[New Zealand] Chapter LXVI: In which incidents are narrated which are to be met most anywhere

Our last two days in New Zealand were altogether rather sedate.

On the first day, we passed through Hamilton, where we strolled through the Hamilton Gardens (a dozen or so small themed gardens (Indian, Italian, Maori, Japanese, Chinese, English, Modernist,

Tudor, Kitchen, Herb, etc.), with even more planned, yet already showing signs of age of neglect (not enough green-thumbed volunteers?)), ate at a small pay-by-weight vegan buffet (bringing back fond memories of Taiwan, where we had done that a lot), and even found some time for 50% of us to have a haircut.

On the second day, we nipped into Auckland, where we walked around the crater of Mount Eden (an extinct volcano and the city's highest peak (196m)) and enjoyed the views.

But we left the best for last, as we drove 40km west of Auckland to Muriwai Beach, where we at last saw a gannet colony --- perhaps not from as close as we would have seen one had the Hastings tour taken place, but from pretty close nonetheless, especially when armed with binoculars.

Accommodations:
- Christine's Airbnb unit at 27a Eastglen Road, Auckland (2 nights; ok)

Photo captions: (a-m) Hamilton Gardens; (n-p) Mount Eden and views therefrom; (q-hh) gannets