On Saturday we decided to walk along the harbor to Achilles Point, 7 miles (each way) from our Princess Wharf location.   Whenever we have the opportunity, we will always opt to walk so we can really “experience” an area.   While the walk was flat and quite stunning, 14 miles was a little tiring.  The beaches were lovely and we stopped in Mission Bay for lunch.   The mostly contemporary homes that dot the coastline were spectacular.   At Achilles Point, the Auckland Fire Department was practicing rescue techniques off the cliff, just east of Ladies Bay Beach.  Ladies Beach has become a popular nude beach for Auckland’s gay community.  With the fire department swarming the beach, there were few others on that beach.

While Melbourne is also on the coast, the central business district (downtown) area is the highlight of the city.  The CBD is filled with very charming alleyways and old Victorian arcades with lovely boutiques along with great cafes and restaurants.  On the other hand,  Auckland is a boat-lover’s dream and is purely focused on beautiful waterfront precincts, boating and ferrying to the many interesting islands off the Hauraki Gulf.   It is also known as the “City of Sails”.   Interestingly, Auckland is one of the few cities in the world to have two harbors on two separate major bodies of water (We did the 12+ mile walk the other day from harbor to harbor).  The one thing that both cities have in common is the outstanding dining establishments.   We have had lots of great seafood and tasty lamb.