Arrival in Auckland
We arrived in Auckland around 5AM Sunday, so we lost a day due to the time zone change (crossing the International Date Line). We took a taxi to our Auckland hotel (The Duxton) and were quite impressed. We had a kitchen (complete with burners, toaster, kettle, microwave, minibar), living room with sitting area and TV, a washer/dryer combo in a closet (it was one machine that could wash AND dry-I'd never seen anything like it), and a bedroom with another TV, and a bathroom stocked with shampoo, conditioner, lotion, bath gel, mouthwash, shower cap and a box with a nailfile and cotton balls.
The room was on the 8th floor and had a view of Myers Park-where we actually saw fireworks one night-perhaps a nod to Guy Fawkes Day. The decor was very modern-almost Ikea-like with bold colors and hard lines.
After showering we went to the restaurant for our free continental breakfast. After being seated we were offered coffee and toast. I asked for a latte and our server said yes, but it would cost extra. I got it anyway. Although we thought it would cost extra, we ordered "hot" breakfasts. I had Eggs Benedict (what they called bacon was more like un-crispy ham) and Brian had pancakes. We were also invited to have what we liked from the buffet, including juices, cereals, croissants, fruit, cheese, cold meats, etc.
After showers and sustenance we embarked into Auckland. Within half an hour I spotted a sign for a wine shop NZ Winemakers Centre. We stopped in at 11am, just as they were opening, and looked around before trying a few wines from their tasting menu. They had a full selection of maps for various NZ wine regions, so we stocked up.
From there we walked down towards the Ferry Building and picked up a schedule for the Waiheke Ferry. We took some local buses to a few shopping districts we'd heard of-New Market was first because I'd read about a new store Popsicle that had Japanese pop culture items. It turns out it had only been open 2 days! It was cool. We also went to Ponsonby and looked at shops and restaurant menus. We returned there later by cab and ate at GPK-a gourmet pizza place. It turns out that Helen used to live on the same corner as GPK.
We fell asleep by 9pm-totally exhausted from our long flight, day of walking and sleep deprivation.
P.S. Today we also went to a local grocery store. I was fascinated by all the unfamiliar brands and the fun imports, including a box of pink Hello Kitty cake mix!
The room was on the 8th floor and had a view of Myers Park-where we actually saw fireworks one night-perhaps a nod to Guy Fawkes Day. The decor was very modern-almost Ikea-like with bold colors and hard lines.
After showering we went to the restaurant for our free continental breakfast. After being seated we were offered coffee and toast. I asked for a latte and our server said yes, but it would cost extra. I got it anyway. Although we thought it would cost extra, we ordered "hot" breakfasts. I had Eggs Benedict (what they called bacon was more like un-crispy ham) and Brian had pancakes. We were also invited to have what we liked from the buffet, including juices, cereals, croissants, fruit, cheese, cold meats, etc.
After showers and sustenance we embarked into Auckland. Within half an hour I spotted a sign for a wine shop NZ Winemakers Centre. We stopped in at 11am, just as they were opening, and looked around before trying a few wines from their tasting menu. They had a full selection of maps for various NZ wine regions, so we stocked up.
From there we walked down towards the Ferry Building and picked up a schedule for the Waiheke Ferry. We took some local buses to a few shopping districts we'd heard of-New Market was first because I'd read about a new store Popsicle that had Japanese pop culture items. It turns out it had only been open 2 days! It was cool. We also went to Ponsonby and looked at shops and restaurant menus. We returned there later by cab and ate at GPK-a gourmet pizza place. It turns out that Helen used to live on the same corner as GPK.
We fell asleep by 9pm-totally exhausted from our long flight, day of walking and sleep deprivation.
P.S. Today we also went to a local grocery store. I was fascinated by all the unfamiliar brands and the fun imports, including a box of pink Hello Kitty cake mix!
posted by Jennifer at 5:00 AM
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