The hauntingly familiar City of Sails

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Day 135: Wednesday 12th November - Meeting an old friend

Arrive at Auckland airport at 4.30am. Standing in the queue waiting to go through immigration it hits me that this is the 6th of the 7th continents I have been to....only Antarctica to go! The immigration officer really doesn't want to let me in. First he wants evidence of onward travel, then to know how I bought me Round the World ticket when I present that, then what my credit card limit is, then what countries I visited in South America and what I was up to whilst there, then what my plans are whilst in New Zealand. Finally he decides to let me through, its not even as if I was vague on how much time I was going to be in the country, stating I would be here a very precise 1 month and 12 days....must not have liked the look of me?! Once through immigration, its customs turn to be extremely picky. Because I've been hiking in the last month they want to see the state of the soles on my boots, but don't even bother checking my walking poles. The ordeal of customs and immigration over, I get some cash and a guidebook in the airport before boarding a bus to the city centre very wearily at 6am.

When I arrive at the hostel I can't check in until 1pm so I'll be walking around the city and sweaty mess until I get a shower. Feeling jetlagged as I try and get my head together over what to do today. Before I do anything I post some stuff home at the extortionate cost of $100NZ (40 pounds) - maybe what I paid in Chile wasn't so expensive after all?? Get a coffee in the hope the caffeine will help the jetlag, and provide some clarity of what to do. I've arranged to meet Lou, who I worked with at SCA at 5pm, but there's a whole day to fill before then. I decide I'll first go and walk to the harbour area. Walking down the main street in Auckland, Queen Street I could be in any city in the UK, its hauntingly familiar. The harbour area is home to hundreds of boats, and I quickly see why its called the 'city of sails'. I walk back up to the sky tower and the cathedral which is a bit plain. I continue up Queen Street to Albert Park, through the university and walk on to Auckland Museum which is situated in the domain, a large area of parkland to the east of the city. The museum is in an impressive location, on top of a hill overlooking the city and the building itself is rather grand. The museum itself is fairly good, but its trying to be to many things. One floor is dedicated to Polynesian culture, one to the natural world including New Zealand wildlife and one to the wars New Zealand has been involved in. Apart from learning that New Zealand was the last of the Polynesian lands to be inhabited as late as 1200AD, by far the most interesting section is on the volcanic activity in the country. New Zealand itself was sinking into the ocean 20 million years ago before massive volcanic activity over the next 10-15 million years formed the country into the size and shape it is today. Also, Lake Taupo is the site of a super volcano, and the second largest volcanic eruption in the last 70,000 years, one that was hundreds or maybe even thousands of times the size of that of Mount St Helens in the recent past. Auckland itself is situated on a volcanic field (the only city in the world to be situated on a volcanic field), consisting of 48 volcanoes thankfully one hasn't erupted for 600 years!!

After Auckland Museum I walk back across the city to get a much needed haircut. I'd resisted it in South America as I was wary what I'd get with my Spanish being so poor! After my haircut I return to the hostel to check in and get a much needed shower. Its been a gloriously sunny day in Auckland (like a very hot summer's day in the UK) and as a result of this and the flight I'm a sweaty, stinky mess!! After settling into my dorm in the biggest hostel I've ever seen (10 floors and 500+ beds), its almost 5pm and I need to go and meet Lou. We've arranged to meet at her hostel which is only 5 blocks down Queen Street but when I arrive there's no hostel of that name on the street, and the only hostel of that name is the one I'm staying at?! Decide that the best course of action is to return to my hostel ask if she's checked in and maybe send her an email or give her a call. However, on the way back to the hostel I bump into her in the middle of Queen Street, the busiest street in the city! Its good to see a familiar face after 4 months on the road, although a little strange bumping into a friend in the middle of a city half way around the world. Lou is here for a holiday, she has a tour which starts tomorrow and when we realised we'd both be in Auckland at the same time we just had to meet up.

Lou wants to go to the sky tower to have a look across the city and get a drink. This is fine by me, I'd had a feeling earlier in the day that she might want to do this, so I avoided it. The sky tower is the tallest building in the southern hemisphere, at an impressive 328 metres tall. We get the lift up to the main observation deck first at 200metres, and the views across the city and the harbour area to the outlying islands which make up the city is amazing. Its still hot and sunny in the late afternoon and with the clear skies you can see for miles, but not quite to the South Island Lou ; )! Some crazy fool is doing a jump off the tower, where you fall for 200m at 60km/h. After taking photos we head up to the upper observation deck, the highest point you can go at around 230 metres. It must be only about 30-40 metres above the main observation deck and for the extra $3NZ (1 pound) is a waste of money as the view is much the same. We then go to the bar just below the main deck and catch up on 4 months.

