From 20 to -5 degrees in 60 seconds

Although we have gone from Hong Kong to Wellington via Auckland and Hamilton we are still playing catch up with our posts, and so we turn our attention to NZ’s biggest city, Auckland, before posting our way down south.

Human nature is funny, once you arrive somewhere for a year, the sense of urgency goes and in its place comes the catch phrase “a sure we’ll do it when we come back.” Add a little jet lag and you become quite lackadaisical about the whole tourist thing.

Therefore we have few photographs of Auckland except for one we took on our way to Devonport, a small resort town about a ten minute ferry ride from Auckland.

We did however manage to do a few other things while we were in Auckland despite our tiredness. One of those was a visit to the “Minus 5” bar where you can have a drink from an ice glass in a bar made out of ice which is full of ice sculptures. Basically lots of ice! Before you go in you are kitted out in gloves, jackets, boots etc. It’s a bit gimmicky but an experience none the less. You are not allowed to take your own photographs, but you can conveniently buy theirs before you leave. This also entitles you to download the digital photos off their web site and send e-cards of your photo which is a good idea. At least they don’t have to worry about people out staying their welcome as believe me it is cold irrespective of jackets, gloves etc. and one is not inclined to loiter.

We also tried to get into the revolving restaurant in the tower building you can see in the city skyline photo above. It rotates every hour so you can go around twice if you are a slow eater! Unfortunately it was full, but we didn’t mine “as sure we’ll do it again when we come back!”

Incidentally there is a very funny part of a novel about revolving restaurants I read sometime ago. Two old acquaintances are eating in a restaurant and every time the older gentleman leaves the room, when he returns his friend was no longer where he had left him but seemingly moved to another table. Each time the older gent would ask his friend was the new table more to his liking. The younger friend would look at him somewhat puzzled and say that the table was fine. It turns out that the older gent was unaware that they were in a revolving restaurant. It’s funnier in the book....................honest.

Cathal