From Auckland with Love

Heading out to Paihia tomorrow after a lovely week in Auckland.

Here's what I've been up to during the day:
- Walked around looking for a post office and got lost, but saw an amazing public art exhibit and talked to many interesting strangers
- Visited the zoo and saw an elephant in the flesh for the first time ever
- Had a nap at Western Springs park, similar to Beacon Hill but way more freaky birds
- Went to Waiheke Island with a couple other Canadian girls, hung out at Onetangi beach and partied with the locals. Please note locals = 30 dudes who like to share their beer.
- Took a free Auckland day trip, made friends with a dude who looked like a 23 year-old Jude Law, walked over the Harbour bridge in a dorky harness and helmet and watched bungee jumpers, ate fish and chips where the slab of Hoki was the size of my torso, cruised around Devonport
- Refined my tennis skills on the Wii at the hostel pub. Hey! All those lessons DID come in handy!!

And here are a few things I've done in Auckland at night:
- Got in the with bar managers here at the hostel and drank my weight in Jack Daniels and Vodka Lemonade
- Got in the with bar managers at hostels in Australia and other spots in NZ and look forward to their free drinks
-  Received a terrifying kiss from a 50-something Australian hostel bar manager sporting the scariest handle-bar mustache ever, and pretty sure that bad boy isn't just on for Movember
- Waxed an Australian drag queen's nipples so he/she could get a free drink
- Won quiz night by two bonus points, victory achieved due to a porno cartoon I drew of Tony the Tiger getting down with his missus.
- Made friends with Mauri bartenders, British lesbians, Japanese break dancers, Irish skanks, American card sharks, Scottish pool sharks, a smattering of German, Dutch and Danish teenagers and a team of Welsh dudes who like to pull down their short shorts and run around the bar with their asses out. Oh and a lovely dude named Adie with a broken arm who likes to get pirate drunk and run around in a superwoman costume while clutching a sock monkey.
- Enjoyed a burger bigger than my head with beetroot on it at BurgerFuel, yummy goat kebabs and tidal wave after tidal wave of Export Gold lager
- Danced, danced, danced!!

Thanks Auckland, it's been a blast!!!