Auckland

We drove south today back to Auckland via Kaipara Harbour on the west coast of the upper North Island. The scenery consists of rolling green hills dotted with farmsteads and distant mountains.

We took a slight detour to Lang’s Bay which looks over to Great Barrier Island, if any of you are familiar with the sight of Bora Bora then this is a similar sight that greets you. Unfortunately it was so hazy that the photo’s we took don’t do it justice – but it is pretty spectacular! The beach was white pristine sand dotted with shells, of which I resisted the urge to collect (my collection is growing fast).

Spooky old thing this – Lang’s Bay is home to a large Scottish community who sailed here in 1851 from Nova Scotia (our old home in Canada). Obviously times must have been hard as the whole community spent 2 years building a boat to sail to Australia but landed here instead. Most them of them were from the Mccleod clan (the yellow Rupert Bear Tartan) the clan that my brother in-law Brian is akin to. Even the local pizza delivery shop delivers their pizza in McCleod Tartan boxes.

As we neared Auckland the scenery changes from spectacular to urban, Auckland is a massive suburban sprawl ( I think half the population of NZ lives here??).

As Nigel and I are treating this as our joint birthday weekend we have splashed out on a rather nice hotel and intend to spoil ourselves for a couple of days – before coming back down to earth in a Backpackers Hostel (which by the way are great – so far).

Many people aren’t fond of Auckland and I guess it is a pretty busy city but what I have seen so far I quite like – especially the waterfront – but then again its full of yachts so that’s probably why. Thought of Dave and the boys at YRS today, saw 4 riggers folding the huge mainsail on the Alfa Romeo racing sled in Auckland Harbour (Dave would have been the one sitting on the end of the boom issuing orders – swinging his legs as they would have been 6 foot off the deck at least).

We also went up the Sky Tower – can’t say that poor old Nigel enjoyed it. This is the man that has climbed mountains all over the world but hates heights – but he went up because he knew that I wanted to do it (you’ve got to love him for it as this would be like me going into the reptile house at Auckland Zoo). While we were up there some mad fool threw himself of the edge – you think bungee jumping is a rush – well you aint seen nothing ‘till some mad b*gger launches themselves off the Sky Tower. Just for an instance they are held outside the viewing gallery for everyone to see before plummeting to the street below. I could have done the Sky Walk around the top – but I don’t think I could have thrown myself off the edge like that mad devil.

Got a couple of things planned for tomorrow but they are all weather dependant - so watch this space!