Auckland after Christmas

The 4 bedroomed house in which we are staying in the suburb of Ponsonby would have served well for our needs except for the fact that the owners had left all their many possessions in place including all their clothing. We all had to live from our cases spread around the living areas. They also left their two cats!

The main compensation for us was the great view of central Auckland with its Sky Tower, which dominates even at night. On our last and only wholly sunny day we went up the tower to its top observation platform at 220m and were able to look down on the places we had been to during our stay.

Looking over the Domain, a parkland and within it the grand mansion housing the Auckland museum. Not up to the standard of Te Papa in Wellington - too much crowded in and poorly displayed.

 

 

Looking out towards Waikeke Island to where we took a ferry crossing and then a hop-on hop-off bus round it...

 

 

 

...and had lunch and a walk along one of its lovely beaches.

 

 

 

Looking out over the harbour bridge we crossed to another beach, Takapuna, where Peter went with Helen at the end of his last visit here. We have a photo of him in the water there. I took my shoes off and went paddling in the water and thought of him. Very upsetting but I'm pleased I did it.

 

While we were looking out from the Sky Tower people were taking the Skyjump; a leap off and fall for 11 seconds at 85k per hour. Another thought of Peter when Olivia said she wouldn't want to do it but her daddy would have. He probably would have, too.

 

And looking out towards where we were staying, in about the centre of the picture, and with Victoria Park not far from us.

 

 

 

One of my guide books on Auckland says its centre can appear rather 'scrappy'. That has been my impression so far. But it goes on to say there are some hidden nooks and crannies including the town hall and civic theatre in Aotea Square, which I looked down on from the Sky Tower and determined to explore those and others suggested by the guide when we return to Auckland after Russell.

 

Robert Cole