Auckland

It was a gorgeous day in Auckland today. Beautiful blue skies and a lovely temperature. We started our day by visiting the Sky Tower. As sky towers go, it was pretty good. The beautiful thing about Auckland is that it is surrounded by water. Great views at every turn. We watched a few people bungy jump from the top but we weren't game to try it ourselves.

In the afternoon, we went to the Auckland Museum. Because she has watched Whale Rider at school, Clare appointed herself as the expert on Maori culture. She gave us a running commentary all the way around. It was a great museum in a lovely location at the top of a hill.

We also had a good walk around Auckland City. It is a mix of old and new, hills and harbour with some lovely parks. Tomorrow, we leave Auckland en route to Lake Taupo (with a stop at Hobbiton - the set of the Lord of the Rings movies).