Auckland - Day One

We are docked at 7:00 am at Princes Passenger Terminal.  This photo shows what we can see of the dock from our windows. 

Brian and I are off the ship shortly after 8:00 with the first task finding an internet connection and then service for the next two days.  There is an I-site (tourist information office) across the street from the terminal, and they direct us to both a café and a Spark service for internet.

Wes is feeling better, and he and Carol meet us after our excellent coffee spot.  We know we do not have a lot of time, so have no plans other than to wander down a few streets.  Brian goes off to arrange for internet service, and Carol and Wes and I amuse ourselves at several gift shops. 

The shops are busy.  One has some beautiful sweaters of New Zealand wool, but at a range of $400 to $800 do not seem practical.  For many, many years I have sent nieces and nephews Christmas tree ornaments, and in the last few years they are mostly chosen during our travel.  There are many to choose from.  And as is typical in souvenir shops, there are t-shirts, t-towels, magnets, stickers, mugs and jewelry.  Stuffed kiwis abound in all sizes and shapes.

This is one of my purchases.

We stop at Woolies (the Woolworths chain, as in Australia) for some excellent Whittaker’s chocolate bars.  We were buying chocolate and nuts for the ship our last day in Sydney and chatted with a couple in the candy aisle who recommended Whittaker’s.  We had bought one or two to sample.  Discovering it was good chocolate, we needed to supplement (or replace) our supply.  I also attempted to buy flowers, but none were available here.  That seemed strange, as almost every grocery now sells flowers, as they did in the Brisbane stores we frequented. 

Back on ship, we have a quick lunch and then attempt to use all of the possible minutes of our internet connection to answer email and (for me) to post to my blog before we are out of service.

Here are some photos as we leave the dock at noon and move to the sheltering area.  We can still see some islands.  The water is not terribly rough.

Looking back at the Auckland skyline as we leave the dock.

The ship boutiques and casino are closed while in port and in the first sheltering area.  Later in the evening, the ship moves (we assume) farther out into (possibly) international waters.  An announcement is made that now the casino is open.  I think this decision was made by the cost accountants, and not the meteorologists.

It is windy, intermittently rainy, but the sea is not very rough. This is a final late-afternoon photo of the Auckland skyline from our sheltering site.

We are rocked to sleep.