Day 8: Coast to Coast

I arrived in Auckland (Tamaki Makaurau) yesterday after another long bus ride from Wellington. It is a good thing the scenery is so beautiful because the ride makes for a very long day. Staying in a backpackers always lends itself to meeting interesting people. However, the backpackers in Auckland were not exactly my kind of crowd. Beautiful and active city though.   

  I spent some time around Queen's Wharf, which started out as a jetty in the 1840's. Over the years it grew larger and larger, becoming an important sea port for sending off and receiving cargo ships. Today there are many shops and places to sit and enjoy the view.

 

  Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, is based between two harbours, the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Tasman Sea on the other. The city itself is quite beautiful, which I discovered on my 16km Coast to Coast walk. A grand idea to walk from coast to coast right? I thought so at first but after my shoes destroyed my feet I wanted to quit. But I persevered and made it across the city.

Starting the Coast to Coast walk at the Viaduct Harbour was a beautiful way to start the day. With lovely views of the water and of the downtown core. 

The Sky Tower is currently the tallest structure in the Southern Hemisphere. 

View of the ocean and the Harbour Bridge, which is actually a rather fascinating bridge (as fascinating as a bridge can get I suppose). It has 8 lanes but the central barrier if movable so that the lanes can be situated differently depending on the traffic flow. For example it can be a 3/5, 5/3 or 4/4 split. Very unique and quite pretty with the scenery surrounding it. Next I was on my way to Albert Park, which is the site of an old Maori village called Rangipuke, once containing a defensive pa and farmland. A pa I have discovered was a defensive settlement and was also known as a hill fort. The trees are incredible in the parks, with their roots over taking anything in its path, and often growing at odd angles.

I made my way through the Auckland Domain, the oldest park in the city, which is 75 hectares of beautiful green spaces, gardens, trees and ponds, with the Auckland Museum at its highest point and my next destination on the walk.

The museum had a gorgeous garden on the grounds. And the museum was a sight to see as well. So much history inside. I spent two hours inside and could have been there all day if I had wanted to.