We have arrived in sunny Auckland. We left Toronto on Saturday January 26 and had an enjoyable
4 1/2 hour flight to San Francisco. We used our business class points and were on a relatively new Air Canada 787. An excellent flight attendant helped reassure me during some turbulence. We then switched to United for our flight from San Francisco to Auckland. We were supposed to leave at 10:45 p.m., but didn't fly out until 1:00 a.m. There had been a computer glitch with the passenger list, so we had to deplane and everyone had to check in again. The 12.5 hour flight was fine and we did get some sleep in our business pods. We arrived in Auckland at 10:30 a.m. on Monday January 28. Very weird missing Sunday. We are 18 hours ahead of Toronto time!
 |
| Flying into Auckland |
 |
| Lots of green |
 |
| Maori welcome at the airport |
We are staying in a studio apartment in the Grey Lynn area of Aukland. It is located behind a modern home in a well-treed residential area. We are also near Ponsonby Street which has many shops, restaurants and bars.
 |
| The outside of the main house--- we are in a separate studio behind the garage. |
 |
| Alain entering the separate entrance to our studio |
 |
| Studio-- well equipped and clean |
A very cool aspect is that we are right beside a small reserve area that people walk through to get from our street to the one above it. It is green and well treed. Auckland has many such areas of green in the city.
 |
| Right beside the entrance to our studio |
We are amazed by all the tropical plants and trees in bloom, including lots of palm trees (one of my favourites). After we unpacked, we headed to Bread and Butter, a neighbourhood bakery and café, where Alain had the first of many flat whites. We also shared a B.L.A.T. sandwich (bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato).
 |
| Alain at Bread & Butter |
We stopped at a nearby supermarket to pick up some provisions. Lots of fresh fruit for summer. So nice to see everyone in shorts and sundresses. The high on Monday was 27C, but it cools off nicely in the evening.
 |
| Fresh produce |
We decided to walk downtown- about a 50 minute walk.
 |
| Large trees and a swing on our street |
 |
| Many of the houses in the streets near where we are staying looked like this. |
 |
| Auckland construction cranes and the SkyTower (completed 1997) |
We had a good view of the SkyTower (328 m high), the tallest freestanding structure in the Southern Hemisphere (looks familiar, eh!)
 |
| Lots of parks along the way |
 |
| Palm Trees |
 |
| Fabulous bird |
We passed some pictures on tiles commemorating a century of women's suffrage in New Zealand- 1893-1993.
We are still trying to figure out the Auckland bus system and visited the I-Site tourism office in the SkyTower. New Zealand has an I-Site office in every town and more than one in the big cities. The staff are very helpful and it is a great resource. We figured out the bus to take to drop us at Ponsonby Central an outdoor/indoor area on Ponsonby Street lined with a number of global cafés and bars and food vendors. We shared a few dishes at GoGo Daddy Thai Canteen, including a soft shell crab salad.
 |
| Yum-soft shell crab salad |
We walked back to the apartment to sleep off our jet-lag.
Tuesday January 29 was another beautiful summer day. The high was 29C, considered heat wave territory for Auckland. We got up early and decided to walk to the waterfront area prior to our Auckland Free Walking Tour set for 2:00 p.m. We spotted a few monarch butterflies in the reserve area beside our studio. We also passed many cottage-like houses with beautiful flowers.
 |
| Monarch butterfly |
 |
| Gorgeous flowers just a few blocks from where we are staying |
 |
| Bird decoration |
We stopped for a coffee at Rocket--- lots of Italian Rocket coffee machines for sale and good coffee.
We are really pleased that we are staying in a residential neighbourhood with lots of great shops and restaurants outside of the Central Business District (CBD). Apparently, the kiwi dream is to own a house with a bit of land and most people live in suburbs of the city. Auckland is very spread out. While most hotels and office buildings are located in the CBD, it is not a particularly interesting part of town. Only recently have people started to move back into that area in condo developments. However, the waterfront area is full of activity---- 1 in 3 people in Auckland either own or have access to a boat. There are lots of restaurants on the waterfront near the busy Ferry building. The port area is also teeming with activity.
 |
| Boats everywhere |
 |
| Alain |
We went and got tickets for our planned wine tour on Waiheke Island on January 31 and then stopped for lunch at Soul bistro, which had been recommended to us.
 |
| Sitting outside at Soul |
We had an amazing "Green goddess" salad with fresh peas, beans, avocado, quinoa and a delicious fish skewer.
 |
| Excellent salad--we started eating before I took the picture |
We met the Auckland Free Walking Tour beside the Ferry Building at 2:00 p.m. There were about 20 people in the tour from all over the world. Our tour guide, Marty, was originally from Wellington, but has lived in Auckland for more than 30 years. He was great. He started with a bit of history, detailing how the Maoris occupied the area about 800 years ago. Marty told us about Abel Tasman (1603-1659) from the Netherlands who didn't stay long as four of his men weer killed by the Maori. He did name New Zealand. Captain James Cook(1728-1779) visited and mapped New Zealand.
