15th - 19th March Auckland!!

15th
We had a well needed sleep in our lovely comfortable bed this morning and had a nice relaxing day with Karel and Erna (Katrien's Uncle and Aunt) driving to show us some lovely areas of where they live just outside Auckland. The Cyclone was here at the time but we went to the beach and watched some Kite surfers enjoying the very windy conditions. We took it nice and easy today especially with the weather being a little unpredictable we just chilled out.

16th
Today the sun was shining as though nothing had happened and after a few hours mooching around, Karel took us out in his 1930s Ford where we sat in the dickie seat at the back and went for a ride around the town. It was fantastic and it made us feel like we were famous! Everyone was looking and smiling at the car!! It was a beautiful day and later on we drove to Devonport where we had a lovely car picnic (it was a little windy at the lookout point). We ate a mountain of fish and chips but enjoyed the amazing view and perfect company!! We could see all the way across the harbour and we could see the Auckland city clearly!!

17th and 18th
Today we walked to Browns bay on Monday which is close to the house and enjoyed the views of the calm sea and enjoyed the sunshine. We didn't get up to much else over the next few days and took it easy hoping for Katrien's knee to recover before a lot of driving soon!! It is nice to have some time to relax after a stressful few months of living out of our rucksacks and bed hopping.

19th
Today we caught the bus and went to Auckland city. It was a lovely day and the bus trip was long but it was nice to see where we were staying. When we got to the city we tried to find somewhere nice for lunch but we were stuggling for somewhere that wasn't Asian. Don't get us wrong we like Asian food but after a month enjoying the cuisine in South East Asia we fancied a change but it was hard to find. We then walked around the city and went to the Museum which was a little further than anticipated and by the time we got to the top of a big hill and lingered into some shops in a lovely place called Parnell we decided it was too late to make it to the museum so opted to go back into the city and we went to the Sky tower.

The Sky tower is the tallest building in the southern hemisphere and after playing the 'we are poor backpackers' card we got a discounted rate and got to the top, 220m up, in around 40 seconds in a glass platform lift (a little unnerving). It was a beautiful day and we could see for miles and miles!! It was the best view we could have had over Auckland and we were glad we went! After a tiring day walking we headed back to Rothesay Bay and enjoyed a relaxed evening and tasted some of the fresh fish that Karel caught today while out on his boat!

Love from Katrien and Rob
xxx