Awesome Auckland

It's a typical Saturday evening. I'm sitting on the sofa drinking tea with DH watching TV. Except that it's Bells tea, the Wellington Sevens are on TV and I'm in Auckland!!

From New Zealand 2009

The first few days were a little tense when neither myself or DH could take out cash from any of the ATMs, but a quick call to the bank to confirm it was really us and we were overseas sorted that out. Lesson learned: Use travellers cheques!



I also got really bad sunburn spending the day wandering around town with no sunblock on. I didn't realise until that evening when I started to glow red. As is typical for me, I was wearing a T shirt and everything else I have to wear has straps and a lower neck line so I've got to go about with red arms and neck and the rest of my skin is white. Lesson learned: Always wear sunblock!

However, the past few days I have felt the stress melt away in the heat of New Zealand summer.

I've watched street performers, saw fish and penguins at Kelly Tarltons, sun bathed at Okahu beach, ate great food, drank beers and shopped. And there's plenty more still to do.

From New Zealand 2009

My best purchase has been a new ice blue NDS Lite. It was a Waitangi day gift and I'm so happy to have one again :D


Staying in the CBD, I see Aucklanders going to and from work and they all look amazing. It's quite intimidating really. All the women are really slim and fit looking and wear great clothes. Everytime I thought I had spied an overweight person, it was actually a pregnant person. The men are the same, most likely hiding six packs under their very sharp and tailored business shirts.

It would appear to be easy to achieve the look here. I see ads on lampposts for CityRun.co.nz and see runners around town and with Albert Park and Auckland Domain so near, it's feasible to go for a 30 minute run on your lunch break. The local swimming pool, Tepid Baths is cheap and close to lots of offices. There are plenty of people roller blading, running and cycling around the bays. I even saw one guy on skis with wheels on the bottom, propelling himself along with ski poles. The supermarkets is full of fresh fruit and veges and there are plenty of healthy eateries around like Salad Works, Umi Sushi, Raw Power and Revive. And as for clothes, there are loads of clothes stores and shoe shops - it's a shopaholics dream!

I certainly feel inspired and invigorated and by the end of my holiday I hope to ready to take on the world again.