Day 3: I finally went shopping!

Hope dropped us at the Auckland Museum after lunch.
It is a big impressive building but Hope and Chris both agreed the only part that is special and worth seeing is the Maori bit. I am having fun sharing all these wikipedia links. Do you feel educated?








Chris says this pictures proves I was in New Zealand. This a totem in the Maori meeting house. The place is so cool. The whole thing is carved, the whole building.

I also think I found the inspiration for tribal bellydance.
1. The Maori war thing is to stick their tongue out and they hiss when they do it.
2. In the museum they had traditional costumes and one was a string skirt with different colored tassles.
3. They have a lot of tattoos.
4. They make these costume disks that make me think of the tribal medallions.
Also - I saw the real Poi. They are short. Only about a foot and there is a ball on both ends. Also, it is never on fire.




This pictures was supposed to show in the background that it was a $5NZ donation to get in to the museum. Chris only had a twenty and we felt bad asking for change from a donation. Then I remembered that Laura gave me two NZ 5 dollar bills. I had to take a picture before I spent them. Unfortunately the sign didn't come out.


After the museum we walked over to the New Market area to do a little shopping. We foolishly came without a backpack so we bought one. Chris bought me a t-shirt. Hope bought Chris a new outfit of short and a t-shirt for his birthday. I bought Chris and I both sweaters made out of New Zealand merino wool and some childrens books for my nieces. And I spent $22 on face soap at The Body Shop!!! I think the exchange is 1 NZD = .75 cents USD, so we get a little break but everything over here is much more expensive. I hope you all aren't counting on too many presents when I get back. Actually, I am having a hard time finding presents. I keep thinking that I will know it when I see it for each person on my list.
Who wants a life size sheep made out of real wool?

Day 2: Why he key?

That is how you pronounce Waiheke. It was the perfect day to go out onto the island. I am only upset that I took Chris's dressing advice and wore jeans. It had been windy and chilly the night before but the day was gorgeous and sunny.
We rented a car and drove in a circle around the island going to every beach.







We stopped in the first little town of Oneroa. Oh-knee-row-ah. Here is Chris at the "Citizen's Advice Bureau". The sign says "For all sorts of answers". That made me laugh. I was tempted to go in and ask a weird question.
Everything is slightly different. Yield is Give Way. Exit is Way Out. When the walk/don't walk sign changes to the walking man it makes a loud "bloop" noise. We were at the crosswalk and it changed and scared me and I squealed. Sort of gave myself away as tourist on that one.









We had fish and chips for lunch and sat at a picnic table on the beach. Here I am eating a chip. I feel like a proper Kiwi now!















This a photo from the last beach we went to, Surfdale I think. It was gorgeous. We sat up on those rocks for a while and watched the waves come in.

I don't have the pictures of our night at SkyCity yet because Chris's dad took them with his great new camera. I will try to get them up soon.