By contrast to Christchurch, Auckland is much nicer - much more a happening place and nice and warm. We spent our day in the city by going up the Sky Tower (330m tall Matthew informs me). At the top a very unnerving glass floor, where you can look down on the road and cars below. Matthew and I crept across them very gingerly but off course Amelia and Luca fearlessly jumped up and down on - very unnerving for their poor mother. We also watched base jumpers falling past the window as if it was the most normal thing in the world to do. Needless to say Amelia The Brave kept asking to have a go.

Next stop - Auckland's aquarium, where we saw a giant squid preserved in a very large bottle of vinegar; penguins, sharks, stingrays and an octopus trying to get its lunch out of a screw top container.