Day 12: Auckland

A day staying in the same place for the first time in over two weeks, but that didn't mean staying still. After breakfast took the car down to the park and ride and caught the train in to Auckland. Then the ferry out to Waiheke, the very well to do and new age island about 40 minutes from the downtown ferry terminal.

A really nice island with loads of good cafés, restaurants and artisan studios and galleries.

And even New Zealand's version of flat pack furniture:-

After a good few hours chilling in the island I then took the hourly ferry back to town.

Where next stop was the city's highest building, the sky tower.

A quick elevator up to the top ($28) and you get stunning views all around the Auckland area, with the added bonus of seeing someone jump off the top every 2-3 minutes (attached to a rope of course). Their landing point is the red circle in the photograph!

Of course this was also the site for the "panorama of the day".

As well as, amongst others, the view through the glass floor of the lift all the way down.....

I then spent the rest of the afternoon looking around the city centre and even managed to do some clothes shopping, more than doubling the size of my wardrobe since I've got the car and don't need to think about weight and space as I did when I only had the bike.

I was thinking I was mega impressed with the number of staff who were on duty at the central railway station when I then realized why - The Rolling Stones are in town tonight, playing the gig that was cancelled last Spring. What must their average age be now? About 70? Respect!

Back to Andy & Gill's for the evening and some route planning for tomorrow where I'll try to squeeze in a bit of extra cycling & sightseeing before starting the journey south.