After successfully arriving at our first place of lodging in the heart of a busy city (only a few near misses with the left-side driving - THANK YOU Greg!), we knew that we had to STAY UP all day. So we we unpacked a little and then set off to explore Auckland on an absolutely beautiful day.
We first drove a little past downtown to the Mission Beach area where we got out and walked for awhile. You could see the city as well as look out to several of the islands that make up a huge maritime park.
We then drove back to the downtown ferry terminal and took a short ferry ride to Devonport, which is called one of the "oldest suburbs" of Auckland.
Around 40,000 years ago, Devonport originally consisted of three volcanic cones. The earliest Maori settlement dates back to the 1300s around the same time as the believed landing of the Tainui wake - one of the great ocean-going canoes in which the Polynesians migrated to New Zealand.
Because Devonport is an ideal location to see the harbor, it has also served over the years as both a fortress and a seat of naval history. Today, Devonport is a mixture of shops, beaches, history, restaurants, and just home for lots of commuters who live there, but go to work Auckland.
We decided to start getting outr hiking muscles warmed up by climbing to the top of Mount Victoria which provides a beautiful panoramic view of Auckland as well as many of the surrounding islands in the maritime park.
After our climb, we headed down for a stop in a cafe for a beer, and toasted our safe travels to New Zealand and a great first day. After that, we took the ferry back, had some dinner, and headed off to bed.
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