Maori and friends

Monday.  On our first day in Auckland we got up nice and early and had a energetic swim in the hotel's pool.  A good way to start the day.  So on we went to the bus stop to get into Auckland...  NZ seems to have a little bit of a public transport issue.  Everyone has a car so it took us quite a while to figure out we had to get a bus to the bus terminal and then get another bus from there.  Even after we had got to the bus station it all seemed quite confusing.  But we battled on and finally got to central Auckland.  It's a nice, hilly city which is quite contained and has a lot of pleasant sights on offer.

We thought, as we know very little about NZ, a good place to start would be the Auckland Museum.  We enjoyed a good, brisk walk to the museum through Carlaw Park (which consequently every second tree I said that looks like something out of Lord of the Rings - I don't think that's the last time I'm gonna mention that!)  The museum was brilliant.  We signed up to the Maori Culture Experience (as students, with our fake ISIC cards: you've got to love $20 off) and used the waiting time to have a good look round at the Maori art, NZ history and had lunch in the cafe.  Interestingly, NZ was only populated by humans around 800 years ago when the Polynesians sailed here after going via Papa New Guinea, the Pacific Islands and Hawaii!  They must not have known it was there. 

We were summoned by the Maori Warriors by a horn like blast from a shell.  We followed them to the display room and witnessed songs, stories and dances.  It was all really well done.  They didn't really go on too much about their history which was a shame but all else was wicked.  The woman did this "ball and chain" kind of dance which we particularly liked and I have to admit the Haka was quite scary when done by 5 burly Maori Warriors.  What do you think of this Maori Warrior?!!

So then we walked back to central Auckland and watched nutters throwing themselves off the famous Skytower.  Finally, we received word from Andrea and Darren and we went to meet them at Viaduct Quay.  It was a good reunion and great to catch up over a beer in beautiful surroundings.  Also it was cause for a double engagement celebrations as Darren has popped the big Q to Andrea a few days earlier....

It was then back to Darren's dad's house to see Andrea's parents Jane and Bill and Darren's dad Paul.  We had a great BBQ, a few chuckles and a few beers.  Me and Ame arrived back at the Poenamo Hotel around 23:00 after a pretty wonderful and full on day.  I think that will be just the start of it in NZ.  It seems like an amazing country.  The next day we would begin our NYE trip up the North Island...