February 16 – A Day in Auckland

Auckland is a city on the North Island of New Zealand. It is the largest city in New Zealand with an urban population of around 1,600,000 people.  For some reason it does not feel like a big city.  Yes, it has big city problems like homelessness and traffic jams but it seems like it has a relaxed lifestyle. 

The surrounding area is dotted with dozens of dormant volcanic cones.  The last eruption was 600 years ago. Earthquakes are always on the mind of municipal governments and disaster planning as Auckland is on the Pacific Ring of Fire.

There are many parks in Auckland.  These green spaces are in continual use with concerts, sporting events and general picnicking. 

The Pacific Ocean plays a big role in the life of Auckland’s citizens.  Because of this sailing plays a major role in the leisure activities of the residents.  There are many marinas within the city limits. The America’s Cup was won by a crew from Auckland in the late 1990’s.

Auckland is a diverse multicultural city and is home to the largest Polynesian population in the world.Auckland was first settled around 1350 and was valued for its rich and fertile land. The Māori population in the area was estimated to have peaked at 20,000 before the arrival of the British.  A British colony was established in 1840.  In 1986 Asian immigration exploded in New Zealand and it shows in the number of Chinese stores that are in the downtown area.

Trams and railway lines shaped Auckland's rapid expansion in the early first half of the 20th century. However, after the Second World War the city's transport system became increasingly dominated by the automobile.  Now Auckland has the third highest car per capita in the world.  There are 6 cars for each 10 residents.

We used the hop on hop off bus to see some the sites in Auckland.  I would have to admit that Auckland is not a very interesting city for tourists.  It seems its claim to fame is that it is close to some of New Zealand’s outdoor activities.  I think it would be a good place to live and raise a family, but not a place I would recommend for a visit of more than two days.  

We visited the Auckland museum and saw some exhibits of Māori culture.  I always though there was a connection between our west coast First Nations and the Māori, but after viewing these exhibits, I know that is not the case.

During our tour, we passed Eden Park which is the home stadium of New Zealand’s All Blacks rugby team.  It is huge.  It holds 60,000 fans and of course a rugby field is much larger than a football field.  

Also during the tour we passed through a couple of very nice neighbourhoods with plenty of unique shops.  One of them was Parnell Village.  We were told that Devonport was another beach side community with a small quaint feel to it.

Down Federal Street from our hotel is Sky City, with its massive tower.  People were bungee jumping from the top of  tower.  The tower is 328 meters in height. I can’t imagine how scary that would be.  In a side note, in New Zealand all medical is free, including foreign tourists.

One thing I’ve noticed is that a popular mode of transportation is the powered scooter.  It seems that in each corner in the downtown area there are several scooters for hire, using the uber model for rentals People that use these scooters are very mindful of safety of pedestrians and there are few conflicts.

Tonight, we went for dinner with the group that are going to be on the cruise with. We were happy to see that Trudy ad Jay made to Auckland after all their problems with Fiji Airlines. It was a wonderful evening catching up the Keith and Janet for Great Britain and meeting new friends. It bodes well for a wonderful two weeks on the cruise.

During after dinner drinks, I talked to a gentlemen that had attended tonights Elton John concert.  Unfortunately Elton John's voice gave halfway through the concert.  What terrible luck for this gentlemen and his wife.