Auckland - The City of Sails

Today I had my first experience driving myself on the left side of the road. To say it was freaking scary is to say nothing :) Surprisingly, I got to city centre without major trouble.


Noticeable things about New Zealand:

1) Auckland is a result of many volcano eruptions and is surrounded by active volcanoes. It has some really nice views and beaches. (See photos)

Mt Victoria in Devonport, which is a 10 minute ferry ride away across the bay, has some stunning views of the city and surrounding areas



Giant mushrooms grow on the top of the mountain





2) Everyone is SUPER friendly and relaxed : I made like 7 friends in 5 hours. I came completely unprepared, but managed to get lots of advice from locals








3) The Sky Tower is the landmark, I suppose. It is the tallest building in Southern Hemisphere built in 1997. In my opinion, it's a complete Vegas Stratosphere tower rip off. The latter was built in 1996.

4) Birds make out right on your table












5) Speaking of birds: Kiwi bird is a national symbol of New Zealand. This so called bird has no wings and can't fly. It's is a size of a chicken and looks very cute to me. In honour of this rare creature, Auckland is sometimes called - KIWI CITY, Aucklanders - KIWIS and New Zealand - KIWI LAND. Unfortunately I wasn't able to see one - they are kept in very special places, far from predators like me.