Mumble, Nemo, Sebastian and Squidward

As this is my last weekend of vacation before I head back to school next week Mark and I decided to do a few more touristy things on our big list of attractions and sight seeing we want to take part in whilst we are here.

Last night we decided to do the aquarium today - which was fantastic! I think my favourite part of it all was the penguin enclosure with the Antarctic penguins. There were a few species and we happened to be going through at feeding time so we were able to watch them dive into the water and chase the fish being thrown in the tanks. There was also a little crèche (nursery) that housed a few baby penguins. They were so fluffy!

There was also a massive tank that were built around a walking tunnel. The floor moved on its own, sort of like the moving pedways they have at large airports so you could focus on looking up without tripping. The density of fish, sharks, rays and other organisms was spectacular, it was overwhelming to try and take it all in the first go around.

The seahorse kingdom with a large display of seahorses and pipe fish was fantastic. The animals were stunning and so graceful.

There were also some gorgeous salt water aquariums with beautiful tropical fish and corals.

Once back in the car, I asked Mark if we could try out "Moustache" a little milk and cookies bar we had found in downtown Auckland last time we were there. He obliged and we split a delicious Oreo-Marshmallow cookie that was made in a chocolate base. They had milk on tap (regular, chocolate and strawberry) and so many flavors of gourmet cookies it was hard to choose. They even had a little counter/bar area where you could kick back after a hard day's work and indulge your sweet tooth.

Curious George at the Zoo

Tom's last day here was suppose to be spent walking around downtown Auckland, milling about the shops, people watching and having one nice lunch out on the town. We were also going to see if the Cookie Bar was open. The Cookie Bar is a bar, but it has a variety of milks on tap and serves only cookies and sweets on their menu. As we were finishing up buttermilk pancakes and bacon (the real bacon that comes in rashes, not the silly sliced ham they claim to be bacon), I suggested that perhaps instead of taking Tom, who is currently teaching in Korea, to a busy street filled with people to eat in a restaurant, maybe we could do something a little more interesting...the ZOO! Everyone was on board and shortly we were paying our admission to the Auckland Zoo, which in a happy coincidence is pretty much just down the street.

One of the first animals we came across was a crane species known as a Brolga having a slurp from the watering hole.

Next up was one of the most beautiful land turtles I have seen, the great Galapagos Turtle. He was trying to take a nap despite his paparazzi. 

Just around the corner from the Galapagos Turtle was a display of cactus and we just had to stop to take a photo as it is not often that I see such beautiful blooms on cacti 

This little guy, the Cotton Top Tamarin,  was super cute jumping around from branch to branch. 

Next up was the Alligators who were lounging around in the sun. 

From there we looped back around to see the lemurs again as the zoo has interactive programs and the lemurs were being fed by some lucky children who were able to get up close and interact with the cute little guys. 

Why does the orangutan have a blanket on his head? I have only two possible solutions. 

1) It is very hot and he will take any shade he can get 

2) He is mimicking all of the tourists he sees wearing hats as we try and create some shade for ourselves

Another, younger, orangutan is playing with some of the habitat by being both an acrobat and completely relaxed 

The meerkats were busy at work digging tunnels. One of the fantastic things about this exhibit was that there were (child sized) tunnels of clear tubes under parts of their habitats so children were able to climb in and see some of the digging from underground.

 These little guys are some of the world's smallest penguins - the Korora. As you can see, they are a tropical penguin and they are faintly blue in the way that flamingos are faintly pink.

Here is the Tuatara which Mark informs me has been around since the time of the dinosaurs. He is very excited about the whole Jurassic Park thing. 

This heron was one of the animals we felt the worst for in our visit. It was hot, there was not much shade and this guy was in a walk through display so he wasn't even that sheltered from some of the tourists who insisted in getting a bit too close for comfort. 

Some of the ornithology habitats were amazing with all the birds flying here and there. Some of them clearly liked their public and were willing to pose for photos, like this guy the Kea, a bird known for literally destroying cars. 

Even the big cats who are used to this sort of temperature were using their years of experience to find a cool place to lay low during the heat of the day. 

This is Burma, the zoo's Asian Elephant. When we met her, she was out on her daily walk vising the baboon enclosure. From there she went to visit some other friends throughout the zoo. 

More big cats doing what they do best in high heat...finding a heavily shaded area to lay down and observe their public. This guy was beautifully framed by the trees in a way that makes him look as regal as they come in the animal kingdom.

These guys are one of my most favorites to see at any zoo. I am not sure if is the silly one legged stance, the pink colouring of the beaks that look like the belong on a cartoon but I find these guys captivating to look at and observe. 

