Final Day in Aotearoa, New Zealand!!

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http://www.travelblog.org/gmaps/map_qD.html
Tomorrow I leave for Nadi, Fiji. I fly out of New Zealand, my home in the South Pacific.
After a couple of weeks of intense road tripping through the Northland of NZ, including working on an organic farm, and sand boarding in Ahipara, I am now in Auckland, NZ's largest city. I must say, Auckland is not all that it is cracked up to be. If there was a "coolest city in NZ" contest, Wellington would kick Auckland’s butt, hands down. It just seems like any other oversized sprawling; no one is friendly city....kind of like any big US city? The drivers here are mad! I could not wait to hand over my rental car to the agency. In a matter of minutes I was being honked at by NZ drivers, Come ON, I thought I left Southern Florida, with all the angry New Yorkers. SO, I don't even feel like I am in NZ, the land that I love! I might be a bit pessimistic but it is definitely not as wonderful as my beloved Welly.

So far I visited the Auckland Museum, the Sky Tower, (at 1000 feet it is the tallest construction in the Southern hemisphere), and the Auckland Art Gallery.

It is hard to believe that my NZ adventure is at an end. I know I'll be back some day, hopefully soon! I've grown to love this place. My NZ family, memories, and rockin’ good times, are staying with me, all the way to the states. It is crazy to think that in such a short amount of time, I experienced so much of this country. From Cave diving, to Sky Diving I did it all, and then some. What a time! Thanks for tuning in, and following me through- don’t change that channel, FIJI is coming right up....

Cheers, shelly

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Photos

A Unique View of Auckland
this glass is supposedly 3.5 cm thick, and as strong as the concrete floors of the sky tower...I decided to turs them and take a walk on the glass deck.

View from the Top
We watched the weather change drastically within a couple of hours. Once the sun came out, this rainbow appeared!

Kiwiana Icons!
We had some fun in the sky tower giftshoppe. Rachel has the sheep, the kiwi bird, while I hold the kiwi fruits, and Ngaire has a maori doll.

Pile de Shite
We despised this car- as you can see in this photo.

Comments

[Helma]

Howdy girl!
Great to hear that you agree with me. Welly rulez! Id didn't like Auckland at all! Hope that you'll Fiji as much as I did!! You'll have a wonderful time! I just left Christian and Corinna behind, and am now trying to become a cow-girl on a farm south of Balclutha, south of Dunedin! I stay with parents of a friend and have the best time feeding calves and enjoying the farm!! Ask Batz in Mantaray Island to climb in the coconut trees for me!! Hugs, Helma

[anonymous]

Glad to hear that you had such a wonderful time in Wellington. When I was travelling [years ago] that was one of my favorite cities and ended up staying and working there for 11 months. It was [to me] a much friendlier place than Auckland. I found most of the little places to be nicer than big cities generally. Same went for Australia. I loves Western Australia. Especially the drier climate. All the very best to you for a fabulous future. Your pics were also very nice.

[Christian]

Heidiho!
Hi Shelly! Awesome text about Taupo (may I use some of your pictures in my travelblog as well? pleas let me know). the working on the organic farm looks like heaps of fun! you are so cute with the tools in the amrican gothic picture! have a good xmas time home! welly has shitty weather! hugs, christian

[Charles]

tower
shell -I love all your blogg pics. The one of you under the tower is such a cute picture of you! You keep saying you're not photogenic but I disagree! I love the one of your feet on the tower glass!!! whew!