Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World

Full of Awesome!

Like seriously, an amazing place, I've never been so close to penguins (which was one of the many highlights), the stingray feeding show was very cool and the interactive displays were both interesting and fun.

I'm going to do up a video for this one, just way to many piccies... but here's a few.

The penguin area, which you ride a car on a track around the display, a few of them hooted while we where there, and loudly!

The Stingray Feeding Tank, the person feeding them had the rays pretty much swim over the top of her head in their eagerness to get to the food.

Walking through the fish in the tunnels, they were actually disused sewerage pipes, cleaned out, fixed up and sealed for their new use.

This is Fred... or at least I am calling him Fred, he is a beautiful specimen.
I don't know what Kelly Tarlton's calls him, but I don't think it's dinner.

These are Piranha's, gold, glittery, beautiful fish. Nothing like the way they are portrayed in movies and cartoons.

We enjoyed it so much we bought ourselves season passes. There is a lot to see and take in at Kelly Tarlton's, one visit really isn't quite enough for it.

Greek Lunch at Te Atatu Peninsula

We've tried out a few different foods since being here, and one day opted for a bit of Greek near the Te Atatu Peninsula. The food was good, but the views were wonderful!

One of the things I love about Auckland, compared to say Sydney, another harbour city I've lived in, is that the harbour is so accessible by anyone. Drive for 5 to 10 minutes in any direction from anywhere and you can see water.

There's some pretty good views from the parklands at the Te Atatu Peninsula as well.

They've made a great effort to make this area accessible for the people also, there's waterfront walks, parklands and car parking with a clear view to the Auckland city skyline, it's a great place to get outdoors and appreciate nature.

Afternoon at the Marina

There are 7 Marinas around this Twin Harboured City of Sails that is Auckland, and of course, one is close to us. Every now and then I head down to be by the water, watch the boats and view the city. It's lovely :)

Here's a few photos from the local Marina one afternoon.

 

Views and a 100 year old Cafe - Huia

Going to Huia is a wonderful drive, down through the ranges, along the edge of the harbour. As you drive you wind around the bends of the mountain, and catch a glimpse of the water, then back in along the mountain edge, and back out to see the water again, until you are driving next to the water, with the expanse of the harbour opening out beside you.

There are a few historic buildings still around, dotting the coastline, as well as a museum. The old school opened in 1894 and closed in 1961, and is now a Lodge.

We stopped in at the Huia Beach Store & Cafe, which had decent food for a reasonable cost, along with a list of every owner of the cafe in the last 100 years. There where also a few boat ramps and people heading out on the harbour.

 

I was also amazed by the volcanic rock along the shoreline, the landscape is so very different to Australia, just a reminder of how young this country is.

Snow Planet!!

Seeing as Taupo and the snowfields there is a few hours drive, and Snow planet is 20 minutes north of Auckland, we had to check out Snow Planet. Rob and Daniel went for a set of lessons and a day there, and came home thoroughly exhausted. Have to make time for the rest of us to get there :)

Here's a picture of Daniel all geared up, and some video of the day. The video is taken on a phone, so please excuse the quality.

Snow Planet, it's closer, and you can step outside the snow to warm up :)

Arataki Visitor Centre and Waitakere Ranges

Stunning, Mind Blowing, Peaceful, Beautiful, Inspiring, Relaxing these are just a few words to describe what is at the Arataki Visitor Centre on the Ranges.

We drove up not knowing quite what to expect, and the drive was amazing in it's own right. Skating across the tips of the range, in and out of the various mountain's shadow, views across fields and valleys, turn a corner and into dense forest, around the next corner and see across a valley nestled between the folds of the ranges. some really stunning stuff.

What was also amazing was the visitor centre itself. It's free to visit, and phenomenal, you could easily spend a few hours strolling around and taking it all in. Outside the centre on the edge of the range, looking out to a valley is a beautiful ornate picture frame.

Which is large enough to sit inside of and have many people in it for photo's.

The view behind the frame is amazing.

 

Up in the visitor centre itself, is a ramp which circles around into the centre and has a lookout point to see atop the ranges and the valley.

In the centre are an amazing amount of displays about the local area, there's a relief map, a display with the local magnetic sands, video presentation, a kids corner with a microscope, bird calls, local lizards, a walk through the forest, and more... but my favourite part was this huuuuge window which hung out over the valley, filled with a comfy cushion to lay back on and take all the view in.

 

When we were there we could see boats in the harbour.

 

We also went for a walk on the track through the forest.

 

We found one tree belonging to Australia... the Carmicheal, a NZ Broom.

If you have time and need to get back to nature without having to travel too far out of the city, this is a fantastic place to be doing it in :)

Titirangi Beach, Auckland NZ

We are constantly amazed by the landscape here in New Zealand, everywhere is green and undulating, affected by the volcanic eruptions as the land is on the Pacific ring of fire, caused by being on the edge of a tectonic plate.

Along with the landscape come the variety in the beaches, there is no golden/white sands like what we are used to in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, but there are mud flats, seashells, and black magnetic sands - depending on which side of the island you are on.

Inner Auckland Harbour has lots of muddy/sandy beaches with some sea shells, like Mission Bay, but on the the other side, the other harbour that the city resides on, is just tonnes upon tonnes of shells, and it's mind-blowing.

Let me show you what I mean.

This is a beach, the shells are layered upon each other, and there is essentially no sand. We've been told that all the beaches on this harbour are pretty much the same. Here's some more pics

Here you can see the layers of shells. Amazing!

The creek that flows down to the beach goes through a lovely green grassy area with a great park. I think the park is the biggest reason people would come here.

The bay itself is gorgeous but it's really hard to say how many people would swim here. 

We'll have to come back in summer and check it out :)