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Auckland is known as the City of Sails” and the “Cultural Capital” of New Zealand’s North Island. We spent three days and two nights here. Although the guests are all onboard until London, we said goodbye to most of our fellow lecturers and workshop hosts. We will gain two new lecturers and a genealogist.
Our first day, February 2, was a day for running errands. Despite Gail swearing she would never walk again after our 11-mile trek in Waitangi, we walked several more miles to a wool store. Gail has been trying to source more wool for her needle felting classes, and she hit the jackpot at Loopine, a local store. Through email, she bought almost every bit of needle felting wool they had in stock. Today we came and picked it up. In the afternoon, Gail (finally) rested her feet, while Russell went back out to the grocery store to get some more crew snacks.
That evening we joined a large group of guests and went to Club Caluzzi for dinner and a drag show. The show was fun, but the night out with fellow guests was even more fun.
Our second day, February 3, we signed up for different excursions. Russell escorted “The Flavors of Auckland,” a walking tour that included several food stops: cheeses & crackers, chocolate, and a seafood “snack” that ended up being a huge lunch. Gail escorted “Waiheke & Wines.” With only three guests besides herself, the group enjoyed a gigantic meal on a nearby island.
Our third day, February 4, Gail was assigned to escort another food tour, “A Place at Our Table.” This six-hour tour included a lot of walking, so she was grateful when her escort duty was cancelled. Instead, she spent much of the day soaking in the spa to rejuvenate her tired body.
Meanwhile, Russell escorted “Weta Workshop Unleashed & Sky Tower.” Weta is the special-effects company behind the “Lord of the Rings” movies. Russell has done this tour before, but it was still great to see demonstrations from three different movie genres: horror, fantasy and science fiction. At the Sky Tower, visitors over the age of 75 can jump from the top for free. Fortunately (?), Russell has a while to go before he will qualify for this.
This evening we met all of the new lecturers. Gail was thrilled to learn that the genealogist is a director at the school where Gail takes classes.
