NEW ZEALAND - NORTH ISLAND - DAY 07 - PART 01 - AUCKLAND CITY TOUR

Dah hari ke 7, nak balik Malaysia kami hari ni. Awal pagi kami check out dari hotel. Flight ke Kuala Lumpur melalui Gold Coast pada pukul 6.55 petang. So ada banyak masa lagi untuk kami jalan-jalan lagi. Lepas sarapan ala kadar baki breakfast semalam yang Haziq, our tour guide, belikan, kami pun mulakan our last day's program. 

Pagi ni Haziq bawa kami pusing-pusing bandar Auckland, like city touring la. Then beli souvenir sikit, lunch dan lawat Auckland Sky Tower sebelum ke airport.

Auckland adalah sebuah bandar di North Island New Zealand. Ia adalah kawasan bandar terbesar di negara ini, dengan urban population sekitar 1,628,900 orang (Jun 2018). 

Sebuah bandar yang pelbagai budaya, Auckland adalah tempat tinggal penduduk Polynesia terbesar di dunia. Nama bahasa Māori untuk Auckland ialah Tāmaki atau Tāmaki-makau-rau, yang bermaksud "Tāmaki with a hundred lovers", merujuk kepada kesesuaian tanah suburnya yang berada di hub of waterways yang datangnya dari banyak arah.

Auckland pertama kali diduduki pada sekitar 1350 kerana tanahnya yang subur. Penduduk Māori di kawasan itu dianggarkan telah memuncak pada 20,000 orang sebelum kedatangan orang Eropah.

Saya baca orang-orang mabuk di Auckland ni adalah salah satu masalah yang dihadapi. Lebih dari 1/5 pesakit yang cedera dibawa ke jabatan kecemasan hospital Auckland adalah di bawah pengaruh alkohol. Kes drunken hit-and-run juga ada berlaku. 

Selepas sebuah koloni British ditubuhkan pada tahun 1840, William Hobson, Leftenan Gabenor New Zealand pada masa itu, memilih kawasan itu sebagai his new capital. Dia menamakan kawasan itu untuk George Eden, Earl of Auckland, British First Admiralty.

Ia telah diganti sebagai ibu negara pada tahun 1865 dengan Wellington, tetapi imigrasi ke Auckland tetap ramai, dan ia kekal sebagai bandar yang paling ramai penduduknya di New Zealand. Hari ini, central business district Auckland adalah major financial centre New Zealand.

Kenderaan bermotor beroda 2 ni dipanggil Lime e-scooters yang diperkenalkan di bandar Auckland pada October 2018 sebagai penyelesaian pengangkutan yang inovatif. They are GPS tracked.

Tapi e-scooters ni kena suspended pada Februari 2019 sebab berlaku banyak kemalangan dan kecederaan pengguna kerana masalah brake (wheel lock) pada e-scooter ni. Banyaknya kes kemalangan ini sampai dah lebih dari 1/2 juta NZD duit pembayar cukai NZ digunakan oleh bahagian compensation. Fyi, on March 1st, the ban was lifted.  

Auckland diklasifikasikan sebagai 'Beta + World City' kerana kepentingannya dalam perdagangan, kesenian dan pendidikan.  

Landmarks seperti Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Harbour Bridge, Sky Tower dan banyak muzium, taman, restoran, dan teater adalah antara tarikan pelancong yang penting di bandar ini. 

Walaupun menjadi salah sebuah bandar paling mahal di dunia, Auckland menduduki tempat ketiga dalam '2016 Mercer Quality of Living Survey', menjadikannya 'one of the most liveable cities'.

H&M Auckland, the flagship store.

Wajah bandar Auckland berubah apabila dasar imigrasi kerajaan NZ mula membolehkan pendatang dari Asia pada tahun 1986. 

