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Finally I've arrived in Auckland! (Sat, 19th Nov. 7pm). I thought this moment would never come. After god knows how many hours or days I'm finally here. It really does mess with your head when you're moving between flights and time zones. You've just been served dinner, lights out, then breakfast, and before you know it you are doing it all over again (but it's either the same day or only a few hours since your last flight).
I've wasted a good hour wondering around the airport in a daze until I got it together. Quick trip to the tourist office and I'm on a shuttle bus to my first hostel. Very cleverly named Ponsonby Backpackers, in Ponsonby. Arrived at about 9pm after hiking through the city (without getting lost may I add).
Really great welcome from the staff and they even got me into a private dorm so I could sleep (thank you). Popped one of Steve Love's special pills, had a few MnM's for dinner and slept through a lively Saturday night.
Auckland - Sunday 20th November
Good morning New Zealand! Feel human again and ready for the world. First shower in a shared bathroom (which was actually alright) and dressed. Opened my bag and my first thoughts are "why OH why did I pack so much crap". I'm seriously going to dump some stuff on day one (I know, I know, you all told me so). It's funny how when you're at home and packing you think there is no way you can go without stuff, but once here you really could not give a hoot!
Coffee and toast in a cool little cafe which reminds me of the Tin Drum, Hove. Far too many kids, but awesome food and coffee. Now off back to the hostel to move into my 6 dorm room, grab my guide book and explore Auckland.
Current temp 18 and cloudy (perfect for a Sunday).
Auckland - Monday 21st to Tuesday 22nd Nov.
Bus ride from the hostel on the 'Inner City link bus' started with the driver pulling over to have a pee. Hilarious! $1.80 gets you anywhere in the city and my first stop is the Harbour (Eastern Viaduct). Very cosmopolitan and pricy, but this area is attracting a lot of development. Normally somewhere I'd be happy to hang out, but not as a backpacker surviving on a shoe string. The Viaduct is also the main port for ferries out of Auckland to the north island. Trip to the Auckland art Museum and a general gander around the city.
Met a couple from Bath who are currently planning their trip around New Zealand in a camper van. They've been spending the last few days kitting out the shell into a makeshift camper.Parked down the road from the hostel and trips to the DIY store seem to have been attracting attention from the residents. However, unlike the UK the residents are keen to know about their trip rather than getting them moved on. Spent the last couple of nights chatting to the both of them and getting more excited about their trip rather than mine. Camping it up in a van seems the big thing right now (good choice Tom, you're going to love it!).
Before heading back home for the night I decided to pop into the iMAX and watched the latest Twlight offering (4/10). This was my private guilty pleasure.
On Tuesday I felt a little more with it and ready to brave further afield, so I took a ferry from Auckland to Rangitoto and Devonport. Rangitoto is a volcanic island with its last activity only 600 years ago, which I'm told makes it the youngest island in the Haurakie Gulf. No shops, no inhabitants and just a jetty and a couple of toilets, this really was quite something.
Earlier in the 20th century there was a small community living in small bungalows.Known as 'batches', these buildings were holiday homes and built across the shoreline. Only a few batches remain with the last inhabitants leaving the island in 1976. Some of these huts still remain and have been maintained by a restoration trust. The NZ trust now own these batches and it was rather odd walking up to these dwellings as they had made them look as though they are still occupied.
However, the main reason for visiting this island was the 1 hour walk to the summit look-out point (used in world war I as a lookout post). With views looking onto Auckland it was a stunning picture, and well worth the trek up in the sizzling heat.
Also on this Island I took a walk through the larva caves, which was right up my street.
Ensuring I did not miss the last ferry off the island, I made my way back down to the jetty and stopped over in Devonport on the way home. Not much to say about Devonport, apart from the fact it's a sleepy little island with a relatively small community and is home to a navy port. Nice place though and a good round off for the day.
Totally shattered from all the walking and ready to chill out at the hostel. Popped into the supper-market for some dinner and chilled out with a DVD (The Big Lebowski) with a few of the other backpackers. Still don't get what's so great about this film, and in true Gavyn style I did manage to fall asleep.
I spoke to the owners at Ponsonby backpacks on Saturday about the best way to get around NZ in four weeks. After some deliberation I've booked the Stray tour bus to head North and South in a month. It's going to rather hectic and I'm now thinking I'd maybe best planning my stay for longer. However, I'm dead excited about seeing Chris and Ben over Christmas and New Year that I'm not even going to consider pushing my trip out in NZ.
So….I set off tomorrow at 8am for a three day trip further north and heading back to Auckland for one night before heading south for the remainder of my trip.
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