Auckland, NZ

The morning after the wedding we packed our bags, said our goodbyes and got on the road to Auckland (there's only the one).

^^Auckland skyline from Viaduct Harbour.^^

Since we only had a week in New Zealand (I know, it should be illegal) we decided not to try and stretch ourselves too thin by trying to see everything.  Instead, we would base ourselves out of the country's biggest city.  Our good friend Jannie even flew over from Australia to play!

We spent the afternoon and the following day wandering around the city, window shopping and meandering though parks.  

^^The Sky Tower is definitely Auckland's most recognizable feature, at least for non-Kiwis like myself.  It wasn't far from our hotel, so it was always easy to figure out which way we were going!^^

^^After meeting up with Jannie at the hotel, we set off for Viaduct Harbour.  It was completely revamped for America's Cup events a while back, and now it's where all the action is.  The area is packed with trendy restaurants and artsy pieces.  There's also the Maritime Museum (we didn't have time this visit) and plenty of sail boats to look at!^^

We decided it was time for dinner, so we searched out a Belgian pub we had read about in our guide book, The Occidental.  Apparently it is fairly well known since when Bryn texted Owen to tell him what we were up to, he guessed the pub before Bryn even said the name!

The second day was full of exploring the city.  We started back at Viaduct Harbour, which was very, very windy!!

^^I came across some pretty good signs...I think I need that one on the left!^^

Eventually we decided it was time for lunch.  We had lunch at Danny Doolan's Bar and Grill, an Irish pub (and another one Owen guessed before we even said the name!).

^^We sort of made ourselves at home by the fire...it was blustery and grey outside anyways!^^

We did eventually decide we should leave the pub, and found our way to Albert Park.  It was full of trees with the craziest, twisty limbs.

^^And cherry blossoms in bloom!  In October!^^

It was so much fun to catch up with Jannie and explore a new city.  I hope I get to visit Auckland again sooner rather than later!  I would love to go in the summer to get out on the water and visit some of the nearby beaches.

Originally posted on www.channelingaudrey.com