As we were getting ready to board our flight, Mick picked up the New Zealand Herald on the newspaper trolley. After getting settled into our seats, he opens the paper to this screaming headline . . . “Batten Down Hatches As Gales Sweep In”. Auckland was expecting a big storm over the next 24 hours and it looked like we were flying straight for it.
Nau mai, Haere mai ke Aotearoa — Here we are arriving in Auckland. On our ride in from the airport, we noticed it had rained earlier, and the cab driver didn’t know anything about the big storm. It seems he associated big storm with snow; and rain was just – rain. So we slept well knowing that the NZ weathermen are just as accurate as the ones in the States. We did have a big rain shower during breakfast but it blew over by the time we were finished.
Phew, it was going to be a whirlwind journey with just a very short itinerary; mostly we only had a schedule for the North Island. New Zealand is MUCH bigger than I ever imagined, and I just never realized that it was divided into two islands. So much for my geography, and “I’m not smarter than a 5th grader”!
Auckland is very much a big city like any other; shopping, restaurants, traffic, skyscrapers, etc. They do, however, have the Sky Tower. It stands 328 metres high and is the tallest tower in the Southern Hemisphere, offering a breath-taking 360° view for more than 80 kilometres. Then there’s the heart-stopping view inside the elevator where they’ve cut out a section of the floor (put in a window), and you can look straight down as you soar up to the observation tower.
I went up to take pictures, Mick stayed planted on terra-firma. Two features at Sky Tower are the Sky Jump and the Sky Walk. Sky Jump – “Fall at approx 85kph for around 11 seconds before slowing in the last few meters to land gently. The ground rush is unbeatable. Unlike bungy jumping, there is no hanging upside down or bouncing around. You simply fall … fast & smooth…. for 192m!” I didn’t catch anyone sky jumping on my visit but I did catch some Sky Walkers.
On the Sky Walk, you go out on to the pergola, hitch your self to a harness that is attached overhead to a rail and get a walking guided tour of the city, if you want to call it walking.
Unfortunately, there were no write-ups or signs to let you know what you were looking out to, or for the directionally-challenged like me, what direction I was facing. Here are some pics of Auckland from up high, in the enclosed observation tower. Should you want to look down, along the windows were sections of floor that were cut out and glassed in so you could see straight down. With the wide window and then the floor window at your feet, it was very disorienting!
Downtown Auckland and the sprawling suburbs . . . recognize a logo?
Our hotel and a beautiful church (or cathedral)
After walking around the City for a bit we considered taking a harbor cruise. While we were deciding on that and consulting our street map, a gentleman came up to offer his assistance, as we looked lost! Part of the harbor cruise was a pass on the ferry to go over to Devonport, the closest village across from Auckland. Standing away from the cruise office, I noticed the commuter ferry that ran to Devonport. The gentleman suggested we take the ferry over and have lunch there; then poke around the village and shops, it was noted to be “artsy”. So that’s what we did.
The Ferry Building and along the street-side
The ride to Devonport; the ferry and a look back at Auckland’s skyline.
Most all of the streets in the shopping areas have these overhangs, which are so nice for both keeping dry, and out of the sun. I loved the sign for the Dept of Doing. I never did understand what they were all about but it sure is eye-catching. Actually, if you have an idea and don’t know how to get it implemented, they will help you.
The feeling when walking around the town felt like a time warp back to the ’50s in the U.S. and also somewhere in Colorado or the Old West.
We picked up our car after we returned to Auckland from Devonport. The next day we headed out of Auckland to Rotorua where Mick was planning to run in the Rotorua Marathon.
As you get the introduction to New Zealand here and follow our journey, I’m going to write up our next destination. Check back soon!
