Kia Ora!

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Greetings from sunny New Zealand. We left Heathrow at 11.30am on Mon for Kuala Lumpur where we had an hour's delay and arrived in Auckland at 1.30 am on Wed 21st Jan (local time) after 25 hours in the air. It took the best part of an hour to collect our bags and clear security so I was really grateful that Tom had booked the airport Novotel which was about 50 steps from the Departures exit. It's the most expensive accommodation we have booked in New Zealand but well worth it. I slept for most of the second flight and consequently didn't take on enough water so woke feeling really ill due to dehydration. Next long haul flight I will take a platypus which I can fill with water. On checking out we took the Hoppa bus into Auckland which had a wide selection of leaflets, maps, sim free cards and money off vouchers. Our next accommodation was a Best Western Hotel on Victoria St with a standard studio which was perfect: king size bed with bathroom and kitchenette all for about £60 per night! There were also laundry facilities and a gym and it was a few hundred metres from the Sky Tower so I would definitely recommend it. The first thing that strikes you is how friendly and polite everyone is and how they genuinely love their country - something which seems to be all too often lacking in Britain. Everywhere is also beautifully maintained, no litter, graffiti or signs of chaviness. Whilst in Auckland we went up the Sky Tower which gives some awesome views over the city, took a Harbour Cruise and visited the Auckland museum. It is a lovely city and the largest in New Zealand with approx 1.4 million inhabitants (4.5 million in New Zealand ) but there isn't an enormous amount to see as most of the Maori history is centred around Cape Reinga and Rotorua so three days is long enough. If you want to bungee, sky dive or sail this is definitely the place to be. It's known as the City of Sails where 1:5 people own a vessel and 1:3 have access to one. It's very strange to be so far from England geographically but so instantly at home where they speak the same language, drive on the left and the Queen appears on the currency! We could quite happily live here. We have picked up a hire car and are currently travelling north to a Youth Hostel in Pahia for the next part of our adventure. It's gloriously sunny, fuel is less than a £1 a litre and the views are spectacular - Happy Days !
Sent from my iPad

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Photos

Rangitoto island
Very few people allowed to live here in order to keep the island pest free and protect indigenous species

Auckland Harbour Bridge
Bridge was so successful that it soon reached its capacity. A Japanese company designed add on sections which are locally referred to as the Nippon Clippons!