-- Auckland

The road tracklog 
Auckland
from 2010/09/23 to 2010/09/26 

The landing at Auckland Airport was carried out without problem. At the Immigration control I showed the return ticket to Australia as well as a bank statement of my account. I was granted a three month VOA. After having recovered my luggage medical control was quite as fast with a passage in X-ray. At the exit I caught the Air Bus which at NZ$16 deposited me in Queen St close to my hotel. The way lasted approximately one hour in a green and very undulating landscape due to the site of Auckland is volcanic. As of my installation I left to research the i-Site, the Tourist Office in NZ. My first impression of the CBD was not favourable, mixture of some decayed old buildings and towers of glass and steel. Of course have regard to the latitude of the NZ, the weather is very "British", the sea is never at more 130km. In the evening thanks to Internet cable connexion in my room I was granted in a few minutes a evisitor, electronic Australian visa for three months valid during one year.

As of the opening of the offices I visited the car-hired operators and after comparison of tariffs I threw my reserved on a new Zealander hirer, Omega. I reserved a A class car with change in Wellington-Picton to cross the strait of Cook on foot by ferry. Then I climbed the hill of Auckland Domain, vast park of 80 hectares where the Museum is, I spent several hours there. In opening and introduction to Maori civilization I attended a spectacle of dance, of song and of humour. Then a guided tour by one of the actors. Only I traversed rooms with much interest. The second stage is devoted at the origins as well of Maoris as of Pakeha, Europeans.

I stopped lengthily in the room dedicated to volcanic very present in NZ. The floor expose the military aid brought to the Motherland, England, during the Boers war, WWI & WWII then the participation in the Un activities.

Leaving the museum to go down again downtown I passed by Wintergarden with emanations of all kinds of flowers.

In the afternoon I strolled by following Lp Walking Tour mainly in Myers Park, strange valley in the town centre. Queen Street preserves some buildings of colonial era where old front are integrated in modern buildings. I finished this long day in Viaduct Harbour bordered of restaurants attended by the wealthy yachtsmen. The negative impression of the previous day grew blurred. In Queen St Asian ethnos groups were seen and gotten along, the significant Chinese community is big.

On Saturday September 12 I left to exploring the district Parnell supposed to be one of the oldest villages with wooden restored buildings. It is located on a hill dominating Judges & Hobson Bays. Parnell St is bordered on one side by houses transformed into Hotels and B&B.

St Stephen's Chapel overhangs Judges Bay, port of containers.

 Holy Trinity Cathedral, built in the Sixties, is remarkable by its modern stained glasses with sharp colours. Next door St Mary's is a pure wooden jewel builds in 1886. The lectern and the stained glasses are also of interesting.

Three houses are registered with the national heritage, Kinder House (1857), Ewelme Cottage (1864) and Highvic (1862).

Back to Queen St I made a detour to see the university campus on the site of the first settlers of which Old Government House. The Clock Tower date back to 1926 representative of the Art Nouveau.

The next day I took the rent car and I headed into the North Island.

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