Novotel Auckland

Oh dear this day is long. From bora bora to Papeete to auckland where we were again greeted by the lovely new zealanders. I swear they have to be the happiest funniest folk even their safety video in the flight is hilarious. ( the blacks nz rugby team ...

... and a really nice ending to our Thailand trip. We were hoping to get the offer again, but 'unfortunately' we were flown to Auckland the next day. After a very long tireing flight with a changeover in Sydney - think I slept about 3 hours all in all, we ...

A whistle stop day in Auckland, pretty tired as we'd flown in on the red eye from Perth, had a couple of hours kip in an airport hotel, then hauled ourselves into the city. We were coming back to the city at the end of our NZ trip so spent the day walking ...

     Drove using GPS from Auckland to Rotorua. Two near accidents; two ladies yelling at me (Karen and the GPS Lady). Without the GPS, I would still be in our first "round-a-bout." These are medieval torture paths for vehicles that ...

07 January Auckland - Bangkok: Leisurely start before returning the car and heading to the airport. Didn't manage an upgrade but at least our 60 kg of luggage was not a problem, and we got breakfast in the lounge. Can't ask too much when we are using ...

We had a few hours in the a.m. to stroll around the hilly streets of Auckland  before we left at 10 a.m. for the airport and our 2 hour flight to Queenstown on the South Island. However, strolling with Ron is more like "hiking!"  Our flight left ...

... seat after catching the next bus.  The drive to Hamilton was a bit slow on the way out of Auckland, but we eventually arrived just after 6pm. The novotel Hamilton was a lovely, with helpful staff (Uni students) and right in the middle of the city. ...

Kia ora!! This morning we departed Auckland by firstly taking a detour to the top of Mt. Eden, with a view to getting an aspect of Auckland. However, there was a fairly thick fog hovering over the city and as we climbed Mt. Eden Di or Fran, the coach ...

... away as Blenheim and the effects of the ash in the air were observed as far south as Christchurch, over 800 km south. In Auckland the sound of the eruption and the flashing sky was thought by some to be an attack by Russian warships. The official death ...

We made it! 11 hr flight from Auckland but the boys were really good.  A bit of sleep, a movie or two and some games, but they were really very good.  My vertigo is almost gone, I haven't had any nausea and only a couple of dizzy spells and no ...

... bit by those pesky sand flies that continue to torment me as I write, that bit me all over at the black sand dunes in Auckland Monday. He thought I was imagining them and that my bites were psychological, but now he'll find out... yes he will. 4:00 PM - ...

... go out.  I plastered myself in suncream, to stop any further burning, and tended my bites (I managed another 2 between Rarotonga and Auckland, I think they must have been lying in wait for me.  Grr. I went down to the harbour to start with, ...

... works, the staff (usually the same ones) are - to say the least - not service oriented and basically it is a shambles Auckland Airport Authority should be ashamed of. Unfortunately, we then had a four hour wait - the only other flight to Blenheim was ...

... is a choice of an apple, or a blueberry muffin. The muffin wasn't bad, but an unusual choice.    At Auckland airport, make sure our bags have been transferred,then have a kilometre walk to the international terminal in sunshine and heat and ...

... check in process at the airport and boarded our flight.  We were all settled in our seats, ready for our flight to Auckland with its quick connection to Christchurch, where we would be spending the night, only to be offloaded and delayed to repair a ...

So having left Auckland at 2330 on the Wednesday, we arrived at Hong Kong Airport in the early hours of the following day after an 11 hour flight on Air New Zealand - a comfortable and pleasant experience. We arrived at the Hotel at 0745 on the Thursday ...

... at the Fishbone Bar & Cafe ( recommended in Lonely Planet )  but excellent food at a reasonable price. So its back to Auckland tomorrow for Part 3 of our trip. PS Apologies for some of the previous spelling - it is sometimes difficult to do a ...

... see a beautiful rose garden of various colors....the tea roses are as tall as I am. Oh yes, on the trip from L.A. to Auckland, I sat right next to a woman from Spring , Texas.  We talked about Old TIme Spring and the Doll Hospital. Talk to you ...

We left Auckland pretty early.  While we did get a decent view of the water from our hotel and the highway, we really didn't get to see or do anything else in the city.  I hadn't slept very well the night before, so I passed out in the van.  I awoke ...

... was the US that they admired for the its future-oriented mindset. I also met an Australian traveler who flew from Sydney-Auckland (New Zealand)-Mexico City-Lima-Cusco. And I thought my flight was long.... THE ARRIVAL OF THE AMERICANS At around 2PM, ...