Marty talked about colonisation and the mistreatment of Maori people. Maori make up around 15% of the population of New Zealand today. Most live in the North Island. Many of the signs in Auckland are both in English and Maori and Kia Ora (hello in Maori) is heard all the time. Marty also explained that Auckland is located in an area of 53 volcanoes.
 |
| Plaque reads: A Maori Figure in a Kaitaka Cloak sculpted by Molly MacAlister |
Marty pointed out that the architect who designed the Embarcadero building in San Francisco also designed the Ferry Building in Auckland. It was built in 1912.
 |
| Ferry Building |
There is ongoing construction of a light rail line that will be completed by 2024.
 |
| Old Post office-- now railway station near construction area |
Marty took us into a number of downtown lanes. Fort Lane was once the red light district--- there is a commemorate red neon light line along the walls and crossing the lane.
 |
| Note red neon line crossing the lane |
There is a project called Heart of the City where artists have painted hearts on walls around the city. We passed a few on our tour.
 |
| For Heart of the City-- Sara Hughes 2014 |
 |
| Alain grabbed a Red Rabbit coffee en route |
Marty spent some time explaining a painting on a telephone box. Artists apply to paint these boxes.
 |
| Lots of symbols-- kiwi bird, silver fern, "Noo Zillun"-- how Australians think New Zealanders say New Zealand; crate of beer, volcano |
We walked over to another street called Jean Batten Place. It was named after Jean Batten (1909-1982) a New Zealander aviator who became the first person to fly solo from England to New Zealand in October 1936. She was born in Rotorua and became the best-known New Zealander of the 1930s, making a number of record-breaking solo flights across the world. Her flying career ended with WWII. She became a recluse, living in Spain. She died in Majorca in 1982 due to complications following a dog bite. She had refused treatment and died alone in a hotel. She had just been in Majorca for a week and her identity was unknown. She was buried under her middle name and her relatives and the world did not learn of her passing until 1987.
We passed another heart- done by a Maori artist called east-west.
Marty took us to courtyard area where we had seen the suffrage tile painting the day before. He pointed out that New Zealand women were the first to get the vote in 1893, many years before Canadian and American women got the vote. Kate Sheppard (1848-1934), the most prominent member of New Zealand's suffrage movement, is pictured on the $10 bill.
 |
| Marty detailing the history of the suffrage movement in New Zealand-- pioneers for women's votes |
We walked past the beautiful new addition to the Auckland Art Gallery which we plan to visit. It has a beautiful roof made of Kauri wood.
We then walked to Albert Park. Marty pointed out that many of the trees are not native. Palms and Oaks all come from away.
 |
| Queen Victoria statute-- erected in Albert Park |
There was a large flower clock in the park, which is located beside the University of Auckland. Marty pointed out that the hands are missing-- student pranksters no doubt.
 |
| 1953 donation |
 |
| Picture of the walking tour in front of the flower clock-- we're in the front |
Marty pointed out a small "Speakers' Corner" modelled after the one in Hyde Park, London.
 |
| Speakers' Corner |
 |
| Clocktower at University |
Marty pointed out a bunch of silver ferns, one of the symbols of New Zealand. According to Maori legend, the silver fern once lived in the sea but was asked to come and live in the forest to help guide the Maori people. Hunters used the silver underside of the fern leaves to find their way home. Once bent, the fronds would catch the moonlight and illuminate a path through the forest.
 |
| Marty showing us the silver underside of the Silver Ferns-- very cool |
We stopped under a gorgeous tree called a Christmas tree (Pohutukawa)--- in December the leaves turn a bright red.
Our guide had a great story about the plaque dedicated to a Reverend, located in Albert Park. He pointed out the last line which reads "He rests from his labours, and his WORs do follow him." A bad typo that was corrected by adding a small "k" to spell out Works. Marty said that maybe it was left that way to show that everyone makes mistakes. Definitely something we would not have noticed just walking by the memorial.
 |
| ...and his WORs do follow him... |
We then stopped at the picture of the cliff that had been blasted away on the harbour. There was a plaque with a caption- "The leaping place of few survivors". Apparently, the Maori tribe in Auckland used to condemn their adversaries by requiring them to leap off the cliff. Not many survived.
We then left Albert Park and wandered over to the Britomart area, our last stop of the tour.
 |
| So many good coffee shops- loved this sign |
The walking tour ended in the Britomart area, an enclave of historic buildings and new developments that is now one of the city's best eating and shopping areas. A number of Auckland's top fashion designers have moved into the area. We were on the other side of the train station, not far from where the tour had begun. We checked with the transit booth in the station and got info on where to catch a bus back to our neighbourhood.
 |
| Alain in the Britomart area-- train station is in the background |
We had a short rest before getting picked up for dinner. A Toronto friend (Elyse) and cousin of a very good friend of mine from way back, had put us in touch with Caleb and Daniella, her nephew and his wife (a New Zealander) who have been living in Auckland the past few years. Her parents (Esther and Arnon picked us up at 6:00 p.m. and we drove along the waterfront to the eastern suburbs where Caleb and Daniella live. It was a great drive, passing many beaches and neighbourhoods where a lot of Aucklanders live. We had a wonderful dinner (New Zealand lamb and fresh local vegetables) outside on their patio. It was great meeting locals who had already given us many recommendations for restaurants, activities and a fabulous orientation to New Zealand. Hopefully, we will be able to meet up the next time they are in Toronto.
 |
| Daniella and her mother |
 |
| Her father next to Caleb and Alain |
 |
| Family photo (Roots T-shirt from recent visit to Toronto) |
We have had a wonderful two days in Auckland. It is now the morning of Wednesday January 30.
Comments
Post a Comment