Three Countries in one day......(Part 1)

Trip Start Jun 08, 2007
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Trip End Jul 05, 2007


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Flag of New Zealand  ,
Monday, July 2, 2007

We spent last night at a hotel come motel near to Auckland Airport, deliberately so that it would make it easier to catch our early morning flight today. However, after arriving, it was clear there was not a lot around in the way of finding an evening meal, etc and as such headed off to a suburb close by for tucker. Google maps made Papatoetoe out to be a mini Whitwick, just like home! with a few bars etc but we were to be sorely disappointed. As we walked up the bronxlike main drag, we felt more than a little out of place. Some ill advice from a local further compounded our misery as we headed off in another overpriced cab to Manakau. The only watering hole being a "red-neck" type irish bar full of obnoxious locals. We cut our losses and took the 20 quid cab ride into the city which is what we should have done in the first place. Rad Trav comes unstuck for the first time!

In a Saturday night theme which has been pretty much the case in our journey across the southern hemisphere, we holed up in a bar to watch tri-nations rugby again. This Time the All Blacks against the Wallabies - massive game!

It's difficult to really explain the passion of this nation when it comes to rugby (or sailing for that fact) unless you're actually amongst it but to be in a busy bar in Auckland's America's Cup village whilst their national team performs "the Haka" was something else.

So that was New Zealand....in 10 days almost. In a nutshell in future I'd say get in and out of Auckland as quickly as possible, it's quite a dull city. Spend time in the nicer parts of the North Island (Rotorua, far north, etc which we didnt have time to do), go to Wellington, definetly Queenstown. Christchurch is also supposed to be a chilled sort of place too but it felt like the real New Zealand when we were down South.

Anyway....I'm back off to Oz!
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