Parnell

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We're staying in the trendy bit of Auckland now, Parnell, in some Buddhist house, we didn't know it was a Buddhist house when we booked it but it's kinda cool, well I think it's alright but Fiona thinks it's full of beasties, come to mention it I have been scratching a lot....

Parnell is really nice, it's loads of big houses and trendy shops and that, it has a real cafe culture and there's loads of bars and restaurantes that open out with seating on the street, my kinda town, remindes us of the Shore in Edinburgh on a sunny day.

It's only a 10 minute bus ride to the centre of town, Queen Street, where we were staying last week but it seems a million miles away, it's good to have a different perspective on the city and if anything we love Auckland anymore from this side of the tracks.

It was an easy drive down from the Bay of Islands, there was a 30 min hold up while they were relaying some road and it was burning in the car but everything else went swimmingly.

We checked in around 1pm then went for a wander around Parnell, there's a huge park, as there seems to be everywhere in Auckland, or maybe it's the same one, I'm not sure, anyway I digress. We walked through the park then went for lunch at a nice cafe, there was a wedding on at the church opposite and one of the guests was wearing a kilt, first time I've seen one since we left the motherland and it nearly brought a tear to my eye, Fiona thought I was getting emotional about the wedding but I soon put her right.

After lunch we went to the supermarket and got stuff for dinner, we were starting to notice that the budget was taking a fair hammering so we decided to eat cheap and stay out the boozer for a while, wonder how long that will last?

The hostel is nice and sociable and loads of people were just chilling in the living room so we sat down after dinner and watched some telly, the first time we've seen telly since America and it's fair to say we haven't missed it, especially the Coronation Street episodes that there showing here.

Early to bed with another day in the City planned for tomorrow.

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Photos

Financial District
from the top of the Skytower

Auckland Bridge
and quayside from Sky Tower

Fiona
with Albert Park behind her, from Sky Tower