New Zealand is reknowned for its abundance of extreme sports and we've already had numerous opportunities to get involved here in Auckland. We could have bungeed off/abseiled down/walked along the skywalk at the Sky Tower today but we rejected all those lightweight pursuits for a spot of hardcore sock shopping. Oh yes. The temperature is a few degrees chillier here and I only brought two pairs of socks with me whilst Jim's are an international health hazard. We survived our nail biting experience with renewed vigour and lust for life.

After that particular spot of the dullest retail therapy either of us have ever experienced we took the easy route up the Sky Tower - in the lift. It's the tallest structure in the southern hemisphere apparently, at 328m high, and the focal point for the whole of Auckland. You hurtle up to the observation platform in 40 seconds and you can watch the ground disappear through the glass panel in the floor. Jim wasn't too enamoured of that little feature! We'd paid to go to the top level so had to change lifts to make it up to the Skyway. The view from there was brilliant, you got a 360 degree panorama of Auckland, much better than we had imagined.

After that we had a wander to Ponsonby, the area which is meant to be a bit hip with its boutiques and cafes. It was quite nice but after Brunswick Street in Melbourne it all seemed a bit lame! However, I got my falafel fix and Jim had draught Heineken so we were happy bunnies. And tonight we've been to see 'Burn After Reading' at the cinema (quite funny but the acting was a bit hammy - it's no Big Lebowski). It's going to be a cheap one tomorrow...

Miss you all lots x x x