Auckland Sightseeing

On the day after our arrival in Auckland, we went out in the morning to explore the city and some sights. First, we headed towards the War Memorial Museum, which is located on one of the many volcanic hills in Auckland and is surrounded by a large park. From our apartment room, we could even see the museum, so the way there was not far. In the park, we chose the Centennial Walkway as our access to the museum, which took us past old trees, a pond, and greenhouses that smelled heavenly. We also visited a fern garden.

When we arrived at the museum, we each paid $25 admission, received an information leaflet about the areas (even in German!), checked our jackets and backpack, and then walked through the museum. It was really interesting! We especially liked the exhibition area about Maori culture and the one about volcanic activities in New Zealand. But the special music exhibition, the animals in the natural section, and the areas about the wars in which New Zealand was involved were also very interesting. We saw stuffed kiwis and skeletons of moas, large flightless birds that used to live in New Zealand. We also learned that New Zealand was discovered by Polynesians only 800 years ago, who settled there and are now considered the indigenous people of the country. We got to know the Maori culture through exhibits on war and art, as well as on their way of life and the first contact with Europeans. In the volcano exhibition, there was general information about volcanoes as well as specific stories and facts about the volcanoes around Auckland. We could also enter a house where a film would play, showing what would happen if a volcano were to erupt again in Auckland. It was set up in a way that you sit in the house and watch the news, in which a volcano researcher interprets the signs. Suddenly, the connection is lost and the house shakes. Quite creepy! Apparently, volcanoes are actually a constant threat because one erupted "only" 600 years ago and the region is very active. Since New Zealand is located on the border of the Australian and Pacific plates, the whole country is affected by volcanic activities or the effects of plate tectonics. There was even a recent severe earthquake there! Anyway, Andi and I agreed that Auckland is a very beautiful region, but we would rather live in a safer environment.

After spending several hours at the museum, we took the bus to the city center in the late afternoon and explored the area. Since the weather was still good, we decided to go to the Sky Tower because it is said to offer a beautiful view of the city. And the view was truly spectacular! The tower is 328 meters high and for $20 per person (student price), we were able to visit two different viewing platforms, and there were even partially glass floors. It was pretty cool, but also kind of scary :D From above, we looked at the entire Auckland area and searched for places we already knew (like our accommodation or the museum).

After a while, we went back down the tower and went shopping. Interestingly, there is a supermarket in New Zealand called Countdown, which is obviously owned by Woolworths because it has the same logo and colors. Unfortunately, the prices there were not as low as we expected because there were much fewer cheap own-brand products like at Woolworths, and everything else was as expensive or even more expensive than in Australia. Somewhere I read that New Zealand is still a relatively cheap holiday destination!? This information is probably outdated. In order to save at least a little bit, we got a free Onecard, with which we can earn points for every purchase and at the same time save 6 cents per liter at all Caltex and BP petrol stations. This could definitely be worthwhile!

When we arrived back at the apartment, we had ham noodles for dinner and then went to bed. The next day, we wanted to take a trip to Rangitoto Island, a volcano island in the Hauraki Gulf near Auckland. The experiences will be shared in the next entry!