Last night we went to the casino. We both played some on the roulette machine. We were both up some. Went by the Lido deck for some water. Came back to the cabin and watched some tv and got some updates on our wifi. Headed to bed just after 11 pm. Woke up around 7 but decided to sleep longer. Finally got out of bed at 8. Got dressed and headed to the Lido Deck for breakfast. I had two scrambled eggs with some ham slices and tried a hash brown. Also, had a muffin. Mark had an omelet, hash brown and apple turnover. Went back to our cabin and packed a bag to take with us to shore. Headed down to the 1st deck. We had to wait behind a lot of passengers that were heading off on tours. Then we got off the ship too. Walked across a park and waited at the rental car shuttle pick up spot. We boarded the first shuttle. Then had to wait in line at the car rental company called RitePrice. Mark got our paperwork and we got the keys to our small Mazda car. Not sure what model it was. Mark had downloaded Google Maps for NZ so we were able to find our way to Hobbiton taking Hiway 29 and 29A. It's been a while since Mark last drove. Of course, the cars drive on the left side of the road here, similar to Australia. Along the way, Mark decided to stop at McLaren Falls and Park. We parked close to the falls and took some pictures. Then climbed over the huge rocks and boulders along the edge of the water. Took several pictures. It was a beautiful place. Did a short meditation & connection. The air was very refreshing. It felt like we got some extra energy. Then Mark drove around the park. It had a beautiful big calm lake with several ducks swimming on the edge. There were tiny, one-way roads, which Mark easily navigated. We then continued our drive to Hobbiton. We got there and found a parking spot only to be told that all the tours were booked. We walked around the gift shop and I bought a t-shirt. We made a couple of phone calls. Our connection was not very good. Plus not much to show of the area. The movie set was well away from that area. We could not see any part of it unless we were on their tour. We each enjoyed an ice cream cone before headed back. On the drive to Tauranga, we stopped off a beach called, Papamoa. There was a grassy parking area with a path leading to the beach. The sand was almost a grey color. It was a long walk to the beach. It must have been low tide as the beach was really wide. There were a few people around. Some were in the water, but most were sitting under cover. It was quite a hot day, but on the beach the breeze was cool. The waves were crashing into the shore. The water would have been too cold for us to get into. Took pictures on the beach and headed back to the trail and back to the car. Returned the rental car after topping up the fuel tank. It didn't take long to give the car back. It was only a couple of kilometers to the boat, so we decided to walk instead of waiting for the shuttle bus. We needed some exercise. As we waked back to the port area, a couple riding bikes asked if we were on the cruise. They are taking a cruise on the Spirit in July. There was not much of a line up getting back on board. We headed to our cabin to drop off the bag we took with us. Went up to the Lido deck and had some ice cream and cookies. Then back to our cabin. We only had a short time before our dinner time. Met up with Graham & Pamela as well as Ross & Beth for a Mexican style dinner. I had some spring rolls and a small chicken taco, and main course of ribs, veggies & sweet potatoes. Mark had some nachos and cheese, and a main course of beef medallions wrapped in bacon plus fries. Before dessert, we were invited to join the staff for the macarina and chicken dance. Dessert for both of us was Tres Leches and it was really good. Lots of funny stories from our dinner mates. We headed back to our cabin after dinner. The show tonight was not one of our favorites, so we decided to work on the blog instead. We are watching a movie, we saw some of earlier in the day.

What a beautiful day it was. The sun was shining and temperatures were at least 75 degrees or higher. We both packed jackets, but we didn't have to use them at all.

We are at the dock until 7:30 or so. The sun sets around 8:30. We will be leaving shortly.

Thanks for all your emails and messages. We will be spending Superbowl Sunday in Auckland which is the capital of New Zealand. Should be a fun day for us.