19 May, Auckland to Whitianga
Though we have only been in New Zealand a short while, and this is only our first stop, I am already in awe of the country. Auckland is a beautiful city, and experiencing the people and the culture is wonderful. Our days haven’t been packed yet, but that is much appreciated, because we are all still getting over the jet-lag, and enjoy having the freedom to explore the city in small groups.
Day 1 we landed in Auckland at 6 in the morning (NZ time), and spent the morning driving around the city and exploring various parts of it. We were all exhausted at this point, and to be honest I don’t think a single person was able to stay awake for the entire tour, but it was still exciting getting our first look at the place we’d all been dreaming about for months. We grabbed lunch in Devonport and explored around, before all going up 60 stories into the SkyTower overlooking the whole city. The view was wonderful, especially because we could see all the places we’d been wandering through that day.
Day 2 began with a choral workshop with Dr. Karen Grylls, and then we went to see the Holy Trinity Cathedral which has been in construction for 3 years, just now putting on the final touches. We sang “Le Pont Mirabeau” in a side chapel of the church, and then “Daemon Iripetit Coridus” in the main area – the final climactic chord echoed through the building up to the ceiling, shocking and somewhat startling us all. After that, we explored the War Museum and Memorial area. Being introduced to the rich history of New Zealand and the Maori people was incredibly interesting.
Day 3 we were set loose on Auckland, and allowed to go wherever we desired in the city – some went to art museums, others to the park, and myself and some others just wandered the city and the wharf. We reconvened in the afternoon at Takapuna Methodist Church, to have our first concert – a joint concert with the Auckland Youth Choir. Performing a couple of songs with them was phenomenal – their choir has about 100 members, and the sound we made singing together was incredibly powerful. It was also neat getting to meet Kiwis our age, and talking about the differences in their experiences and ours. In particular, we discussed American versus New Zealand slang, and the various phrases we used daily but almost never thought about.
The trip thus far has been phenomenal; all of us are in awe of just how beautiful the country is, and cannot wait to see the sights that await us.