Menurut data banci tahun 1961, Maori dan Pacific Islanders terdiri dari 5% penduduk Auckland; Asia kurang daripada 1%. Menjelang tahun 2006 penduduk Asia telah mencapai 18% di Auckland, dan 36.2% di pusat bandar. Ketibaan baru dari Hong Kong, Taiwan dan Korea memberikan ciri tersendiri ke kawasan tempat mereka tinggal, sementara pelbagai pendatang lain memperkenalkan masjid, kuil Hindu, halal butchers dan restoran etnik ke pinggir bandar.
🔵 The number of Muslims in New Zealand according to the 2013 census is 46,149, up 28% from 36,072 in the 2006 census.
🔵 There are significant communities of Muslims from the Middle East (Turkey and Lebanon), South Asia (Pakistan, India and Bangladesh) and Southeast Asia. There is also a large Indo-Fijian Muslim community and an equally substantial Somali minority in New Zealand.
🔵 The majority of Muslims in New Zealand are concentrated in the major cities of Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, and Christchurch.
Wikipedia

Is Auckland safe?
'Auckland is generally a very safe place to visit.' 
Boleh ke link ini kalau nak tau Auckland's Safety Index - Source 

Antara cara orang Auckland pergi kerja/move about in the city.

New Zealand Post - the Postal Service. 

Ini Auckland Ferry Terminal. 

🔵 The Auckland Ferry Terminal, sometimes called the Downtown Ferry Terminal or simply Ferry Building, is the hub of the Auckland ferry network that connects Auckland City with suburbs in North Shore, west Auckland, and south Auckland, and islands in the Waitematā Harbour and Hauraki Gulf. The ferry terminal is in the Auckland CBD on the Auckland waterfront. It is at the north end of Queen Street, opposite the Britomart Transport Centre, which is the hub for local buses and trains.
🔵 Built and completed in 1912.
Wikipedia

Is Auckland expensive?

'Housing and costs. The majority of expats will head to New Zealand's main cities of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, with Auckland being significantly more expensive. ... On average a two bedroom apartment in the city will cost around $350–$500 per week'. - Source

What is the deadliest animal in New Zealand?

'New Zealand has no harmful animals like venomous snakes, scorpions or venomous insects, so its sole venomous native spider – the rare katipō – has almost mythical status. Since the late 19th century there have been accidental introductions of the venomous redback and white-tailed spiders from Australia'. - source

Auckland's City Sightseeing Tours.

Is Auckland the biggest city in the world?

'Auckland might have a low population compared to most cities in the world, yet it covers the second-largest area of land per head of population'. - source

Skyswing ni dipanggil Sky Screamer Reverse Bungy. 

🔵 For the fun loving and no so faint hearted there's no better way to touch the abstract notion of what it means to be alive! Taking on the laws of gravity with reckless abandon you'll experience 5gs of liberating force on release as you accelerate to a speed of 200kmph vertically in the air in just two short seconds.
🔵 Flinging into the air high above Auckland's CBD your pod summersaults and springs in an unpredictable adrenaline ride thats bound to induce loud bouts of therapeutic shrieking - there's no better stress reliever. - source

Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki.
'Built in 1888, the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is the largest art institution in New Zealand, housing a collection of more than 15,000 works.' - source

Is New Zealand an independent country?

'New Zealand does not have an Independence Day to celebrate – the country's independence from Britain was gained in many small steps rather than all at once.' - source 

Ini bangunan Auckland Civic Theatre. 

🔵 The Civic Theatre is a large heritage combination performing-arts theatre, live-music venue, and cinema seating 2,378 people in Auckland, New Zealand. 
🔵 First opened on 20 December 1929, it underwent a major renovation and two-year conservation effort in the late 1990s, and was reopened on 20 December 1999 (its 70th birthday). 
🔵 It is a famous example of the atmospheric theatre style wherein lighting and interior design create the illusion of an open sky complete with twinkling stars, giving the audience the impression of being seated in an outdoor auditorium at night.
Wikipedia

Bangunan Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki.

Service Lime e-scooter pernah kena suspended servisnya sebab ada masalah unexpected braking mid-ride. Imagine tengah meluncur laju, tiba-tiba brake. Maunya tak tercampak si penguna ke depan. Sampai ada yang cedera rahang patah! Fyi, masalah yang sama pernah di report dan suspension pernah dibuat earlier this year di 2 bandar di Switzerland tapi the California-based company yang buat e-scooter ni still go ahead and launch di New Zealand. 

