After a visit to Kings Plant Barn and a few pointers from the friendly staff, we now have our first garden project. Strawberries and tomatoes. Hope it will be fruitful come December.

The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) is a museum located close to Western Springs park and the Auckland Zoo.

[Traction Engine outside the beam engine pump house]

It host a large collection of trains, trams, traction engines, carriages, cars, electrical equipment, and other general science exhibits.

[Pioneers of Aviation Pavilion]

[Old Kodak 'compact' cameras]

Kids had a go at some of the fun stuffs in the challenge zone.

[Liberty's hand on the plasma ball]

[Earthquake Cafe]

Sit in this mock cafe and feel the whole place rumble.

[Two kids cycling against each other]

This is Joaquin’s favourite room… the model train exhibits.

[Model train exhibit]

After spending almost 2 hours in MOTAT 1, we boarded the tram towards MOTAT 2, also known as “Sir Keith Park Memorial Airfield” where all the aircraft exhibits are kept.

Topping off a fun evening, the kids were thrilled to catch a ride on a vintage steam locomotive.

[Vintage steam locomotive]

Link: http://www.motat.org.nz

Looming high above suburban Epsom, Mount Eden is the highest natural point in the whole of Auckland.

[Mount Eden summit]

[At the Mount Eden summit]

It’s not difficult to see why the place draw a lot of tourists. The summit offers a magnificent view of Auckland in all directions.

[Majestic 50 metres deep bowl-like crater]

[Trail around the crater]

[Auckland CBD]

[Harbour bridge and North Shore]

[North Head looked so small from here]

[One Tree Hill]

[Hmm... Kuala Lumpur?]

Other than the durian orchard back in my hometown, I haven’t been to any other Pick-Your-Own (PYO) orchard elsewhere. It’s currently strawberry season until end of January. I came across the address to Massey Gardens & Orchard from the web last week and decided to take the family there.

[The family enjoying the day out at the orchard]

At the entrance stall, we were given buckets for us to pick the strawberries.

[Joaquin having a bite]

[Rows and rows of strawberry plants]

There are 3 blocks of rows and rows of strawberry plants for us to do our picking.

Our buckets were soon filled up.

[Yup, he definitely enjoys it]

On our way out, our bucket weighs in about 1.5kg, slightly above NZD10… but it was worth it.

One thing’s for sure, we’ll definitely be back again.

Massey Gardens & Orchard: 45, State Highway 16, Massey, Auckland.

Rated one of the World’s Top 10 Spa by the Conde Nast Traveller magazine, the Polynesian Spa is a thermal spa on the shore of Lake Rotorua that every tourist here should experience at least once.

In 1878, a priest named Father Mahoney, trekked 80 kilometers from Tauranga to Rotorua to bathe in a hand-dug thermal pool where the current Polynesian Spa is now located. Bathing regularly in the waters over several months, Father Mahoney’s arthritis was greatly alleviated, initiating an international reputation for the therapeutic properties of the hot mineral spring water.

[Polynesian Spa entrance]

A bath house was then opened and operated by the government and interestingly the thermal springs were also the reason for the town of Rotorua being planned. Today, the bath house facility has been leased to a private-owned New Zealand company, and has come to be known as the internationally acclaimed Polynesian Spa.

[Private hot pool]

Private hot pools are available for 30 minutes hire for a minimum of 2 adults (NZD18 per adult), while accompanying children under 6 years old are free.

[The hot pool is around 39 degrees celsius]

For an additional NZD7 per adult, you can upgrade to a deluxe hot pool that offers a panoramic view of Lake Rotorua.

[View from the deluxe pool]

[You can see the thermal gases from here]

[Liberty in the hot pool]

[Liberty in the private changing area]

Link: http://www.polynesianspa.co.nz