Lisa is looking for a job in a vineyard on a nearby island. Meanwhile, Marc and I go into town. We wander through the huge Domain Park. Visit the Auckland Museum. Stand in amazement in front of a 25 metre long Maori war canoe. Sniffing flowers in the greenhouse and wandering through forests of trees that look like they’ve exploded straight from the seed.

Auckland City resembles San Francisco. Quite small, but never cramped. Old and new make a colourful mix. After a portion of sushi, we buy food for the evening. A scoop of mozzarella costs €10. We spend the whole day meeting people from all over the world who live here. I wonder what they eat here. (more…)

I finish my diving course with 90% after a hard night. The last dive goes to 18 metres and is very nice. While diving instructor Andrew tells me about marriage plans on my last evening, his is on the mainland. Saki is also spinning his wheels. He asks a French woman for a massage while his wife listens. She pecks the chickens in the evening in a remarkably aggressive manner.

In the morning, I watch the paradise island of Mana sink into the sea from Saki’s little fishing boat. I keep taking pictures, zooming in closer and closer. At some point the zoom runs out. Paradise sinks into the sea. (more…)