The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton

So on February 27, 2019, we set out for our dream vacation to New Zealand. A massive snow storm in Toronto caused us to miss our connections in Toronto and Vancouver but our forced lay-over in Vancouver turned out to be perfect. The Executive Hotel Le Soleil at 267 Hornby Street was the great place to stay – a boutique hotel with very comfortable rooms and excellent service.

we spent our day having brunch at De Dutch, walking having along the shoreline past the marina, the Vancouver Rowing Club and on to Stanley Park.

The Bay was alive with boats of all shapes and sizes and float planes rushing to land of take off. The skyline of this exciting city is shaped by the architecturally avant garde!

And then we took a quick peak at the Vancouver Art Gallery’s exhibition From Monet to Matisse and more!

On the way back to the hotel, we witness more reflections of this amazing g city!

Now we’re finally off! As the sun sets on Vancouver, we head off to Auckland aboard fabulous Air New Zealand. What service – they found excellent seats on a full flight and made our 13 and half hour journey fly by!

Now it’s March 2 and we’re a day behind – better hit the ground running but first breakfast at our darling B & B – The Peace and Plenty!

We’re stoked and ready to rock and so off to the ferry (which runs every half hour).

Now C & J are off an “walk-about” in down Auckland. Wow what a great city – so relaxed but buzzy and fun! Lovely parks, fun attractions, beautiful marinas and lovely shops!Such a totally livable city

A visit to Auckland’s Sky Tower is a must even if your stomach churns!

And yup, you can a quick sky dive or sky walk while you’re there!

We walked all around the marina, through Victoria Park and the downtown area. If we had had more time, we would have also gone to the Auckland Art Gallery and other museums.

That said, we did a lovely tour of Auckland’s harbour in the NZL 41 – a gorgeous yacht that won the America’s Cup in 1995. It’s a great sailing experience and very participatory!

What a great experience!

Now it’s March 4 and it’s time to pick up our Venture Tours recreational vehicle from Richard and Hazel Pitt’s lovely home in Waiwera. We over night night there and get our briefing!