Sights around Auckland

Today was yet another very busy day down here in Auckland. Although it didn't entail any parasailing (with shoes), lighthouses, or complaints about meals, we had a great day. Erin was unable to join us for the day's events as she had to work and bring in the $$. The 3 of us headed out of the city to Piha beach which is on the West Coast (Tasman Sea).

It was a beautiful day and my Dad and I climbed up Lion Rock on the beach and we all enjoyed the very soft black sand.

We then headed back to a few of the volcano cones around Auckland and spent some time at One Tree Hill which is in Cornwall Park as well as Mt. Eden. All of the locations provided great views of the city and surrounding areas. We were very hungry and went to Mission Bay where we stopped at the Belgium Beer Cafe to have a few drinks and lunch.

Today was a special day in Auckland as the Queen Elizabeth II cruise ship docked on it's final cruise of it's almost 40 year sailing life. It has sailed over 5.5 million nautical miles. We took some pictures and watched it leave port. We went to about 10-15 different shops throughout the city and my parents ended up buying some souveniers. We decided that tomorrow, which is their last day in Auckland, we would hit some more stores and spend some more money.

We ended the day with dinner at the top of the Sky Tower which is 328 meters high, the tallest building in the southern hemisphere, the 12th largest in the world, and a building that I have jumped from (do you remember that blog entry)? All of our meals were great and we enjoyed the views of the city, harbor, and the cruise ships.