On the volcano

Kia Ora (greeting in Maori),

City tour and walk on the volcano Mount Eden, where the crater is clearly visible. A fantastic view of the whole of Auckland from up there, including the Harbour Bridge, which we drove over earlier and from which you could see bungee jumpers jumping.

The last volcanic eruption was 600 years ago and created a small island within sight. 42 islands lie off Auckland.

The suburbs are mostly Victorian and the bus driver was talking about how expensive the houses have become... Yes, yes, not just in Auckland....

Looking out over the bay, you can see the Kiwis' yacht training for the America's Cup. Yesterday I was on the water for 4 hours to see whales, and the boat flew past us at breakneck speed, literally... The boats are high-tech machines and travel at 100 km/h... unbelievable! The Kiwis are cup holders, very ambitious, see themselves as a sailing nation and the whole of Auckland as a sailing metropolis with the most boat owners (one boat for every 4 residents) in the world. The cup will be held in Barcelona in August this year.

By the way, I didn't see any whales..... 😢

Tomorrow I'm going on a sailing trip in the Hauraki Gulf to round off my stay, which I'm really looking forward to, and then on Sunday I'll be heading back to Australia.. ⛵🛟