Hello again and welcome to the mrlukeniktravels blog, it is Monday again this week coming from Auckland, New Zealand! I have recently arrived in the city from Tokyo and I am enjoying all it has to offer. The weather here has improved over the days and as I write there is strong evening sunshine streaming through the window of my ‘office’.
The flight down from Tokyo was uneventful, if sleep deprived. The child in the row behind me saw to it that I didn’t sleep much on the overnight flight. Arriving in Auckland at 09:30 local time and being the only international flight to land at that time, immigration and customs were a breeze. I have become somewhat used to crossing these checkpoints during my trip! Once settled into my hostel here, I was focusing on staying awake to get my body clock aligned quickly. Easier said than done. Fortunately I seem to be able to adjust to changes of time zone pretty quickly. Still, I plan to be in this time zone for a while, so no crossing oceans for a while!
The view of leaden skies from the summit of Mount Eden, an extinct volcano.
Since arriving in Auckland after being in Japan it has been a little relief to adjust to a familiar-feeling culture. The street where my hostel is has so many Japanese restaurants and take-aways, I thought I would give them a miss for now! Many TV programmes here are imports from the UK. Such classics as Tipping Point, Homes Under the Hammer and other daytime delights… Of course, I am not here to watch daytime TV but sometimes it is unavoidable.
One of the biggest differences here is the weather. New Zealand is emerging from winter and the southerly winds are very cold. Quite a change from 30 degrees and high humidity in Tokyo, though not as much of a change as Iceland to Canada. I am yet to venture into the sea and I think I will allow it to warm up a little more before taking a dip. Today, however, has been sunny and warm. Hopefully it is a sign of things to come!
The Auckland Skytower looking from the Viaduct Marina with some very nice craft in front!
The past couple of days have been rather uneventful involving planning, booking and shopping. Planning as I go, these days are a necessary task. I can assure anyone that I do not spend all my time on a beach catching a tan (as nice as that would be). Planning and booking transport and accommodation is an important job which allows the fun to happen. Similarly, over the course of this trip items wear out need replacing, no matter how well they are looked after. I managed to make the most of some end of season sales today where the clothing I needed were just the right size. This rarely happens to anyone, so it is worth committing to the Internet and eternity!
A close-up of a fern, synonymous with the beautiful country of New Zealand.
That is just about all for this week from the city of Auckland. By next week I shall be about 4 hours north of Auckland in more rural surroundings. Once there I hope to get involved in some of the outdoor activities that this country is famous for. Until then, as always, there is my Twitter feed @mrlukeniktravel for witty insights and up to date progress. Similarly, for pictures, and hopefully stories when I can get the app to work, there is my Instagram account @mrlukeniktravels. From now until then, stay safe and travel on!
Purely for nostalgia reasons, I’m tempted. I’ll see if there are gigs on South Island….
