Auckland

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Auckland Day 75
December 15, 2008

We had a casual day in Auckland. Our taxi driver drove us up to the top of Mt. Eden to a city overlook. It was a cloudy day, so the “wow factor” wasn’t quite there. It was interesting to see the crater of a volcano right there at the overlook. We walked around the wharf and the central business district and had a nice lunch in a Polynesian café. We spent most of the afternoon in the excellent Auckland Museum. We’ve seen two good reproductions of Maori war canoes and today we saw the real thing…a 25 meter war canoe built in 1830. The rest of the Maori exhibits were wonderful, too. Near the museum is a cottage that was featured in the movie, “The Piano.” That is one of my favorite movies, so it was fun to see that.

A curious thing is the lack of Christmas decorations in Auckland or in any town we’ve been to lately. There might be a tree or a Santa here or there, but it is really nothing compared to what goes on in the U.S. The guidebook says that NZ isn’t a very religious country, but I would have thought that the commercial aspects of the holiday season would be here. I haven’t heard any Christmas music either.

We are both feeling the end of trip came too quickly. We are sitting here trying to figure out how early we have to get up to get to the airport tomorrow. I think the thought of the 20 hours in the air ahead of us is also getting us down. We will be flying to Tokyo first, then after a two-hour layover we head on to LA. Tokyo doesn't get us much closer to the USA, but that’s what happens when frequent flyer miles are used. We take what we can get.

I am waiting to send the last few days’ blogs until we get back to CA. Internet prices at this hotel are ridiculous…$7.50 (U.S.) an hour.

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Photos

Gray Day in Auckland
We are at the top of Mt. Eden looking at the volcano's crater and the city.

Auckland Museum
The last great Maori war canoe.

Comments

[Connie]

Judy- I sense the melancholy in your last two posts, and I'm surprised you didn't go on to Fiji. Traveling seems to suit both of you-

[J J]

We are never ready for a trip to end. It's a big world out there and it is just so much fun to see new places, meet new people, and experience other cultures.