Left to right: Lion Rock lounges on Piha Beach near Auckland; the head of a

pou whenua (carved land post) contemplates the relationship between

living Maori, their ancestors, and their environment; ripe for the picking; and
the Melbourne Arts Centre, the focal point of the city’s cultural precinct.

©Jenny & Tony Enderby/Getty Images

Dreamscapes Spear in hand, eyes wide as salad plates,
the tattooed Maori warrior appears less than
noses and foreheads, and the exchange of breath to signify
unity. What a lovely and cordial custom, I think. What a

Down Under
Kangaroos and koalas. Sauvignon blanc and shiraz. Dramatic
scenery, exuberant cities, and cultural encounters with indigenous
populations. Anita Carmin discovers that a New Zealand and
Australia cruise delivers the best of both dream destinations.
friendly. What are your intentions? he demands in loud,
indecipherable chants. Hal, a gregarious Florida businessman
and the leader of our visiting “tribe” quietly approaches, picks
up the small branch the warrior has placed on the ground, then
respectfully backs away. Translation: We have come in peace.
The ritual complete, my boyfriend, Robert, and I are allowed
to enter the marae — the sacred Maori meeting ground where
the warrior’s tribal members have gathered for generations.
After mihimihi and whaikorero (greetings and speeches), we’re
warmly welcomed with a hongi — the ceremonial pressing of
wonderful introduction to these lands down under.
This is our first day ashore on Holland America Line’s 14-day
New Zealand and Australia voyage; a cruise where, I’ll discover,
no two days are the same. That’s the beauty of these diverse
island nations. One day you’re rubbing noses with a Maori
tribe member; the next, you’re debating the merits of a crisp
sauvignon blanc at an outdoor wine-tasting.
More Dreamscapes Down Under on page 20 P

18 Virtuoso Insights Virtuoso Insights 19

 ©Jose Azel/Getty Images
Clockwise from upper left: White Island lets off some steam; a taste of
New Zealand; and poppies blaze at the Wellington Botanic Garden.
While many plan a vacation to one or the
other down-under destination, I reason that if
Robert and I are going to fly half way across the world, it
only makes sense to combine New Zealand and Australia
on one multifaceted voyage. (After all, who knows when
we’ll have an opportunity to return?)
That’s why the idea of this cruise is so appealing: Fly
to Auckland. Hop on the ship. Unpack once. And see the
best of both Southern Hemisphere worlds on one two-week
adventure culminating in Sydney.
Holland America Line’s 1,432-guest Volendam is the
perfect ship for the trip: big enough to offer the amenities
I like — a lido-deck fitness center with panoramic views,
a cushy spa complete with heated ceramic chaise lounges,
a culinary arts center offering daily cooking demos — yet
not so big I need a map to find my way around. There’s
always ample space on the lower promenade deck for
brisk walks in the sea air, and plenty of room along the
polished rail to take in the scenery which, on our first
day at sea, includes New Zealand’s most active volcano,
White Island — aptly named by Captain Cook for the
dense white clouds of smoke it emits.
It’s strange (in a good way) to awake in a completely
different world each morning. The day following our
20 Virtuoso Insights
G erm an T ou ri s m A d
shore excursion to the marae, the Volendam slips into
Napier, a lively seaside resort in Hawke’s Bay. Devastated
by an earthquake in 1931, the city was rebuilt in Art
Deco style. Since Hawke’s Bay is one of New Zealand’s
leading wine producing regions, Robert and I opt for
the “Picturesque Puketapu” shore excursion featuring
a visit to Moana Park, a boutique winery specializing in
organic varietals. It’s our chance to taste winemaker Dan
Barker’s award-winning sauvignon blanc and pinot gris,
not available outside of New Zealand.
The next day finds us in Wellington, where we wish
we were wearing Wellingtons (aka Wellies), when the
clouds open up en route to Te Papa Tongarewa. This not-
to-be-missed Museum of New Zealand warrants a full-
day visit, but when the morning rains subside, we bolt
outdoors to ride the city’s famous cable car that whisks
us up a steep incline to the 141-year-old Wellington
Botanic Garden. We stroll this national treasure —
classified as a Garden of National Significance by the
Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture — from
top to bottom, marveling at the exotic trees and
enormous hydrangeas.
More Dreamscapes Down Under on page 22 P
 nothing compares to Seeing Milford Sound
in person, out on the bow of the Volendam, surrounded
by sky-piercing, emerald forest-clad cliffs.
Clockwise from upper left: Waterfalls plunge into Milford Sound; Mitre Peak pierces
the sky; and to great heights: a cable car ascends the steep slopes of Wellington.
I love Wellington (which reminds me a
lot of San Francisco), and two days later I’m
just as enamored with Christchurch, nicknamed “the
most English city outside of England.” It does look like
England, Robert and I concur, as we pass Christchurch
Cathedral on the city’s historic tram. From “England”
we cruise to “Scotland,” enjoying a port call at misty
Dunedin, deemed the “Edinburgh of the South” by its
Scottish founders.
At this point, midway through the cruise, I can
truthfully verify what I’ve heard for years: Kiwis are
genuinely friendly, downright jolly, and bend-over-
backwards helpful. We see it everywhere — in the taxi
drivers, the shopkeepers, even the Christchurch librarian
when we appear just before closing to check our e-mail.
Something else I love: the way Kiwis talk; their clever and
humorous expressions. One of our dinner tablemates,
Dennis, is a Kiwi. I tell him I’m concerned about reports
of rough seas and strong winds in Fiordland National
Park since I tend toward queasiness. “No worries,” he
assures me. “Worst case: Head to the infirmary, get a jab
[shot] and you’ll be right as rain.”
22 Virtuoso Insights
P ri n ces s A d
Fortunately, no jab is required. It’s smooth sailing
and sunny skies as we sail into Milford Sound, the
park’s breathtaking 10-mile-long fjord. While I’ve seen
untold photos of this dramatic natural wonder — first
discovered by the Maori people more than a thousand
years ago — nothing compares to being there in person,
out on the bow of the Volendam, surrounded by sky-
piercing, emerald forest-clad cliffs. Our cameras work
overtime snapping plunging waterfalls and pyramid-
shaped Mitre’s Peak that towers a mile over our heads.
After eight days of port calls and scenic cruising, I
welcome two days at sea to reflect on where we’ve been
and where we’re going. Crossing the Tasman Sea to
Australia, there’s time to hit the gym, take a cooking
class, have a massage, tour the galley, and attend an
art lecture. Today’s talk: Salvador Dalí: Madman or
Genius? Martin Joubert, the Volendam’s art director, is
both knowledgeable and entertaining, dishing up you-
gotta-be-kidding anecdotes that lead me to believe he
personally knew the surrealist. (Ditto for his lecture on
Picasso the week before).
More Dreamscapes Down Under on page 24 P

