Post No. 21 - Arrival in Auckland

Well folks we are here in Auckland. (All times in NZ time - we are currently 11 hours ahead of you)

The flight was delayed in landing so we eventually made it onto NZ soil around 6.15am. We then had a enormous wait at Passport Control - approx. 1 hour and then had to go through customs where we had to declare our walking boots and my boiled sweets just in case!

The suitcases are a struggle - we managed to get rid of some stuff we were originally planning on taking but they are still heavy and awkward. Its a nightmare lifting them on and off of conveyer belts at the airport and opening them to find walking boots!

We eventually left Auckland airport on the Shuttle bus at around 8am and got dropped off at the hotel. Then came the transporting of heavy and cumbersome luggage up drive to hotel, up front steps, to lift number 1, up to 2nd floor, out of lift, along corridor, then another corridor, then another lift up to 3rd floor (thank heavens our room is right next to the 2nd lift!) We couldn't let ourselves so much as look at the bed for the fear of falling into a sleep-and-comfortable-place-to-sleep deprived coma! So we got showered and changed and headed out.

We have walked down Queen Street and are amazed at the amount of Subway restaurants, Vodafone shops and actual bank branches (theres only like 3 different banks but about 20 branches!). We walked all the way down to the harbour and took some pictures of the Sky Tower and huge PriceWaterhouseCoopers (Gosh - will we ever get away from them!) building.

Now we are at an internet cafe right next to the hotel and can't put the coma off any longer - we are gonna try for a power nap and set an alarm for early evening so we get to catch some of that NZ telly that people are always saying is really good (yeah right!)

Will update again soon - hopefully with some pictures for you.