Auckland

Of course, I am only a few hours from New Zealand, so a visit from my dad and his wife enabled me to spend a week trekking around the northern part of the north island. First stop, Auckland, where it is very clear what is required to get service at a bank.

We took a very nice harbour cruise that took treated us to views of the bridge and the cityscape, as well as some of the volcanic islands around the city.

New Zealand is now one of the top destinations for extreme sports. You can put yourself in a giant plastic ball and go rolling down hills or take a trip down rapids in a cave. Of course, you can also bungee jump or trek across the bridge, of which both were happening while we cruised past them.... It's a bit difficult to see, but you can see silhouettes of people in the first picture, and the second was someone jumping off the bridge (attached to a bungee cable, of course!)