We arrived in Auckland on Monday morning at 0430 literally skipping over Sunday June 24th due to our late Saturday evening departure and crossing the International Date line. That was a first. Auckland is our last stop in the Southern Hemisphere and we were greeted with rain, wind and 40 degree weather. It was also the only location we were renting a car. Soon after arrival, we took a quick nap and then caught the car ferry to Waiheke Island which is located about an hour from Auckland and is renowned for its wineries. We enjoyed a beachside lunch before driving across the island to Man 'o War Bay where Captain Cook arrived in 1722 during his South Pacific voyage. We stopped at one of the local wineries before boarding the ferry back Auckland. The following day we went to the top of the Sky Tower for a 360 degree view of Auckland and the surrounding area. Rachel and Aaron were able to lay down on a 4" thick glass floor that was the only thing that separated them from the ground below. In the afternoon we visited the vast Museum of Transportation and Technology where we learned that the aviation industry started in NZ just four years after the Wright Brother's flight when two industrious locals ordered a WB Flyer from Orville which arrived in pieces and was assembled in Auckland! The first scheduled air service started two years later. The following morning I had time for a quick run through the University of Auckland before we headed to the airport and our flight to Hong Kong.