2 nights in auckland

One good bit of the many good bits of advice regarding our road trip was, 'stop a couple of nights in Auckland to get over the flight .... you'll be knackered'!  So if you're heading to NZ take a couple of nights out before you start travelling, believe me it's worth it.

One of the amazing things about the internet is in finding whatever type of accommodation you prefer. Deciding to steer clear of central Auckland & after scanning through Trip Advisor then checking on google earth, we plumped for a bed & breakfast to the east of the city, along Tamaki Drive, Nautical Nook situated in a residential area within a stone's throw from the sea & on the bus route into town.

A white minibus shuttle service runs from Auckland airport, no need to pre-book, just as case of checking with the drivers as to who is going where.  It was all very smooth, we were quickly whisked away through the Auckland suburbs, which are a little undulating,  to our destination.

I should say at this time we were doing pretty well, with regards to body clocks & jet lag.  The B & B was clean, spacious & the hosts were really, really nice.  The property had views over parkland, Orakei Domain & Okahu Bay so as we sat out on the verandah tucking into cups of tea & homemade muffins we felt as though we'd arrived.

So for our first afternoon, after a brief afternoon nap, we headed out into the great outdoors, walking along the coastal promenade to Mission Bay.  Mission Bay, Little England meets Croatia, large sandy beach, promenade, formal gardens flanked by cafe restaurants with outdoor seating perched temptingly along the pavement, and it was warm!  

It was so nice to sit outside in the fresh air after 24 hours breathing in recycled air from planes & terminals! So sit outside we did, at the Riva Cafe, tucking into Caesar salad & scallop & prawn salad with aioli, delicious.  

So with the sun sinking in the west, we ended our first day.  

Now, if you like your breakfasts, come to Nautical Nook.  This is a really wow meal & the general ambience is added to by meeting fellow guests.  So who else was there?  A German family with small children who all spoke excellent English & a single traveller originally from Scarborough; yes it's a small world!   Trish, an excellent ambassador for all things Kiwi, provided ideas & maps & metro bus timetables for what to see & do in Auckland city.  So that's what we set out to do.

The bus stop was only about 100 yards from the B & B & with instructions to get off at the Britomart Station, we settled down & enjoyed the trip along the waterfront straight into downtown Auckland.  The weather was an ideal one for sightseeing, warm but not blazing shall we say?

The main shopping area & waterfront are pretty compact. High rise leading right down to the restored harbour area with its definite yachty feel.  First stop for all budding tourists & incidentally a good place to get a feel for the place, Sky Tower a tall pinnacle of a space age building thrusting skywards & visible from very nearly everywhere, except that is when on the ground trying to find the place!  

Our task for the day was to go right up to the top, no jumping from or walking around the sky walk, just a photo blast, coffee & to gawp at the awesome views.  It wasn't exactly cheap, it was a pretty touristy place but, the views made up for it as did watching the adrenaline junkies flinging themselves off, skyjumping, especially so when the cable was stopped right in front of the viewing windows on the way down - l think they were smiling?

Not being a great shopping fan & feeling a wee bit peckish, we wandered downhill towards the Waterfront & after inspecting the yachts moored up in the Viaduct Basin, decided to have a bite of lunch at The Waterfront Cafe which overlooks the old docks at the Voyager National Maritime Museum .

Nice lunch followed by a very long, but fascinating guided tour of the museum.  We were caught by one of the volunteers who was a real America's Cup nut, well & as for Captain James Cook?  We were made, a  replica of Cook's cabin plus our local knowledge of Whitby, Staithes & the North Yorkshire Coast a meeting made in heaven.  In all seriousness, the museum is good, the voyaging canoes of the early Polynesians look so very small & frail, whilst the Blue Waters Black Magic exhibition of the NZ America's Cup racing machine is pretty cool.