The busy financial centre of the country
From Rotorua I took the Saturday morning bus to Auckland in the very north of New Zealand, by far the largest city in the country. 1.4 million people and so almost one third of the New Zealanders live here. The city is not very popular with tourists and locals alike. In general the New Zealand cities offer little, it is the nature that adds beauty to New Zealand. The landscape of multicultural Auckland is characterised by 53 inactive volcanoes, between which the city extends. Therefore, the city is blessed with extensive parks that extend into the city centre.
Auckland is also characterized by the high skyscrapers in the CBD, the Central Business District. They leave no doubt that the city is the financial centre of the country. The city is framed by two harbours which form a narrow isthmus and bring the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean close together. Many cruise ships or ferries to the nearby islands dock there. The location at sheltered bays also significantly shapes Auckland's landscape, especially the numerous sailing boats, which earned the city the nickname City of Sails. Despite being one of the most expensive cities in the world, Auckland is recognised as one of the world's most liveable cities.
Local New Zealand metal band sings in Maori
In the evening I attended a concert of the local band called Alien Weaponry. Three young New Zealanders play trashy-groovy Metal a lá Sepultura, at times some songs tend to be more poppy. The interesting thing about this band is that they sing some songs in Maori language. The band definitely has potential.
After the concert I walked around a bit to check out the nightlife of Auckland. Next to me a car full of drunk young women stopped and they screamed at me: "hey, handsome where are you going?". I didn't reply. The New Zealand women are known for drinking a lot, but also for not being very attractive. I passed on going somewhere.
Tasting wine on Waiheke island
Near Auckland is the beautiful island of Waiheke. With the Brazilian couple that I had already met in Wellington, I crossed there by ferry. A return ticket costs 42 NZ$, but it is worth it. The atmosphere on the island differs completely from the rather hectic Auckland. The island is mainly known for its many wineries. We made a short hike across the island and had to rinse our shoes when entering the forest to avoid bringing in any foreign dirt that could damage the native flora and fauna. At the Cable Bay Winery we had a little wine tasting. While standing we could try three different kinds of wine. But the wine tastings I had in Moldova or Argentina appealed to me more.
We went on to some weird museums and the beach and had a great pizza in an Italian restaurant.
Overlooking the city from a dormant volcano
The next day I visited Mount Eden, a giant cinder cone left over from a volcanic eruption. It's the biggest elevation in the city. It is a dormant volcano, in whose 196 meter high peak is a 50 meter deep grassy crater. From here you have a great view of the city. Moreover, the weather was super sunny. I walked back towards the city and stopped at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, a beautiful building in neoclassical style. But I only looked at it from the outside, because I had visited 2 similar museums before. In the city I finally met the Brazilian couple again for Mexican food.
The highest tower in the southern hemisphere
My last evening in Auckland I spent on the Skytower, which is with 328 meters the highest tower the highest tower of the southern hemisphere. You can see it from almost every corner of the city. Here you enjoy a great panoramic view of the city in the 360° panorama café. Small parts of the floor are even made of glass so that you can see all the way down. If you dare you can book a jump from the tower where they attach you to a wire and you will fall almost 200 meters down. Or you can take a sky walk at almost 200 meters high but is quite expensive though. Both activities combined would cost almost 300 NZ$ (162 €).
Summary about New Zealand
Early the next morning I left New Zealand after 3.5 weeks and returned to Australia.
For nature lovers New Zealand is well worth the trip. The New Zealanders work hard to keep their nature as beautiful as it is. The country teems with panoramas that are suitable as postcard pictures. With its mountain-lake-forest sceneries the country reminds me a little bit of Switzerland. I particularly liked Picton, Queenstown, Waiheke Island and Taupo, where I gained an experience I will never forget with my skydive.
Even though I had a great time in New Zealand, I probably won't return soon. First of all, it is way too far away, a plane home would take over a whole day. Secondly, the prices are very high and as a tourist you almost always have to take a tour or shuttle, public transport is almost non-existent. The prices in New Zealand are also skyrocketing in the last years because more and more tourists visit the country. And for the excessive price other countries like Colombia offer me more and also more exotic things. Thirdly, the Kiwis, the New Zealanders, are nice but not really outgoing either, so I couldn't make any real local friends there. What a pity. Dunedin, Milford Sound and Abel Tasman were the biggest disappointments for me, especially because of weather or personal bad luck.
