Explore NZ - Day 3 - 10 April - In Auckland

The bad weather that had been predicted was coming to pass. It had rained intermittently all through the night and it was raining as I woke up. The skies were gloomy as daylight broke. It was certainly a dampener for a day of sightseeing. Archana told us that normally the rain eases up in the morning and gets back on track by late evening. To utilize the time in between we planned to start the day earlier than we had yesterday.

Visit to Cornwall Park, which encompasses the One Tree Hill, was planned as the first activity for the day. Anywhere from Auckland one can see the obelisk on the Hill. The Park is a huge 600 acre property and the vision of Sir John Logan Campbell, who donated a large part of his estate to a Trust, which manages the premises for the larger good of the people of Auckland. Many of the trees seen today in the Park were personally planted by the great visionary. Light rain was an irritant in enjoying the drive, because the stately trees, magnificently landscaped premises, huge oak trees and kauri plantations could not be enjoyed in a car. We parked and braved some of the rain. When it became a bit heavy we sought refuge under the awnings of a wooden lodge. I had to take a complete round of The Summit as road repairs were going on, before being told by the crew how to get to the Cenotaph point. It was so windy at the top we thought that we would be blown away. The center is a volcanic cone and the donor of the park is buried alongside the obelisk. The obelisk was erected in line with the wishes of Logan Campbell whose admiration of the Maori way of life and spirit was exemplified thus. The Summit gives fantastic views of Auckland’s harbors and city. On the obelisk are plaques that mention the first visit of the Polynesian Maori Kupe in 925 AD and the settlements that took place after 1150 AD, the canoes in which the organized immigration took place after 1350 AD. Standing there on the summit one gets a feeling of the historicity of the place and a kaleidoscope of thoughts train through the mind about the happenings with the passage of time.

The car had to be replaced, not because it was giving any trouble but because we needed a younger car for the tough trip that lay ahead with worsening weather conditions. When we explained the matter to the girl in the Apex Rental office she sounded quite uninterested and very iffy. Another girl took over the case and found us a newer car for which we had to pay AUD 80 more! Anyway, that was the need of the hour and paperwork and documentation was done at a leisurely pace. I tanked up the car we had first taken and returned it to the rental company. The replacement car had lesser boot space but had parking sensors and camera, which was a huge plus. We would somehow have to manage with the lesser boot space. Also, the gleaming red car looked more appealing than the grim black one that was replaced.

I was scheduled to meet Venkat in his office at 11 am to collect a copy of the newspaper. I rang him up to tell him that I would be a half hour late. Promptly at 11.30 we trooped into his modest office. He was at a meeting and we briefly met while accepting the copy with gratitude. The story had been carried very well and Venkat said that it had been well received too.

We had not taken a local Sim card yet and as it was getting to departure time from Auckland taking one became imperative. Each one decided to take one each with different plans for different requirements. The advice was to go in for Vodafone connection and we selected numbers and bought Sims from a Warehouse store. For activation we had to go to a Vodafone store. The personable young man at the store got all the three Sims activated as per our requirement in quick time. My need was more data, Shukla wanted freedom with calls to India and Hetal wanted only Australia and New Zealand calls free. After all this was done we met the Kauls in the food court of the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Archana and Kapil have their office in the Hotel Complex. Over lunch we planned the rest of the afternoon. Kapil suggested the Auckland Museum to appreciate the history and culture of the country and a late evening visit to Muriwai beach, if time permitted.

As it turned out the Auckland Museum occupied more time than we had anticipated because of the treasures in it. The Museum had closed by the time we reluctantly trooped out. The Auckland Museum is located on a dormant volcano and the building is itself iconic. The collection of exhibits started as early as 1852, I understood, from material published by the Museum. The development of the country from the early days of the intrepid Polynesian seafarers to the settlement by whites and beyond can be best appreciated here. Information about the importance of volcanic sites in the history of the region was indeed illuminating. The short documentary and simulation of volcanic eruptions made the experience truly graphic. The interactive section for children is something novel and unique. It was most interesting to watch parents and their kids teaching and learning there.

Dinner was once again at home. Weather not on our side for any late night ‘out-of-the-home” activity. It was turning and Archana told us that the next few days would be really bad. It had started raining quite heavily by the time I finished a bowl full of rice garnished with Dal, minced meat (Kheema) and huge prawns. Of course, the meal was after the, now usual, three pegs of Krakken. I have to get a couple of bottles of this discovery on the way home, I decided.