Touring around Auckland

After returning Auckland from my Northern road trip.


the nice sunny chilly morning in Auckland


I met up with Chelsia, the second reader from Auckland (I met her once last year in Gold Coast when she was travelling there).




She drove me over the bridge to downtown Auckland for a walk about before my flight later on that day.


taken from the car


I decided to dress up for the beautiful city with my newly bought French beret. Hehe.













As drove into town, we approached the famous sky tower of Auckland, which I didn't go because I didn't want to do the typical touristy thing like everybody else.




Instead, I was brought to lunch to have New Zealand steak.




A little birdy once told me that New Zealand steak has to be most orgasmic thing one can savour in New Zealand. Choose any restaurant and one won't be displeased.




Well, I have to say...

It displeased me big time.

I was actually really disappointed to find that, not only the meat wasn't tender enough, it was meant to be the good part of a cow (couldn't remember which part, but was recommended by the waitress). Somemore the meat wasn't properly cooked and turned out to be so chewy, it was difficult to swallow.

I mean, it wasn't really really bad. It's just below the standard I was expecting.




I could have gotten much better steak in Malaysia. Guess it's not just EVERY restaurant in kiwi land serves good steak huh?

Bad birdy!


After lunch, with the few hours I have left in Auckland, I headed out to the street.





city girl crossing the street.








Stopped by the train station to take some photos.


oi sir, you're in my picture








The Auckland Bitromart Railway Station was (is) a very beautiful architecture and that anyone who came to Auckland has to take a photo of it, or with it.

Or so claimed by Chelsia.




Hey, don't argue with a resident of Auckland, if she said so, then it must be so, right?




We continued our walk till we came to the harbour where you would find hordes of yachts parked at the bay.




Auckland claimed itself to be the city of sails, that almost everyone who's able to afford has a yacht.

And true enough, as long there's sea, I saw yachts, not one, nor two.

But hundreds of them.

And they would go sailing during the weekend or whenever they have time, because they LOVE sailing.

I didn't manage to capture any photo of the famous yachts-and-sky-tower (because I was in the car when we crossed the bridge). But here's a photo I got the internet.




Is that plenty or what?

Auckland people must be rich, and really free.


Anyway, near this harbour, there's one particular yacht that wasn't at sea.

It's called the KZ1.




Or called the Big Boat Challenger.

According to the board underneath it, and I quote: "KZ1 was one of the biggest sloop-rigged yachts ever built. She took just 24 weeks to build (back in 1988)."




Just to see how big the yacht is, there's me standing in the distance underneath Big Boat.




Man, I looked small.

Let me stand in front a bit.




"There, not so small now are you. Hmph!"


Another activity you could do, apart from sailing and bungee jumping off sky tower, is whale watching.




Hey, with all the time and yachts around, there's possibly the best activity to pick.

But alas, my flight awaited. And so I picked up my bag from my host's house, left the key inside and locked myself out.

Chelsia sent me to the airport and consecutively left Auckland, not so much with a heavy heart, but with the anticipation of my next destination scheduled, I boarded New Zealand Air with my French beret and...




Headed toward the capital of New Zealand.

Guess where? :D