Port Chalmers - Cruise Destination Port for Dunedin

Port Chalmers is located on the northern side of Otago Harbour, and is the cruise port destination for Dunedin, 14 km south-west of Port Chalmers. 

This is the last stop before sailing through the Sounds.

The Cruise ships dock at a working port.

Passengers and crew can exit via a walkway to a large 'welcome' building.

This is where one can walk directly into town, or catch excursion or public transport to Dunedin. 

Port Chalmers is a mix of historic buildings, cafes, arts and craft markets and shops as well as interesting galleries and shops.

In July 1844 the area, originally known as Potakere - meaning hills, and later Koputai, was sold by the Maori people to the Otago Association New Zealand Company. The Otago deed was signed by 25 Maori chiefs. Captain Wing of the ship Deborah, and Frederick Tuckett were the first to  select land in order to establish a Scottish settlement. By December 1844 other, mostly Scottish settlers, came and settled there. The town was surveyed in 1846 by Charles Kettle and a town board was set up. 

By April 1848 many ships were arriving with settlers, and the first church service took place. 

Port Chalmers is named after one of the founders and the leader of the Free Church of Scotland, Thomas Chalmers who died in 1847.

By the mid 1870's many shipping companies were using the port, and the dredging the entrance to the harbour made the port a deep water port, to rival the port of Lyttelton. Port Chalmers and Dunedin were first connected by road (1860's) and then rail (1873).

One famous visitor to Port Chalmers was Mary Mackillop, Australia's first Saint - Saint Mary of the Cross. Mary and 3 sisters of St Joseph arrived on 15th January 1898, and lived in Port Chalmers for several months establishing a school and convent in 1898. A portrait "St Mary Mackillop at Port Chalmers" by Margaret-Ann Howard, is on display at St Mary Star of the Sea church, 34 Magnetic Street, Port Chalmers. The wooden frame is believed to have come from the rented house where Mary and the 3 sisters of St Joseph lived in 1898.

What to See and Do in Port Chalmers:

There are buses that will take you into Dunedin for a price and there are many tours one can do from Dunedin. If, like us, you have been to Dunedin many times it is lovely to walk around Port Chalmers. This was our third time to Port Chalmers, and we still have more to see there.

Port Chalmers Maritime Museum

Located to the right as one leaves the port building, the Maritime Museum is housed in the old Post Office that was opened in 1877 and is a heritage listed building. Built on a beach where the first immigrant settlers landed in 1840's. We were fortunate to visit the museum before the new renovations, and I think it had more character then. The new extension, although lovely, doesn't have the same sense of history, but more a display area. Extended to the side with a large glass wall displaying memorabilia, and extended up with a view over the port. The entrance is now via the glass building and not the old post office entry. Entry is by donation.

Iona Church

Located part way up Mount Street, Iona church in some form has been on this site since 1852. It is the most beautiful church with rabbit warren type maze of rooms and a large pipe organ that we were lucky enough to hear one trip. The church is only open a few hours when cruise ships come in. 

The first building was of wooden construction with a square tower that seated 150 people. The foundation stone for the second building was laid in 1871, and designed to seat 300 people. By 1875 a gallery was added to accommodate more people.

By 1882 a larger building was needed. The foundation stone for the present building was laid 23 November 1882, and the church was opened a year later to seat over 600 people.

It is a beautiful Gothic building made with local stone. A second building, known as Johnson Hall was added, and then a third building to connect to it  

The 165ft spire was fitted with a clock in 1885.

The first pipe organ was installed in 1907 and moved in 1930 to Sawyers Bay church. The next pipe organ was installed about 1928. A beautiful church one should visit if it is open.

Port Chalmers Old Cemetery 

3 Church Street. Worth a visit if you are into cemeteries. It is only a short walk up some steps from Iona Church, and full of history.

Flagstaff Lookout

If you like walking, walk down Grey Street and left into Scotia Street, and left again into Constitution Street up the hill to Flagstaff Lookout. A great view of the port and the ship from the top. It's only 650-700m, but it is mostly up hill. 

Arts and Craft Markets

The markets are usually open on cruise days.

Last cruise they were conveniently located across the road for from the port in the library building - there is also free wifi in the building.

So many other interesting things to see in Port Chalmers.

Don't forget to watch the wonderful passing scenery while sailing out of Otago Harbour - you may see sea-lions.  

Cruise Ship Destination: Tauranga and Mount Maunganui , New Zealand

Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, is the largest city in the region and boasts many cafes and shops along a waterfront and and park area.

However, the ships actually dock at Mount Maunganui, 10 minutes (6km) from downtown Tauranga, and it has beautiful beaches, parks, walks as well as cafes and shops.

