Transported back in time

Gee. Christmas Eve eve.

I didn’t have a very good sleep last night. Probably because of the unexpected coffee in the Starbucks gingerbread drink I had.

Pen, however, had a good sleep. And a sleep. And a sleep. She did get up to go to the toilet, but then went back to bed and back to sleep. She didn’t finally wake up until 8.30am. Which was about when I was going to start waking her up.

Me, in the meantime, had had a very quick shower and had gone back to bed to surf the web. Hunting out the bus information for getting to MOTAT.

When we finally got out of the room, we went to one of the many local convenience stores (no dairies around here) and bought a ham and cheese croissant and juice for breakfast, which we brought back to eat.

Before we set off for the day, we contact Ali who’s a mutual Thunderbirds friend and arrange to meet up when we come back from Rangitoto.

Because of the City Rail Link new underground rail network, and the wastewater upgrades that are going on, the bus stop has moved. We went down Wellesley Street and up the other side, but bus 18 wasn’t there (and the bus stop I was expecting wasn’t there either). Pen got on her phone and discovered that the bus stop we wanted was outside St Mathews in the City… In other words, over the road from the Auckland City Hotel.

For anyone who doesn’t know MOTAT, it’s proper name is the Museum Of Transport And Technology. And for anyone who’s wondering why Pen would choose to come halfway around the world to see such a museum, it was because I’ve written about it in my latest, so far unfinished, Thunderbirds story. Not that that had anything to do with it in the end, as we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and almost had to be kicked out at the end of the day.

When we went in, ready to pay, I asked if there were any discounts for people with Heritage New Zealand membership, thinking that I might get $5 off the $19 adult entrance fee. Pen had $10 available to pay for her Senior (overseas) ticket.

He let us both in for nothing. So I gave them a $20 donation.

We were looking for a steam train that I’m sure I remember MOTAT having, but couldn’t find it. But we did see the model train set and we got a ride on one of the Melbourne trams to the Sir Keith Park Station and the Aviation Hall. And we saw the beam engine, pump house, telecommunications, road vehicles, how sound and light works and the technologies that use it, and all sorts of stuff.

Lunch was a Cornish Pasty and then an ice cream.

We both really enjoyed ourselves and still hadn’t seen everything when it was time to leave. And this was despite the fact that most of the live displays weren’t operating. They were probably saving up for tonight’s Christmas lights; something that we had considered going to, but was sold out. (The one time D.C. and I went, we rocked up and got in no trouble.)

We caught the bus back to Queen Street (Central Auckland, not Thames) and got some photos of the Smith and Caughey’s Christmas window. Pen wanted to check out souvenirs, so I left her to mooch down Queen Street doing this, whilst I hared down the street to Photo Warehouse. I told you that I bought a second camera battery when I bought my new camera in September, and that I can’t find. I’ve now bought a third camera battery, so I’ll be sorted for the future. (And I’ll probably walk into the house in a month’s time, and there it will be.)

Pen and I had arranged to meet up alongside the Christmas Tree in Te Komititanga, (formerly QEII Square), but there was a busker setting up, so I stopped at watched him, with occasional glances over my shoulder for Pen. She turned up just as he was getting ready to start his act.

And he was good. “Jack Flash” was originally from Queenstown but had come down from Whangārei. His first trick was to crack a bull whip (to try to whip some enthusiasm out of the crowd.) Then he juggled five balls. Then he went back to his roots and did some cocktail shaker juggling. And finally he “bettered his Guiness World Record” of juggling three flaming torches, whilst blindfolded and balancing on a rola bola. All whilst he was joking with the audience. Pen was a bit iffy watching his final act, but I was okay with it. If, however, it had been knives or something equally sharp…

I enjoyed his show so much, I gave him a $10 donation. And he gave me a handshake for getting into the show.

Pen and I then came back to the hotel, had a bit of a rest, did some downloading and charging, rearranging our bags so that my case/backpack is the only one required, and then went out for some food. We were thinking of getting takeaways and going to Albert Park or Viaduct Harbour, but ended up eating in at a wood fired pizza place over the road from TVNZ, before going on a hunt for some yoghurt and fruit juice for breakfast.

And then we came back, had a bit of cake and a drink, and typed up our blogs.

Tomorrow we’re off to Rangitoto Island where we won’t have a lot of Internet or power, so don’t expect to hear from us until Friday.