Pronounced "key-aura" and means hello, welcome, and thank you! We are finally getting to know the city and what a beautiful place! New Zealand is a country made up of three islands. We are staying in Auckland, the northern island and since arriving have made our way to Waitomo (pronounced wyatt-omo) and Rotorua (wrote-ur-rua). The history of the country is present everywhere-- from the acknowledgement, embracing, and celebration of it’s indigenous people—to the harbor and coastlines of boats that make this the “city of sails”. We’ve been busy, taking tours around the city and venturing off just about everywhere to cover the country in 5 days. It's a whirlwind...
On the first day (after recovering from jet lag) my father and I boarded this bus to get a quick glimpse of the city. 14 stops in one hour. This is the way I start every city. Of course, we checked into our hotel first, but here is some of the sights as we saw them on the route. 
This is the SKY City Tower. The tallest building in Auckland. We will be having lunch today at the Orbit restaurant, which cirlces the city while you eat. We will then visit the observatory. I have a ridiculous fear of heights but am going anyway....my legs are already tingling and close to going numb just thinking about it.
This is the view from our hotel room. SKY City is adjacent to the convention center and the hub of media and technology for the city. That should explain the huge dishes seen on top of the buildings. Lovely...
And, this is our hotel, SKY City Hotel, in the heart of downtown Auckland.
These are pictures of the harbour and beaches. As a country of islands you can imagine that there are beaches and harbours just about everywhere. The beaches are a bit muddy and have no sand. Still, they are remarkably beautiful.
This is the hillside just outside of Auckland. Everything is so green and plush. Those who say they want to be a green city on blue water need to come here first to really learn what that means. 
This is a bit random but is one of the busiest intersections that I have ever seen. People walk in all directions. 1 in 3 New Zealand residents live in Auckland. So, you can imagine just how busy someof the intersections get. 
That intersection is crazy! I love the picture of the hillside and the boats...how beautiful. So, you're taking like a bus tour or you just hopped on their local bus?
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