beautiful new zealand!

well, i have been in new zealand now for a few days.  it's going pretty well, i am still getting over the jet lag.  i am staying in a hostel in downtown auckland with some other people in the iep program, which is pretty cool because we are all in the same boat together.  we've been doing some sightseeing, yesterday afternoon we went on the ferry to devonport, this cute little victorian style town on a peninsula up there.  (you'll have to look at a map i guess.)  climbed up mt. victoria and we could see auckland city across the water, and we took a lot of photos.  i've been to the art museums and stuff, the fish market (which was disapointing, unlike pike market in seattle) and today we're going to go to the domain and the new zealand museum.  or whatever it's called.

for as much as i look at my lonely planet guide, i really can't remember the names of things!  i'm going to blame it on the jet lag, heh!

i've been taking photos, but wireless is more expesive here and stuff, and i haven't edited them yet.  i really want to do that before i put them online because i am like that.  but here is one from my flight's approach into auckland airport just before 5am.  yeah, that was a really fun time!  what a great day that was, lol!

also stuff is insanely expensive here.  sunscreen is like $5-$13 NZD for a little bottle (and you  need it, the sun is pretty bad here, at least i have a bottle right now).  books are ridiculous too, the lonely planet australia is selling for $65 NZD new, which is about $50 USD.  so i might break down and beg someone to send it to me because even with mail, it has to be cheaper than that.  right?  and film.  i haven't checked but i bet it's ridiculous.  i have to get used to it, and i have to stop trying to convert everything to american dollars.  i mean, i have to buy shampoo at some point no matter what it costs!

anyway, i am off to enjoy the beautiful sun and the santa claus the bookstore down the street put up.  ah, auckland!