It's a big world and I've seen a lot of it, but this is my first time in New Zealand. We arrived very early and made our way about 30 minutes away from the airport to the hotel in Auckland.

We are staying at the Hyatt Regency on Princes Street, across from a very nice park called Prince Albert Park. We can walk down about 3-4 blocks to High Street and go to many different types of restaurants and other shops.

The first seven or eight days was a very long work week. I've been working at the Auckland International Airport in Hanger 3, and worked over 80 hours last week on a 777. I will meet and greet that airplane for the next few weeks with a couple co-workers, every time this particular airplane lands in Auckland.

One amazing thing about New Zealand, for me, is that in all of my driving around, to and from the airport, I have never seen any police cars, no one being stopped for taffic offences, no hiding with radar guns in wait for someone going a little faster than the posted speed, they just don't work that way here. It took me a week before I finally saw a police car!

Another thing that is different, but which I have had a difficult time accepting, is that the street signs, even the freeway signs are not very helpful. Often times, the street signs can't be seen, at least until you're after you needed to see it in order to make the correct turn.

I was lucky enough to drive with a man I am proud to call a friend, Tom, who drove me around and I didn't have to rent a car or drive all week. Another friend, Chuck, has continued this tradition since Tom left and I still don't have to drive!

If you know me well, you would know that I don't like to drive, not even my own car, or even when I know where I'm going. I consider myself a very good driver, I believe even above average. But skill doesn't equate with desire, and I am thrilled to let others drive whenever I can.

Today we had the opportunity to explore, up to a couple of National Parks to the North of Auckland. The first one was Waharau Regional Park which was about 10 miles off the main freeway through winding roads, which ultimately delivered us to a sandy beach area. Very picturesque. We then traveled further North up to Tawhitokino Regional Park, which was a wildlife preserve. This also had a sandy beach, but with adjoining rocky caves. It was windy, but not chilly, even though the entire day ranged from mist to rain, with occasional clearing.

My room here at the Hyatt contains a full kitchen with all the utensils for cooking, even though I normally let water burn. Paraphrasing Richard Nixon, "I'm no cook!".

It also has a washer and dryer, which I've used rather than putting in my laundry for the hotel to clean and return to me, always at exorbitant rates. I'd much rather just do my own. This is great.

Topping off the room, not normally found in hotel rooms in my experience, is a living room, with it's own television, complementing the one in the bedroom. Some of the other guys joked that they could do laps around the middle of the hotel, from the living room, to the bedroom, to the bathroom, to the kitchen, and back to the living room! Very comfortable!

We're going to attempt some other day trips as time allows. We are always on call for work, so that comes first, but as it is possible I will never be back here, I'd like to visit areas outside of the urban complex, which is actually very reminicent of the Puget Sound megalopolis.

I will continue this narrative in the coming days and weeks. Anyone who reads this who has been here and has interesting side trips that we might attempt would be so kind if they post any suggestions...