While in Auckland for the conference, I took the opportunity to visit the ‘Kelly Tarlton Antartic Encounter & Underwater World.’ Not that it sounds exciting but since it’s about the only place where we could pay an entrance fee (NZD28), we decided to just be tourists and go for it.
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| This is Mr Kelly Tarlton |
This so called themepark / aquarium in Auckland is inspired by Mr Kelly Tarlton's expedition to the Antartic. The first part as you enter the place, they build the house/hut/room to depict how Kelly live in Antartic complete with the sound of the wind or storm and all. I know it sounds like boring but it is not. I sit there for quite awhile just to imagine living there. Harsh, harsh, harsh even if I get to see a polar bear.
Other than visiting Kelly's crib, I have to say that it is quite a pleasant surprise that we get to see some exciting stuff we don’t see in other similar aquarium place, like shark and stingray feeding just inches away from us and entering the penguin tank sitting in a ‘snow cab’. That’s really cool.
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| I know it doesn't look scary but this stingray is about 2 metres in diameter. It is huge! |
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| This is the cliche underwater tunnel ride |
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| The Kelly Tarlton's free shuttle |
Just across from Kelly Tarlton, we walked to Tamaki Drive in Omahu to get a good view of Auckland City from another side. There must be at least a hundred yachts here as well. Obviously Auckland is not named ‘The City of Sails’ for nothing.
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| The jetty |
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| Beautiful yachts at the sea |
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| View of Auckland City and the Sky Tower |
Location : Auckland, New Zealand
Next, My one week winter experience
