snoozing on the relaxer chairs. You do need to take care getting in and out of the pools as some of the stones underfoot were slippery. You are not allowed to eat or drink in the lounge; you have to use the café, which to be fair is reasonably priced.

The logistics were terrible, resulting in lots of wasted time. We assembled on board at 0740 for short to walk to the pier where we waited for a ferry that wasn’t running on that day. We eventually boarded the 0930 ferry which was packed. At Waiheke there was another delay whilst we waited for a new coach to replace the one that wouldn’t start. The driver struggled with the gears/transmission on the replacement coach, which made for a very bumpy ride. Arriving at Charly Farlies (Onetangi), desperate for our morning tea and snack, we had to queue outside for ages whilst guests self-served. By the time we reached the front of the queue, there were only savoury vegetable scones left and the water was too cool to make a decent cuppa (we gave both a miss). When we located a waitress, she was unsympathetic and unhelpful. By this time, given the choice, we would have happily abandoned the tour – in fact one couple did!  Our first wine tasting was at the Batch Winery, very quirky in a nice setting and we enjoyed four glasses of pretty decent wine. The next stop was at Stonyridge. This was a really lovely setting, but our worst ever wine tasting. The hostess didn’t seem particularly welcoming, friendly or passionate about the wines. We were only given a small mouthful of two uninspiring wines (using the same glass without any water in between to clear the palate), then we were led back to the main house and abruptly abandoned. There was another delay here whilst we waited for a new driver so we ended up paying an extra AUD$28 to try their premium Larose wine (delicious but pricey). We returned to Auckland an hour late at 1445, having had nothing to eat. After a number of passengers complained, we were given a 50% refund. With hindsight, we would have booked one of the ‘Wine and Tastes’ walking tours of Auckland city centre.

Did the small group tour.   The Kawiti Glow Worm Caves are still privately owned by the descendants of a Maori chieftain who had fought against the British. Some of the cave was closed due to flooding. The 40-minute tour is along a narrow boardwalk and guests must negotiate 150 steps, with only a few hand-held lamps to light the way. I managed to cope despite my dodgy knee and slight claustrophobia. Our guide (Harry) was friendly and knowledgeable, providing lots of interesting facts about the local Maori people, caves and glow worms. At two spots the lamps were turned off and you could really see the glow-worm lights against the limestone roof walls, reminiscent of the milky way, with some stunning ‘glowing’ stalactites and stalagmites. On the way out, we spotted the resident eel which lives in a small stream that runs through the caves. Photography is not allowed inside, but postcards are available to buy.

The Puketi Forest once covered most of the Bay of Islands. It is peppered with majestic kauri trees, which rival California's redwoods in height and girth, as well as impressive tree ferns. Helen guided us along the boardwalk. She did her best to cover as much as she could on this 30-minute (too short) stop. She was very knowledgeable and passionate about the trees, plants and birds and had had taken the time and trouble to pick some leaves, seeds and kauri resin for us to see, touch and smell.

Princess has moved from a minutes-based package (120 minutes for USD$69 = about £57 which would have done us fine) to one based on days (13 days for AUD$150 = £92 approx).Misha and Kristina ensured that every meal was a delight - they were so friendly, taking the time to stop and chat, making sure that we were relaxed, remembering our favourite drinks and food, making recommendations that were just right for us.

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Amazing cruise but too crowded

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