day 1

So day 1 in Auckland was a doozy... we arrived at the airport sometime around 5:30AM and had to go through customs... things went smoothly, but they want to check every nook and cranny of your luggage to make sure you aren't bringing in anything that would tamper with their precious soil. Of course, being the mountain people we are, we had tents, hiking boots, sleeping bags, gumboots (aka - first NZ slang - meaning rainboots), and other camping stuff so our process took a bit longer.

We made it to Auckland around 8:30ish and discovered, despite our 14 hour flight and lack of sleep, we weren't all that tired... PLUS, it was a GORGEOUS day - not a cloud in the sky and we decided that it would be a crime not to enjoy the beautiful day before us...

So we headed out on foot to explore the city... we stopped by Sky Tower to see the tallest point in the southern hemisphere, took a stroll down by the water and perused the sailboats, and then we took a ferry to Devonport.



Devonport is adorable. Victorian houses everywhere, organic woodfire pizza places, local produce with fair trade treats -- it was totally my scene. Josh loved it too with its hardware store, outdoorsy flair around every corner, and amazing views from the city's once active fort - with huge canon on site to add the cherry on top. After our stroll around this cutesy little town, it hit us - jetlag in full force. What felt like 6:30 or 7 was really only 1:30 or 2 -- so we decided to go back to the hotel and nap for a bit...

We woke up and decided to have dinner old folks style -- at 5PM. We stopped into an Irish pub called the Occidental. Where the corporate world was toasting to a Monday well-worked with beer and wine, Josh and I dined on Sausages and Chips and Lamb Salad... (guess who had what... :)) Following the meal was a fun stroll down Queen Street ending at the ferry building for some gelato and kiwi watching...

We ended the great first day with bedtime at 8PM.. it was a long and tiring day, but we were so happy to not waste our first day -- we actually did a lot and got to experience our first of many days being a pseudo-kiwi... more tomorrow on Day 2... I'll give you a hint - it involves margaritas!!