Zoo

After a tasty blueberry muffin for breakfast in the flouro green Hollywood Bakery, we discussed what to spend the day doing. It was beautiful, clear blue skies and sunny weather, so we took a wander round the harbour front and debated about what to do.
We located a warehouse clearout concentrating on hats so I managed to finally purchase a hat to stop my poor head constantly burning in the sporadic sun. After trying on many variations (including a multi-coloured sombrero and some floppy cowboy style hats) I bought a plain cap that should work for outside work (should we ever secure any). Val secumbed to the lure of some sparkly scarves and a lighter bag.
After some subliminal brainwashing, we decided to go to Auckland Zoo and set about finding the right bus stop. We boarded, paid (for singles, no returns in NZ for some reason) and traversed up Queen St and K'Road and on towards Motions Rd.
The Zoo was awesome. We ambled happily around in the sunshine, looking at sealions gliding effortlessly through rainbow saturated water of their environment.

 We laughed at the antics of the acrobatic spider monkeys tumbling through the air and into a bush after a plastic bottle cap. We stared, struck at the epic amount of sound that the siamang can produce from its throat pouch. We strolled over a high boardwalk looking out over mock savannah at elegant and stately giraffes, rotund zebras and the odd fluffly ostrich.

We watched as an inquisitive emu snatched food from a startled baby and as wallabies leant backwards on their knees to bask in the shade.
We took a break for lunch and then continued round, looking at the uber-cute red panda curled up in its nesting box and the crazy flying fox bats crawling about the top of their aviary looking like aging rockers in baggy leather trousers. Then we took a tour round (and under) the meerkat enclosure, crawling through tiny subterranean tunnels in order to pop our heads up into plastic bubbles and so look the meerkats eye-to-eye.

We all succumbed to the delicious ice cream on offer and watched the tigers deciding whether to come into the open or not, as well as finding a beautiful lionness sleeping right up against the glass on her enclosure. We were the thickness of the pane of glass away from her, she was so big, with cushy solid paws and twitchy sides as she dreamt away the afternoon in the sunshine.
We were weary after the day exploring various creature features and went to catch the bus back into Auckland. I somehow got hiccups (usually I get the odd, random hiccup. I do not tend towards prolonged periods of hiccupping). I was mocked by a German lady to her baby and called 'Frau Hicksy'. Sad times, I say! Mocked! In German!
We rode back on the bus and relaxed in the Suites for a bit. Later in the evening, Alex's Aunt Bren arrived from Oz. We all sped out of the apartment and towards the Skytower round the corner. It was just before dusk and we headed into the base of the tower to buy tickets to take the elevator up to the top. In the foyer, was the biggest and most glittering Christmas tree, surrounded by fairy lights. With tickets clutched in our hands, we entered the elevator, got the spiel and zoomed upwards, the glass panel in the floor showing the speed at which the ground was leaving us.
After mild confusion about the platform access, we got to the top viewing deck. Auckland was spread out in front of us, like a toy city. We could see right over the skyscrapers and gridded road systems, over to the harbours with the white sails soaring up into the sunset sky. Lines of pale lilac, pink and peach strung out accross the clouds, lit up from beneath by the fading sunshine and city lights.
As darkness fell, the city lights came alive and the whole of Auckland glittered. It was much more Christmas-like than during the daytime. It was beautiful and a lovely experience. We enjoyed the Christmas decorations up the tower.
With hunger gnawing, we grabbed noodles from a 24hr shop on Queen St and snarfed them down before retiring to bed.