Clockwise from upper left: Tasmanian angel: a koala poses on its perch;
Melbourne rises from the banks of the Yarra River; and men at work.
One of the pluses of sailing down under
with Holland America Line: Many cruises
include a day in Tasmania, Australia’s only island state.
Separated from the mainland at the end of the last Ice
Age, Tasmania is a refuge for many threatened species on
the continent. Robert and I book the shore excursion to
Wing’s Wildlife Park, a haven for injured and orphaned
wildlife. We roam freely among a dozen kangaroos
that allow us to pet them and admire their joeys. We
cozy up to a sleepy-eyed koala, have a humorous chat
with a sulphur-crested cockatoo, and come face to face
— separated, thankfully, by a short fence — with the
island’s notorious Tasmanian devils.
Melbourne (pronounced Mel-bun) is next. Australia’s
second-largest city, it is both regal and refined, hip
and happening. The city claims the most elaborate
Victorian architecture in all of Australia along with one
of the tallest buildings — the landmark Rialto Towers
— in the entire Southern Hemisphere. (A 55th-floor
observation deck offers a 360-degree panorama of the
24 Virtuoso Insights
S w ai n T ou rs A d
city.) When in Melbourne, you must ride the City Circle
tram, which, of course, we do. The world’s largest tram
network, its red heritage trams circuit the city for free,
allowing you to hop on and off at major attractions.
We spend our Saturday morning ashore riding the
tram, admiring the architecture, window-shopping in
tucked-away boutique-lined lanes, and exploring Lygon
Street, Melbourne’s “Little Italy,” which boasts the
highest concentration of Italian restaurants and cafés
in Australia.
That afternoon we meet up with some newfound
friends from the ship — a lively mix of Americans,
Canadians, Kiwis, and Aussies — for a late lunch at
Number 8, one of the hot restaurants in Melbourne’s
swanky Crown Entertainment Complex. I opt for local
snapper and Robert, the Moreton Bay bugs (a species
of lobster from Australia’s north coast), as our table
conducts an informal tasting of Australian wines. Our
favorite: the Chapel Hill McLaren Vale Shiraz 2006.
More Dreamscapes Down Under on page 26 P
 Doing it
VISITING AUSTRALIA
& NEW ZEALAND
GO
Qantas Airlines offers a number of
non-stop or direct flights to Auckland
and Sydney from various U.S. cities,
including Los Angeles, New York, and
San Francisco.

SEE
Holland America Line explores the
wonders down under on a series of
14- and 17-day Australia and New
Zealand cruises sailing from Sydney

H AL A d
to Auckland (or reverse) between
December 6, 2009 and February
3, 2010. From $1,699 per person. A
48-day voyage between Sydney and
Brisbane departs February 28, 2010.
From $4,999 per person. In addition,
the Volendam will embark on a 34-day
circumnavigation of Australia —
including a five-day Great Barrier
Reef experience — on March 14, 2010.
From $3,999 per person.

From top: Perfect presentation: a Caesar STAY

salad with anchovies, and iconic Sydney. Located in Sydney’s historic Rocks
district, the Park Hyatt Sydney
offers jaw-dropping views of the city’s
In Australia, we discover, one spectacular meal is
celebrated harbor, Opera House and/
sure to be topped by the next. We celebrate our last night
or Harbour Bridge from its 158 well-
on board with dinner in the Pinnacle Grill, the Volendam’s intimate,
appointed rooms, most with private
reservations-only dining room where Holland America Line kicks
balconies. The rooftop deck provides
it up a notch: tables set with Frette linens, Bvlgari china, Riedel
the ideal venue for relaxation, while
stemware, and menus featuring gargantuan cuts of Sterling Silver
the chic Tony Chi–designed restaurant
beef along with a Wine Spectator–worthy wine list. Also impressive:
allows guests to take in the fresh sea
a Caesar salad prepared tableside and the warm Grand Marnier
air and Sydney Harbour views through
chocolate volcano cake.
floor-to-ceiling glass doors. Virtuoso
While Robert and I are sad to see the cruise end, we’re looking
guests receive an upgrade on arrival,
forward to tomorrow. Like many of the other guests on board, we
if available; daily continental buffet
plan to extend our holiday in Sydney, a destination that warrants a
breakfast; chilled bottle of French
longer-than-eight-hour port call. That’s the beauty of this voyage. It
Champagne; and early check-in, if
is delivering us — in style, and at considerable savings — right to one
available. For up-to-the-minute pricing,
of the planet’s most exciting cities.
contact your Virtuoso travel advisor.
Is this the trip of a lifetime or what? As our Aussie friends would
say, “Too right!”

26 Virtuoso Insights