Auckland New Zealand

Hi Guys,

Auckland– New Zealand 10 March 2011

(Longitude: 36 55’South   Longitude: 174 45’ East)

(Time +13 GMT)

Auckland, a truly lovely city on the north Island also nicknamed, “City of Sails” There are the remnants of 48 active volcanoes in the area and the latest addition in Auckland harbor is the island of Rangitoto created 600 years ago.

We are met at the dock gates by Marcia from London, the daughter of our friend Doll, who recently died in South Africa at age 96. We have known Marcia for about 40 years. We are still looking for Nola and Eddy, Susan used to work with Nola in London during the 1950s. They soon turn up and we are squired around Auckland in their car to the delight of everyone. We have kept in contact but there is always the thrill of face to face meetings. We go to the beach and jumble out our stories of the children, grand children and now a great grand child for Nola and Eddy with photos. It is so good to see everyone.

We stop for coffee on Mission Beach and take photos of the gang from London. Susan has brought Doll’s ashes from South Africa and we have a little ceremony to scatter Doll’s ashes, this will not be the only place in this world as Doll has children in many places.

 We go to One Tree Hill (Maungakiekie) located in the Cornwall Park, a superb lookout over Auckland, the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea. The One Tree has been removed due to disease but the 70 ft obelisk memorial dedicated to Sir John Logan Campbell, a prominent pioneer known as the “Father of Auckland”. is still there. We go for lunch at the botanical gardens and have a delightful meal. We wander around the grounds and the greenhouses and suddenly it is time to make our way back to the ship, 5:30 pm is looming up

Rangitoto, is only 600 years old

Auckland from the sea

The London gang meeting after 50 years

Nola, Eddy, Roy, Sue & Marcia standing

Auckland

We will be at sea for 3 days to get to Apia in Western Samoa. Curiously, because we cross the International Date Line from west to east we will enjoy 2 Saturday 12 March 2011, very weird.