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Travelogue New Zealand

Oct 27
Fri

Auckland – By cab to the Sky Tower

Heading for Auckland! We dare driving on the left in the city by now and we want to see more of it. Besides we have to go for the spare tyre and hope to be indemnified adequatly for all that trouble we've had with the car. We arrive at Britz / Maui in a good temper which doesn't last for long because we have to waste our time here for 5 hours. They give us the runaround and wear us out – with the result that we agree to a refund for 7 days and two nights on the camp site what is ridiculous because they don't pay the 49 € per day we had to pay for the car. All in all we get NZ$544 cash, they do the correction of the defects at the car and the costs for the old burst tyre are “discharged” generously. We expected them to be more responsive, because we had to waste our holidays time on their defect vehicle. But then, after 5 hours, we don't want to discuss anymore and just want to leave that place. I think they are quite successfull with their runaround tactics and bank on it. Oh how much I would've preferred to spend this time at Karekare Beach.

Finally escaped from the office niff, we head for a camping site southly of the Harbour Bridge: Fernz Lodge which isn't easy to find. Just now they're doing some construction works and they have no showers or toilets by now, but at least there's a dump station and so we don't mind because we're self contained with the campervan. As always welcome is very friendly. We aren't keen on searching a parking spot downtown so we allow ourselves a cab and get off directly in front of the Sky Tower. That's pure fun and the first highlight of the day :-)

Sky Tower in Auckland Sky Tower · more Auckland pictures

We let ourselves drift through the streets without having any plans or destinations, the way we like it when we arrive in foreign cities. Spontaneously we get to Queen Street and explore some side streets. But it's 7 pm by now and most of the shops close. Nevertheless the city is lively and colourful, thousands of impressions fly past. A group of street musicians are drumming loudly a modern, fast rythm. A cluster of people gathers around them, celebrating. Passengers pass by in cheery spirits. We have a Mac's Gold in an Irish pub and then go dining near the harbour in a restaurant called Pompino. Today we do ourselves really well and order green lipped mussels in chili sauce and then delicate lamb coins, mmmh.

Queen Street in Auckland Queen Street · more Auckland pictures

When it's getting dark we go up the Sky Tower which is shining violet tonight. The elevator goes pretty fast, it needs just 40 seconds to the observation deck at 186 m and causes ear pressure. From there we see Auckland glistening Auckland beneath us. Standing on the glass floor is strange. From the highest mailbox of the southern hemisphere we send our postcards to the other side of the world. Then we move up to the smaller sky deck at 220 m, you can't get higher. It's a special moment. We are the last visitors this evening and there's no one except us on the deck.

Sky Tower in Auckland Sky Deck · more Auckland pictures

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Auckland – By cab to the Sky Tower