WorldTravelReynolds

Kia Ora (Hello) from Auckland, the northern part of the country of New Zealand. We got up late today and had a leisurely breakfast while all our friends left early for an excursion. Ours didn’t leave until after noon. The weather changed over the last couple of days crossing the Pacific. We dropped from the mid to low 80’s and sunshine to 70 degrees and rain. The goods news is it’ll be back in the 80s when we get to Australia.

While I had some time I chatted with my friend Audrey back in the states before we ventured out. I love all the new lifetime friends on the ship but I miss my friend’s back in the states. It’s always good to stay in touch and I sure miss her.

We took this tour because the others with our friends were all booked up. For some reason we didn’t get in on the “good” tour but no worries we will make it do. Or so we thought. This was the worst tour we have been on in a very long time. The weather was horrific but worst of all, the tour guide was worse. We did learn a little so I’ll write that here but the best part of the day was the cultural experience provided by the Auckland cultural group that entertained us on board. They were so amazing and we learned a lot through their song and dance of how their ancestors and now descendants keep the culture alive!

Our first stop before the rains began was at the Michael Joseph Savage Memorial Park. This park is normally full of beautiful landscaped gardens however since it is now Autumn in the Pacific, all summer flowers have been removed (only a week ago) in preparation for fall foliage. Still beautiful, the park pays homage to New Zealand’s 20th Prime Minister. The towering column is a symbol of Savage’s legacy, particularly his focus on social welfare programs. He was very well respected here. There is a sunken pool reflecting the monument itself.

Next, we journeyed over to Mission Bay, (still rain free so far) a cute beach that in the summer months is normally bustling with families picnicking on the grassy slopes while watching the surfers catching waves. We also saw a few kite surfers but very few.

Mission Bay is more than just a beach. The area’s history stretches back to the 1840s. Originally named Kohimarama, it was renamed Mission Bay after the Melanesian Mission established a summer school for young men from the Melanesian islands in 1859. The historic stone buildings, designed by Reader Wood and built from volcanic rock, still stand today as the Melanesian Mission Museum.

It also served as a training ground for a completely different purpose during World War I. From 1915 to the 1920s, the Walsh Brothers relocated their New Zealand Flying School here. The calm bay waters became a landing area for their seaplanes, and it’s said they trained at least a third of New Zealand’s WWI pilots.

We took a nice drive over the Auckland Harbour Bridge. This is an iconic landmark, often referred to as the “coat hanger” by locals. It spans across the Waitemata Harbour and prior to being built the city of Auckland was split into two different areas. One was poor and now jobs and population growth prospered on both sides with the building of this bridge.

Our next stop (did I say this was a bus tour?) at Wynyard Quarter was unique in it provided a somewhat clear view of the Rangitoto volcano, although the weather provided a cloudy look at it. It’s also where we spotted a giant dredging wheel. This old rusty antique was used to deepen the waterway and maintain the harbor infrastructure. It is now a fixture near the waterway.

Our last stop in the rain was at an outdoor botanical garden. We chose not to get drenching wet and popped into a cute cafe with the most amazing pastries and cappuccino. Funny how this was the best part of the trip!

I’m sure Auckland was more beautiful than we saw today and with the right tour, it probably would have been. We visited the southern part of New Zealand in 2020 and it was an absolute dream so I’m not too disappointed in our trip today as we’ve seen the beauty this country has to offer.

Tomorrow we will visit Bay of Islands, New Zealand. The highlight here are glow worms. It should be interesting and different!

May God bless you always!

Chuck and Lea Ann