Auckland at last

How happy were we to arrive at Auckland airport? Very. It didn't matter that it was 4 in the morning and we needed to wait an hour and a half for Hamish to pick us up; the elation from just getting the flight was yet to fade. We said our fair-wells to Irish Marc, making plans to meet up with him in Auckland for a beer sometime in the near future, and were whisked 'home' to Birkenhead, in the North Shore area. Tired but happy.

We spent a couple of days catching up on ourselves and investigating central Auckland, which is beautifully situated on the bay. The downtown area is small and attractive, fanning out from the ferry terminal and an area known as the 'Viaduct' which is harbour-side, with offices and bars. While there we managed to fill ourselves on sushi - cheap and abundant, although often as likely to be made by Koreans as Japanese. Joy. We also bought a replacement camera. Double joy.

Hamish and Kirsten's little house is of a typical single storey, weather-board style that is fully detached. It dates from the 1930's (quite old for New Zealand) and stays lovely and cool in the scorching midday sun. It was a real pleasure to be their guests, entertained by Oscar, their very cute 9month old. Our stay made even more comfortable by the fact that their spare bed is the most comfortable bed ever, let alone on our whole trip! (Thanks H & K).