After a 14 hour flight, we arrived in Auckland, plonked our stuff and ourselves down in the clean and well equipped but spartan, Auckland International YHA, had a few hours of sleep and miraculously were feeling energetic enough to wander around the city for awhile. We found the giant tower in the middle of the city (boy aren't we genius!) and took the elevator up to the top - all the while being completely snobbish about how it doesn't compare to the CN Tower. There are spectacular views from the top - and it's a good way to orient yourself in the city - but I'm not sure it justifies the $21 price tag. It was fun watching people jump from the top of the tower though (those crazy New Zealanders - what will they jump off next?).

After some mix-up about which hostel we were supposed to be meeting in, Dave and I met up with my Dad (Gord). We had a marvellous Thai dinner on K' Road - the centre of seedy Auckland - although rather tame by world standards.

The following day we headed over to Devenport by ferry to look for presents. Devenport is a pretty little suburb with lots of little galleries, antique shops and cafes. There is also a jaw-droppingly fantastic quilting shop (Cushla's Village Fabrics) - if you are into that thing. I am into that thing - so I spent a good half-hour going through fat quarters while my dad and Dave twiddled their thumbs. I was like a kid in a brightly coloured candy store. I even went back to by more on our second bout in Auckland.

We also stopped by a pub to try out some local brew and gastronomic delicacies; wedges (in Kiwi-speak wedges rhymes with midges) - fried potato wedges with bacon bits and sour cream. My arteries are still recovering.

We stayed in Auckland again a week later on our way out of New Zealand. We went back to Devenport to buy all of the neat things that we'd looked at on our first trip there. Dave bought me a beautiful necklace as a Valentine's gift. I tried to buy him a ring (the guy who wears no jewellry found a ring he really liked) but they were sold out of his size. :-(

Before we left Auckland, we stopped by Kelly Tarlton's, which, although you wouldn't know it from the name (unless you're exceedingly smart and know who Kelly Tarlton is), is an aquarium. We went just in time to catch all the feedings. There's a tank full of massive sting rays - a couple of metres across or more. We watched the poor aquarium guy trying to stay standing, feed them, and give us his spiel about sting rays all at the same time. The highlight though was the shark feeding. We stood in a glass tunnel underneath the tank while two divers fed about 7 different sharks their fish dinner. Sharks are powerful! and scary! but beautiful too.

Oh yah - and there's a lame antarctic explorer section too. It's got historical information about antarctic exploration, a recreation of the explorer's hut, and a "snowcat" ride that takes you around the penguin room. But what a shame! Penguins are beautiful, graceful creatures. At Kelly Tarlton's there's a whole bunch of them crowded into a small room with no natural light and a low ceiling while people gawp at them from strange metal boxes (made up to look vaguely snowcat-like) going round and round on a track. How depressing. Rent March of the Penguins instead. Or even better, see them in their natural habitat! Definitely go to Kelly Tarlton's when the feedings are on - otherwise it's probably not worth the price of admission ($26 each!).