Restoran 'Taj Mahal - Indian Food Mantra' tu ada sign 'حلال'. 

Ini Albert Park, Auckland, laid out in 1880s. The western entrance.

'At the top of Victoria Street is a huge sculpture by Chris Booth aptly named Gateway, a fitting entrance for the park, which is an oasis of greenery compared with Victoria Street.' - source

Albert Park.

The University of Auckland, yang ditubuhkan pada tahun 1883, adalah merupakan universiti terbesar di New Zealand.

Ini University of Auckland's Alfred Nathan House. 

🔵 Alfred Nathan House was erected in 1882 as a private home for the Nathan family. They occupied the house until the 1930s when it was converted into a private hospital.
🔵 The University took over the building in 1959, and it is currently occupied by AskAuckland, the Schools Partnership Office, the International Office, and Communications and Marketing.

Source

Ini St Paul's Church, Auckland. 

'St Paul's Church is a historic church in the CBD of Auckland, New Zealand. It is the longest established church in the city and has one of the largest Anglican congregations in Australasia.
St Paul’s is the oldest church in the city of Auckland, built in 1841.' - Source

Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki.

Auckland Sky Tower.

Can you drink the water in New Zealand?

'Except in exceptional circumstances, NZ tapwater is universally safe to drink. Standards exist to ensure that major contaminating organisms such as Protozoa and Cryptosporidium are removed or reduced to safe levels.' - source

Auckland Town Hall.

Ada banyak restoran dan cafes. Yang halal certified pun ada.

Auckland Bus Service. The easiest way to get around Auckland. Just look for the red, green, blue or amber buses.

Ini Fergusson Building, salah satu heritage building di New Zealand. 

🔵 Fergusson Building was the second of three buildings erected in 1929 on the block known at the time as "Civic Square". 
🔵 The Fergusson Building has strong historical links with neighbouring Civic House and the Civic Theatre. These three contemporary buildings have come to be seen as a harmonious entity by many Aucklanders. The Fergusson Building has now been occupied by commercial enterprises for 60 years. - source

Auckland Civic Theatre.

Masa jalan di sidewalks macam ni kena hati-hati sebab at times akan ada tetiba someone swooshing by dengan laju on the Lime e-scooters.

Auckland Civic Theatre.

Queen Street adalah jalan komersial utama di Auckland CBD, Auckland dan pusat penduduk utama New Zealand.

Masa jalan tu ada juga ternampak homeless person sleeping on the sidewalk.

Is New Zealand poor?

'In 2005, an international report found that one in six children in New Zealand were being raised in poverty – making New Zealand children 23rd poorest out of 26 rich nations. In 2009 according to NCCSS, over half a million New Zealanders, including 163,000 children were living in poverty'. - source

Fire and Emergency New Zealand.

'Fire and Emergency New Zealand has nationwide responsibility for fire safety, firefighting, hazardous substance incident response, vehicle extrication and urban search and rescue.'
Wikipedia

Ini bangunan The Strand Arcade.

🔵 One of the oldest arcades in Auckland City, The Strand Arcade dates back to 1910.
🔵 Today many of the 1900’s elements are still visible and the arcade boasts of a number of boutique shops at street level, as well as an expansive East Asian food court downstairs.
Source

Auckland Sky Tower.

Ini bangunan Landmark House.

'Landmark House in Queen Street, Auckland, was designed by Alva Bartley and Norman Wade for the Auckland Electric Power Board and opened in 1929. It is among the few examples of the Chicago commercial Gothic style of skyscraper architecture in New Zealand, where narrow windows and mullions (piers) are used to emphasise the building's height. The building included a corner tower that was lit at night – a beacon of modernity. During the 1980s much of its interior was gutted as part of a neighbouring development.' - source

Singgah kejap di kedai souvenirs.

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