Adventures in Auckland

January 5, 2010

Interesting trip so far. My first flight went smoothly besides having to wait an hour for the plane to de-ice. I sat in the very last row and was able to sleep for part of the flight. I met Warren at baggage claim and we walked over to the international terminal. We went up to the food court and got something to eat. On our way to find somewhere to charge my computer we saw that the ticket counter was already open. After waiting in line Warren was told he could not check in unless he had a printed itinerary proving he would be leaving New Zealand. I almost got in trouble for chucking my bag a couple of feet when told that I should wait over there until Warren got back but I should put my backpack in the plastic bag provided.

We scored exit row seats on the first long flight and after a 3-hour layover in Fiji got on the final flight to Auckland. After we landed, went through customs and immigration, changed money and got our bags we found the bus and were dropped off in front of the hostel. They couldn’t find my booking right away and when they did they had me down for a 38-night stay. They tried first to charge us full price for the double room. I eventually went and printed out the confirmation page they sent me with the nightly rate from when I booked the room.

After we got settled in we explored for a bit. The hostel has a great location and we just blocks from Sky Tower and minutes from the harbor. We went back to the room and got ready for the night out and went out to eat at a nice restaurant. Later that night we checked out the Globe bar and then went to find a spot to view the fireworks that brought in the New Year.

Warren’s family believes that the way you spend New Year’s Day is indicative of how the rest of your year will go. For that reason, we tried not to spend very much money and instead spent most of the day exploring the city. We walked down to the harbor and spent the afternoon reading on a bench near the water.

On Saturday we got up and bought tickets to Rangitoto, which is a young island that was formed from volcanic activity. We walked up to the top and around the crater where the volcano used to be although it is now covered with trees. After walking to the top we checked out the caves. A couple of kids volunteered to show us the way through. We then headed over to the lighthouse and the beach for an hour before going back to the ferry. I enjoyed the views of the city but was less than happy on the hour and half walk from the beach to the ferry. It was hot, I was tired, I was thirsty and we ran out of water. So thanks Warren for putting up with me.

Sunday morning we slept in and then got dressed up for lunch reservations at the Observatory, which is located at the top of Sky Tower. They had a lunch buffet that Warren took full advantage of. We also got to see a couple of groups do the skywalk and the skyjump right beside where we were eating. After lunch we went to the observation deck, took some pictures and then headed back to the room. We were going to go out to Minus 5 (an ice bar) but I ended up not feeling well that night and we ordered some pizza and stayed in the room.

Monday morning we slept in again and went to a local park in the afternoon. We got some cookies and some ice cream and then spent the evening in. We spent a lot of time watching Prison Break and also refined our chess skills. On Tuesday I finally met with the job placement agency (Monday was a holiday). They weren’t very helpful but they seem to think I have a promising future in fruit picking. Warren came with me that afternoon as I set up a bank account and applied for an IRD number. We also tried unsuccessfully to get my phone unlocked. That evening we booked a trip to the Bay of Islands, did laundry and cooked dinner at the hostel. More to come about our exciting trip…