Get up pretty late, once again the wine has done the trick and I've had a good nights sleep, I guess Becky has too, especially as she's still snoring when I wake up about 8.30. Well, no rush today, we've got nothing planned, not even breakfast so I just lay there dozing and let her sleep. She eventually disturbs after 9.30 and I guess we both needed that bit of catchup so slowly we get ourselves together and decide what to do. On the list of free things to do in Auckland website is the Mount Eden Volcano which we decide to give a go, so eventually, about 10.30, we get out of the hotel after asking about Afternoon Tea which finishes at 4. We weren't sure how long we'd be out so decided not to book and left, map in hand. Going out the front entrance of the hotel and turning right, we found an oriental buffet/breakfast bar where we stopped for a coffee and pastry each to set us up for the day. Perhaps we should have just turned right last night and saved ourselves that long walk, but then we might have missed the churro and the wine, maybe not!
Checking the map, we decided to go to a park called The Domain on our way to the Volcano. As we walked through, a young local man passed us and spoke so Becky struck up a conversation with him! I say local because he was quite well built and it has become apparent to me in the short time I've been in New Zealand that all Local 'Maori' types have a certain look about them - I'm not being rude (no, really) but they all look like one of the New Zealand rugby team, even the females! So having chatted with him (she'll talk to anyone and I don't know who she gets that from!), we continue our stroll, noticing a big hobbit type tree which has roots and branches everywhere - I'm expecting Bilbo (oops, nearly used the 'd' - good job I got that right!) to jump out at any moment - he doesn't!
We walk up to the museum and go in to ask what the performance we've seen signs for 'A Dragon's Breath' is all about. Its actually called 'Breath of the Volcano' and is nothing at all to do with Dragons, although I think I'd quite like to see the Dragon version! Becky asks the nice lady on the desk (well, not actually on the desk, behind it, not hiding but working) and she turns out to be English (she has a sister who lives in Bath - I think I might know her) (not really, it's just funny how people have to tell you about someone they know who might live near you or just be from the UK!). She tells us it's a performance a little like Cirque de Soleil, but with more lights and pyrotechnics with music, in fact she's going tonight with friends and taking a picnic. Then she proceeds to give us a list of places to visit and agrees the volcano is worth a look!
Continuing through the park, we look at the Winter Gardens, victorian conservatory type buildings with lots of plants in, who thought Becky would be interested but I think she actually was. Either that or she did a good job of humouring me! It was nice looking round at the plants and flowers but I did think it was the sort of thing I have to do with John, not Becky.
We continue with map in hand to the volcano and are surprised to see no signs, or eruptions, but walk in the general direction to the big green hill in front of us. We get to the bottom and still no signs so we're guessing we're going in the right direction if we're going up! Turns out we were right and eventually we get there but we seem to be the only ones walking up the hill (as usual, we missed all the clues) and as we near the top feeling quite dehydrated but surely there'll be a cafe there and toilets - no, there won't, we're in New Zealand now! We take photos of the amazing view, we really can see 360* around Auckland. It's hot and dry and fortunately not so humid as Queensland but we've seen enough, seen one panoramic view, you've seen them all!
Heading down is only a little easier than coming up but before long we get back to the city and then the hotel by which time it's about 3. We're hot and bothered but had at least managed to get a bottle of water whilst walking through backpacking heaven, but when we arrive at the hotel and see what's left on some of the tables from afternoon tea, we decide to pluck up courage and ask if we're too late. They go to the kitchen to check and come back and say they can fit us in, but the fruit scones are gone so it may have to be just plain ones - Oh I think I'll cope! So we sit in the beautiful comfy chairs trying to look inconspicuous as we're not really dressed for the occasion, I forgot my pearls for one thing, plus we're pretty hot and sweaty after the Mount Eden visit!
Two glasses of cooled water with ice and lemon refresh us (damn, we just bought water!). We choose our drinks and both feel that it would be wrong to have anything other than tea with our Afternoon Tea even though we're both coffee drinkers. Becky goes for their own Langham Tea whilst I try their own blend of something chinesey which when the waiter brings it out and pours, is pink! It is lovely (i 'm not a big fan of tea) and it would be a shame to spoil it with milk. Then out come two mini ice cream waffle type cornets for starters with salmon mousse in them and they're verrrryy nice. Then comes the afternoon tea plates and the lovely waiter tells us what each of the items are, fortunately there's two of each so no fighting.
We can't remember what any of them were the moment he's gone but tuck in to the middle plate which is the savoury ones. They're so good you want them to stay in your mouth, but then you want to eat them because they taste so good and then try the next thing. We've soon cleared the plate and move to the top layer which are sweet and its the same again, almost too good to eat, but we manage. That's two plates cleared and they must've noticed the way we were shovelling it all down as one of the waiters brought out two fruit scones as he'd noticed we only had plain ones, that's ok we said but he insisted! He must have got them to bake them quickly for us as they came out still warm, yumm! Well, because we then had six scones, we felt really bad about it but we had to leave a couple, one because we were full, two because there was no clotted cream just the artificial type stuff, and three because we've drunk all our tea, but it had certainly been an experience worth having and worth almost every cent! As we sat there feeling very satisfied, I looked around at the other tables and noticed that there were some delicacies left on all the trays - what's the matter with these people? Tempting as it was to go round and eat the leftovers, we managed to stop ourselves!
We roll up to our room feeling full and happy and Becky suggests going to the Breath of the Volcano in the park with the remains of our Fat Bird wine and a bit of food, so she bravely goes back to the park on her own to see if she can get tickets. I'm wary about letting her go on her own but am knackered after the walk up and down the Volcano so I let her go and hope she can find her way there and back and not get mugged, or I'll have to carry on alone!
She gets tickets and good news, it's my Mothers Day present, ideal, thanks Becky! She then very bravely goes out on her own again to get some food for a picnic and then we're off with a towel to sit on, food and wine and a sneaky G&T from a can for Becky. Who knew they did such things, not me - I obviously don't get out enough! We walk in the direction of the park again, this time with quite a crowd of people around us, all headed in the same direction! As we get nearer, it gets busier so we manage to get through the queues and get in with the tickets and then we have to find somewhere on the grass to sit. It's pretty full and there's people everywhere so, trying not to fall over anyone, we eventually find a small plot, place our towel and sit, then we tuck into our sushi starters and oriental noodle type thing, all before it gets dark. It's still filling up around us and I'm surprised by the number of small children parents have brought along thinking they'd enjoy it. I'm pretty sure most of them will be asleep before it starts but what do I know?
There's a Maori singing group performing, the ladies sing their bit, then the men do the Haka which everyone enjoys, and then the ladies do a bit more and despite being near the back and not able to see too well, it was pretty good from where we were so must've been impressive up close. The light has faded, there's barely a cloud in the sky apart from the red glow to the west, or is it the east, and its still quite warm. Lights projected onto the Museum building make it all look quite surreal. At 9.10, by which time it's completely dark, the lights behind us go off and then at 9.15 the show starts. The fireworks go off, there's about 20 men wearing blackout suits with lights attached to them so you can see all their movements and they perform, well walk, across the grassy hill. I'm not sure what they're trying to tell us or what the story is, I can only work out that the fireworks going up are meant to be the Volcano. I'm not so good with artsy stuff, it turns out!
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