New Zealand Photo Journal #1 San Francisco to Auckland By Scott David Plumlee

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1 New Zealand Photo Journal #1 San Francisco to Auckland By Scott David Plumlee

2 New Zealand Photo Journal #1, San Francisco to Auckland Copyright 2015 Scott David Plumlee. All text and photography by the author. Map image from Wikimedia Commons. Table of Contents: Walking San Francisco 4 The Pony Express 13 Arriving in Auckland 25 Second day in Auckland 36 About the Author 50 Discover more adventures at: And at:

3 December 4th: Up at 4:30am, arrived at the Kansas City Airport at 6am with boxed bike for a 7:30am flight to Denver, and then almost missed my flight to San Francisco due to snow.

4 I arrived at the San Francisco Airport at 9am, found the international departure gates, and realized how lucky I was to have an 8-hour layover with perfect weather in December to rediscover the Golden Gate City. How awesome is the airport s ceiling sculpture work?

5 I took the BART rail system to downtown San Francisco getting off at the Montgomery station to walk around Chinatown, but first I had to orient myself in this gridless city.

6 It s a good thing that I had a compass on my watch and a map of the downtown city streets, because they are not laid out in a grid system. The bright colors and different smells were very distracting to my mind, and I kept getting lost and disoriented. Coming from rural Kansas to downtown San Francisco kind of felt like culture shock to my senses.

7 I thought these pillows were interesting and found it comical that the princess is smiling and the knight is frowning - definitely a metaphor for the American ideology of marriage.

8 Yeah, I finally found Chinatown and the famous pagoda gates, guarded by lion statues.

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10 Taking my time I hiked along some really nice, but oddly wide, trails through the forest. Once I saw this sign, I realized that these trails had been cleared for cross-country skiing.

11 Although I didn t ride a trolly, I think they re beautiful and I am glad they re still functioning.

12 I crossed bridges along the way, passing over crystal clear, glacial-melt water. I filled my canteen and drank deep, blessed to quench my thirst on such great tasting, natural water.

13 If I was born 150 years ago, no doubt about it, I would have been a Pony Express rider delivering East Coast mail from Marysville, Kansas all the way to Sacramento, California.

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15 I made my way down to the waterfront to get a good look at the Golden Gate Bridge.

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17 I have no idea what type of funky Ford pick-up/van this is, but it s super retro awesome.

18 I couldn t tell you exactly what this is, but it s spinning and very awesome on many levels.

19 Getting closer to the Fisherman s Wharf, I found the Aquarium of the Bay. Unfortunately, I didn t have time to go inside, but I did see some impressive paintings on the outside.

20 Seeing Alcatraz Prison in the distance made me grateful for my freedom to travel.

21 Hmm...which yacht should I take out for a cruise today? asked the devil on my shoulder.

22 The Fisherman s Wharf has hundreds of seriously loud and smelly sea lions to visit with.

23 Enchanted I got my fish-n-chips forests filled dinner, with oddly it s time angled to backtrack trees pushed to the over airport by seasonal and fly avalanched to New Zealand. snow.

24 At the airport, waiting for my flight, I met a fellow globetrotter who just happened to have an extra beer in exchange for a dozen dirty jokes, which I was happy to supply. It always seems that the universe gives you exactly what you need when you need it.

25 Friday, December 6th: What a very LONG flight, in fact I somehow lost a day crossing over the International Dateline -- do I get a refund? Arrived in Auckland at 7am, and had a long delay in the customs department as they unpacked my bike looking for dirt. They made me wipe the frame and tires down with anti-microbial towels. Then they took away my tent, sleeping bag, yoga mat, and hiking shoes to run them through a UV light machine to kill any microbes. I was slightly annoyed, but realized that they are only protecting the fragile New Zealand environment.

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27 December 7th: Woke to the sound of pouring rain, had slow breakfast, quick yoga, and overcame my laziness to go out and explore the city. It was still drizzling when I walked downtown and found this cool drawbridge into the harbour framing the Sky Tower.

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29 I wandered around Auckland and finally found a camp store to buy a butane canister. I then stumbled into a farmer s market, where I got some pork dumplings and rice for lunch.

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31 This is the Sky Tower. I was hesitant to pay the $28 entry fee, until the grey clouds parted and the blue skies came out. Then I couldn t resist my chance to see the view over the city.

32 The elevator up to the top observation deck has a glass floor to see the diminishing ground.

33 220-meters (722 ) above the city definitely changes your perspective. What an amazing view.

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35 If you re feeling rich you can pay to wear a harnessed suit and walk around outside the glass.

36 Sunday, December 8th: On my final day in Auckland, it was a flawless bluebird day so I went back down to the waterfront to photograph the ferry terminal building that I had seen in the rain. What an amazing building, twisting with motion, like the sea herself.

37 As I was admiring this sculpture, peacefully listening to the water splash against the pier, my tranquility was spoiled by a homeless man who kept asking for money. My first reaction was anger, but I calmed myself knowing that I cannot hold others to my expectations.

38 Everyday we make a million decisions! Are our actions and words based on love or fear?

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42 This yacht wins the length award, yet I m sure it s a hassle to sail. Oh, the vanity of the ego.

43 Thanks for joining me on this adventure from San Francisco to Auckland, hope you liked the photos. Won t you join me for my next adventure to bike around the Coromandel Peninsula, and many other international destinations at: htm

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45 I decided to walk away from the waterfront for awhile to see what else this city had to offer and look for some Thai food. This is the brickwork on the sidewalk of a busy pedestrian shopping center. I just love the indigenous Maori art designs that are incorporated into everything.

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50 Thank you for joining me to visit San Francisco and Auckland; I hope you liked the photos. Won t you join me for my next adventure to cycle around the Coromandel Peninsula? If you LOVE this photo journal ebook, please leave a review on Amazon -- Thank You. The author, Scott David Plumlee, seen with a monkey on his head below, is an avid world traveler, photographer, and writer. He has traveled to over 40 countries, taken millions of photos, and is always willing to share his jokes, stories, and philosophies. Plumlee is also the author of the five book Chain and Bead Jewelry series, and currently loving life in Guatemala. Discover more adventures at: Visit my Amazon author page at: /e/b001js5hk0 Friend me on Facebook at: View my jewelry designs at: