We left home Wednesday at 2 pm Philadelphia time. One muscle pulled (Greg). One equator crossing. One international dateline. One good book (The Fraud by Zadie Smith) devoured in full. Twenty seven hours later, we were at our Auckland hotel.
NZ is efficient with visas and customs; there are apps on which you complete applications and immigration forms before you leave home. When you arrive, it’s a matter of scanning your passport, answering a couple of yes/no electronic questions, and the doors part to let you in. Greg did it right. I accidentally claimed I’d been convicted of a felony and had to follow the walk of shame tape-on-the-floor to talk to a real person. I was rewarded with a stamp in my passport. Poor Greg did not get one.
Although our previous NZ attempts involved escorted tours, by the time we started seriously planning this one, we’d decided to do our own road trip. With the help of a company that arranged most of the logistics per our requests (hotels with breakfasts, a few things we definitely wanted to see, etc), we’re exploring for 3+ weeks on our own. We’ll be winding our way from the North Island to the South, and doing a clockwise circuit of the South Island. Then we’ll head to the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns, Australia, for several days before heading home.
Polynesian navigators arrived in New Zealand between 1200-1300 AD. The Maori people name for NZ is Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud. It’s used interchangably here with the European name, New Zealand. Interpretive signs usually are in both Maori and English, reflecting a committed effort to keep alive the language and culture of the original inhabitants.
The first Europeans to see NZ arrived with Dutch captain Abel Tasman (think, Tasmania). It didn’t go well. Captain James Cook arrived 125 years later for the first of his 3 visits.
Auckland was founded in 1840, and served as the New Zealand’s capital until it was moved to Wellington in 1865. It’s NZ’s largest city, with sprawling suburbs and an ideal harbor. It has over 1.6 million people, and is culturally diverse, including the largest Polynesian population on earth. NZ total population: over 5 million.
Too early for hotel check-in. Left our luggage and used Map my GPS app for a highlights walking tour, combined with geocaching opportunities. 76 degrees and a lovely day to be out exploring.
Sky Tower - 360 m (1,170 ft) tall. Second tallest building in southern hemisphere.
Great views
Thrill seekers jump from the top for a slightly “controlled” 11 second BASE jump. Greg said he’d prefer to bungee jump at the Queensland bridge.
Impressively huge hull of KZ-1, New Zealand’s America’s Cup race contender. (NZ is current holder of the AC). Greg is in front of the keel.
Spent some time looking around Maritime Museum environs for the 19th century steamship SS Puke (I mean, with a name like that, how could we not?) and were disappointed to not find it among the super yachts and many impressive sailboats.
Maritime Museum
Old Ferry Building - source of sour cherry rich chocolate gelato break.
Albert Park - my favorite thing today with its old twisting trees, Victorian gardens and a cache.
Day 2 - breakfast in hotel. Spent most of the day in the Auckland Domain, the city’s first park. Built on one of Auckland’s oldest volcanoes, the Domain sprawls over 185 acres of trails, old forest, manicured lawns, a horticultural complex and the Auckland Museum.
The Wintergarten features 2 century-old greenhouses (one each for temperate and tropical plants), and a fernery, lushly set below ground level in an old quarry.
I took off for the Auckland Museum, and Greg geocached around the Domain. The Auckland Museum houses the world’s largest collection of Maori and Pacific Island artifacts, as well as an entire floor dedicated as a war museum. There was also an exhibit of 100 prize winning photographs from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the world’s most prestigious nature photography competition. I spent so much time in the museum that Greg finally came in and visited the photography exhibit while I went to the war memorial collection on the 3nd level. (I never did see the second level.)
I took off for the Auckland Museum, and Greg geocached around the Domain. The Auckland Museum houses the world’s largest collection of Maori and Pacific Island artifacts, as well as an entire floor dedicated as a war museum. There was also an exhibit of 100 prize winning photographs from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the world’s most prestigious nature photography competition. I spent so much time in the museum that Greg finally came in and visited the photography exhibit while I went to the war memorial collection on the 3nd level. (I never did see the second level.)
Auckland Museum, with Doric columns modeled after the Parthenon. A cenotaph (empty tomb) memorial is to the left.
c. 1836 eighty-one ft Maori war canoe carved from a single log. Could carry 100 warriors.
Intricately carved stern of the war canoe
Maori structure
Maori structure
Dinner was at Elliott Stables, a 120 year-old former warehouse converted to an epicurean village (i.e. upscale food court). It was lively and nicely appointed, with a common dining area, exposed beams and cobblestone floors. Options included Cajun, Vietnamese, Italian, Korean chicken, sushi, burgers, etc. We both went with the Korean chicken place.
The horse hanging in the background is garish, 3D and amazing - hundreds of little crystals hanging from strings.
We’d originally planned for a single day in Auckland, but added a day in case there were flight issues in coming from Philadelphia in the winter. The extra day was nice to have.
Homage to Emma. All hail.
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