last day for Auckland

We have done our duty to this large city. We've walked a great deal of the parks and preserves, up and down big hills doing homage to the fact that we still can, without standing at the top, panting like bears.
I've been to many art galleries, done some retail window shopping (backpacks are a great way to discourage surperfluous shopping, since you can't carry it.) and eaten in various types of establishments. We've seen some of the most lovely villas you can imagine. They are cottage style victorian building of which they built millions, I'm sure.
We've taken ferries, buses, trains and pathways, enough, in a week to satisfy myself that I have given it my all. We even went to an aquarium that made use of old underground sewage pipes, for an amazing tunnel walkway under the ocean, viewing of fish, kind of place!
Tomorrow, we head off to Rotorua. This is a place with boiling mud pits, mildly active volcanic things and the smell of sulphur. We will go to a Maori Hangi, a feast and dancing singing thing. After that, we will head down to the capital of Art deco, Napier.
I realize in writing this, that there is only a chronicling of activities, and see it will take a while for my impressions of everything I saw and did will take a while to percolate down.
We were in the country yesterday, to visit a farm of friend. The sheep were quite large and all I could think of is how heavy they must seem to themselves when they are wet. I did see a few birds I had not seen before and got the opportunity to see some I had seen before at a better advantage. I had my field glasses with me and took full advantage.
This morning, Saturday, we went to a litle downtown market and had some great coffee. Delish!
The coffee culture here is incredible, you go anywhere and get a great espresso. They make a pretty good egg and whatever hand pie too!
Traffic is heavy during the rush hour, but nothing that Toronto wouldn't consider "moving smoothly" Our hostess despaired at being held up for 15 minutes to cross a bridge over to downtown.
The biggest thing to adjust to is looking to the north for the sun, thus looking left for west and right for east. Daytime temps are warm enough for light hoodies and night time can come close to freezing sometimes. They get full on snow in the south island, but rarely what they call snow to the sea, i:e down on the lower ground and not in the hills. We picnicked out on the balcony for lunch and were almost too warm!
Well, there will be more later, as I tell you about Rotorua.