The Joys of Jetlag

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So we've been in Auckland a while and you would be forgiven for thinking that we might have undertaken a myriad of exciting activities by now but all our plans have been thwarted but the small issue of a bit of jetlag. Despite our extra-long sleeping session on our first night here, it took ages for us to get our bodyclocks back into sync, so for the first few nights we would try to go to bed at a proper time like 11pm, only to both wake up again at around 2am feeling wide awake. So we'd watch a bit of tv for a few hours and gradually try to persuade our brains and bodies that we needed to go back to sleep. It took until Friday for us to manage to get up before midday!

We have taken advantage of the few daylight waking hours we've had though and gone exploring through Auckland's many fascinating streets. So far though we've confined ourselves largely to the city centre and made it as far as the downtown area by the harbour. On our travels we have discovered where to buy groceries: the big 24-hour downtown supermarket called Foodtown and a place that sells everything from food to furniture known as The Warehouse. Just as importantly we have learned where not to buy them: superettes are way overpriced, fleecing you like the local corner shop in England would. Ah well, all part of the fun.

Auckland has already won a place in our hearts for being such a modern, clean, bright and laid-back city. The streets seem almost empty to us here after coming from the overcrowded cities of Asia. We can safely cross at pedestrian crossings again, knowing that the cars here will actually stop. People here understand the concept of queuing and sometimes they even say sorry if they bump into you! Ultimately, Auckland is like how an English city should be in many respects. The roads are quieter, the people happier and the air is so clear and fresh that it simply makes you feel good to be outdoors. The weather hasn't been quite as warm as we were hoping for, hitting around the 17 degrees centigrade mark on most days with cloudy skies occasionally breaking out into light drizzle. Even the locals are complaining about it. Glynn's happy to be in a cooler climate again although I have to admit to missing the heat. Neither of us miss the general sweatiness that goes with being in a humid climate though so I guess everywhere has its pluses and misuses.

So far I can say this one thing with absolute conviction - we really could live here. The houses are spacious and spread out so people don't live 2 inches away from each other. Every time you reach the brow of a hill or turn a street corner in Auckland, there's a new, fabulous view of rolling green hills or sweeping bays to enjoy. The cars don't seem to go rusty here, the buildings and streets are all well maintained and there's enough of an international feel to the place to make anyone feel right at home. Hopefully, we'll be able to count ourselves as being at home here one day, although I guess we really should check out what other cities in NZ have to offer before making that kind of decision. One thing is for sure - so far New Zealand is everything we were hoping it would be :-)))))))))

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