February 10 - Arrival Day in Auckland

 

After an overnight flight from the US and crossing the International Date Line, most everyone arrived this morning at the Auckland airport where they were met by Barry and Ralph who had arrived a few days earlier.  The SuperShuttle brought everyone downtown to the Auckland Scenic Hotel where we stayed for two nights.  One couple who had been traveling in New Zealand for a few weeks joined the group later in the afternoon.  One person, whose US connecting flight had been cancelled, caught up with the group the next morning.

Auckland Scenic Hotel

Across the street was City Hall and a view of the Sky Tower

There was some free time to explore the downtown area, find the local supermarket, Countdown, and have some lunch.

After lunch, we walked through some downtown areas passing an Illawarra Flame Tree (Brachychiton acerifolium).

Then we entered Auckland Domain, Auckland's oldest park.

We spent a few minutes exploring the Wintergardens and the many beautiful flowers.

Then we went to the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

Here for a couple of hours we were introduced to the people, culture and geography of the Pacific and New Zealand.
 

Then some free time, an introductory group meeting and a group dinner at the nearby Zest Restaurant.

 

Continue to February 11 - Rangitoto Island

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Last updated: September 22, 2014