New Zealand trip, Day one Gold Coast to Auckland

Day one

Was an early start as I was getting a plane to Auckland from the Gold Coast. I should learn not to use two different names as I use Brad and then Bradley on my official documents. They had a 30 sec headache and I was off on my way. Something very special was getting both an explosives swab and a personal search. I have never had the search done at the GC airport and did everywhere else especially when I was in Berlin. The last few trips had taught me what to expect.

The landing at the airport was smooth and it was very easy to enter the country. The immigration card was very strict and wanted info like my email and phone number. Once on the ground they had the epassport stuff and that was very awesome. Especially when they asked what I had and when my reply was water they let me through with a wave. Since it has been at least 3 years since my last visit I thought I would have the shuttle bus with a name when I exited like the first time I went. No such luck, but I had to exit the terminal building to find them. I did find that the day in Auckland was pretty warm and I did not need a jacket at the time.

It was getting pretty confusing on the ride to Auckland as it was 20kms away from the airport and I usually get a bus or train as I have done while in Europe. I was actually the last one left on the shuttle to be dropped off at the hostel. YHA City is actually a little bit out of the usual party part of Auckland as the last times I tried Nomads and Base. They were a little noisy especially when they had club music going. Once checked in I decided to go wandering and I did not really know what time it was going dark.

How I usually figure out how to get to know an area is by wandering off in one direction and see where I end up. I wanted to see how long it took to get to the sky tower, but got distracted by an old cemetery called Symond St Cemetery, which had been made way for the highway through the city. It was historic and I found some historic figures who were part of NZ history. I liked it, but knew I had other things to see or else I would wander the area all day. More wandering later I found Albert Park and the original Mr Grey who was governor of South Australia, Cape town and New Zealand too. I don’t know if I should have, but I did have a quick wander around Auckland University. I was wearing my UNE shirt so that should count for something. After the park I went searching for a memorial that I had seen last time about Women’s sufferage. I found it and it was a dedication to the ladies from 1898 I think it was.

Stopping for fuel was something I needed as a place called burger fuel and something I ate that was called bio fuel. Nice burgers though shhh don’t tell anyone else. I did notice many homeless people on Queen street in Auckland. One crazy drunk maori guy I avoided later on by crossing the road as he was talking to no one and being a pest. I didn’t want to make friends with him. Finding my way to the sky tower where I have to catch the bus was not easy as I thought I had gotten lost as usual. One good way to find the inter city bus is to use the sky tower as a location by sight. You can follow that. I did go up as I wanted to see it before sunset and then head back. Being high was excellent as I used markers that I could see like sights to Head back to the hostel. It did work and I did see plenty of locations like the Auckland museum and one tree hill that I will visit eventually. The walk back did get me wondering if I was lost, but I actually was using the cemetery as a marker / reference to where I had to be and I went down a street too early knowing that the hostel was where I wanted to be.  I thought I had not bought any underwear at first, but had found them after a little search. Tomorrow I am off to Rotorua where I will see hobbits and other creatures of wonder. I am learning the wonders of Maori TV with different shows and another language.

Highlight of the day.

Visiting the cemetery as I had not been expecting it and seen how the city grew around and use parts of the cemetery like the bridge. Some of it is over grown and there are bottles around the area too. I am glad they have preserved some like Hobson’s grave and several others. It also has the names of those who lost their lives in the early maori wars. I did find several monuments to Maori wars and the friendly maori. Another were Boar War memorials.

Boots

My boots had been crushing my feet and I found out why. I had been doing up my laces as tight as i can and my feet had been hurting. This morning they were done up loosely and the surprise was there was no pain. The side of one foot was being crushed before and today showed me loose laces were better for my feet and no problems due to the distance