December 29

On December 29, we took in more sights in Auckland. We ate at an outdoor cafe and shopped at some of the local stores. We have learned much about rugby and cricket.We went sailing in Auckland's main harbor. Each person got a chance to captain the sailboat and for some, it was their first time on the ocean. We had some pretty good bursts of wind and speed - much to the surprise of several passengers - and captains.After sailing, we toured the National Maritime Museum. It had a wonderful history of boats and ships and how each impacted the growth and development of New Zealand. We went to Minus 5 degrees - a lounge made out of ice. All drinks were served in cups made of ice. We also went to a Russian themed lounge. Then we went to a restaurant where we hit the Monday special - 1 kilo of New Zealand green lipped mussels. Toasted bread and mussels was a great meal.We then went to the village of Parnell. We heard of the New Zealand chocolate boutique - where several famous people have enjoyed the chocolate. We enjoyed chocolate drinks and ice cream. Nobody dared try the chocolate pot - a pot of melted dark chocolate served with cream so that one can either drink dark chocolate or milk chocolate.