Day 3 in Auckland (The touristy things)

Cathy:
Before we knew it, it was time to get up again and we hoofed it down to the waterfront to take a ferry ride to Davenport. So glad we did as the day was fun, informative and entertaining. As we pulled into the dock for the ferry, some builders on the top of the ferry building we doing the whole Mr Universe muscle poses. Too funny, G was in hysterics and I wish I got my camera out quicker, but alas they got shy and legged it further back.

I was starving so we stopped for a frozen yoghurt shake and awaited our bus driver for the scenic tour. Our tour guide was an absolute hoot. OAP in my books, which probably meant that he had retired to Devonport or had lived his entire life. He was very informative but the facts he was giving us sounded as he was well and truly bored with regaling. That was probably the case if he does 6 or so tours a day. Again he reminded us of the driver of the Harry Potter, “Knight Bus”. Seems that the only transportation suitable for tourists needs to be old and dodgy before the garnet it roadworthy and tourist transport worthy.

Devonport was beautiful and Chantil already wants to move there. Most of New Zealand for me is very beautiful, except for the incessant wind. Our entire trip so far has been windy. I have to admit that if I ever once considered moving to the Cape, now definitely not.

On the way back from Devonport, Gabbs and I stopped off at the hotel to get the required paperwork then hopped in a taxi to collect our rental car. It was only about 10 minutes from the hotel, and after filling all the paperwork in we were off to put in some petrol. This was a completely new experience for Gabbs as she had never had to do self service at a petrol station. This is common practice in the UK so I was quite use to it. After we filled up the car, Gabbs went to go and pay and I was laughing at her cos she went to wrong place (outer hatch) to pay. The cashier was so shocked that he served her immediately much to the irritation of all the other patrons. When she hopped back in the car, I told her that it was customary to go into the shop and wait in the queue like every one else then announce the pump number when coming to pay. We giggled a bit, until we missed our turning to go back to the hotel and got horribly lost and spent another 45 minutes negotiating our way back to the hotel less a map (of course)

Chantelle:
OK so I’ve found my spot in this world – at last! Am in love – so in love – with the suburb/peninsular of Devonport. Weirdest feeling that I’ve been there before and that’s where I belong! Just have to win Tata Ma Chance to afford it though. We caught the 10 minute ferry across to Torpedo Bay and then opted for a bus tour of the area instead of hoiking up to the top of the two resident volcanoes….And yet again we had the pleasure of another villager as our tour guide on a smelly bus! Tom has to be at least as old as most of the houses there – but his monotonous and deadpan intonation of the facts and foibles of the area had us in complete hysterics the entire way. Seriously cool view back across Auckland from the top where we were given 2 minutes to leap off and snap pics before being impatiently hooted for… hopped off before the end of the trip to get some house pics and fodder. Gabs completely enamoured with the local loos – they’re as clean as a whistle and always well stocked. (Think she mentions this every time she has to wee – which is often!)

So Devonport it is – new address details to follow as soon as munnies roll in x

Cathy:
That evening we decided to eat in the bar / brasserie. The food was good, but the service was crap. We waited 35 minutes for our desserts, by which time mine was melted and Gabbs was even further delayed. The evening then went from bad to worse. I have bought an internet voucher “24 hours” so that we could update the website etc from the bar / lounge area and then later from our rooms.

Considering that this is a 1^st world country, they are a little lacking on the technology front. For example there is only one Cell phone provider, so no competition there. Whereas most European and US hotels offer free internet access in certain areas of their hotels, in NZ you have to pay for it. So it came to us retiring to our hotel room and me logging onto the Internet or trying to.

No I have to admit, considering I work in IT industry I was feeling a little challenged with trying to get onto the internet in our room. It was getting late so I decided to call the ISP support company to see if they could shed some light on the problem.” The problem” she said was “because you have not bought any internet access”. “I beg to differ I said, I purchased a 24 hour access at great expense downstairs in the lobby”, I said. “Is it wireless access” she said. “Well yes it is” I said. “aah” she said, “that’s your problem”. “What’s my problem?” I said. “They are two different systems” she said, “you will need to buy another 24 hour access to use the internet in your room”. “you have to be kidding” was my response, “what kind of a ISP are you guys”. “If you have a problem, madam, I suggest you speak to the manager at your hotel”. “I fully intend to good day”.

I then called down at 10:30pm to speak to the night manager. He started of all full of smiles and wanting to assist. I laid into him, mostly because I had according to the ISP lady just wasted my $30 and also because I was still jet lagged and so very irritable. To cut a long story short, basically, by the end of my rant, they had refunded the $30 to my room and I was still fuming.

Gabby:
– only rose by noon. These girls lurve sleeping late.  Off to Devonport we went. Stunning little suburb opposite  downtown. The island has so many nooks and crannies with the land weaving in and out so what may seem to be a river is in fact the sea. 10 mins to Devonport and Chantelle was hooked. Decided she must have a little quaint Victorian house on the waterfront.  We left her there taking pics to her hearts desire.