Auckland, New Zealand

We took an enjoyable ten day trip to New Zealand over the Chinese New Year. New Zealand is made up of two main islands, the North Island and the South Island (separated by the Cook Strait), and some smaller surrounding islands. New Zealand is a relatively small country with a population of 4 million people and 40 million sheep ! Approximately three quarters of New Zealand's population live on the North Island.

With limited time it was impossible to see the whole of New Zealand. With that said, we decided to spend most of our time visiting the South Island, especially since the South Island is known for its magnificent Southern Alps, amazing glaciers and stunning fiords. Our trip however began in Auckland on the North Island. Auckland has a population of over 1 million people and is New Zealand's most cosmopolitan city. We stayed overnight in Auckland and not only did we get a chance to do a little exploring around the city and its beautiful harbour, but we were also able to meet up with Sam's friends Bernard and Glynda for dinner. Sam went to school with Bernard in South Africa and also knew Glynda from her school days. Bernard and Glynda took us to Mission Bay, where we had a great evening with good food and good conversation. It was great seeing them again and catching up with them.
The following day we made our way south by flying to Wellington, situated near the southern tip of the North Island.