Gisborne, NZ

February 4, 2023

Hi All, Today we spend the day in Gisborne NZ. Gisborne has a population of about 40,000 . Farming and logging are the main industries. Gisborne is also known for its wineries and it’s surf beaches. Today’s port was a tender port, that meant we had to ride the lifeboats over from the main ship to the pier on shore, this was about a 20 min boat ride. After arriving on shore, we set off on foot exploring the town. A lot of older buildings were lining the street, I would say 1800 era. We stopped in a nice little coffee place and had our flat white and long black. we heard that there was a farmers market going on. After we left our coffee place, I spotted the farmers market along the banks of the river. A lot of local people were buying their fruits and vegetables for the week. Further there were venders selling soaps and clothing. A few foodtrucks were selling local and ethnic foods.The biggest surprise was, there were 2 ladies baking and selling oliebollen. What a treat that was. The locals called them dutch donuts. People were lined up for these yummy treats. After our stop at the market, we continued on our walk and we ended up following a dirt path along the river what brought us back to the harbour. To early to go back to the ship, we sat down on the patio of a local pub right by the walkway along the water.  Here we had a couple of locally brewed IPA’s and enjoyed the view across the water. After we finished our beers, we boarded the tender boat for our boat ride back to the ship. Gisborne ended up being a very pleasant City to visit. As a city it managed to keep its rural small town feeling. The rest of the day, we filled with a music trivia and listening to some live music.

” I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move. – By Louis Stevenson

“Cheers