Ponsonby Street

Auckland!
The Good One! When I was camping at Lake Tarawera I picked up a local newspaper that had an article featuring the best cafes in Auckland. The Good One was one in their listing, and it was fantastic! It was so cute, walking up I could barely tell it was a cafe. Virtually unmarked door, tiny sign. But as I stepped in it was the cutest coffee shop. Clearly decorated by someone who loved coffee. Very eclectic and so homey. I got a milkshake, as recommended by the article and my love of ice cream, and it was amazingly good!
Kiwis are a lot less "Politically Correct" than people in the US are as I can tell. We also received pens in our orientation packets that read "Jump Into Bed With Us," advertising for a traveling company.
There are signs of US influence almost everywhere! This is a burger place I found on Ponsonby. I may have to try it, when I think of fantastic burgers admittedly Wisconsin isn't what comes to mind!
From what I have observed so far, NZers, immigrants and Maori both, are very protective of the environment. Compared to other countries I have visited, there is very little rubbish left on the sides of the roads, parks and beaches are clean, and even city streets have much less debris than in the states.
The opinion of Americans is, from what I can tell, quite mixed. One tour guide we had in Te Puia made a remark on how US foreign policy was "asking once, getting denied. Asking again, getting denied. And then invading." The Kiwis I have encountered are very interested in the United States, in our healthcare troubles and in Obama! I haven't gotten into any arguments, but perhaps it's because my beliefs are similar!

One of the many beautiful churches in Auckland; this one is on Ponsonby Street. Regarded as a "main street" in Auckland, Ponsonby features many restaurants and small shops. Different than Queen St though, most of these are higher end and much more expensive.

Finally an ice cream stop at Kahiti Dairy. On the field camp portion of this program, one of our instructors who works at the University of Auckland told us the best ice cream place in the city was unquestionably Kahiti. And though I haven't tried everywhere yet, this is definitely a contender!

Until next time!