Flying into Auckland, we get our first view of the fabled Kiwi scenery, and it looks beautiful - blue seas surrounded by green trees and hills. Getting into the centre, and it feels like we've gone back another 5 yrs in time from Australia. Lloyds bank seems to be the main bank, but their logo was last seen in the UK in about 1985! Luce's teabags from the next door supermarket have a PG Tips logo of a similar vintage, and everything seems a bit slower, quieter, and pretty much closed for a Sunday night. We do find a little tapas bar with the red wine that we drink in the Abbeville and settle in for a bottle, and then pick up another on the way back to our little hostel. So far so good for Auckland and we've blown our NZ budget out of the water already!
Feeling a little rough around the edges the next day as we get up and go for a mooch around. Ive decided that I want to base jump from the top of the Sky Tower - at 211m, the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere, and the most noticeable of the skyline. Watching a couple of other people still doesnt put me off, but there is a bit of a wait, so we head off to get some hangover lunch - wedges and pizza. Most sensible people would realise a hangover and lardy lunch is not the best preparation for jumping off a building, but that doesnt really enter my head. Standing at the top peering over is a bit of a mad feeling though, especially as jumping off just seems to be considered a normal thing to do. Its over in about 11secs, and as such from the moment of launch thinking this is all wrong, to a moment when you hang and are supposed to look up for the official photography to landing on the ground is all a complete blur. Luce watching from the ground reckons that the whole city would have herd the blasphemous screaming. Fortunately at the bottom they give you the chance to do it again straight away for free. Despite pulse racing and adrenalin pumping, or maybe because of, I jump at the chance.
Second time i manage to take in the views a little more, freefalling is exhilarating, and this time I even manage to stand up on landing rather than falling into a giggling mess. Its a great experience, and am sucked into buying the commerorative DVD and pictures. We spend the rest of the day pottering around the harbour and enjoying the sunny afternoon. There's a big Asian influence on Auckland, and we have supper at a cheapo hawker stall next door to our hostel.
We're hitting the road again next morning to drive down to Wellington (or Wellie to the locals) via the geothermal activity zone. Auckland is a great start to our Kiwi trip, but we're looking forward to getting out to see more scenery...
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