Last weekend in Auckland

Skytower, Parnell, Rugby and last Sunday

March 19, 2011

This weekend just completed our trip. We were picked up this morning, and all of us went to the Sky Tower in Auckland, which is kinda like the Seattle space needle. to have lunch. Jim and Linda and Jim's sister Alberta met us at the sky tower since she is visiting this week. I am glad we got to meet her.

At the sky tower, we first went up to the main observation floor. We had to take a lift to get there, 51 floors above the ground. The lift was pretty cool, it reminded me of the one at the end of Charlie and the Chocolate factory where they take one and go through the roof of the factory. The was a glass square on the bottom, so we could see down the shaft, which was actually a little nerve racking to stand on. Some of the tower also had glass windows on the way up so on the way up the lift, we could also see outside. Pretty cool.

When I got up to the main observatory floor I walked around the circumference and was able to see all of Auckland from a birds eye view. It was pretty cool and I loved how we were able to pick out and see from above everywhere we have been in Auckland and Henderson. We really have seen everything. We could see the harbor, the museum, Queen st, Western springs, Devonport, Rangitotto,  Henderson, the Waitakere mountains, etc. We could pretty much see all of central New Zealand.So cool and shows you how small New Zealand is. I really have seen everything in New Zealand or will  in the next 2 weeks. We also could see some people sky jumping off the tower 193 meters, kinda like bungee jumping but without the free fall. There is also a sky walk on a very small metal walkway you can do around the top outside. None of us did these since we were all dressed up for the restaurant, otherwise somebody probably would have ended up doing one or the other.  After walking around on this floor and catching up with some of the girls.

We headed up one more floor to the Orbit restaurant. The restaurant rotates 360 degrees every hour just like the Sundial restaurant in Atlanta and the Roof in Salt Lake. It was such a gorgeous view eating up here and looking out at the city. Jim used the New Zealand money to pay for all of us to have a 3 course meal, so lunch lasted about 3 hours and all of us got to choose an entrée, main course dessert and side if we wanted it. Danishes and juices were also included. I got bread for my appetizer thinking it would be a roll with some different spreads to taste, but no it was a small loaf of amazing ciabatta bread it was so good. I then had a rib eye steak for the main course with green beans and parsnips on top and a delicious sauce. It was so good. Becca and I also shared a salad and I had some great pineapple juice to drink. I know I ate way too much for lunch and way more than I ever do but it was amazing and dessert is what's going to make everyone's mouth's water. For dessert, the 6 of us at our table decided to order different ones and then share so we could try all of them. We ordered the chocolate one with a chocolate fondant, dark chocolate and hazelnut ice cream; a coconut one with tapioca pudding on top,  some Pavlova with kiwi and strawberry, and a cherry ice cream and peanut one. The cherry peanut one ended up being my favorite.  The cherry ice cream was so lite and good. I was so full afterwards and defiantly would not need to eat the rest of the day, but it was such an amazing meal and such a wonderful experience for our last Saturday in Auckland, it just wrapped everything up.


After lunch Nancy and I decided to go up nine more floors to the top of the tower 220 meters or 721 feet above the ground. It was such a sight to see Auckland. We could see everything and the city looked so small. We then headed back down to the bottom and Nancy and I decided to stay in Auckland and walk around the city. We went down to Queens Street and looked in some of the shops and Nancy got some All blacks stuff for her family. While we were down there we saw about 60 people walking and protesting for freedom in Palestine, since Saudi Arabia is trying to take over the government in Bahrain. It was the first big protest I have ever seen. You just don't see stuff like that all the time at home. I am so much more aware of everything going on in the world over here because I see or hear about something happening and then I go find a news article on it. I am realizing how much I like to be informed about what is happening in the world. 


We then went up to Parnell Street again because both Nancy and I had found some cute dresses at the Yellow Brick Road Boutique that we absolutely fell in love with and the would be perfect for when we go to the opera house in Sydney and for Easter. I got a floral one that just fits me perfect and I love it. At first I had a hard time justifying buying the dress, but I love it so much, so I caved and got it. We also went walking through some of the other cute boutiques just to look. It is such a cute side of town. 

Afterwards we headed back down to Britomart and caught a train up to Eden Park where the Blues vs. Hurricanes rugby game was.  I was so excited for the rugby game. Rugby really is one of my favorite sports. We had perfect seats for the game. I sat with Nancy, Nicole, Emily, Neeley, and Whitney on the equivalent over here to the 50 yard line at home 9 rows up from the field. They were rocking seats and cheap too. We even got free Blues flags to support our team. The rugby game was so much fun I love how intense they are and how the game never stops. We tried to catch some balls and shirts that were thrown into the stadium, but none of us were quite lucky enough.  It was really funny at the beginning of the game because everyone stood up to cheer on our team as they ran onto the field, but then afterwards some of the people right at the front had not sat down yet, and a guy behind us kept yelling "You have seats for a reason" and then his little boy mimicked it after him. It was pretty funny at home it is bad to sit down at a game, and here it is bad to stand up. Watching the game was so much fun. I get so into sporting events that I got to and I always have fun. I just love them. I can't wait to go to a Braves game when I get home. This game wasn't quite as intense and well played as the last one I went to, but it was pretty darn good. The Blues won 41-17. Go BLUES!!!


During the game there was the most gorgeous sunset with a huge full moon. The night before I had looked out the window and told Nancy to look at the moon because it was so big and gorgeous, and the one Saturday night was even better. It was bright enough to easily guide us through the dark park on the way home without my trusty torch/ flash light.  When I talked to my mom today she told me to make sure I looked at the moon tonight because it is supposed to be extra big since it is closer to the earth than it has been in 20 years, so it would look 20% bigger and 30% brighter. I told her that if that was going to happen tonight for them, then I saw it yesterday. She and my grandparents then asked me how it was, so for the first time since I got to New Zealand I was able to tell my family what something would look like in the future. Pretty funny. I told them about the gorgeous moon I experienced yesterday, that they would experience today. It was pretty fun to tell the future. 


At the end of the game 3 of the players who were playing their 100th game were welcomed onto the field and we got to cheer them on. After an amazing game, we said hi to some of the other girls and then headed out stadium to take the train home. Nancy and I kept trying to slow down, but we are so used to booking it out of stadiums in the states and trying to beat the crowd, ti was pretty hard. Nobody rushes out in New Zealand. In fact no one ever rushes to get anywhere. It is so laid back here. I really enjoy it. Nancy and I successfully got on a train back to Henderson for free because of the game and successfully got off the right stop on or own, which is pretty good. We were also able to walk home at night through the dark park that Nancy and I sometimes get nervous about at night without the help of my flash light because the moon was so bright last night.


When we got back we watched the an episode of Glee, but I was more watching the inside of my eyelids because I was so tried. I am starting to love that show and Kendall may have me watching it with her when I get home now. 


March 20, 2011


Today was my last Sunday in the Henderson Valley Ward in New Zealand. It really is bitter sweet. I am going to miss some of the people here and really going to miss everything about New Zealand. But at the same time, I am excited to see everyone when I get home. I already have so many plans for when I get home, including going to lunch with Bryson, spending the day with Alison and going to lunch with her kids, going to the Atlanta temple open house, going to the dedication, and hopefully at least to a dress rehearsal of the cultural ceremony,  to Trina's wedding reception, a few different wards for church, work, etc and that is just within the first week and a half of being home. I am going to have a busy summer and I am excited for all it will bring. It is also going to be bittersweet teaching for my last week. I am going to miss the kids in room 6 so so much.