On Sunday, Jennifer and I went over to Devonport for the day to enjoy the first sunny weather in about a week and to check out a flat that she was interested in. We had lunch in the town, then went for a walk around the suburb, including its beaches and extinct volcanoes.
Jennifer had lost her voice from a couple of nights before, so I ended up learning a bit of sign language and having things written down for me all day, which proved an amusing and interesting experience. We checked out the flat, me interpreting, and the couple there seemed really nice, but there was no Internet access so I don't think Jennifer is going to go for it. We went up to North Head (one of the volcanoes) to watch the sun set, then headed back down for a meal in town, before heading back into Auckland. With all things considered, a great day.
Today is a public holiday in New Zealand, so there wasn't much open, but Jennifer and I met up with Jesse, Matt and a couple of their friends for lunch. After that, Jennifer and I went to a bar called Minus 5, where everything is made of ice, from the walls to the cups you drink from. Donning big Russian coats, you're only allowed 25 minutes inside for as many $12 vodka cocktails as you can afford, but it was really cool (no pun intended) while it lasted. Then this evening we had dinner in the revolving restaurant up in the Sky Tower, which was awesome, even if it was expensive.
Tomorrow morning I start the second stage of my stay in New Zealand, leaving on a month long Flying Kiwi bus tour around the whole country. I don't know how much access I'll have to the Internet, but I'll do my best to keep you all informed of how I'm doing (and thanks for reading so far!).
Auckland isn't the greatest city, but it's one with a hell of a lot of positives. Everyone around here is friendly, I've never felt unsafe, the islands in the Gulf are breathtaking and there's enough farmilar to feel comfortable. A lot of people only stay here a few days, but it definitely deserves greater credit than it receives.
In the last 12 days I've met people from numerous countries and made some great friends. If it's been this good so far, I can't wait for the months ahead!
