Gallery » ASIA/SOUTH PACIFIC » Round the World 2019 - Auckland
We spent three days (four nights) in Auckland. We haven’t been to Auckland since 2008 so it was time to get reacquainted with the Central Business District. Unfortunately, when we arrived on Wednesday, 18 September, our bags did not due to a short connection in Sydney. So, before we took the SkyBus into town, we filed a lost baggage report with Menzie’s. Thankfully, they were able to locate the bags in Sydney and arrange for them to be shipped to Auckland and delivered to us the following day. In the meantime, since we’ve lost baggage in the past, we knew to ask for an overnight kit so we would have the basic necessities for the night.
We took the SkyBus into town and the ride took about 40 minutes, including stops within the CBD. We got off at the last stop and had a brief walk to reach the Crowne Plaza, our home away from home. We quickly checked in and got to our room on the 27th floor. Our room, the Executive Lounge and the elevators offered great views of different parts of Auckland.
We didn’t need much time to settle in (sans luggage) so we went up to the Executive Lounge at 3:30P to have a coffee. The day was sunny but cool (about 15c) so the coffee provided a nice warm-up. We returned to our room and relaxed till it was time for the evening happy hour (5:30P-7:30P). Happy hour turned out to be a really nice affair. There was a wide selection of hard liquor plus New Zealand wines (sparkling, white & red). Also, there was a great selection of canapes, breads, nuts, etc. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in the Lounge and ultimately decided our beverage of choice was the Pinot Noir; really delicious! We left the Lounge at about 7:15P as we were quite tired after traveling from Singapore via Sydney to reach Auckland. So, we returned to our room and were fast asleep by 8:30P.
Thursday, 19 Sept: When we woke up at 8:00A, there was a text from Menzie’s saying that our bags had gone through government inspection and were ready for pick-up. We went to the Concierge and he coordinated everything on our behalf. Then we went to Aria to enjoy a leisurely delicious breakfast. Afterwards, we returned to the room and the bags were there! We left them to do some exploring in the area. In particular, we found the elevator from the atrium off the lobby that provides direct access to Queen Street, the key shopping street in Auckland. We had lots of fun window shopping. It was still cool but the stores had heat on so you could warm up as needed. Unfortunately, as the day continued, it got more and more cloudy so ultimately we returned back to the hotel. We did go up the Executive Lounge to grab a coffee to take to the room. Then, it was time for Lindy to unpack while Ed caught up on some business work.
Friday, 20 September: It was once again cool and very cloudy but we decided to walk down to the ferry quay as it wasn’t too far from the hotel. We decided against a ride on the ferry as we weren’t keen on being in the cold. Instead, we relaxed in the Ferry Terminal building and watched the ferries traveling along the various routes in Auckland. It reminded us of how ferries are used in other cities (like Sydney) when the sea provides the fastest way from one point to another. After leaving the quay area, we once again went shopping along Queen Street. It was definitely a bit busier than earlier in the week. We guess individuals were getting ready to enjoy the evening in town.
Late in the afternoon we again stopped by the Executive Lounge for a much-needed coffee break. Afterwards we did some packing in advance of our departure tomorrow. Then, it was time to return to the Executive Lounge and toast our brief time in Auckland with that Pinor Noir we enjoyed on our first evening.
Saturday, 21 September: After enjoying another delicious breakfast at Aria, we made our way down the street (literally walking downhill) to reach the SkyBus stop to return to the airport to catch a flight to Melbourne, our next destination.
To see highlights of our brief time in Auckland, click on the first image below.
