Weekend Post18 March 2006
Auckland gives SA visitors a feeling of homeNEWLY arrived in Auckland, my wife Irma and I are buying groceries at the local Woolworths in Herne Bay. Everything looks very similar to our supermarket back in Walmer, Port Elizabeth, but just about all the brand names are unfamiliar and the fresh produce is superbly displayed and of a quality we have never seen.
A family pushing a loaded trolley walk past and we can hardly believe our ears – they’re speaking Afrikaans!
A quick look at the phone book lists no fewer than 30 Bothas and 21 Van den Bergs who have made Auckland their new home – and there’s an entire section in the supermarket selling only South African brands.
It’s a long way to get to Auckland from anywhere but it’s a gem of a city. The city’s ultra-modern skyline is dominated by the spectacular Skytower, completed in 1996.
It is the highest structure in the southern hemisphere and looks down on a city of many contrasts and a cosmopolitan mix of inhabitants who exude friendliness, are totally relaxed and have a country of which they are proud.
Founded in 1840, Auckland has a population of 1,5 million. The city and its sprawling suburbs are built around 11 extinct volcanoes and is bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Tasman Sea to the west.
It is a place of hills and many bays which make it something of a nightmare for visitors to find their way around. There seem to be no straight or flat roads anywhere and it’s very easy to get lost.
Once on the motorway system it’s a lot easier to reach your destination quickly and the Skytower stands out as an orientation beacon wherever you travel in or outside the city.
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Summertime in Auckland is very similar to our own but the winters are significantly colder and wetter and because the city is situated at the nearest part of the North Island, the influence of two oceans can account for frequent and drastic weather changes.
FITNESS CAPITAL
Aucklanders are sport crazy and keeping fit and healthy is a national pastime. Wherever your travel joggers and cyclists are a common sight and eating healthily seems almost a fetish.
There is a huge oriental influence in the city and nowhere is it more evident than in the main shopping thoroughfare, Queen Street, which runs through the heart of the city down into the incredible waterfront.
The smart stores, boutiques and souvenir shops are interspersed with restaurants specialising in every type of Asian cuisine.
The city centre’s architecture is a mixture of Victorian gabled elegance contrasted with ultra-modern glazed skyscrapers, all of which adjoin the busy harbour, ferry terminal and vibrant waterfront.
PUBS, PARKS, PICKET FENCES
So much in New Zealand reminds the traveller of England. There are English-style pubs on almost every corner and for the beer enthusiast there is a huge variety of New Zealand beers on tap or bottled wherever you travel on the two islands.
Every pub has a TV sports screen and rugby is the real passion: The All Blacks enjoy the status of royalty.
The annual rainfall is substantial and there are many beautiful parks in and around the city. The city’s main park, The Domain, is a haven of green lawns and leafy trees where you can relax and enjoy the tranquility of nature.
In the suburbs, the buildings are mainly late Victorian and diverse in character and architectural detail.
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Older residential areas feature traditional New Zealand architecture. Virtually every house is built of timber and the style at the turn of the 20th century was distinctly cottagey and ornate. The balconies, gable and dormer windows are decorated with filigreed timber ornamentation and white is the predominant colour.
AMAZING BOATS
As you cross Auckland’s answer to the Sydney Harbour Bridge to reach the north shore you are treated to a breathtaking view of the city skyline across its main marina.
There can be few places in the world where you see so many pleasure craft moored in one place. Sailing is another insatiable passion in this country which has the highest per-capita boat population in the world.
Auckland is a yachtsman’s paradise as it’s built around a conglomeration of deep bays and many small islands which form a protective barrier to the oceans on either side.
THE GREY CONNECTION
In Albert Park, adjacent to Auckland University, there is a fine marble statue of Sir George Grey, governor of the colony in the mid-1850s. One of his duties had been to set up institutions of learning and in 1850 he founded the Auckland Grammar School for Boys.
Of course Sir George did the same in South Africa, founding Grey School in Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth’s own Grey Institute. In the year of The Grey’s 150-year celebrations it was interesting to discover this connection in a far and distant land.
LASTING IMPRESSIONS
Sitting in our garden in Essexvale with the braai fire going it is hard to believe that just weeks ago we were on the other side of the world with our Kiwi family.
Our lasting impressions of that country is that it has few problems and a lot to be happy about. Like our own land, much leisure time is spent outdoors and sport is a vital ingredient of life.
New Zealand has minimal crime, there are very few beggars and, with a population of 3,5 million, the country and cities are not congested.
The local currency is strong, about R4 to $1 NZ, and tourism is a big and well-organised industry.
New Zealand is safe and scrupulously clean. The population is friendly and there is no sign of road-rage and the sort of aggression we have become accustomed to living with in South Africa.
The distance and cost of getting there is daunting but for anyone who is prepared to make these sacrifices, “The Land of the Long White Cloud†and Auckland in particular are destinations without equal.
