Cruise to New Zealand and Australia

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Friday, 31 January 2025 - Explored Wellington with a visit to Seal Rock to see fur seals, then toured the city including Lambton Quay, the Wellington Cable Car, the Botanical Gardens, and Bolton Street Cemetery, ending the day with drinks in the Observation Bar and watching a beautiful sunset over the ocean.

australia2025 — The sunrise was beautiful as we pulled into Wellington.

australia2025 — It was hard to eat breakfast and take pictures of the sunrise.

australia2025 — Lighthouse marking the entrance to the Wellington harbor.

australia2025 — On an excursion to Seal Rock, we stopped at Te Ahumairangi Hill Lookout to look out over Wellington and the harbor.

australia2025 — The dark clouds let some sun in to create a shimmering light on the bay.

australia2025 — A long bumpy 4x4 ride to Seal Rock. It was a cool and windy - very windy day.

The Fur Seals were out. At first, they were hard to see as they are the same color as the rocks. Then you begin to distinguish them. This big boy is not hiding.

australia2025 — Most of them are sleeping, and this one on a bed of kelp.

australia2025 — This is a little male seal with other males at this location. The females and cubs congregate on other rock piles.

australia2025 — Pretty chubby creatures.

australia2025 — The rugged coastline leading to the seal rocks.

australia2025 — Interesting birds around as well, this is a Double-Crested Cormorant.

australia2025 — One of the big guys moved into the water and provided a target for Cal to track for a long time.

He would disappear and move around the kale.

australia2025 — An Australian Pied Cormorant.

australia2025 — Now and then a seal would bark, almost like wolves tossing their heads back and barking.

australia2025 — But mostly sleeping.

australia2025 — A lighthouse on the coast, besides Seal Rock, there are other rocky promontories that make the coastline dangerous.

australia2025 — A seagull sits on a rock.

australia2025 — After the tour Cal took the shuttle into Wellington to look around.

Walking down Lambton Quay street to the Wellington Cable Car, which takes passengers to the top of the Wellington Botanical Garden and then an easy walk down the trails of the botanical gardens back to town.

australia2025 — The gardens were large and very well maintained. Since it was all downhill it was a pleasant walk.

australia2025 — Curious tree with branches going everywhere.

australia2025 — A posing Bird of Paradise.

australia2025 — Tree trunk bark with lichen.

australia2025 — Thistle blossom.

australia2025 — Lion fountain.

australia2025 — Major rose garden with over a hundred bushes.

It was late in the summer, so few great flowers.

australia2025 — Near the end of the botanical gardens is the Bolton Street Cemetery. The oldest cemetery in Wilmington dating back to 1840.

Separate burial areas were designated for Anglicans, Jews, and Roman Catholics. Many notable citizens of the town are buried there, including William Wakefield, Wellington's founder.

australia2025 — A Jewish grave marker.

australia2025 — Distinctive, beehive-shaped, 1960s designed building housing Prime Ministerial and cabinet offices.

australia2025 — Wellington Cenotaph is a war memorial commemorating the war dead of both world wars.

australia2025 — We left Wellington before the sun setting.

australia2025 — Dual Pencarrow Head Lighthouse as we left Wellington harbor.

The upper lighthouse constructed in 1859, is no longer in operation, however, the lower lighthouse is still active.

australia2025 — Virginia Ann, Rosemary, and Tricia settling down in the Observation bar for a drink before dinner.

australia2025 — An unbelievably pretty sunset on the open ocean. Cal and Trisha sprinted from the dinner table to capture the sunset.

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