Westhaven Marina

My wanderings took me to the opposite side of the city for some classic shots of the Auckland cityscape through the masts. Enjoy!

Imagine my delight when I stumbled upon a darling group of old men racing their miniature remote control sailboats! (I'm easily entertained..I know.. :))

These dragon boats are used for rowing competitions on the harbor.

Lantern Festival!!

So, not to make ya'll jealous, but I went to the best festival ever..! It was the lantern festival celebrating the end to Chinese New Year, and it felt like I stepped into another country for the night- the mood was so festive with all the lights everywhere, (including the paper lanterns being carried around by everyone with a real candle inside...fire hazard, anyone??!) I loved it! There were delicious smells, masses of people, balloons, lit paper and cloth lanterns, gorgeous costumes, and fireworks- Fun!! (of course- none of these conditions are ideal for picture taking...but here's some of what I got- I will try and give you a taste and feel of the night! :))

There were stalls of every asian food imaginable (I have no idea what most of it even was!)
These dragons wound around the fountain.
Everyone wore pointed chinese hats along with their lanterns and clanking noisemakers. (I am leading you along through the journey with my lantern in the foreground. :))
This massive lit cloth display arched the entryway.




These were as tall as me!



Tucked all throughout the park were standup dispays of lanterns and stages with traditional shows.

It wouldn't be New Zealand if there wasn't a flock of sheep lanterns!
Cheeky monkey..!

A day underground..

Kelly Tarlton's Arctic Encounter and Underwater Experience was the first of its kind a few decades ago. He transformed the underground sewers at the harbor's edge into an underground aqarium and penguin habitat. (Note NZ's proximity to Antartica...for all your geographically challanged.. this is the last stop for research teams on their way to endless snow and ice, so lots of history here. :))

hello, penguins!

The aquarium is a series of tunnels through fish, eels, turtles, sharks and batrays.
hello there, little guy! (how cute is he??)
My fav's were the sea horses.. these ones are from NZ and Australia..would LOVE to see one while diving!!
Big smile from Mr. Batray :)

A day outdoors!

Went to the Auckland Zoo for some wildlife encounters..it was delightful! I saw my first kiwi (the bird).. sadly no pictures, it was dark since they are nocturnal and it was running around like a madman and wouldn't stay still for my picture. :) But let me say...weird bird, very weird bird. Anyways, next we wandered through the "petting zoo" which in the states includes boring creatures like goats and sheep..here it was kangaroos and emus!! Fun!

It was a little hot and he was chilling under a tree instead of playing with me... stupid kangaroo.
Me and Lisa. :)
My friend the elephant.


Next we went to the Auckland Botanical Garden.. acres of nature and gardens- beautiful!
Ah, movies in the park with your pals, blanket, snacks and wine...perfect end to the day! (Lisa and Claudia)

Ponsonby

Ponsonby is a funky little area in Auckland. It is an older neighborhood with alot of history which has been converted into an area of quirky shops, cafes and art venues. Here are some glimpses in black & white. :)

The park has an art installation of old buildings jetting up from the ground. The 'ruins' are a symbol of protest against destruction of the historical areas for profit. Looked very cool.