Auckland, New Zealand 2008

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I love cities. New York, Milan, Paris, even London entices me. I like the bright lights and the noise of the traffic. It makes you realise that you're not alone and that there's life out there. When you've got worries, all the noise and the hurries seem to help - I know. Just listen to the music of the traffic in the city, linger on the sidewalks where the neon lights are pretty. How can you lose? Even the song that I find I'm always singing is all about Downtown.
Checking out Auckland for the first time from the airport it is quite clear that Auckland is not really the kind of hustle and bustle of cities that I like. Despite the rising sight of the sky tower and the busy ferries toing and froing across the water to Devonport and Waiheke, Auckland is a small city. Nevertheless it is bigger than the little town in the North-East of England, that I come from.
I decide to stay in Auckland for awhile and work over winter. I land a job as an au-pair in a family-orientated area of Auckland, Remuera. I'll be looking after three children aged six, five and three. My aim? To save up as much money as possible, so I can spend some of the summer not working. This may not be as easy as it sounds.
The other reasons I like cities are shopping, bars, coffee shops and bands to go and listen to. Even with the popular Queen Street and the nearby shopping centre at Sylvia Park I don't get the hype of shopping as I would get in London. People may disagree with me here but I don't think New Zealanders put shopping and fashion high on their lists of importance. Sorry if I offended anybody.
Now rugby is well truly on top of that list. The Viaduct is busy with nightlife and I love eating at the Waterfront either for lunch or for dinner but as I've found out on more than one occassion once the rugby is on that big screen all attention is diverted to it. But, ssshh, keep this quiet despite being a huge football (soccer) fan I've become quite fond of that funny shaped ball!
I like the little bars up Vulcan Lane (off Queen Street) especially the Irish pub - it has table football and edible pub meals. New Zealanders do know their coffee. They have the obvious chain of Starbucks but also offer little coffee shops that you can pop into for the odd Flat White, Cappacino you name it, it's available. I do tend to go and get a coffee once I've hit Queen Street.
Cities also mean using public transport if you want to get round quicker and efficently. Now Auckland doesn't boast an underground but it does have the Britomart! Since being here I've used the public transport regulary. Bus drivers invite you onto the bus with a smile and I've even got the occassional 'good-evening'. Trains - I've found - are on time and they are reasonably clean and priced. This may surprise a few people back home as I've got a huge list of public transport horror stories but not once I've I had a problem in Auckland - despite after a night out getting off at the wrong bus stop because I was chatting to someone but I guess that was more human error on my part!
Sadly however, I think I may have to wait awhile before I can honestly say that I've become the Primrose Hill kind of girl like Kate Moss, Sienna Miller and Sadie Frost and making girls green with envy just because of my great fashion style but living in this city will do me for now.
Whether your passion is sitting outside a cafe sipping coffee watching the world go by; hunting down your next pair of killer heels or dancing the night away and wherever it may take you ......

..... just remember every minute.

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