Day 28 - Jumping Ship to Auckland

Set the alarm to be up at 0600 hrs. Last minute packing and down to breakfast for the last time. You guy guessed it, the breakfast buffet is exactly the same. I wonder if they actually pack it away each day?

Arriving at Auckland

Auckland in the sunrise

The Hilton glistening in the sunrise

Princes Wharf - Cruise ship terminal

Little tug pulling and pushing us into place

The entire NZ navy - they had 3 ships but they ran one aground

Wharfies - same same everywhere. Doing sweet FA

The hidden office - where the wharfies can't be seen

Obviously a bridge

Crude graphic

Disembarking was staggered according to your luggage tag. Makes sense as this avoids the bunfight to jump off the ship - not that many of the walking dead can jump at all. Security checks seem to be very slack. Passport checks were slack too. Jesus, I could have been Osama's twin with a suspicious bulky jacket and I would have been waved through! Very friendly though unlike the dickhead TSAs in the US.

Debbie had booked us a night at the Hilton which unfortuately was at the next pier. Very inconsiderate of the captain as that meant we had to drag our cases out of the dock and into the next pier. Quite a workout. It was cool but humid. The forecast was for 5 mm of rain but I doubt that. there you go, $100 million for he new BOM site and they can't predict a few hours. What chance, predicting 100 years! Come on guys, we are being scammed!

Even though it was only 0930 hrs, our room was ready. Not the best room as it overlooks the balcony and windows of the next building. Its only for 1 night and we will make do.

Auckland Waterfront

I think this is at the Post Office (the name is in Maori - I am not fluent in Maori)

These things are hanging under the pier - Deb and I think that they are to provide surfaces for shellfish who will act as filters and try and clean up the water quality

They look like oysters - with the poor water quality, they will be full of shit

Signs warning people - In Victoria, the warning would be about the mushrooms

Interesting screen

Statue of some Maori hero

Botswana Butchery - a meat restaurant. Vegans run away

Nice buildings

The main pedestrian mall

Walking along the pier - its like Barangaroo in Sydney

Art deco building

Happy camper with her curry

Pho and a beer, what more do you wantt!

Amazing street circus performer

The Hilton - they have built it to look like a cruise ship

Maori ambulance

Maori gate (copied from the Chinese)

He is filming a youtube video - probably a travel blog. Seems like hard work and you look like a complete muppet standing in the middle of the road talking to yourself.

MAritime museum. That is the hull of one their winning yachts of the America cup. The Aussies broke the yanks spirit, winning despite the cheating yanks and I believe the Kiwis have hammered the nails in a couple of times.

Swedish yacht - nice wooden decking but where are the cabins?

The unfortunate experience of a big city - aggressive homeless at a bus stop

I think that is called the Sky Tower

Fastest monohull in its time - lost the cup through lawfare and American cheating

The Wharf

White and Wong (racist bastards! Clever though)

The Ferry building

Nice sculpture. People like twisting huge hunks of metals

Nice

Princes Wharf

Cup of coffee and we went for a walk. Good to be on terra firma after 16 days rocking and rolling with the motion of the ocean. Walking along the waterfront, I noticed that there are many asians in Auckland if not NZ. I believe that they are number 3 in the immigration tables after Australia. Makes for great food as I believe that Maori cuisine is not exceptional. Can't be good burying and cooking food in a hole. Earthy taste.

We found a great foodcourt - Commercial Bay shopping mall. It even had a pub in it and the beer was fantastic. Come on Australia, get the pubs into the food courts. Deb had Indian and I went straight for the Vietnamese pho. Delicious.

Back to the Hilton for Deb to watch the Aussie Open.

I am going to end the blog here. We are translocating to the Pullman at the Airport as Deb flies out to Melbourne at 0800 hrs and I fly to Perth at 1450 hrs. All in all it has been a great trip. It has been a different sort of cruise for us - more about luxury and being pampered. As for the walking dead, we will be joining them as the years roll on!