Auckland, New Zealand

Date: 17th July to 22nd July
Accommodation: Quest on Nelson, Serviced Apartments
Weather: 16 Degrees
Season: Winter
Rain: Yes and wind
Agenda: Meet up with Friends and sigh see

The flight from Tahiti to Auckland was 6 hours, so how come then did we leave on the 16th at 7 a.m. and arrive on the 17th at 11:00, simple Auckland is 22 hours ahead of Tahiti and we crossed the date line, had we done it the other way we would have arrived before we left, well you know what I mean.

I decided I would put the photographs separate for this post as it just takes so long to upload photos here on blogger.

So as it goes we arrived, got our hired car, found our way to the hotel apartment and were really disappointed coming from the Radisson, but it is understandable. From the air New Zealand reminded us of Ireland, and it with the rain it looked like we were back in Ireland.

Once we had got settled, Daryl came through and took us for dinner at the waterfront.

The next day we relaxed and did some washing, Daryl came through to the apartment and we all went off to Devonport to see the view of Auckland, we then had to go and meet another friend Callum who I had not seen probably since my wedding in 1995. We arrived there and the first thing Em saw was a bungy swing, so whilst we all drank coffee and had lunch, Em had fun on the bungy swing.

Sunday we headed for the Sky tower to see the sights, the weather was miserable so it was good to be doing something in doors. They also had some scientists from a TV channel entertaining the kids which kept Em happy for a while, she also wanted to do a free fall from the tower and do the skywalk outside with a bungy rope - she is going to grow up to be an adrenalin junkie.

Later we headed off to an Irish pub for dinner where I had the most awesome Mussells!

Monday, Daryl took the day off work and met up with us at 10:00 a.m. to go sight seeing, the weather wasn't too bad which helped. Our first stop was Kelly Tarlton's penguin experience, which is an old sewer which has been turned into an aquarium. We then had lunch at St. Heliers Bay and ice-cream at mission bay.

We then headed out to Butterfly creek and back to the apartment for pizza.

Tuesday we were on our own so we headed to Chancery lane for a walk around the shops and then to the Auckland Museum which was very very interesting. All the tour guide books recommend that you start your holiday in Auckland with a trip to the museum and I would definitely agree with them - although Daryl still hasn't been and his been living there for 2 years now!

Later we met up with Daryl and had dinner at the Seafood Grill and bar down by the harbour. It was so good catching up and sharing a bit of how our friend lives in New Zealand. The next day was off to the airport and then to Sydney.