November 4-5

Welcome to New Zealand!

We were slated to be here for 9 days, which for some reason I hadn't parsed when looking over the trip reservations. I initially referred to this as my "Australia" trip, but since we were in Oz for 12 days and NZ for 9, it rightfully is the trip of both countries. And let me say: New Zealand really can't be topped. Sorry, Oz: You fulfilled expectations. NZ: I had no expectations.

Our small band of tour group folk flew into Auckland from Nadi and landed around 1pm, boarded a bus, where we met the other 20-odd folks we'd be riding with for the next several weeks. The bus also became a very familiar -- perhaps overfamiliar -- location; we were on it a lot. The driver, Danny, was a real character and our tour guide Kay was just spectacular (she's with Australian Pacific Touring and really knew her shit. 

So here I am at our first bus stop destination in Auckland, down by the harbor. The weather, at least, was better than Fiji but still a little cool.


Also down by the waterfront: These big rusty "driving wheels" from the vessel Whakarire, if I'm reading the plaque right. Nice placement of the trash can, folks. 
View of the water off Auckland. I'd like to remember exactly what every bay is called, but that's not going to happen. In any case, depending on the light the color of the water just kept shifting. Wait until we get to Franz Joseph for some amazing water.
A nice view of the harbor. Or harbour, as they have extra "u" letters in this country.
Next stop: The Michael Joseph Savage memorial; he was the first labour prime minister of New Zealand. Apparently he did many wonderful things...
... if you can read them on this sign ... but I sense that the real reason people come to the memorial is not for the big phallic symbol...
It's for views like this. That's Auckland in the distance; the big pointy thing is the Sky Tower. I went up in it for $25 NZD, but at night, so I can't attest to the full glory. The wharf area you see on the right is where the big wheels were. 
View of the Auckland suburbs from atop the memorial hill. It looks quite packed but really at the memorial it felt like we just had vast tracts of green, beautiful open grassy space. Middle of the day, but there were plenty of people, many who did not even appear to be tourists, lounging around.
The view around the Savage memorial.
This was actually taken at the rose gardens (see below) but it's another big open space. Clearly the tide comes in at some point here.
Right, the rose gardens. The Nancy Steen Gardens. And not to say that a rose garden isn't, well, pretty -- I live in New York City and we have the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, w hich naturally kick ass in the rose department. But, pleasant enough.
Info on Ms. Steen. 
By any other name.... Roses, like butterflies, are the easiest of photography targets. It's hard to screw up a photo of one of them.
Archway leading into the park. I love the stone work here. The roses are actually off to the left of the arch.
The Sky Tower, which is the tallest point in the Southern Hemisphere, as I understand these things.
Anything you could ever want to know about Sky Tower. 


Your mind says "go ahead, the sign says it's ok to stand on it" but your gut says "it's glass, you fool" while some third part wonders if you stand on it whether someone can look up your skirt.
My room at the Crowne Plaza Auckland. Pleasant enough, and new-feeling.