![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.jimmypribble.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/A1-and-Taste-of-Aukland-595.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThere are lots of interesting cars in NZ, but what surprised me was how much American Iron I saw. I saw more old Mustangs on the street in NZ, than I see on the street in the US. Lots of hotrods, like this old Pontiac.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThis dilapidated downtown building, located in the midst of modern hotels and office building, was covered top-to-bottom in graffiti. It’s such an anomaly for the area and the graffiti coverage is so thorough, that it almost looks like a deliberate art project. Almost. I always wanted to take my camera and go through, but I never got around to it. Maybe next time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Update: The building is the Yates Building. It is 99 years old and has been vacant for more than a decade. It has been declared a heritage site and the mayor ordered a clean-up that began just after the Christmas break, which is exactly when I left. It looks like I missed my chance.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Another interesting tree at the park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the Auckland Museum<\/a> cultural demonstration, a Maori shows what he might look like, just before he kills some white people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A dinosaur skeleton at the Auckland Museum<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The view from our walk through Stony Batter Historical Reserve<\/a>, on Waiheke Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How could I have a proper photo blog of New Zealand without sheep?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moonwatcher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My friend Nabraj Khatri at Mudbrick Vineyard and Restaurant<\/a> on Waiheke Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The view from the deck of the ferry, sailing back to the mainland from Waiheke Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n New Zealand green-lipped mussels at Auckland Fish Market<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shrimp at Auckland Fish Market<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The skipper of our America’s Cup racing boat<\/a>, climbs 34 meters to the top of the mast to look for the wind. Unfortunately, he did not find any that day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fastest sailboat in New Zealand, the Vodafone trimaran. In the background is the Vodafone building, where I worked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Breakfast at Soljans Estate Cafe<\/a>. Mushroom \u00c3\u00a1 la greque with caramelized onions, herb potato hashcake, poached eggs, bacon, smoked paprika oil, red wine infusion and hollandaise sauce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a gannet. This is how you find dolphins and whales. The dolphins gather huge schools of fish and trap them near the surface. Then they eat the fish. The gannets fly from shore out to where the dolphins have gathered the schools of fish and then they eat the fish. Sometimes whales come along and they eat the fish, too. The dolphins are doing all the work, but everybody eats…except the fish. It sucks to be a fish. Anyway, follow the gannets from the shore and they will lead you to dolphins, whales, and scenes like these.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There were moments when so many birds would follow each other that it looked like a waterfall of birds, falling into the sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is what gannets looks like, just before they hit the water at 100 kph. They pull their wings back and against their body. Air sacs in their head and neck inflate to keep their neck from breaking. Special lenses cover their eyes, which not only protect the eyes, but also offset the refraction caused by the water, allowing the bird to hit its target properly. The eyes of the bird are also set more forward than in most birds, to allow good binocular vision. The vision of the gannet has to be outstanding, because if the bird hits anything at speed (another bird, a dolphin, errant flotsam), it will be crippled or killed immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh the fishmanity!<\/p>\n\n\n\n A starry night? The Milky Way? No. After the massacre, the sea is littered with fish scales, glinting in the sun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The skipper wasn’t about to be left out. He quickly caught a fish, cleaned it…<\/p>\n\n\n\n …and we were eating it in less than 30 minutes. The freshest fish I have ever eaten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s really difficult to catch a dolphin coming all the way out of the water. They usually don’t do that. It took two dolphin-watching trips, but I finally got lucky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, this is my favorite. A mother and her day-old calf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The black sand of Muriwai Beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beautiful rock formations on the shoreline of Muriwai Beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gannet Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another view of Gannet Island. Okay, I doubt this is called Gannet Island, but that’s what I call it. It seems like they have a lock on the population, so they should just go ahead and make it their own sovereign nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n