Day 3 - Auckland

By Luis:

Last night we walked along the waterfront to the Viaduct Harbour, a local gathering spot where we had dinner at The V Grill. The food was very good: Karen's scotch filet was tender and juicy, and my fish and chips were crispy and hot. The cheesecake dessert was the perfect ending...

This morning we made our own breakfast in the kitchenette: Cereal with milk, toast with butter and jam, hot chocolate, and french press-brewed coffee. Today we toured the city on the Auckland Explorer Bus, a sightseeing tour visiting Auckland's big 14 attractions which allows you to get off and visit whichever attraction you want, then board a later bus. It was a great way to see the city. We got off at the Bastion Point Lookout, where we had great views of the Hauraki Gulf and Waitemata Harbour as well as central Auckland. It has the remains of some old lookout bunkers and gun batteries. It also has a beautiful garden, a reflecting pool, and a memorial and obelisk. Next we stopped at Mount Eden, a 660-foot inactive volcano that is the highest point in Auckland which has the best view of the city. From the lookout at its summit we got a panoramic, 360 degree view of the city's bays, islands, hills and cityscape. Our next stop was Parnell Village, Auckland's oldest suburb. It is a charming mix of old & new, with many of its historic buildings now housing countless restaurants, cafes, pubs, and shops. Karen saw a hair place and decided she needed to have her hair cut. Unfortunately, the stylist had a client coming in and we couldn't wait. We walked around a bit and had lunch at Parnell Kebab, where we mistakenly assumed that we were ordering . SHISH-kebabs. In actuality we ordered kebabs (Döner kebabs), which is what they call gyros (or wraps) here. Karen ordered the chicken and I ordered the mixed (lamb and chicken). They were delicious!!!! Our last stop was SkyCity, where we went to the top of the Sky Tower, a 1082-foot giant that is the tallest tower in the southern hemisphere. WOW! - the view is magnificent!!! After a day of traipsing around the city (which reminds up a lot of New York City and Sand Francisco) we headed back to our hotel. After a short break we went shopping at Westfield Downtown, where we explored its multiple stories and walked out with a bag full of stuff for tomorrow's breakfast. Oh - Karen also got her hair cut!!! We returned to the hotel and took a more substantial break. At dusk we ventured out and headed to the Viaduct Harbour again, where we sat and had drinks at Imperial Bar. We had an outdoor table and enjoyed the ambience and the great view of the harbour. My pint of Murphy's Stout went down smoothly and Karen's screwdriver wasn't lagging far behind. For dinner we strolled around the corner to Wangthai Restaurant, an award-winning restaurant where we enjoyed some of the best Thai cuisine I've ever tasted. We ordered the spring rolls as an appetizer. They were light and crispy. The the chicken pad thai and the pineapple fried rice with chicken served as entrees. They were splendid!!! The chili sauce was super hot, but I added it sparingly for just the right amount of heat. We are now back at the hotel and bringing this day to a close. After doing some of her schoolwork (she is only taking online classes this semester), Karen turned in and I updated this blog...

TTYL