After Mark and I visited our boating friends
further north,
we brought Axel’s car back to Auckland. Our German friend was meeting a diving
buddy in Muriwai that afternoon and we decided to join him on a sightseeing
trip in the morning. Axel showed us the local Gannet colony, the extensive
beaches and the wild coastline of this western region. Once back in Auckland,
Mark and I resided in an expensive hostel for two nights. While happily being
part of the more affordable backpacking scene, many years ago, I felt a bit out of place
(and noticeably older) in the tiny room, shared bathroom and sticky, underequipped
communal kitchen.
On Sunday, Axel and Liz handed us the keys to our very own
temporary apartment on K-Road! That was a joyous moment, and for the last week,
Mark and I have truly enjoyed the city life in our spacious and modern flat.
The unlimited running water, the warm, pressurized showers, the decent wireless
internet, the non-stop electricity, the comfortably equipped kitchen and the
roomy walk-in closet (which barely has clothes in it) give us a true feeling of
how the average human being in the western world lives. An enjoyable and
welcome change, that’s for sure! Parks, public transportation and a Chinese
grocery store are within walking distance, together with all the shops and
(ethnic) restaurants you can think of. This is the life, indeed. For now…
One of those days, last week, I met up with my friend
Lisa
and she showed me around Auckland’s street art scene. Knowing all the artists
and having been present at the
annual 2015 All Fresco Street Art Festival, she
proved to be an amazing guide. Her insights as a
street art admirer and
connoisseur added to her knowledge and navigational skills of the city. The
photos underneath don’t do the murals justice, but it was a very interesting experience
to learn and see a bit more of this increasingly popular art form.
Being in such comfort for five days allowed Mark to focus full
time on
the Wirie business and pending projects again, while I managed to plan our
upcoming trip to the South Island… and write some blogs.
:-) This weekend, we are
heading down to Wellington (New Zealand's capital) and then our three week land adventure can begin!
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| One of the Muriwai beaches |
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| The "wild" west coast |
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| Gannet flying over local fishermen |
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| Part of the Gannet colony |
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| Axel and Mark on a cold and windy day |
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| Cave dwelling in Muriwai |
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| Photographer Axel in action! |
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| Axel's hexacopter in action! |
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| Mark trying to do some work in our tiny room (Auckland's BK Hostel) |
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| This one and the photos underneath are some examples of Auckland's street art |
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| Lisa taking one of her hundreds of street art shots! |
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| Auckland's skyline |
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| Lisa being goofy with wings - a little angel! |
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| Liesbet with wings |
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| The reflections in the owl's eyes make this work special |
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| Our favorite work of Auckland street art, by Owen Dippie |
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| The details of this bigger than life master piece are amazing! |
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| Mural of the Maori woman in context of her environment |
I am totally feeling the love with this post Liesbet :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd I am feeling a bit of photo envy too - I am loving the angles and views here (as well as the adorable shots of me :-). My favorites are of Mark, Axel, and Arno in the loft, the Gannet flying over the local fisherman, and Cave dwelling in Muriwai.
Hoping you had a comfortable bus ride and looking forward to seeing your posts on your South Island adventure (anticipating more photo envy to come :-)
Was a wonderful treat for us to vist with you and Mark these past few weeks.