New Zealand – Auckland Suburbs

After dropping Lee at the airport I had to go and see man about a dog! Quite literally as I had managed to get a week’s house sit in the suburbs of Auckland. For me this is a great way to see a place up close and personal and have some company.

So meet the pooch…he’s a Labradoodle, five years old and very friendly.

I didn’t think there would be much to write about here but, actually it’s fascinating to me. I’m right on an estuary so lots of birds and some very nice walks for the Pooch (I’m not naming him because I forgot to ask his owners for permission).

The town’s here are very spacious, mostly single storey buildings, in the cities there are taller buildings. The suburbs have wide streets and lots of trees. I think being mostly single storey it makes it seem greener as I can see trees over the top of the buildings.
I also wonder if the timber buildings have less in the way of footings so the roots of trees are not so compacted or troublesome.

The river Whau Estuary is a short walk away. There are several paths or board walks and as it’s warm I have been walking in sandals, only to find I’m getting something fine and sharp in the arch of my foot on every occasion. I’ve tried to find out where this miniscule needle is coming from and I think it’s the broken remnants of the rivers namesake the Whau plant, a kind of Mallow. More specifically it’s seed head which is prickly. The other plant I’ve never seen before is Mangrove (Avicenna marina subsp. australasica). It’s all along the estuary on dense clumps. When the tide is out the aerial roots protrude above the mud. I feel like I’m living in a natural history program (So just imagin me saying all this in a quiet breathless presenters voice, or maybe not!)

Where I am staying at present has a mixed demographic. There seem to be some poorer areas and a really multicultural feel. Walking a dog makes people want to engage with you and language is no barrier as the pooch is encouraged by everyone including an elderly (possibly Korean) lady who chatters away at me. We ended up just grinning at one another.
I find I’m fluent in multi lingual smiling!