Kia Ora, Auckland

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My first week in New Zealand has been spent very pleasantly hanging out in Auckland and staying with Tim and Ness (thank you guys!) I have been all over the place, taking the ferry to Devonport and wandering round Mt Victoria; hiking up Rangitoto (Auckland's currently sleeping neighbouring volcano); little trip to Takapuna on the North Shore and chilling out on the beach; another little trip to Piha beach (close to the Waitakare Hills), a bit more blustery this time and watching the dangerous waves roll in from the Pacific Ocean; a very sedate wander around the Lion Brewery, home of Lion Red and Steinlager (sponsors of the All Blacks) where I learnt some very interesting facts concerning beer (always useful for pub quizzes); catching some Super 14 rugger on TV (aiming to get to a live game hopefully in Christchurch - The Crusaders - or Dunedin - The Warriors, I think); Auckland Musuem with a very informative exhibition on Maori and Polynesian culture. Writing of Maori culture I am trying to learn how to pronounce many of the words that you come across in every day usage and of course the names of places. It is very interesting to know that "Wh" is pronounced as a soft "f" as in "feather", and "a" is pronounced as "u" in "nut", so I am rather intrigued as to how to say the place name "Whakepapa" - yes, you really do say it like that!! There's also some interesting white New Zealand (pakehe) pronounciations. If you wanted "six pieces of fish" you have to say "sex pieces of fush". All sentences are intonated as a question, the only thing distinguishing a statement from a question is the addition of "eh?" onto the end.

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Photos

Rangitoto
From Mt Victoria, Devonport

Me, pulling? Not again!
A pint of Steinlager in the Lion Red Brewery

Motutapo Island
Next to Rangitoto in Auckland Bay

Maori Pou
I think! A guardian post

One Tree Hill
of U2 song fame. Although it is no No Tree Hill after an activist cut it down

Comments

[Tum Jones]

Knock on wood...
Good to see you are getting stuck in to the rest of NZ Southey. Dissapointed in the lack of comments after my porn style shot with the big brown fella. I expected more of you Cardiff Uni!