Day One Part One: I fly into the future!

When I made all these travel plans last year, I did not plan to even start looking for a house. But right after I returned from Costa Rica in late January, I saw a house that I could not resist, and fixing it up, whilst carrying on with my travel plans has meant I have spent a lot of this year offline. Hence I never did find the time to finish writing up and posting the photos from my Costa Rica trip, nor to post anything about my trips to Tanzania or New York and New England. I will, someday soon. But now that I have commenced the meaty two-month final segment of my round the world trip, and I am re-commencing this blog.

Last Thursday night I boarded an Air New Zealand flight from LA to Auckland. Around 13 frustrating hours later (Why do I always get a middle of the middle seat, and why do they make you walk through the section with the pull out beds?) it was Saturday and I was on the other side of the world, and for once, being picked up at the airport by my friend Blair.

Blair and I had worked together in London for nearly five years, but a few years ago he returned to his native city, and recently bought a very cool flat in a funky part of town. It was (or is?) the red light district but has a lot of coffee places and bakeries, vintage clothes shops and record stores and tattoo and hookah parlours. Lush and green (in both ways, environmentally conscious), Auckland reminds me a lot of Portland, Oregon.

"Extention" Centre - grrr!!! Send that signmaker to a detension centre!

This club no longer exists, at least as "Las Vegas". The neon sign is listed, so must remain on the building.

At first glance I thought this was an ice cream parlour!

My flight arrived at 6 am and I was determined to stay up until the evening. I needed some strong coffee, so Blair took me to a place around the corner from his flat called The Station. It's in a former tram station. Here I am a bit blurry and jet lagged, but enjoying a flat white and the most amazing avo and walnut topped bagel.

It was so good we returned the next day, though unfortunately they were out of avocados. Or walnuts. Oh well. Here's Blair as we were waiting for our food.

And here's the outside of The Station:

In the afternoon we went up One Tree Hill. This has nothing to do with the American television series I don't think! It's the remnants of a volcano, and a monument to the Maori.

Seen on the ground:

Seen nearby:

 The monument:

 The view:

Sheep everywhere; this is New Zealand!

The "one tree" was removed from One Tree Hill and these trees are in competition; whichever grows the tallest will be replanted at the top of the hill.

Auckland is on an isthmus; whereever you are, you are not far from a beach.

More to come from my first day in part two!