Arriving Auckland

We left home in driving rain and 45 degree weather.  After some 20 hours on airplanes, we arrived safely and without incident in Auckland  to partial sun and 20 (low 70's) something degrees!  We are working at getting a feel for Celsius.  We cleared  customs easily, walked up to find our three bags rotating the carousel, and exited the area to find Adrian from Quest on Eden looking for us with his sign "Mr. Mark Spee."  What a welcome sight!  We had decided beforehand to arrange a pickup from our little hotel since we have never been to Auckland before.  We have also never traveled by plane so far before.  Amazing to actually "miss" a day.
We hauled our bags into our little one bedroom efficiency apartment (basic but clean and well stocked with a  little kitchen and laundry), took a nap FULLY STRETCHED OUT, and then set out about 5PM to walk and find dinner.  We strolled through Prince Albert Park (finding only a statue of Queen Victoria, not Prince Albert) in the heart of downtown.  The flora was decidedly more southern/tropical looking to us--even palm trees--and, being summer, everything is in bloom.  Beautiful planted formal gardens and old, majestic trees.  Towering in the background was the Sky Tower--akin to our Space Needle.