Auckland, New Zealand 1Feb12

I arrived at around 8.30am in the morning. When filling out my boarding card I was laughing because I remembered Bill Bailey’s sketch about going to Australia and the questions they ask on the boarding card. It took ages to tell them about all stuff I definitely didn't have on me. They are terrified about any speck of bio matter entering the country, and right they are, otherwise the bunnies will mutate and take over. No, in all seriousness it’s a good idea not to bring seeds scattered into your luggage, which my dear Granny did once when going into Australia. She wanted to take the summer savoury herb over!

Ann and Gary White picked me up from the airport, what a treat that was. Nothing could be more alarming to the soul than to step out into an unknown country knowing you’ll be away from anything familiar for a million years, and not have anyone to meet you at the airport. They had very generously offered to stay with them for the night and show me around Auckland.

We had a little drive around their suburb and it really reminded me of Port Elizabeth. It’s not too hot but the humidity makes it all feel hotter and airport and houses are similar too. It’s funny how you always expect new countries to be so different, but I guess the antipodes are probably all the same -but with different animals. The White’s house is on a little peninsula on the east side of Auckland, and their house is on a cliff overlooking the sea, so pretty.

We went on a ferry to Auckland city, passing some of the islands like Waiheke. There are a few dormant volcanoes dotted around and it feels like you’re floating in the Pacific and just happen upon a big dinosaur like island called New Zealand. Beautiful! The ferry takes you right into the city, it’s also used as a commuter ferry like the ones on the Thames in London. You can see Auckland in the distance and come up to it like the ferry does to Canary Wharf in London. The city really reminds me of Durban in South Africa, with its small collection of skyscrapers and a few prettier older buildings (but nothing older than around 170 years I believe).

The seafood here is delicious and the White’s took me out for fish and chips, I had red snapper and it was very yum. We took a walk through the city centre which is mainly tourist shops for the cruise ships that dock there to go up the The Sky Tower which is the tallest free standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere don’t you know! You can go right to the top, and the view is amazing. You can see the whole of Auckland and the isl­­ands - here’s a picture.

 By around 4pm I was starting to hit a wall with the jetlag, so we headed home and spent the evening with their daughter Jamie and her husband Ben, and ate delicious chicken smoked on the barbecue while gazing out across the water with a cool breeze floating in the through the house.

Thanks so much to Ann and Gary for showing me Auckland!

Here are photo's of Auckland.