Visiting friends in Auckland

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This was the second time in Auckland for Kirsi and third time for Sami so we had already seen most of the city. We stayed with Ally and Phil and for a couple of days spent some "normal" everyday life including cooking your own meals, doing some exercises and helping with house works. This was a pleasant change after almost four months of traveling, eating at restaurants, living in hostels and not doing any excercises.

One day we went to Rangitoto island, which is Auckland´s youngest volcano. The city is surrounded by tens of old volcanoes, Rangitoto being the latest to erupt around 250 years ago. The island is just 20 minutes ferry ride from the city, but the scenery changes more than you´d imagine. We walked to the summit of the volcano and walked through some lava caves. It was a pleasant three hours that we spent on the island and we just got back when the rain started. The people arriving on the island with the ferry were not looking so happy knowing that the next ferry would arrive after three hours.

The christmas was coming so people were decorating their houses with christmas lights. One evening we went for a walk to see some of those. Quite an effort some people do for decorating their houses!

Louise and Nadia, who we met while rafting in Nepal, invited us for a brunch. It was nice to catch up with the girls after a couple of months of traveling. We also visited the Auckland Museum, which featured an interesting exhibitions of Da Vinci machines and New Zealand´s volcanoes.

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Photos

One Tree Hill
One of Auckland´s many volcanoes

Auckland city
Auckland city from One Tree Hill. City view dominated by sky tower.

Christmas lights
Almost all the houses on Franklin Road were decorated with christmas lights.

Rangitoto island
Walking to the summit of Rangitoto, the youngest volcano in Auckland. Just a 20 minute ferry ride from the city.

Auckland city from Rangitoto
The New Zealand´s christmas tree with red flowers in the foreground.

Christmas presents from Finland
Lots of good stuff! This keeps us going for another 4 months. Thanks everybody!

Biking with Ally
Ally took us for a nice evening cruise around Auckland. We ended up riding 3,5 hours and 45km. Felt good to do some exercise after a while!

Phil the builder
Phil was building a bench for their campervan.

It works!
The exhibition had models of some of Da Vinci´s inventions