today I woke up 7.30 and I couldn't get back to sleep so I started planning my Day. I was hoping to go to Pasifika and the Zoo as they are right next to each other. It took me over an hour of scouring the Internet to find the right bus, not a single site was helpful! I eventually found a route map and pieced it together from that! Ridiculous! Anyway, I cooked myself some Pasta ready for tea tonight (whose idea was it to hide the washing up equipment when they left me alone in this house??) and eventually left for the bus. With an immense amount of worrying I actually managed to catch the RIGHT one, (Mt Eden Station to Britomart) which I now know isn't all that impressive… All roads lead to Britomart it would seem! I then waited a very long time at a very busy bus stop at Auckland's main bus station and eventually caught a bus to Great north road opposite motion street. Well done me! On the bus I witnessed the most wonderfull coming together of cultures. An older frenchman, decided to engage EVERYONE around him with stories of his life, his upcoming wedding, and quite unapologetically, of his conception! He targeted two couples specifically, as they were closest and at the journey went on, the conversation turned to pronouncing words. The couples were both a French boy with a Japanese girl, and I don't think they knew each other either! It was wonderful watching five people all trying to explain the meaning of different words to each other, but in English, which was no ones first language! It was great. Then we arrived. I looked over at Pasifika and instantly realised the only reason I wanted to go was so I looked like I'd done something worthwhile, “look at Hannah, out in New Zealand, going to cultural festivals” when actually I just wanted to go to the zoo. It looked far too commercial for me, all stages and thousands of people. I was sort of expecting something like the German Market at Christmas only with Pacific islands showcasing their cultures, but it was more like a music festival and it just didn't appeal to me. I decided the wiser thing to do would be to do what I wanted to do, not what I thought I should do because other people would be pleased. So, I went to the zoo. Admission was reduced because Pasifika next door, so that was positive too! I didn't see all that many animals, most of the good ones were hiding, although that depends which you consider 'the good ones' (the big cats, obviously! I got some good photos which I can't post now, but will soon. There where a few VERY high points, most notably, I saw a Kiwi. Not a fruit, not a person, a bird. A real, live, indigenous, endangered brown Kiwi. They are faster and bigger than I expected! I have to admit that this has been a dream of mine since I was a small child and after that I decided I couldn't really complain if I didn't see a single other animal that day. It was only 10 minutes or so later that I saw the eels swimming and I knew I had to be somewhere. I rocketed past all the other enclosures, saying hello to the animals who were there and moving past the animals who weren't. No Servals, No Lions, No Cheetahs!! What a jip! So I said one last good by to the Tiger, who was sulking the other side of the enclosure and hopped on a bus back to Britomart. I'm serious, I HOPPED on a bus! ME!! Literally, the bus that was already at the stop, not even a bus that I had looked up in advance! Although obviously I bought a ticket to where I wanted to go, I didn't just get on any bus, I'm not MAD! And from Britomart I headed towards Mission Bay to SEA LIFE! I knew I needed to be there, so I went. There were stingrays as big as me, Pinguins (go on, say it out loud, you'll sound like a New Zealander!) and Eels in abundance! There were some fascinating Octopods, and I took far to many videos of their beautifully ugly arms, suckers a plenty, swirling around! There were sharks, lovely sharks and best of all the sharks was a little smooth hound! I thought “Hello friend, you are like a little piece of my favourite memories!”. But all these beautiful and wonderful things could never live up to the WONDER and SPLENDOUR of what else they had. I think it was meant to be. I think I was MEANT to go there, I think it was CALLING ME.
ARCHITEUTHIS DUX. If the name sounds familiar but you have no Idea what godly animal I am referring to, then maybe you have heard my song 'Is that okay?'. Obviously not a living god, this was a 12 year old specimen, presumably in formaldehyde (but there was no information) and the most horrifically magnificent decaying animal I have ever seen! I left feeling amazed yet a little unsatisfied, it was my least favourite aquarium, probably just below silent world. It promised more than it delivered. I hopped home on 2 more buses (bringing today's total to 6!) not bad for a bus phobic recluse!
Now I am home, I think I will have to go and buy some more Apples before I leave for Wellington as I will probably not get a chance...I have PLANS for tomorrow and may not get back until the evening, then the next day is all travelling!!
I have sun burn! Love you all!!
(I will post Zoo/Aquarium photos another time when I can.)
