Our last stop on the cruise was Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand.  We sailed into the busy harbor and got our first look at the impressive skyline of the city.  We didn't book any tours, so we planned on exploring Auckland on our own.

     We strolled through the busy streets of downtown Auckland and decided to take a trip to the top of the Sky Tower, which rises over 1,000 feet above the city.  The ride up the elevator, with the window in the floor, was exhilarating.  We  strolled around the observation deck and took in the spectacular view of the surrounding area.

     We figured out the public transportation schedule and caught an accessible bus that took us along the harbor to Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium.  We were really impressed with the underwater tunnels that got us up close to the wide variety of fish in the exhibit.  The sight of a large shark swimming inches above my head sent chills down my spine.  The penguin exhibit was another one of our favorites.  It took us a moment to realize that the slow moving creatures were real and we enjoyed watching their antics in the natural setting.  We bought    some souvenirs and managed to catch a bus back to the ship.

     We got one last look at New Zealand as the ship headed out of the harbor.  It was a remarkable trip and we were glad that we had overcome our concerns so that we could experience some of the "land down under"..