No zoo is complete without some very large animals, and in addition to the zoo's elephant and their hippopotamuses, they have rhinos! These guys are beautiful and my favorite quote of the day was heard while watching this pair move from side to side in the shade trying to get comfortable. A small child made the observation that the zoo had the sign wrong stating to her father "Why do they call them white rhinoceros if they are grey? Aren't zoo people suppose to know their colours?"

The very last habitat in the African Safari section was the enclosure with the giraffes and the zebras. The observation towers were built up nice and high so you could really get a feel for just how large these beautiful animals are in person. Stunning. 

For those of you who want to see what the zoo has to offer as you plan your trip - Lisa the Tasmanian Devils are arriving next year-  you can visit their link here:

http://www.aucklandzoo.co.nz/explore-the-zoo/meet-the-animals.aspx 

A birthday spent on the beach

This week we had the fantastic opportunity to celebrate Tom's birthday (January 3rd) and celebrate we did! We started the day off by sleeping in (Tom's first birthday wish)...after a week of early wake up calls prompted by the sun filtering through the tent, the sleeping in was appreciated all around. Once up, we spent the bulk of the morning relaxing, hanging out and enjoying breakfast and coffee. That afternoon, we granted Tom's second wish - a trip to the beach. We spent a bit more time in the car, but ended up at an "Ocean Park-esque" beach. There were mud flats for miles at low tide, beautiful sand and water that was warm in the way a bath is warm when you're finished with it and ready to get out of the tub.

This is one of my most favorite trees in New Zealand, they are everywhere and I have affectionately nicknamed them "pineapple trees". This one is especially "pineapple-y"

At home, we were treated to beef bulgolgi that Mark had left marinating all day. Supper was delicious, and Tom even said it was comparable to the authentic stuff he has had in Korea. As it was Tom's birthday, desert had to be cake. I spent the better part of the night before, and the morning of Tom's birthday piecing together my very first homemade ice cream cake. Tom and I picked out the ingredients the night before: chocolate ice cream, fudge and oreo filling and chocolate sprinkles to decorate. Sense a theme?

Clearly, we don't keep birthday candles on hand in the new place so we improvised with a vanilla votive and had Tom blow out the candle and make a wish 

 A slice of the deliciousness (although starting to melt)

                                                      Tom with his slice of birthday cake

A journey into Middle-Earth with Peter Jackson

Well, the last part of this three day excursion was the journey to Hobbiton, the complete movie set of the fictitious land in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Before I get too into the movie set, I want to explain the title. Tom and I had a running joke for the later part of the tour given that at the beginning, another tourist asked if he could take Tom's picture, saying he looked like Peter Jackson. Thus, for the remainder of the tour Tom was the Director. Anyway, the tour began on a very busy property adjacent the farm land where the set remained. They piled us on to a bus from the bustling commotion, and transported us through farmland to the actual set. The owners of the land were wise when they asked to have the sets left in rather than destroyed at the end of the filming, and a very lucrative business was born. We got a few glances of the hobbit holes as we rolled over hills, and were promptly dropped off at the beginning of the walking tour. The guides were very knowledgeable, and took us around the dirt paths to see all the wondrous sights that is the Middle-Earth, Peter Jackson envisioned.

The quaint hobbit holes were in near pristine condition, wildflowers tended by groundskeepers, a real vegetable garden, and only mild weathering of the set. The hobbit holes came in 3 sizes, 60%, 90%, and 100%. Many of the shots were done with children stand ins using the 60% life size holes. The set was much larger than either Tom or I had imagined, and there were many of these little houses built into the hillsides. Although many people were jumping in and out of the way, I did manage to get a few nice shots to give you a feel of the set.

It was absolutely gorgeous, tons to see and so very detailed. We also learned that only 2 of the holes actually had some appreciable interior and were used as backdrop alone. At the top of the hill, the 100% representation of Bag End, the home of both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. This one had a bit of interior, but only enough to create the illusion of a full house for the outside shots or where people were standing in the doorway. Interesting though, the tree above was actually 100 percent artificial, and it was dismantled and rebuilt for the hobbit movies since chronologically it was before the Lord of the Rings (On the first picture in the post, that is the tree on the far left).

And to prove I was there, a picture of me in front of bag end. Anyway, we wandered down the hill to the next hobbit hole, which was the house of Sam, and was also partially done on the inside and 100% size.

As the tour started to close we headed to the last large structure, the Green Dragon, a lifesize building across a stone bridge. Following the thematic sign posts, we arrived at the bridge and the one building that had been modified from the films, the mill, where they added in several components. We then wandered into the Green Dragon which was surprisingly playing some Celtic music that I recognized; I guess they didn't have any hobbit music on hand.

With Peter Jackson at my side, we wandered in where we enjoyed the thematic environment and shared a bit of Cider before heading back to the car and back to Auckland.

But there was one last thing to see on the way out, the last remaining actor on set enjoying an afternoon snack!