AUCKLAND

Good news – the sun is shinning – but a very chilly 53 degrees this morning.

We took our rental car back to the Nelson airport which was almost fun. You just drive up to the airport and deliver the car – grab your bags and walk into the airport (where there is no security) – check your bags, go to the gate and grab a coffee. It is hard to imagine this is the way it used to be.

We will be boarding outside again in our propeller driven plane in route to Auckland which I am anxious to see.

Good news – we landed safely in Auckland. I took a picture out the window showing the different terrain.

We checked in to the M Social Hotel which has a very cool vibe going on and is in the middle of the action in Auckland.

We ventured out to get some food and found this very cool restaurant called Headquarters. They happen to offer a discount to military, fire fighters and first responders which I found cool. They also offer discounts to airline crews.

Here is what it said on the menu: We only serve 60 mains per hour. It is all about the quality before quantity with us. Please advise us if you are in a rush, otherwise relax and we’ll take care of you. Feel free to ask your waiter for indicative times for service if you wish…if we don’t deliver, we’ll shout you a tequila shot.

Then it went on to display the following quote by George Carlin: “We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. W have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to life not life to years”. Perhaps we can all learn a bit from this quote!

Lastly, it said HQ is noisy and busy – that’s how we run it, it’s an ”added value’ experience, join in, sing and dance. However, if you’d like somewhere quiet please advise us and we will accommodate you, or offer alternatives.

I have never seen a message like this on a menu. Needless to say our meal was spectacular.

They have a sister bar next door called: Little Headquarters which is a bar with a vibe. Claim to fame is 382 kinds of whiskey and 158 kinds of gin. See bar pic below. We hung out here in the evening and had a drink.