Day 8 Aukland

The view from our window this morning.  Clear blue sky, sun shining and very acceptable temperature.  We have now just about recovered from the flight and had a walk around the city - very different from Hong Kong - it is a lot less frenetic and almost like the average UK city centre.  The other main difference is the number of yachts that continually arrive and leave from what is a very sheltered natural harbour.

We collected our hire car at midday and used the satnav to go to Mount Eden which is the highest ground in Aukland with an excellent view - no smog here.  Mount Eden is a volcano crater from a long time ago and the crater is grass lined.  Here we are at the top with another crater called One Tree Hill in the background.

In the afternoon we drove north of Aukland to a place called Snells Beach where we had arranged to meet part of Christine's distant family.  Here are Denise and Christine, both born Miss Woodcock, after a very enjoyable chat over tea with Denise and Kevin her husband.  Denise's family left St. Martin's in the 1800s to eventually settle in New Zealand.  Denise is very keen on genealogy and contacted us and hence this reunion.

We returned to Aukland (the satnav did not work properly for us this trip - operator error!) and have since had a very good Italian meal overlooking the harbour.  We are moving on to the Coromandel peninsular tomorrow.