From the sky deck we go down to the harbour area to get food, choosing a sea food restaurant on the sea front in the end. Its got chilly awfully quickly now the sun has gone down though. After the meal Lou wants to go to an ice bar (she's got the evening all planned, courtesy of swallowing a lonely planet guide on the plane on the way over!!) where its -5C inside and all the fixtures are made from ice. Its an extortionate $30 (12 pounds) to get in. You get a free drink and 30 minutes inside though! We have to put on thick coats and two pairs of gloves and Lou has to put some shoes on to protect us from the cold. Once inside it doesn't take long before I am absolutely freezing. I haven't been as cold since the summit of Cotapaxi but that was nearly 6km above sea level. The cocktail is good at least, but the bar itself is tiny and is passes a bit of a resemblance to a bunker. After 30 minutes inside I'm more than happy to come out as I'm freezing. It was worth doing for the experience, even if it is a bit gimmicky but is was overpriced! We'd both like to continue to another bar for more drinks but we're both suffering with jet lag so at 10pm we call it a day.

Day 136: Thursday 13th November - Auckland's volcanic field and Waiheke Island

Meet Lou for breakfast at 10am. I think I would have probably slept through it if it wasn't for my bladder waking me at 9am. My room has no window so inside it I have no concept of time. When I get to Lou's hostel she's met a friend, a guy from Manchester, who she brings along. We get breakfast, a muffin and coffee and then the three of us decide to walk to Mount Eden, Auckland's highest point even though Lou is pushed for time. Its 4km to Mount Eden, which is a volcanic cone and offers great views across the city. It takes us 50 minutes to walk up there and a similar amount back, Lou stressing about not making her tour all the time! I hate doing things in a rush, it takes something off the experience. Nevertheless, it was worth the walk and good to spend another few hours with Lou, even though with the combination of our new found Manc friend and her walking so bloody fast I couldn't get a word in edgeways! Drop Lou back at her hostel in time for her to join her tour at 12.45pm. Its been good catching up with Lou, although brief and I hope she enjoys her 2 weeks in New Zealand. I head back up to the hostel, popping into Vodafone on the way to ask about a mobile phone. Its going to be $35NZ (14 pounds) for a sim, and by phone doesn't need to be unlocked. Bit expensive and I decide against it....maybe Australia?? Spend an hour on the internet, where I discover that I've only got 1 day rather than the 2 days I had thought when I return from the Cook Islands to head North of Auckland......which is going to be a bit of a problem to fit in what I had wanted to do.

Although its been overcast all day I still decide to catch the ferry to Waiheke island. Yesterday before I met Lou I had thought it would be great with the hot weather to spend the day the two of us on the island, visiting the vineyards, tasting wine and chilling out on the beaches. Sounded like the perfect day. Now however, the weather isn't anyway near as nice, Lou's itinerary didn't allow and I now only have a few hours. The ferry takes 45 minutes to cross the harbour to Waiheke island, one of the 50 islands that make up this city which is twice the size of London (although much smaller in population at slightly over a million). Once on Waiheke island I catch the bus to palm beach, supposedly one of the best beaches on the island. It is indeed a pretty location, almost deserted and the sun even decides to put out a brief appearance. Chill out for about an hour on the beach reading and even getting a shock when I look up and a few nudists are venturing out to the sea! At 5pm I decide I better head back as its about 7km back to the ferry port. Its a pleasant walk back across the island which is dotted with beautiful houses overlooking the sea. This is certainly where all the wealthy Aucklanders live. It takes me an hour and a half to reach the ferry port and I catch the 7.15pm ferry back to the city. I've arranged to meet our Manc friend for dinner at 8pm, which I just make. After last nights extravagance its
got to be a cheap one for me. We end up in a cheap chinese up Queen Street. Auckland has a big Asian population and just like in the UK they seem to have a disproportate number of restaurants to accomodate them! After the meal I decide to head back to the hostel, I'm tired have an early start and I haven't really connected with the guy.

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