Gentoo penguin

Auckland: Goodbye airports, hello volcanic islands!

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October 25th 2009
Kia Ora! Well after 36 hours of flying and an agonisingly dull 10-hour wait at Brunei airport, I finally made it here to Auckland, New Zealand. Having slept in departure lounges and eaten nothing but plane food for the last 3 days, the thought of clean clothes and a bed has never seemed more appealing! First of all I apologise for how long this blog is - I promise the next ones will be shorter! ... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Auckland » Central

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The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year... ... read more