# Queen Mary 2 in Auckland NZ



## Brian Twyman (Apr 3, 2005)

Queen Mary II quite a sight

Feb 17, 2007 

One sight on Saturday morning dominated Auckland's sky line, as the massive cruise ship Queen Mary II came to town for the day.

Thousands of Aucklanders gathered at vantage points around the Rangitoto Channel, in a bid to watch the biggest ship ever to visit New Zealand make its grand entrance.

The Queen Mary II dwarfed Rangitoto as she cruised into the Waitemata Harbour, surrounded by a flotilla of smaller boats. The ship is so big she cannot squeeze into the terminal at Prince's Wharf, docking at Jellico Wharf instead.

Her captain, New Zealander Christopher Rynd, says despite her size the QMII has such good propulsion and control systems, so she can be manoeuvred very easily.

The Queen Mary will leave for Sydney in a blaze of fireworks on Saturday night.

Source: Newstalk ZB


Brian


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## raybnz (Sep 10, 2005)

Took my daughter and granddaughter up to see her. Quite easy getting into Devenport but coming back took some one and half hours due to traffic jam on the harbour bridge. Evidently some people were stopping their cars on the bridge to take a quick photo or two.


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## Brian Twyman (Apr 3, 2005)

Know what you mean raybnz !

My wife & I went into Auckland to see the ship. Downtown Auckland was packed with people and cars, thousands had turned up to see her as well.
Unfortunately nobody got to see much ! Being too long for Princes Wharf, she was docked in the Container Terminal and well hidden from view by tiers of containers, except for a glimpse of the upper decks over them. We drove up to the Rose Gardens in Parnell to get a better view, we could then see all the upper decks and the funnel, but much further away. Best view would have been from the Devonport ferry , but they were log jammed too, with big queques !
Auckland turned on a great sunny day, this fine ship came, our people turned out in their thousands to see her , but personally I think most were so disappointed to be denied a view. She sails at 10.20 tonight with fireworks etc. It will be a good party Downtown tonite !

Brian


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## jim brindley (Dec 31, 2006)

*queen*



Brian Twyman said:


> Queen Mary II quite a sight
> 
> Feb 17, 2007
> 
> ...


just got photos showing her leaving n.z from my son in christchurch. jim in oz


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## Brian Twyman (Apr 3, 2005)

These are the best views we could get in Auckland today from Downtown.

A = view from Rose Gardens, Parnell down onto Container Terminal.

B = view across Auckland Harbour today looking towards Mt. Victoria (left) and North Head (right), both extinct volcanoes and Rangitoto, the big extinct volcano in the background. (Hope this will bring back some happy memories to SN members !)

C = enlarged portion of A, so you can see some ship !

Still, we saw it on her first visit !

Brian


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## Liberty (Jan 26, 2007)

Hi Brian,
This is picture from the NZ Herald of QM2 arriving this morning.What a ship!
Liberty


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## Paul UK (Jun 13, 2005)

Is QM2 and QE2 arriving together in Sydney if so would like pictures

Paul(A)


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## PKiddell (Aug 17, 2005)

Like you Brian only saw the upper decks etc from Parnell lookout. So went home and downloaded QM2,good drydock pictures plus plenty of info. Worth a look.
Peter Kiddell.


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## Brian Twyman (Apr 3, 2005)

Thanks Peter, I will take a look. Did you see the photos ngaio62 posted in the SN Gallery ? Brilliant !
Cheers
Brian


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## duquesa (Aug 31, 2006)

*QM2 in auckland*

BBC internet news this morning - in their infinite wisdom - state QM2 is on her maiden voyage!!


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## fred henderson (Jun 13, 2005)

*Qm2*

Thank you guys, for the way you have conveyed your enthusiasm in your posts. I think that QM2 is generating possitive world wide interest in maritime affairs, in a way that is good for everyone of us. All too often the only nautical news in the media is about polution.

Fred(Thumb)


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## rushie (Jul 5, 2005)

*QM2 pictures*

From the BBC - 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/6377861.stm

Rushie


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## Bridie (Oct 9, 2006)

Brian Twyman said:


> The Queen Mary will leave for Sydney in a blaze of fireworks on Saturday night.


Just heard on the news here that The QM2 and QE2 will be together in Sydeney. They said:
_"It would be the first time the 2 Cunard Queens had been seen together in Sydney for over 50 years"_

But I'm sure I saw lots of Cunard Queens in the pubs around Circular Quay in the 60's(ballet)


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## rushie (Jul 5, 2005)

*More from the Australian.*

_THE world's biggest passenger liner, the Queen Mary 2, brought Sydney to a grinding halt this morning as tens of thousands of people strove to get a glimpse of the ship. 

Even before the 345m-long ship slipped through the Sydney heads just before dawn, roads around the harbour were choked with cars and every headland was crowded with spectators.

A flotilla of more than 300 small craft, ranging from ferries to kayaks, waited just inside the heads to accompany the 151,400-tonne ship down the harbour to her berth at the Garden Island naval base. 

Too high to fit under the Sydney Harbour Bridge and too long for the Overseas Passenger Terminal berth at Circular Quay, the QM2 had no option but to tie up alongside the naval workshops - normally the home of sleep grey warships. 

As the sun rose over the misty harbour, the ship - the largest vessel to enter the harbour - performed one of the nautical tricks a $1 billion construction bill can enable. 

Coming almost to a dead stop off Woolloomooloo Bay, the ship used her powerful bow and stern thrusters to perform a 180-degree turn in her own length - without any help from the hovering tug boats. 

Tied up alongside Garden Island just before 8am, the ship continued to cause traffic chaos as drivers crossing the Harbour Bridge slowed down to see the superstructure, which towers 62 metres above the water. 

Traffic around Woolloomooloo was at a standstill and the queues of vehicles attempting to reach the area stopped the normal morning peak hour flow. 

For the thousands of passengers who lined the decks of the ship for her entrance to Sydney, it was a brief stop in Australia's largest city. 

The MQ2's sister ship, the QE2, is due to sailing into the harbour early this evening and pass the QM2 on her way to Circular Quay. 

It will be the first time Cunard's two largest liners will have been in Sydney since WWII when the Queen Mary I and the Queen Elizabeth I made regular trip to the city as drab troop carriers. 

The two modern vessels began their world voyages together in Florida's Fort Lauderdale on January 11 this year. 

The ships are scheduled to pass at 7pm (AEDT) tonight, followed by a 10-minute fireworks display at 8.40pm, accompanied by cannons firing from Fort Denison. 

There are about 2,600 guests on board the QM2, 500 of whom are paying between $28,000 and $250,000 each to enjoy its maiden round-the-world voyage. 

With 1,600 leaving the ship in Sydney, QM2 owner Cunard estimates the stopovers will inject more than $1 million into the local economy. 

The three-year-old QM2 will leave Sydney for Hong Kong at 11pm (AEDT) tonight, while the QE2 will leave for Brisbane and Cairns on Thursday night. _

Rushie.


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## Liberty (Jan 26, 2007)

*Photo*

Here is a photo from the Sydney Morning Herald of the two ships in Sydney Harbour yesterday...what a celebration.
Liberty


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## Liberty (Jan 26, 2007)

*Photos*

Couple more shots in Sydney harbour .
Liberty


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