I had been a bit nervous about driving right into the city, as rumour had it that the motorways were cutthroat! But we made it safely, with excellent directions from Ben, who lives close to the hostel. We chose to stay at a hostel on the slopes of Mount eden, out of the city centre, where it would be quieter. and very nice it was too. Apparently, Auckland is built on about 50 volcanic cones, some of which are still standing - others were flattened for one reason or another. And once you reach the top of one, you can see all the others! Anyway, we took a harour cruise, which was informative, then the second day, Alex and i went separate ways, though both to volcanoes! He chose the newest one calle rangitoto, while I
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