City of sails

Arrived in Auckland, they had a great shuttle service, makes Heathrow look like 3rd World, and so cheap, straight to your Hotel which happens to be a Formula 1 in a great location.

01 Top of the world

It did take several attempts to get into the room and they tried 3 different ones before they got us sorted, but what do you expect for 28 quid a night....what we got was a POD room, small but perfectly formed...with a balcony overlooking a block with a Bungie swing off the side, people were sailing past the window on a regular basis. Every building seemed to have something dangerous attached to it so you could jump off, swing from, climb up etc.,etc.,  

Wandered through the streets, so many Chinese & Japanese restaurants, could have been forgiven wondering where you was in the World. Went up the Skytower, while viewing the city & bay area, a body went flying downwards from the top.....we gasped, was it a suicide !! NO....just another way to jump off something static....and oh yes, you could also walk around the outside of the Skytower at the very top before you jump off if you like that sort of thing. 

02 Spot the idiot

Of course, there was the usual glass floor and glass fronted lifts, so you could see the suicide brigade trying to kill themselves outside.

We did the hop on, hop off bus sightseeing trip, and spent the whole day....eating breakfast at the marina, viewing the bay & great trip to the Auckland museum, full of Maori stuff, with  a impressive show with of course the Huka & Poi Poi.

Campervan was beckoning, it was time to sart the next road trip...ours was called Jucy & had messages all over the side of the van (aimed at backpackers). The van is only 15' & resembles an ice cream van  (Colin thinks it is the ugliest thing he had seen) but all the girls think it is cute. Inside it is a bit of a tardis and big windows for all the magnificent views.  

03 Breakfast at marina

04 View of the city

05 Maori war canoe

06 Maori pole

07 The Huka

08 Meet Jucy Lucy