City of Sails

This past weekend was the first time that we strayed away from EcoQuest! We had a crew of around eight. On Friday night, we watched rugby on the TV and noticed that everyone in the crowd was wearing silly costumes! We woke up early the next day and drove to a Polynesian market near Auckland. It reminded of a flea market that you'd find in the Philippines (Nepo mart!).
We then drove to the Waitangi Day festival which was much better than I thought it'd be. It was very open, and the crowds were manageable. There were plenty of neat vendors selling Polynesian food, crafts, bags, and shirts. I bought a shirt for myself that says "Aoteamoa" with a picture of a Moa (an enormous, extinct bird) on it. "Aoteamoa" is a combination of Aotearoa (which is the Maori word for New Zealand) and Moa. The guy who was selling them was the one who designed it! I also bought a few gifts that I'm excited to give :) The performances were pretty great as well. The local Maori tribe did a few traditional dances that were full of chants and singing. The other acts included the winner of the Australian Idol, who was a Samoan named Stan Walker. He had an awesome voice as predicted, and we heard his song throughout Auckland for the rest of the weekend. The last act that we stayed to watch was a famous New Zealand hip hop group. I then ate some delicious Malaysian food which consisted of curry chicken satay and yummy noodles.
We then took a bus to Auckland and checked in the our hostel (the first hostel I ever stayed in!) It wasn't too sketchy, which was nice. We then explored the clean streets of Auckland. The city was quite modern and beautiful. It reminded me of Vancouver with all it's glass, but a much smaller skyline. Auckland is nicknamed the "city of sails", and had the most extravagant yachts. We bought some more delicious hokey pokey ice cream and wandered around the souvenir shops. We eventually went to this ice bar called "Minus Five" which was quite unique. We were given large insulated jackets with a fuzzy hood and mittens. Everything but the floor was completely ice, even the cups we drank out of! The ice sculptures were amazing! The nightlife of Auckland was very different from Whakatiwai where the bars close at 10 or 11. Even when we got back to the hostel around midnight, the city was still alive and didn't quiet down until four or so. Regardless, I had a fine night of sleep!
The next day we took a ferry out to Rangitoto island, an inactive volcano. There were remains of the lava flow everywhere! We hiked to the top and saw an incredible panoramic view of Auckland and the surrounding bay. The way down was pretty monotonous and hot since we walked on the black road, but as soon as we got to the wharf, Steph and I jumped in the ocean. It felt so refreshing and great to be weightless in the water! Other than the few barnacle scrapes I got, it was a luxurious swim and reminded me of Cliff island.
We took a train back, and it felt comforting to be back "home" at EcoQuest :)