Auckland

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Auckland

Our arrival in Auckland was quite impressive as we sailed right into the downtown harbor and docked within two blocks of the main street. The four of us needed hair cuts, so we headed for a shopping mall looking for beauty and barber shops. Luckily, we found both close by. Brigid and I found a small shop owned by a smiling South Korean woman who has been in Auckland for six years and is very glad to be here. We both came away looking much better than before. The two Bruces also had success in the barber shop.

Since Bruce and I have been in Auckland before, we opted for a drive out of town to some wineries and a brewery. The first place was just ok, but nothing too good, although we bought a nice Riesling to bring back to the ship. The second was a family owned and operated winery which has won several awards for their various wines. We had a tour given by the wife of the deceased owner and two of her sons who are now in charge. Interesting place, and a nice drive into the countryside and suburbs. Then, we ended at a small micro brewery where we sampled their various brews. They don’t bottle their beer, but distribute it in kegs so it is fresh and delicious. Couldn’t bring a keg on board, so we had to leave empty handed.

Our drive back to town took us past the famous space needle that is over 1,000. We saw someone bungy jumping from there. I guess lots of people do that every day, believe it or not. Bruce and Brigid saw people actually walking outside around the top harnessed together and clinging to something as they inched forward. We returned to the ship too late for our regular seating dinner, so we went on deck for the sail away. The weather was near perfect, and the harbor full of sail boats racing in a regatta. What a wonderful way to end our visit to Auckland.

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