A Stray Antarctic Kiwi Experience

Trip Start Mar 14, 2006
1
311
374
Trip End Mar 15, 2007


Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
shadow

Flag of New Zealand  ,
Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Having managed to bounce my way around New Zealand relatively independently figured I would try out a free day tour around Auckland with the Kiwi Experience backpacker bus to see what they are like. The free part may have had some sway in the decision.

Hanging around with a bunch of others outside a downtown hostel the fact the bus was 30 minutes late didn't fill me with much sorrow at what I may have been missing. Soon though we were all informed that they had messed up the allocations and there was no room on the bus and so we would be switched to the Stray Backpacker bus instead who also ran out of room clearly not a good day for either to win loyal customers.

Granted they did own up to their blunder and so the rest of us got free tickets to Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Experience which was a result since I'd already seen the city and only really wanted the free...I mean to try them out Antarctic World
Antarctic World
 .

So with 12 of us squeezed into a 8 seater mini-bus we all arrived at the Antarctic Experience soon wandering around sharks, stingrays and a Popsicled giant squid. The big draw though was a theme park like snow cat ride through a penguin enclosure who seemed to like to show off to the vehicle, either that or they were acting as decoys while the rest plotted a breakout.

After watching the March of the Penguins film I was soon taking my own march back to the hostel heading up nearby Mt Eden an extinct volcano for some great city wide views with the sun going down behind.

Whiling away the evening speaking with the Brit hostel owner he fell into the all too common category of coming here to visit for a few days. Ten years ago.
Slideshow Print this entry Auckland hotels