Glenbrook Vintage Railway - March 2009

The mission of the Railway Enthusiasts Society Inc. is, as they express on their website, to "foster an intelligent interest in railways and in their operation and development generally." Thus we jumped on our friends' idea a couple weeks ago and gave E an opportunity to expand his interest in trains "intelligently."

After a fifty-minute drive south of Auckland, we caught a ride on a vintage train pulled by a steam engine. Construction of the Glenbrook Vintage Railway began in 1970and in 1977 the Railway opened (25-minute ride each way). Interestingly, "the Railway is not a museum as such, but rather a fully self-supporting, operating steam railway, built almost entirely by volunteer labour."

























Before we hopped on the train, we had a picnic and the kids played a bit.









As the train slowly rolled onto the station, we made our way to the platform.



Inside the train car, the kids had a blast trying out different seats, looking through (hanging out) the windows, and running up and down the isles.

























After the train brought us back to the station, we decided to end the afternoon in Mission Bay. Originally known for its Mission House built in 1859, these days, this eastern precinct of Auckland is known for its golden beach and thriving café scene.

Some of us enjoyed our coffee and others played some more.

City of Sails - Part 2: Viaduct Harbour and Princes Wharf

A couple weeks ago we treated E to an exciting bus trip to Auckland. This being his second bus trip, E knew better: he did not press the "stop-on-demand" button every time Eric was not looking at him and he refrained from snatching and playing with the emergency-exit hammer.

The reason why we put E on a bus was two-fold: E's favorite song these days is "The Wheels on the Bus..." and we wanted to visit New Zealand National Maritime Museum.

After the boys got off the bus (I had driven to the city), we strolled towards the museum along Viaduct Harbour. During the day Viaduct Harbour is a relaxing place to go for a walk, or sit on the benches positioned along the water’s edge, soaking up the views across Waitemata Harbour and the Hauraki Gulf.





And at night, found on the edge of Auckland’s business district, Viaduct Harbour is one of the most alive places in Auckland. There are many restaurants, bars, hotels, and apartments. It is also the centre of frequent events and art installations with vibrant atmosphere.

















Viaduct Harbour provides apparently premium Marina facilities.





E really wanted to "hop on" one of the fancy boats. Eric and I sadly had to explain to him that "we did not have the key."



We knew exactly how he felt...



Before we visisted the museum, we caught a glimpse of an air show.



The exhibitions at the museum were not as engaging or child-friendly as the ones in South Australian Maritime Museum in Port Adelide which we had visited a few months ago. Still E seemed to have fun.















We left the museum late in the afternoon and had an early dinner nearby.



We then walked to Princes Wharf. It was opened in 1924 and now contains the renovated Overseas Passenger Terminal, a Hilton hotel, restaurants as well as apartments, offices and a parking building.



A little further east along Quay Street there is Auckland Ferry Terminal, also sometimes called the Downtown Ferry Terminal. It is the hub of the Auckland ferry network which connects Auckland City with the wider Auckland area. It was completed in 1912 and then extensively restored between 1986 and 1988.









E enjoyed watching ferry boats come and go.



And he loved his chocolate gelato.



After dessert and enjoyable afternoon we headed back home.