Auckland Day 1

We arrived in Auckland and came off the ship at 8.30 am. The day was pleasant and sunny and we were full of expectations planning our 5 day stay. We trudged up the hill to the Grand Chancellor Hotel to check in, mercifully the hotel was relatively close, left our bags and caught a cab to pick up our hire car. $28 later, it seems cabs are not cheap in Auckland, we were driving our own wheels and with only inadequate maps we finally found Mission Bay. It was a pleasant beach and picnic area but not something that enticed us at the time.

Kelly Tarltons Antarctic world nearby looked really interesting and it turned out to be an absolute must see. Kelly Tarlton was a famous New Zealand adventurer, environmentalist and a mover and shaker. His desire was to expose the public to the beautiful world he had seen underwater. He found and purchased a series of large underground sludge/sewage tanks near the bay and proceeded to convert them into an underground marine environment.




I was initially a bit skeptical that it would be any different than aquariums we had seen in Australia. I was wrong. Of particular magnificence was the exhibit of Antarctic Penguins (King and Gentoo Penguins). He created a frozen environment by making over 3 tons of snow each day and keeping 80 penguins for people to see.






You entered a modified snow cat and went around a track very slowly so you became a part of their world for a few minutes. It was just fabulous. We enjoyed the exhibit so much we snuck around again.

This was our last fine day in Auckland.