I'm now in New Zealand! I didn't manage to blog again in Malaysia because the wifi was pretty patchy and I was busy and tired from the heat and humidity. Thankfully it didn't rain much at all after the first two days there and I was able to get out and enjoy it more. I saw lots of monkeys (macaques), some Asian water monitors which are huge swimming lizards, geckos, other big lizards, terrapins, lots of birds, a frog and a snake. I spent quite a lot of time exploring the botanical gardens, which is where I saw a lot of the wildlife. I went to the bird park and the butterfly park and got some nice photos of the wildlife without the effort of finding it in the wild! Also on my final day there I decided to give the petting zoo mentioned in my last go a try. It was much quieter than it had been at the weekend and I was able to get up close with some lovely birds and other animals. I seem to be quite appealing to the mosquitoes though as my arms are covered in bites.

I flew to Auckland overnight and arrived yesterday (Thursday 3rd) at lunchtime. I didn't get a lot of sleep in KL as the traffic outside was noisy and they seemed to be doing construction work in the middle of the night. Drivers in KL use their horns almost continuously. I got better at navigating my way above and under the dual carriageways and motorway but the unreliable pavements were still a challenge. Some of them were covered in the kind of tiles you'd use in the shower and they were very slippery when it rained. People would also ride their motorscooters on the pavement without a second thought. I found Kuala Lumpur International Airport pretty confusing. The information screens said to check in using the kiosk, so I did, but then the kiosk told me it couldn't print me a boarding pass as I'd have to go to a check in desk, but it took me ages to figure out where the appropriate check in desk was. Then I dropped my bag and tried to figure out where to go next. I had to get my photo and fingerprints taken again by immigration, then I got my hand luggage scanned, but it was by customs rather than security, so I didn't need to empty my pockets or take my liquids out. Then I had to get on the shuttle train to where my gate was. Security was at the gate. I hate airports that have security at the gate because it means there's no opportunity to pick up any drinks for the flight. The flight was better than London-KL because it wasn't delayed and it was quieter. There was a toddler sat behind me but luckily he slept for most of the flight.

Auckland felt very refreshing when I got out of the airport, almost cold. Today it's been a mix of sunshine and showers, at times warm, at others chilly. I went to Auckland Domain, a large public park, and saw ducklings at the duck ponds. I'm excited to be experiencing my second Spring of the year. There were lovely flowers in the greenhouses and brightly coloured parrots, Eastern Rosellas, which have been introduced from Australia. I'm still pretty tired and jet lagged, having trouble remembering what country I'm in and what day it is, and my legs and shoulders are sore. I've got the rest of today and tomorrow to recover, then another long flight to Perth on Sunday, because I didn't plan my trip very well.