New Zealand: Around Auckland

Morning

The timezone change hit us hard and we woke up at 04:00, we spent the next three hours waiting for first light before getting up at 07:00. The campsite showers needed some gentle persuasion before the hot water came out but at least the cold water woke us up completely!

Auckland Sky Tower

We headed out in the pouring rain to find the bus stop and as always happens we got there just in time to see the bus pull out. However we only needed to wait a half an hour for the next one to the harbour.

A short walk around the harbour and up Queen Street convinced us that Auckland seems to be a very stressed city. We were aiming for the Skytower to see the views of the city but with the rain we did't expect to see much.

Skytower

Bungee jumper

At the Skytower we both got in as students! For some reason they would make Joel a student if we went to the Sky Deck but if we went to the Main Observation Deck we would have to go as an adult and a student which would be more expensive than two students to the Sky Deck. We were confused but went along with it.

The view from both decks was better than we expected and we took lots of photos of Auckland. The Sky Deck seemed very quiet and relaxed compared to the crowded Main Observation Deck and we were able to see the people getting ready to bungee jump from the tower.

Coffee break

Birds in cafe

After leaving the Skytower we looked for a nice cafe for a mid-morning snack. This warrants a mention as while we enjoyed our coffee and muffins two birds fluttered into the cafe. At this point the tourists could be easily distinguished from the Jafas as we all grabbed our cameras while the Aucklanders didn't pay the birds any attention.

Harbour Cruise

Joel with Auckland Skyline

One of the must-dos for any trip to New Zealand is the Fullers' Harbour cruise. The rain had stopped but it was still freezing, luckily we were bundled up in our raingear so we could enjoy the top deck in comfort while everyone else huddled inside.

Sail NZ America Cup Yacht

We saw lots but the most memorable experience was when the captain made a sharp turn to bring us towards one of the Sail NZ America Cup Yachts.

A wet Cris

We got soaked as a result!

Once back on shore we headed for a nearby cafe that offered wireless internet, quick emails to the families with a side dish of hot soup are the order of the day.

Devonport

In the warmth of the cafe time slipped by and we soon realised that the ferry for Devonport was about to leave, time to make tracks. We actually arrive as the ferry was about to pull out but they were kind enough to wait for us!

Auckland Skyline

We walked briefly around Devonport, but as it was getting dark we decided to head back to the campsite. As we headed back to the ferry we saw that it was getting ready to leave. We made the decision to try and get it anyway and started running.

It was the same boat as before and once again they delayed the ferry for us!

Once back on shore we caught the bus back to the campsite and after a quick supper we went to bed early (although later than the day before).

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