Winter Distractions

Our first snowboarding trip of the season had dampened our enthusiasm for spontaneous jaunts to the mountain. Now, we checked the weather forecast every day from a week before, and made our decision to go or not by Thursday morning. This sensible approach, combined with dramatically changeable weather meant that we missed some glorious days on the mountain, but also prevented many wasted trips.

On those weekends when we’d stayed in Auckland and sunshine did prevail, we ventured out from home, and went wandering about the city. We’d keep an eye out for advertisements for anything of interest and then explore when the time came. The first of these outings was a trip to the museum to check out a collection of BMWs that had been given custom paint jobs courtesy of a number of the most renowned artists of the 20th century. Valued at over $30million, the complete collection includes 15 cars. Auckland museum had been lent 4 of them, painted by Andy Warhol, Roy Liechtenstein, Frank Stella, and Ken Done. We’d expected more than this, but the free admission should have been a clear indication of the true size of the display.

Never-the-less, we took our time, read the displays, and grabbed the digital moments. After that, we strolled aimlessly around the domain, letting random statues decide the route and gravity dictate the pace.

Sundays in the sun seem to have an amazing way of prompting a complete disregard for the movement of time, and thus an inspired patience to any activity. The flower garden was not on any of my lists for things to check out, but at this moment in time, there was no reason why not. Or, perhaps, there was just no better alternative nearby.

Another weekend, we decided to finally visit one of the oldest and most popular tourist attractions in Auckland. Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World, opened in 1985, is the quintessential example of turning any old crap, with a little ingenuity, into a money spinner.

Sometime before the 1980s, a local marine archaeologist, Kelly, had the bright idea of heating and moulding acrylic sheets into shapes enabling him to construct a transparent tunnel. He then took a bunch of disused sewage tanks, and with the help of a few million gallons of water and his wonderful new tunnel, constructed the beginnings of an underwater world. Since it’s opening in 1985, it has been expanded to include a replica of the hut used by Captain Robert Scott on his tragic expedition to Antarctica, as well as a colony of penguins.
Our reasons for going here though were as much about the journey as the destination. The walk from our apartment is an easy hour or so, along a coastal road with beautiful views. The actual place was a sweet distraction, but was definitely in keeping with New Zealand’s size. Still, it was something we hadn’t done before and was a nice place to spend a few hours in a lazy weekend.

Mt. Eden was our next weekend target. This dormant volcano is the tallest natural feature in Auckland, and as such is a magnet for tourists. For us, it was as good a point as any to walk to, and due to it dominance on the horizon, it drew us towards it like wise men to a star.

Last winter in New Zealand, it felt pretty cold. Not quite cold enough to justify a jacket (most of the time), but when the wind kicked up and tore through your body, you definitely knew it wasn’t shorts weather. That was the country’s coldest winter in 36 years. This year, the wind might have caused the occasional shiver, but there’s probably been more times, when I’ve taken off a layer, rather than crave an additional one. The seasonal changes are far more subtle than the difference a gust of wind or a patch of shade makes on you, and a burst of unadulterated sunshine feels as warm as summer all year round.