Auckland skyline.

Fresh (or not so fresh) off the plane from LAX and just a little jet-lagged

Our hotel, the Sebel Suites, in Viaduct Harbour

Room with a view--this was our view overlooking the harbour. On the right hand side on the dock you can see the boat that won New Zealand the first America's Cup.

The same view by night

The same view, looking more to the west

Auckland Harbour Bridge

A view of Auckland's skyline from our hotel

Auckland skyline by night from our hotel

The Sky Tower

Having drinks with John (left) and his Kiwi friends

Ian with John's friend Philip

Having lunch with Eugene, John and Philip at Viaduct Harbour

Eugene, Ian and Allan

Unfortunately, there was no vacation from cooking for Allan.

Dinner in our room

Albert Park

Ian in Albert Park

In the Auckland Domaine

The view across the Harbour from the Domaine to Devonport and Mount Victoria, one of many extinct volcanoes in the Auckland region

The Auckland skyline from the Devonport ferry

A typical Victorian house in Devonport

Allan in Devonport

Auckland on the left and Mount Victoria on the right

Parasurfers at Balmain Beach

Parasurfer

On Mount Victoria, Devonport

Wine tasting at Stonyridge Winery on Waiheke Island

Stonyridge vinyards

A view from Stonyridge vinyards

Allan with the Cabernet Sauvignon vines

Cabernet Sauvignon

The entrance to Stonyridge

Allan in Hyde Park, Sydney

The Sydney Tower

Allan in front of the Sydney Opera House

A tree in the Royal Botanic Gardens

Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge

The Sydney skyline from the Royal Botanic Gardens

At Mrs. Macquarrie's Point

Allan in the Royal Botanic Gardens

Ian in front of the Harbour Bridge

Allan at the Sydney Opera House

Ian in front of the Sydney Opera House

Sydney Cove and Circular Quay

Royal Botanic Gardens

Hibiscus in the Royal Botanic Gardens

A bottle brush flower in Royal Botanic Gardens

This one's for you Alison! Hope it doesn' scare you away from every visiting Australia. It's the only one we saw, the whole time. Really!

See the flying foxes sleeping in the trees?

See them now?

How about now?

In case the last one wasn't close enough, here's a nice close up view. Flying foxes sleep while hanging from the tree branches.

Flying Foxes are really bats, and nocturnal, so once the sun goes down they take flight.

Apparently, if you make a donation and rub this hog's nose, your wish will come true. We're still waiting...

Looking down Oxford Street from Taylor Square

Too good to eat! A cake shop on Oxford Street in Darlinghurst

Oxford Street in Paddington

There is a lot of green space right in the heart of Sydney. There seemed to be lots of people running and playing sports at all times of the day. This shot was taken in the domaine on a Wednesday afternoon.

The Art Gallery of New South Wales

This was taken at Mrs. Macquarrie's Point, across from the Sydney Opera House.

The QVB (Queen Victoria Building) shopping centre

The interior of the QVB

Having dinner with an old friend, Jennifer and her husband, Ron.

Jen and Ian

All good things must come to an end. This shot was taken somewhere over the South Pacific on our way back to Canada.