By the numbers
17.41 kms
22,289 steps
The pod bed was interesting for the night although it is good when the main light is left on and you can just close your sliding door and very little light gets in once you turn your own light off. Though I wasn’t sleeping deeply as I was going to get up early in the morning to get to the archives. Luckily I had looked up before going to sleep about the train time table. Turnds out the Onehunga train doesn’t go to Britomart at the moment due to line work. It ends up at Penrose, 3 stations from Onehunga, so I got to get a train to Penrose and change there. The time it takes is around half hour, but the alternative is a bus from near the Civic centre / town hall area that takes at least an hour. I chose the train method. Pretty much lucky I checked that one out or else I would have been lost.
I woke up early and got ready quietly, although I was ready before from when I went to bed as I didn’t want to make noise. It was like doing the walk of shame out of my room with boots in my hands. I had woken up earlier than my alarm and decided to head out. I was walking towards Britomart basically on the water front and I was close to the main streets to do that. Along the way I picked up breakfast and coffee at two different places, which wasn’t too bad and I didn’t spill the coffee over my hands like I did in Ohakune. I made it to the train at the time I wanted and then again to Onehunga. It was pretty interesting with all the train works they are doing upgrading lines and closed stations.. The bus to the Archives arrived right on time as well. That takes you out towards the airport via Mangare Town shopping centre. I once used to walk from there, but discovered the bus was easier to get there. All I had was a short walk to the Archives without any dramas.
I had around a half hour wait at the archives before they opened and I tried walking in with people 1 min before the place opened. I was kicked out again as they were part of a conference. I started laughing once I was allowed in and the guy apologized to me. One of the other office guys said he had seen me waiting out there. I was able to get the records I ordered and got the archivist to order the rest on my list, although I knew I would have a hard time going through them. They were all ready for me to pick up once I returned the records. Some of them were pretty thick and I knew it would be a struggle. By the time 1pm closing time came around I had one record and a half that I would leave for next time and I wouldn’t be back the next day unfortunately. I was happy with the haul I got and I have no idea how many records as in pages I photographed. I would say I am satisfied with what I got and will have to look at the records on a bigger screen to see how they turned out.
I walked to catch the bus and within a minute of me arriving at the stop, I was picked up by the bus. Now that was lucky. I was the last person on the bus when I was dropped off in Onehunga. By this time I was hungry as I hadn’t eaten anything since earlier that morning and it was not after 1pm. I stopped in a bakery and got a pie with a coffee. The eftpos didn’t have tap, my car wouldn’t swipe and the machine didn’t like the chip. I had to use cash that I have on me. Some things like books and several meals I have used cash, but I havnt been charged an exchange fee unlike my credit card, which does. That is interesting and I quite like not using the credit card for anything. Unless I really have to like I did in Palmerston North. I ended up drinking my coffee while wandering around the local Catholic church’s cemetery. No one asked what I was doing. I wandered around Onehunga for a little bit and looked through a Factory outlet centre, which didn’t interest me.
I had several ideas on what I wanted to do when I returned to the city. First was to get the train to Parnel as I wanted to see the Rose gardens, but then decided less walking would be to visit Wynyard as it was a short walk back to where I am staying and I can have food.. My data was a lifesaver as I could check the train timetable from Penrose as the signs were not telling us what time the next train was to Britomart. I walked along the foreshore and even got to see a cruise ship had docked, I made sure I didn’t get too close to the people boarding as I would have been stuck and on a cruiser. I could end up anywhere. I walked along where all the yachts happen to be and I was beginning to worry about the weather as it started raining for a short bit. The whole area used to be industrial and there was never any access to the public, but that has changed now. I was looking at the food prices and I kept on walking. I couldn’t have a $50 steak too many times and fish and chips were just as bad.. I did see a Sunday roast somewhere, but that was a Sunday only. In that particular area of Wynyard, I came across a building to do with the New Zealand Americas Cup. I think that is their official NZ base. I walked out the back as the gate was open, took pictures, and went around the building. It wasn’t a tourist Mecca or anything. The wandering around was good, but I didn’t actually see a tram. I seen the tracks, but no tram. It was starting to get late anyway, so I walked up the hill as thats what the high part of Auckland seems to be when you are near Sky tower. It wasn’t too bad getting up as I found where I was staying pretty quickly. I ordered Fish and Chips with a Coke. The guy gave me a Tiger beer instead. That was close enough I guess, but that was my first beer in the country.
The last day in Auckland, I hope will be pretty slow as I will be doing a tour in the morning and go from there. I still have no idea on the weight of my bag, but I think that will have to wait as I had around 6 kilos I could load up with and I am far under that.
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