We had breakfast across the road in a café across the
road and then returned to sort out the baggage and make it ready for the next
few months in NZ but particularly relating to the camping part. After we had
finished the re packing and Noel had fiddled with the new Sim Card which worked
in Weybridge but not here and after playing for about an hour or so declared it
a non-starter. We do need a local sim for local calls and so as we were going
shopping we decided to get a new one which we did and quite cheap really
providing we use it sparingly.
There is a shopping chain here called ‘The Warehouse’
which also sells camping stuff as we needed to purchase to two comfortable
camping chairs and a small gas cooker and lucky enough there was a shop just
across the road and within and hour we had obtained all that was on the
shopping list. We then took a slow walk in the sun to Parnell area of Auckland
to collect the car and we have ordered a Toyota Camry as it has lots of boot
space and is quite a comfortable car which is required when you want to do long
journeys. We found the hire car station and have taken over a white Camry which
went back to the Hotel and filled up the trunk and it looks like we will have
just enough space. Then the final pieces of food shopping as we needed some cereal
and stuff for breakfast rather than pay NZ 32.00 for breakfast each or around £
17.00 each so that’s not on. We had a light dinner in a wayside café, not very
good but nothing would compare with the previous night’s dinner anyway whatever
we had eaten. We were disturbed by a group of about 25 Hari Krishna supporters
playing bells and an accordion and perhaps a small drum and overall they made a
good noise and together with the chanting of their two word song, Hari Krishna
was heard about 145 times in the space of about forty minutes. The only other
distraction was a group of four lads with windscreen wipers waiting at the traffic
lights to pressure motorists to have their screen cleaned which caused some
amusement as some people were clearly pissed off with them and boy could they
run once the police arrived.
Finally a drink in the Hotel bar on the top floor with
a great view over the Harbour with all the
sail boats etc. This Hotel is not so expensive but is in dire need of a
makeover whilst its biggest benefit is that is sits squarely dead centre of
town and right by all the action.
And so back to the room to write this blog before we
forget what we did. Tomorrow will be a long day and so early nights all round.
In case you’re wondering we have not seen the sights around Auckland as we have
done them before several times and we would prefer know to be in the country
after five days and nights in the city that is Hong Kong.
