Sue and I recently took one of the most exciting trips we've ever been on. A Crystal cruise that started in New Zealand, and ended up in Australia over Christmas and New Years.  Sixteen days aboard the Crystal Symphony. It really doesn't get any better than this.  Yes, it's a long flight, but worth every minute getting there.  We started out in Auckland and settled onboard the Crystal Symphony, got some rest and got to explore Auckland.  We took a ferry over to Devenport and got some great pictures looking back at Auckland. 

We sailed from Auckland to Tauranga, Napier,  then Christchurch,  and Dunedin. Each city had a unique character.   I especially enjoyed the palm tree lined shopping district in Tauranga with it's many street musicians and entertainers.  We took advantage of a unique excursion to the Hobbiton,     where scenes from the Lord of the Rings was filmed along with The Hobbit.  Crystal managed to organize our trip after hours,  when the rest of the visiting crowds were gone.  We even had dinner at the Green Dragon Inn featured in the movie.

We visited the International Antartic Centre when we were in Christchurch. Considered one of New Zealand’s leading attractions, it gives you a feel for modern Antarctic life through sophisticated sound-and-light shows, a spine-tingling audiovisual presentation, and interactive exhibits. The Antarctic Hagglund Ride is the only one of its type in the world. Its 15-minute tour gives you a unique insight into the planning of Antarctic journeys. It’s a big hit with kids.

Although we visited the historic train station in Dunedin,  we didn't take advantage of all the interesting day trips by train. We enjoyed seeing all the art deco buildings in Napier. 

We then sailed around the southern tip of New Zealand through Dusky, Doubtful, then Milford Sound.  That day we spent most of our time on the top deck taking in some of the most spectacular sights threading our way through the narrow passages of the sound between majestic peaks and clouds.  The fiord's cliffs rise vertically from the dark waters, mountain peaks scrape the sky and waterfalls cascade downwards, some as high as 3000 feet.  It was an amazing day.

The last part of our trip brought us to Sydney to close out the year for the New Years Eve fireworks display on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. They spend almost 7 million dollars for this firework extravaganza.  Crystal chartered two catamarans for 850 passengers to see the fireworks up close.  They had a band, incredible appetizers, and champagne flowed all night long. This was truly one of the most memorable nights of our trip. We enjoyed taking a ferry across their harbor the next day to Manly.  Walked by a sports bar and saw the NIU Huskies playing in the Orange bowl on one of their widescreens.   I loved their city, it's architecture, and the people.  One of the great cities of the world.

The last port we visited was Melbourne.  Like Sydney,  Melbourne is a beautiful coastal city. Great shopping, people, and beautiful harbor.  We stayed on an extra day to explore Melbourne. We ventured  to the outback to see kangaroos and koalas in their natural habitat. We also took a private excursion to see the parade of penguins at Phillip Island. One of the most interesting nature experience's we've seen.  We look back on this experience as one of the most special and enjoyable journeys we've ever taken.  A long way to go, but a travel experience that was so rich we still can't stop talking about it.  Everyone needs to experience a Crystal cruise at least once in their life.