Auckland City Center

Despite the jet-lag, I committed to walking around and exploring Auckland after a short nap this morning. I walked the main drag that my hostel is on—Queen Street. The woman working the front desk told me if I wanted Thai food there is an entire arcade filled with Asian stands. (Refreshing considering the vegan dinner and breakfast on the plane were the same spinach mash!) I sat and ate alone at a table—a rare occasion for me since I usually avoid being entirely alone when going out for food. After my lunch, I walked down Queen Street until I hit the Viaduct, and explored the various docks and cafes on the water. A constant flow of sailboats were flooding into the harbor and I was so touched by the genuinely picturesque moment that I tried to capture it with my camera—no such luck. More often now I realized that I must store images in my memory rather than capture them in film or in pixels.

Later, I ventured out to the Sky Tower—Auckland’s resident phallic building and, of course, the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere. Many people bungee jump off this tower (they’re nuts). After purchasing my tickets I quickly glided into the elevator that would take me to the observation room which had 360 degree views of Auckland City Center and the Greater Auckland Area. Forgetting for a moment that I have terrible vertigo, I embraced the fact that I had the elevator all to myself. Soon after, though, I realized that the DOORS ARE GLASS and…SO IS THE FLOOR. I panicked and grasped the handrail, shutting my eyes tight and counting. Moments like that, even if they are 40 seconds, seem to last a lifetime. The doors opened at the top and I was greeted by some concerned employees. I did recover quickly, however, and enjoyed a gorgeous sunset over the bay.

Tomorrow I have a full day to enjoy before my rainforest friends pick me up around 5pm. I’ve decided to take a 1 hour boat trip to the Tiritiri Matangi nature preserve that is home to many birds that are endangered on the North Island. Their website is below.

http://www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz/