When it rains in Auckland .....
..... it certainly pours. But luckily for me, the rain started at 6pm last night, by which time I had done everything I intended to do. But not everything I wanted to do. I discovered something that would have been right up my alley called Barista Cats, but I discovered it a bit too late and there were no spare places as the number of visitors at one time is regulated for the sake of the cats. More on coffee with cats here: https://www.baristacats.co.nz - and a reason for me to return to the City of Sails, however ridiculous that might sound.
Auckland is one of those cities that needs a bit of surface scratching if you are going to find its soul. On the surface, the centre, where you are probably going to be staying as most accommodation is located there, is pretty much like the centre of any other western city. But wander a bit and you soon discover the influence of everything Pacifica, from language to food, something that coupled with Auckland's location and clean air gives the city a more unique feel than you first might think. You need to wander. Have a map available, but look up from most places in comfortable walking distance of the city centre, and you can see the landmark Sky Tower which will help you find your way home again.
Auckland museum on the Domain: I have visited this museum several times before, but since last time they have introduced a differentiated pricing system for entry tickets. For Aucklanders, entry is free. There is a minimal charge for other NZ residents, and for foreign visitors the entry charge is a whopping 25 NZ dollars (150 Norwegian kroner - my everyday real money). While I'm all for making museums and art galleries more accessible to locals, I think that the entry charge for foreign visitors for this museum is disproportionate to charges for all others. So yes, charge more, but this smacks of the Soviet Union's double pricing system of the past. So my visit to the museum stopped at admiring the building from the outside.
This is the kind of tree you really shouldn't plant too close to your house. Those roots were just massive above ground. Goodness only knows how long they were under the surface.
Brassica in the Winter Gardens. Not too much happening there in the middle of July, but what was on display was well-displayed and clearly labelled for those of us with an interest.
The Winter Gardens consists of two greenhouses and a central outdoor area. When the sun is out it can get quite warm here, even though the temperature is only 16℃ which ain't half bad for the middle of winter if you ask me.
This is Newmarket, a suburb of Auckland and the first place you come to if you wander over the Domain. It is touted as Auckland's premier shopping district, but the largest shopping centre is closed for renovation until 2019, so not so premier at the moment. The streets remind me strangely of the UK.
ASB bank's headquarters in Auckland, on North Wharf. Love the design!
The ubiquitous Sky Tower, visible from most of the city centre. Like bungy jumping, going up the Sky Tower is on my "Not To Do" list. Like never ever ever.
Two modes of getting around to the North Shore, Great Barrier Island or beyond. Ferry or seaplane.
Auckland Harbour Bridge. A smaller version of Sydney's? Probably a completely incorrect assumption, but there are similarities. I remember driving over this bridge in a heavy rainstorm some years ago and having visibility of around 20cm in bumper to bumper traffic. Not fun. Not fun at all.
The Customs Building. Today this is part of the ferry terminal for ferries to Devonport on the North Shore.
There are still quite a few arcades along Queen Street, linking them with the side streets. They seem well-maintained and are quite unlike the architecture you will see otherwise in the area.
A couple of street scenes from the city centre.
And one last one of the palm trees in the Domain.
Auckland is one of those cities that needs a bit of surface scratching if you are going to find its soul. On the surface, the centre, where you are probably going to be staying as most accommodation is located there, is pretty much like the centre of any other western city. But wander a bit and you soon discover the influence of everything Pacifica, from language to food, something that coupled with Auckland's location and clean air gives the city a more unique feel than you first might think. You need to wander. Have a map available, but look up from most places in comfortable walking distance of the city centre, and you can see the landmark Sky Tower which will help you find your way home again.
Auckland museum on the Domain: I have visited this museum several times before, but since last time they have introduced a differentiated pricing system for entry tickets. For Aucklanders, entry is free. There is a minimal charge for other NZ residents, and for foreign visitors the entry charge is a whopping 25 NZ dollars (150 Norwegian kroner - my everyday real money). While I'm all for making museums and art galleries more accessible to locals, I think that the entry charge for foreign visitors for this museum is disproportionate to charges for all others. So yes, charge more, but this smacks of the Soviet Union's double pricing system of the past. So my visit to the museum stopped at admiring the building from the outside.
This is the kind of tree you really shouldn't plant too close to your house. Those roots were just massive above ground. Goodness only knows how long they were under the surface.
Brassica in the Winter Gardens. Not too much happening there in the middle of July, but what was on display was well-displayed and clearly labelled for those of us with an interest.
The Winter Gardens consists of two greenhouses and a central outdoor area. When the sun is out it can get quite warm here, even though the temperature is only 16℃ which ain't half bad for the middle of winter if you ask me.
This is Newmarket, a suburb of Auckland and the first place you come to if you wander over the Domain. It is touted as Auckland's premier shopping district, but the largest shopping centre is closed for renovation until 2019, so not so premier at the moment. The streets remind me strangely of the UK.
ASB bank's headquarters in Auckland, on North Wharf. Love the design!
The ubiquitous Sky Tower, visible from most of the city centre. Like bungy jumping, going up the Sky Tower is on my "Not To Do" list. Like never ever ever.
Two modes of getting around to the North Shore, Great Barrier Island or beyond. Ferry or seaplane.
Auckland Harbour Bridge. A smaller version of Sydney's? Probably a completely incorrect assumption, but there are similarities. I remember driving over this bridge in a heavy rainstorm some years ago and having visibility of around 20cm in bumper to bumper traffic. Not fun. Not fun at all.
The Customs Building. Today this is part of the ferry terminal for ferries to Devonport on the North Shore.
There are still quite a few arcades along Queen Street, linking them with the side streets. They seem well-maintained and are quite unlike the architecture you will see otherwise in the area.
A couple of street scenes from the city centre.
And one last one of the palm trees in the Domain.
Auckland is for me one of those cities that doesn't necessarily grab too much of your attention at first glance. In that respect, it is maybe a bit like Singapore, which is one of my favourite cities in the world. If you just follow the sheep down Orchard Road in Singapore, then you have no idea what the city is all about. The same is pretty much true for Auckland and the Queen Street area. So, to repeat myself, wander, scratch the surface and enjoy the Kiwi hospitality.
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