Auckland Day 2

Work went well today, and the weather was a little outcast. Everyone's telling me that tomorrow, there would probably be rain & all ... so I should take advantage of whatever good weather today ...

So once we've had the day's events over with, I took a little walk around Auckland by myself.

So, here are the photos for today, along with the commentaries. As usual, click on the photo to get a better view.

A glass of Villa Maria Private Bin Hawkes Bay Merlot 04 ... what a mouthful ... at Tony's Steak and Seafood Restaurant. This place is on Wellesley Street, which is just off Queen Street in Auckland. It says that it serves "Probably The Best Steak In The World" ... and on the account of my dining experience there, I wouldn't dispute that. Not when they're at the home of prime New Zealand beef ...


The Lamb Fillet I had - the lamb was succulent, tender and excellently done. Served here with a mint chutney sauce, potatoes and vegetables. The lamb was served pink, which I prefered. While it may seem like a small dish, let me assure you it was pretty filling.


And for desert, I oredered the Chocolate Mud Cake ... now ... doesn't that look yummy to you? No? No? Yummy or not? It was a delicious slice, served with a generous dollop of cream on the side, plenty of chocolate gravy, and delightful slices of kiwi fruit and rock melon !!! I like ! I like !

And with dinner done, I went up to the Sky City's observation deck. And here's the view of the Viaduct Harbour.

And this is the CBD from the Sky City at night. See if you can actually pick out the City Hall from this picture. The NZ office is just to the north of the City Hall. You would have done well to guess that the CBD of Auckland is pretty modest in comparison to some of the larger cities in the world.

Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand, with a population of around 1.2 million, or so the locals tell me. The entire NZ population is around 4 million, so roughly 1/3 of the population is in Auckland. They told me that in regional center, where population density is lower, it's really hard to find any crowd at all. And I'm a bit surprised because even in the city here, on the street outside my hotel, which is 2 streets away from the main street, I'm already seeing very few people !!

But this is a nice place, with very many nice people, and all around Auckland, I'm seeing a very vibrant city with a good multi racial mix.

I'm leaving for Sydney tomorrow, and blogging will resume on Thursday, I think.