Getting from Cruise Port to Tauranga:

- Public Bay Bus

- taxi 

- private transfers from the port

The Tauranga and Mount Maunganui area is a beautiful place that we have been fortunate enough to visit a few times, and Peter many many times, as he use to work there. Our first two visits we walked around Mount Maunganui and there was a bus to take passengers into Tauranga at a cost of $4 return. The next time there was a courtesy bus paid for by the businesses at Tauranga. We took that bus and had a look around Downtown Tauranga. Since then we stay at Mount Maunganui and enjoy the walks and the beach. Last cruise there we thought about getting the public bus - Baybus - into Tauranga. So that may be an option for future cruises. Buses also have free wifi. Payment is by BeeCard, credit card (via the Baybus App) or cash - correct money, no change. Cost in March 2025 was $4 each way. 

Downtown Tauranga

The prettiest part and worth visiting is the Strand Waterfront. Peter took us to all his old cafes, restaurants and places he would go when he worked in Tauranga. There are a lot of cafes and eating and drinking places and shops. There are many sculptures and murals also.

Our favourite place was the Strand and the Waterfront parklands. There are many cafes along the Strand and the tidal water at high tide comes right up to the park walls. I was pleased to see statues of Hairy Maclary as they were characters from books I used regularly and I didn't know they were from New Zealand, let alone Tauranga.

There are lots of tours from the cruise port in Mount Maunganui and Tauranga, if you are not doing a ship tour. Some are quite long - 7 hours or more, so make sure you know what time the ship leaves. There are glowworms tours (also from Auckland), long day trips to Rotorua, short cruises in the bay. Just do your homework online, and if you book make sure you can either pay on the day, or the tour is fully refundable - just in case the ship is late, or the port is cancelled (for one of many reasons).

 

Mount Maunganui

Mt Maunganui is absolutely beautiful. There are beaches on both sides of the peninsula, calm bay waters on the port side and a surf (little) beach on the other side. The mount is a 232 metre (760ft) and is a volcanic dome. This is a good site for the legend of the mount. It is an easy 1.2 km from the ship to the hot pools at the base of the mount.

Walking along the calm side, just as you leave the port, there is a great fish and chips. It wasn't open when we left the ship mid morning, but was open mid afternoon. If you can fight the seagulls away it is lovely to eat while watching the water. Also along the calm side is a lot of water sport hiring - kayaks, wind surfing, one trip we even saw paddle boats, but they were not there in March. We have visited here on weekends and it is very busy with families having picnics. There is a wooden walkway all along both beaches.

There are many walks one can do, but the best walks are around and up Mount Maunganui. There is a base walk that is a little rocky on the surf side, but still an easy walk. The walk up the top is more strenuous - Peter and Jonnie did that one - and the views were spectacular.

There are hot pools at the base of the mount, entry fee $27 adult. The development of the pools began in the 1950's, but the history goes back a lot further than that.

On the surf side of the peninsula is and at the base of the mount is a life guard club, and a long beach. Across the road are many cafes.

Further along the beach there are information boards about the beach, marine tides, birds and history. There are plenty of seats and shade along the path, and more cafes.

At the other end of the beach is Moturiki Island, accessible from the the beach it is also known as Leisure Island. It is an easy walk around the island and can take as little as 15-30 minutes to walk to the end and back along the path. Took us longer as we kept stopping to look at the view, and if you are lucky you may even see the blowhole if the tide is right. There was evidence that the Maoris had used the land in the past and early 1900's the land was used as a quarry, with the granite used in many of the railway lines in the area. In the 1960's the island became a marine fun park with animals, aquariums, swimming pools, water slide and bumper boats seen. There is little evidence of the fun park, but one can look at some of the cut out rock formations and imagine where the aquariums would have been.

Walking back to the ship we came across a few painted - are they electrical boxes? - very funny. Next time we visit we will search out some more.

We like Mount Maunganui, and the lovely walks.

 

Quantum of the Seas - Balcony Cabin 10526

 

We booked a window cabin on deck 3 as it was less than to days before the cruise and that was all that was available (gotta love last minute specials). When we arrived at the check-in we were presently surprised to be told we were upgraded to a balcony. 

The cabin, located Starboard Forward, was the same as other balcony cabins on Quantum. The bed is closer to the door. The lounge converted into our third bed. The only negative was the squeaky bathroom, especially at night while trying to sleep. We did report it the second day, but it wasn't fixed the entire 14 nights.  

The balcony was normal size and instead of two adjustable chairs and a small table, one of the chairs was replaced with a blue plastic chair, which was actually a lot more comfortable than the regular chair.

 

The muster station was deck 5, Royal Theatre.