Auckland - up, up, and away

 Home in Auckland was the SkyCity complex. Dinner on out first night was in the buffet restaurant above the observation deck of the Sky Tower. Stepping through the glass doors of the Tower lift, the glass floor gave a clue to what was to come as the ground floor rapidly disappeared below us. The observation deck protrudes from the core of the Tower, so a series of glass floor panels offered directviews down to the ground some 190 metres below; the views across Auckland’s hills and harbour were equally stunning, with a mix of setting sunlight and dark clouds giving way to twinkling lights in all directions.

NZ is home to extreme sports and the Sky Tower does its bit. The SkyJump is a form of controlled bungy jump. However, that’s tame compared to the SkyWalk around a 1.2 metre wide platform – a full body harness and overhead safety lines keep the walkers safe as they walk the edge of the Tower’s pergola. To use a phrase we heard more than once – awesome!

While the views were spectacular, we thought the food was only “ok”. However, a memorable welcome to NZ. 

The next day we took a wildnerness trip to the Waitakere Ranges rainforest and west coast beaches which form the setting for the film The Piano. Enjoying the rainforest, hearing about Maori culture and taking in the  teath taking views was truly memorable.