Tuesday; we rose to another perfect New Zealand day (anyone who tells you that it rains a lot here is clearly mistaken).
We walked from our hotel picking our way through the streets to Parnell, an area famed for its galleries, coffee shops and the museum. We found all three; ate a hearty breakfast before tackling the culture.
Auckland’s museum (also its Anzac memorial) stands proudly overlooking the city surrounded by wonderful parkland. It’s packed (and I mean, packed) with carefully curated and diverse curios – everything from the early settlers through to the World Wars, Hilary’s ascent of Everest and a curiously graphic and sensational room devoted to the volcanoes that will one day swallow Auckland (and possibly much of New Zealand).
Leigh then led us on the final 5 or 6 kms of the coast to coast walk that took us through the bustling city centre and down to the Viaduct Precinct (a partially and recently rejuvenated part of the waterfront). We then took our weary limbs back to the hotel for a shower and a rest before heading back out into the city to eat.
We found an excellent and unusual restaurant, ate slightly more than our fill and have now returned to the hotel to collapse.
Tuesday’s tally – 16 kilometres, 22,822 steps, 73 flights of stairs.
The Obligatory Blog 