The Never-ending Day... To the Top of the SkyTower

We arrived in Auckland at 7:30...AM!  So despite the fact that we were exhausted, we could not go to sleep because we needed to adjust to NZ time.  The best way to do that is by staying up the WHOLE day (at least close) and then having a long sleep that night.  So, we had a big day to fill.  Fortunately, we were in Auckland, so there was plenty to do... and they make excellent cappuccinos, so I was set.   After a shower, some food (meat pie, pumpkin soup and toasted sandwich...yum), and coffee number 2 (I had my first on the flight... knowing it was going to be a long day), we headed off to the beautiful waterfront.  Here you can see, the hull of one of NZ's America's Cup sailboats as well as lots of other watercraft and hustle and bustle.  After that and a trip to the tourism office, we decided to head to the SkyTower (Auckland prominent landmark which looks a lot like Seattle's Space Needle).  This was a great way to get an overview of the city (i.e., the lay of the land) as well as to kill some time.  At the cafe on top, I had coffee #3 (cappuccino #2) and Emma enjoyed a fluffy (a steamed milk drink they serve for kids here).  To wrap up the long day, we headed to the Occidental Hotel, a Belgium-themed pub with great food.  Here we sat outside and sipped down some cold Leffe beers while chatting with locals at neighboring tables.  For dinner, we got some fish and chips (a NZ staple) as well as some excellent beef stew.  The girls, of course, passed out immediately upon our arrival, so Denise and I could relax.  It was tons of fun.  That evening I headed to the supermarket to get some food we could prepare in the hotel kitchenette.  It was a very full and successful day!