Auckland in four days

We arrived in the City of Sails with no problems having been on what I consider to be the easiest flight I’ve ever been on. The staff was amazingly attentive, and the whole plane was set up for customer comfort. Each seat had a nine or ten inch touch screen TV loaded with movies, music, television shows, and information on the major destinations of the carrier. These, plus the added Skycouch option and the twelve-hour flight was over before we knew it!

Auckland from the harbor

Auckland is a beautiful city with an amazing skyline – it looks like something out of a science fiction scene with the Skytower jutting up above everything. We have now spent four days here and have explored the Central Business District quite well. The weather is amazing, averaging around 60-65 degrees during the day with occasional rain showers. Perfect weather for walking and hiking!

Living room with a view!

Our hotel is nice, instead of a standard room we opted for a ‘serviced apartment.’ This means that we have a small, two-bedroom, one-bath apartment with a small kitchen. It gives the three of us a little more space and allows us to save some money by cooking in the room a bit. Also, it has a washer and dryer so we can do laundry, which is nice since otherwise we’d have to go to a laundromat (try as I might, I could not fit six weeks worth of clothes into one suitcase.)

Wrap around balcony

Do-it-yourself buffet.

Things are expensive here with the average dinner costing around 25 NZD per plate. However, when you factor in the exchange rate and the fact that here we don’t have to tip (not because we’re cheap but because it is not required) that is the equivalent of a 15 USD meal, so not quite as bad as it originally appears. We have had a few interesting dining experiences for the money, though. We went to a Chinese buffet because we were starving and exhausted. We had to pay first (which should have been a warning) and then we were led to our table that had a small hibachi where we had to cook everything ourselves! It was a Mongolian grill with a twist! The food wasn’t bad at all, considering. Each item on the buffet was clearly labeled, except one item (second warning). It appeared to be a cold salad of bean sprouts or something similar. Lewis tried it and liked it a lot, but when he asked CJ what it was, she wouldn’t tell him. After some badgering she admitted that it was jellyfish tentacles.

How many accounting firms can you spot?

Our first day here we spent exploring the city. We took it pretty easy since we hadn’t slept much on the plane coming in and, after a little light exploration, we climbed (read: took the elevator) the Sky Tower and saw the city from on high.

One Tree Hill from Mt. Eden.

Maori totem

Day two, I had the crew up and out the door before dawn so that we could check out the view from Mt. Eden at dawn. Mt. Eden is the largest of the fifty-or-so volcanoes IN Auckland, aside from Rangitoto but that one isn’t in the city, it’s in the harbor. After Mt Eden and another volcano called One Tree Hill we headed to the Auckland War Memorial and Museum where we spent the rest of the day exploring the history of the area. The museum does a great job of telling the history of New Zealand in all of its eras: prehistoric, Maori, and modern times.

On our way to the top of Rangitoto!

Waiheke island, famous for its vineyards.

Days three and four we spent hiking. Day three we took the ferry to Waiheke Island, about 30 minutes from the harbor where there are some very fancy houses and beaches. There we walked until it after it was dark. The views were simply amazing! Day four we went to Rangitoto island and hiked up to the top of the volcano and then down into some lava tubes before we limped back to the room to do some laundry and pack up because tomorrow we pick up the RV and start travelling for real!