OK …okay…I know it’s been a little while. I am now in New Zealand and settled in quite well. Getting here was a little more trying than usual. With the increased security for US bound flights I made my way to Auckland with little more than the clothing on my back. I managed to bring my netbook, camera and travel documents with me but nothing else. I flew from Edmonton to Vancouver my connecting flight to LA was delayed by over an hour. By the time I reached LA I booked it over to the other side of the airport to check-in for my flight (different airline) although the flight was closed to check-in there was still someone there who allowed it. I made it to the gate as they announced the final boarding call. At this point I was just happy to make it onto the flight.
Aboard the final flight I fell asleep quite early after dinner was served and watching one movie. Many people asked the flight crew if they would be announcing the New Year but they said there would be too many to cover mid-flight which would not have been conducive to the sleep on this red-eye flight (sorry to report Wanda there are no pictures of Champagne en-route as everyone slept through it including me). Anyhow, upon arriving in Auckland I was surprised how fast and easy it was to get my permit in order and head to the baggage claim area. After 45mins to an hour I realized my bags had not made it (not too surprising given the quick connection). After filing a report I headed downtown to my hotel (I booked a budget hotel rather than hostel as I knew I would need my space and sleep to get over the jetlag). It was well worth it! By January 3rd I was rested, explored the city a bit and was reunited with my luggage and heading to a hostel for the next three nights. Although I had originally thought I would leave Auckland right away I have added on a few more days due to the Christmas/NY/Summer Holiday period since most things have been closed and will be until the 5th.
The 3rd and 4th have been filled with more exploring. I’ve now visited the CBD (Central Business District), Western Park, Myers Park, the Domain, Hernes Bay, and Ponsonby (a cute area off the main downtown area reminiscent of Sidney or Courtenay filled with old buildings cafes, interesting shops and wine bars). The first few days were bright and sunny around 23 degrees but it felt hotter than that with the sun beating down (quite different from the winter wonderland I left in Edmonton). Today I woke up to rain which was a nice change as it brought a bit of a breeze with it. After hanging out for a while at the hostel and I then found myself heading into town with a few mates. I even managed to finally see New Moon at the IMAX here. It was strange to be sitting in a theatre watching scenes of Tofino from the other side of the world but all nice in the same way. The movie was fun but the book was definitely waaayy better. New Zealand is beautiful: mountains of green, harbors of sparkling blue/green and I’ve only been in the city. Auckland reminds me of Vancouver in a lot of ways but less high-rises and more urban sprawl.
I am growing tired of the city (yes I did write that) and geared up for the trip down island. I have two bus passes to tour both islands from Magic Bus (Northern and Southern Discovery) that I can hop on and off as I please. Bear with me for pictures, I have taken quite a few but am having difficulty uploading them right now, I will post them when I can.
