A pit stop in the land of the long white cloud

Lately I've become so prone to travel I use any excuse, like a public holiday, to get on a plane and go somewhere. This most recent somewhere, over the June Queen's Birthday long weekend, was Auckland, the largest and most populous region of New Zealand's North Island.

Courtesy of Jetstar flight JQ215, we landed approximately at 5am at Auckland Airport. A brisk ferry ride later took us to Waiheke Island, a small coastal mass of restaurants, wineries and lovely beaches. Fortunately for me, Auckland turned on the charm, dispelling the wintry atmosphere of the Melbourne I had left and granting me views reminiscent of Sydney's Bondi Beach, albeit without the heaving throngs of tourists.

Venturing back into the city domain led me to the rather alternative Wynndham Quarter district of Auckland. Adorned with glorious views from the nearby Auckland Harbour, this trendy area is home to eco-friendly, cutting-edge housing and public spaces such as Silo Park, a series of converted factories that now serve as sites for art exhibitions and other public purposes [one of the best examples of positive space rejuvenation I've witnessed in recent times]. This made for an enjoyable, extended sojourn prior to a deliciously filling, late lunch of burgers and fries along the water's edge. And what better way to follow an amazing lunch but with a unique, New Zealand-only dessert, Giapo Haute's famous ice-cream and toppings!

Day 2 was all about getting out of Auckland to see some sights. The Waitomo Glow Worm Caves were up first, where you are guided underground by boat through a constellation of glowing blue lights that are teeny glow worms in the cocoon stage of their lives. Unfortunately, no photos are allowed so you'll just have to use your imagination there!

A few hours later took us to Hobbiton, more commonly known as the shooting location for Peter Jackson's famed Lord of the Rings trilogy, where everything is on the Hobbit (read: short) scale of things. Lovely housing and nature proliferates through the space, but somehow I don't think I'd be able to live there...

For my last morning in Auckland, I scaled the Sky Tower, Auckland's (and in fact, the Southern Hemisphere's) tallest building. I was afforded stunning, 360 degree views of all aspects of the city, and was even treated to an daredevil skydiver who literally sailed into view!

All in all, it was a brief yet incredibly interesting trip for my first adventure across the Tasman. I'll definitely be back one day, and for much longer.

Fly far, wide and often,

Andy