and what have you done to The Lion Tavern?

Day 15 Sun 10th Nov 2024

Yesterday was essentially a recovery day. So to a certain extent was today. We managed to sleep late enough to miss breakfast at the hotel, and they serve breakfast until 11:00 on Sundays. Fortunately there was a cafe across the street that was still doing breakfast. 

Looking around the area near our hotel, the obvious change from forty years ago is the height of the buildings. Forty years ago, most buildings downtown were three to six stories, built in, for want of a better architectural term, colonial style. Today most of the buildings are international concrete and glass, though a few older style buildings remain.

The other major major change is beer. In 1980 there were two choices, Lion Brown, on draught, or Lion Red in bottles. If you were feeling sophisticated Steinlager was usually available.

When we went for dinner, at the Brit Pub, on our first night there was a choice of about fifteen beers, local and international. I decided on a Lion Brown, in a can, for old times sake.

Over breakfast we had made our plans for the day. We decided to go to the Auckland Art Gallery as it was a short walk from where we were.

The ground floor housed an exhibition (although it may be permanent) depicting Maori, Polynesian and European perspectives and relationships to the sea and shore.

The second and third floors house, for want of a better description, European art from c16 to c20. All perfectly good stuff. There is a Pieter Brueghel the Younger, a couple of Picassos, some works by Matisse, for example. But nothing that you wouldn’t find in a gallery in Europe. What you won’t find in a European art gallery is work by Maori and Polynesian artists. Nor will you find work by female New Zealand artists.

I won’t say that they are better artists than Picasso or Matisse, but I feel that they deserve recognition. One artist in particular caught my attention,  A Lois White. She really should be better known internationally.

After our cultural break we went to find the Sky Tower. We could see it from our bedroom window and thought we should go up it.

On the way there I found what had happened to the Lion Tavern, the start of many a run ashore in Auckland.

It doesn’t exist anymore. The building is still there but looks semi derelict, waiting to be turned into another glass and steel office block.

The Skytower, is I think still the tallest building in New Zealand. There is also one other important fact. The Auckland Sky Tower is 19 m taller than the Sydney Tower, mainly due to the radio antenna. It is also slightly taller than the Eiffel Tower.

The view from the top could have been spectacular, but the cloud base descended.

Dinner was at a place called The Angus Steak House,  The steaks were large but well cooked.

Our hotel in Auckland, The Hotel Britomart, was excellent. Possibly not the cheapest digs in town but we would recommend it fully. The staff couldn’t have been more helpful. They also have bikes available for the use of guests.