Touchdown!

(We've changed the settings to reflect New Zealand Date and Time)

WE'RE HERE!!!!

Okay. We missed the superbowl. Who won by the way? Anyone know? Anyone CARE? We're in NEW ZEALAND!!!!! So we arrived like 5 in the morning and it was really really early. So early it looked like nightime. It took like an hour and a half just to get out of the airport with customs and all. AND we had to get our rental car (More on this later). After waiting in said line for them to stamp our passports, we headed off to our hotel.

this woodcarved maori tiki was just part of a beautiful archway leading to the customs area. notice the abalone shell eyes!

It was way too early to check in and we only had one day here in Auckland anyway so there was no time to sleep! That'd be a complete waste of a day?! We walked straight into downtown and took in the city. We made like we were students at Auckland University. No one paid us any mind. Come to think of it, I wonder what would have happened if we sat in on a class?

doesn't melissa look the student?

After taking in some of the sights, we checked into our tiny tiny tiny tiny tiny tiny hotel room and then took off to Kelly Tarlton's <-- (I misspelled it the first time. Melissa was austute enough to tell me the correct spelling) aquarium. Never go here! It was pretty good for its size, but after visiting Monterey Bay, you feel sort of spoiled. You can't really be too hard on them though! Their penguin ride was out of order (we got 20percent off our entrance because of this!). You can see them through a little window when you first walk into their facility. I'm sure we would have enjoyed it more if we got to see that.

these crayfish are all along the north-eastern coast of the south island near Kaikoura. Check out how big it is compared to my forearm!

After that, we headed off to the beach. I walked probably a hundred meters (everything is metric here) off shore and the water was still only to my chest! There were sand dollars everywhere under the water! Oh by the way. It's really hot and sunny here. We were actually worried about rain?!?!? We are totally blessed!

Anyway, from the beach we drove home... IN RUSH HOUR. Oh CRAP?!? We survived though thanks to the navigator. The freeways were really weird. <-- Technical term. No joke. Without Melissa we'd still be stuck on their "Motorway." When we got back, we watched a Chinese New Years Eve celebration at the Skytower. We gambled at the 5 cent machines and ate at a Japanese Restaurant where we stiffed the lady on the tip because I wasn't sure if they did that here or not. :( My bad.

Year of the chiggin!

In other news, this driving thing has been a real Challenge. I've been driving for 13 years on the right side of the road. Today, I was thrown into the hellhole that I call... the leeft side of the road in a car where the driver is on the right side of the cah. Everything else is the same except the shift knob. And the mirrors. And the turn signal. And the wipers. After 1 day, my "mistake the turn signal for wiper count" is 8.

We ended up with a brand new Mazda6. Whoever had the car before us had the radio tuned into a hip hop station and turned the volume all the way up! what else could we do but dance?

Tomorrow is Hobbiton. We have to drive there. Wish us luck.

Complete set of Day 2 pics