2012-01-30
Before coming to Auckland I had heard from multiple people what a crappy city it was, so I was shocked when I arrived and was quite charmed by it. It had a feel of activity that the other cities and towns in New Zealand lacked, but without the intimidation factor of a huge city. Wellington may be the king of wind, Auckland is the "City of Sails". Auckland has 135,000 yachts, the most per capita of any city in the world. About one of every three households owns a boat.
A few kilometers from the center of town is the volcanic "One Tree Hill". When Maori ruled the area, a single sacred tree sat atop the hill. When the British arrived the tree was chopped down and a new one, not native to New Zealand, was eventually planted in its place. It took two attacks by Maori protestors, but the new tree finally died and now One Tree Hill is treeless. However, it still provides a wonderful 360 degree view of the city. The TV show "One Tree Hill" isn't named directly after the hill, but rather named after the eponymous U2 song.