Auckland, North Island, New Zealand

Now for the next part of our holiday, a two week fly drive in New Zealand. We arrived in Auckland at 2 pm - 11 am Brisbane time. Collected the RAV4 car from Hertz and headed to Auckland city centre - not too bad though we still have to remember not to put the windscreen wipers on to indicate!!
Auckland has two harbours which frame a narrow isthmus punctuated by volcanic cones and surrounded by farmland. The city is a mixture of old and new buildings - all the designer shops you'd see in London plus souvenirs and cafe/restaurants. The Sky Tower stands 328 metres and is the southern hemispheres's tallest structure. There is an observation deck, cafe and you can look down through glass floor panels. Queen Street where our hotel is runs from the top of a hill all the way down to the harbour - not too bad going down but a hell of a way back up!! We found half the length of the street had been closed to traffic to accommodate a BIG Diwali festival - bands, dancing groups, food stalls etc. It was really colourful with everybody in their best Saris and Turbans. We went right down to the wharf just to see what was available. We watched the ferries going to Wauheke Island or across the harbour. There were also speed boat rides that looked fun but got you really wet - heavy coats and life-jackets provided. We sorted a SIM card for New Zealand then headed back up the road through the festival events - in stages, for dinner at the hotel restaurant. AA maps and booklets picked up to supplement those bought by Lizi for us and we were set for our travels.Read more