AUCKLAND NZ (33rd day of our journey)

Auckland , "the city of sails" it is a city of about 1.1 million people it is a cosmopolitan mix of Polynesians, Asians, and Europeans. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that sheep are in the mix, there are 3 sheep for every person in NZ. The city center in Auckland goes for miles stretching from the waterfront up the rolling volcanic hills. Actually, with all of the crowds and the hustle and bustle it is somewhat reminiscent  of NYC, except of course the buildings are not as high or as close together and it has a bit of a European flavor. The tallest structure is the Sky Tower which is a 1,082 ft. bacon from where you can view the city, which we did. Also, the pace, although fast enough, is slightly slower than in NYC. The Aucklanders, although very "nice" do not seem as "laid back" as the folks in Tauranga. There are more eateries lining the streets than you  can imagine, the shopping is unbelievable with many upscale boutiques, (upscale is a euphemism when you look at the prices) and there are even historic houses to visit.

We began our day on a 4 hr. tour of the "city sights".  We did some panoramic sightseeing which included theAuckland Harbor Bridge & Okohu Bay in addition to giving us an educational introduction to NZ's largest city. The sights we visited included the Auckland Museum where we had a docent who explained all of the Maori artifacts and their past lifestyle, the birds that are now extinct etc... Also, she spoke at length about the KIWI BIRD, the countries bird, and how hard they are working to increase their numbers in order to save them from extinction. One part of one floor of the museum is dedicated to all of the wars that NZ was involved in and their soldiers that did not come home. We truly could have spent all day there which unfortunately we did not. 

After lunch we got to explore the waterfront including where the AMERICAS CUP took place as well as getting the feel of our surroundings. Another "nice" day on the other side of the world. I am amazed every time I think about where I am!

For some reason? I cannot upload any pictures tonight I hope to upload them tomorrow. 

Tonight we are headed to the BAY OF ISLANDS, NZ.