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It had been raining overnight, and the day was set to be overcast and humid, with temperatures in the mid to late 20s.
We set off for Auckland Museum. Their special exhibition is currently World of Wearable Art (WoW). I'd heard about the WoW shows in Wellington though I knew they wouldn't be on when I am there, so it was a real bonus getting a chance to see these amazing costumes close up.
Next we looking at the Maori section, where it was fascinating to learn of their culture and see Maori artifacts.
Our final stop in the museum was the natural history section, with many exhibits of the unique local fauna and flora. Plus a section on volcanoes and a simulation of what would happen if there was a new eruption off Auckland. It is believed that all current volcanoes are extinct, which is handy as Auckland is built on 10 of them, but new ones could be created.
For lunch we drove along the coast to Mission Bay, where I enjoyed a steak sandwich in the Mission Bay Cafe. The Bay itself offers stunning views, including Rangitoto Island - the last NZ volcano to erupt.
Back in central Auckland we went up the Sky Tower, with amazing views around the whole of the city. It's easy to see why there are so many marinas in Auckland as there is a huge amount of water. On the west side of the city is the Tasman Sea with Manukau Harbour, and on the east is the Pacific Ocean with Waitemata Harbour.
Given the above, it was totally appropriate that we embarked upon a tour of just a handful of Auckland's 100 beaches. First was Little Shoal Bay, a small and unexceptional beach except for a great view of the harbour Bridge and the City beyond,
We had a quick look at Lake Pupuke, which is in the crater of a long dead volcano. Just a thin strip of land separates it from Takapuna Beach in the East side and views, again, to the imposing and dominating Rangitoto Island. Finally, we moved across to Milford Breach on the West side.
Finally, we stopped off at Gengy's for a Mongolian BBQ.
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Jenny Catch the ferry to Rangitoto Island.....lovely views