Our next two stops were up the eastern shore of New Zealand to two very quaint small cities that offer something for everyone to simply enjoy. Napier is within the Hawke’s Bay region which is known for Art Deco (think Miami Beach) and Wines. Rotorua/Tauranga on the other hand is known for Beaches, natural hot springs and a vibrant Māori culture.
In Napier, our ship docked early morning, however we did have a midafternoon ship departure – we took a wine tour which drove through the town of Napier on our way to the Hawkes Bay region for some taste testing of a few wineries – the day was simply gorgeous – however, the year previously (2023) the area was rocked by massive monsoon rains and flooding the area which some of the vintners were just getting back to operations some 11 months later. Upon return to the Viking Orion, we were greeted by vintage cars with the proud car owners dressed in style of the roaring 20’s which was really a treat. I wish we could have stopped for some photos of the classic art deco buildings of the city, oh well, next time!
The next stop was the port of Tauranga which is about 95 miles from Auckland which is the
final stop of the cruise. We did not venture into Rotorua to visit the hot
springs (we heard stories of how truly hot they were) but decided to take the bus tour of the Kiwi fruit orchards, see the area and take in some Māori hospitality. 
The Area is referred to as the “Bay of Plenty” which is due to its rich farming and horticultural areas. The city is the fifth largest city in New Zealand and the way it is growing will move up a spot sooner than later. After the tour, we returned to the ship and took a walk into the town and did some exploration and had a nice lunch. 
The Mount Maunganui hangs over the tip of the inlet looks over the town and beaches, and the next time we come, we think walking up the trail is manageable and would offer some excellent views – it’s like a mini volcano on the outskirt of the city shopping area.
