Last week I paid my first ever visit to New Zealand and spent some time in Auckland, the country’s largest urban area. On the Saturday morning I decided to explore the town by foot with no particular destination in mind – just a stroll through the city streets, occasionally turning a corner wherever I noticed something of interest. I began at Viaduct Wharf and made my way to Victoria Park before deviating towards Ponsonby and continuing all the way across the motorway through Newton and south to Mt Eden.

To my great delight, what I saw was unexpectedly cultural and beautiful 😀

I couldn’t help but pay particular interest to the incredible artwork sprawled around the back alleyways… the local Auckland street artists possess some true talent, that’s for sure.  Here are some pics I took of the sheer vibrance, depth, humour and passion I was lucky enough to encounter along my promenade.

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The next day I chanced to pass a political demonstration outside the SkyCity Convention Centre, with hundreds of angry citizens rallying against the way the government currently treats those experiencing poverty. Just up from the protest I found one of my favourite pieces, appearing in the form of a simple chalk sentence scribbled on the exit to the carpark.

Barely a truer word has been spoken.

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If you’ve never visited Auckland before, I’d totally recommend it.

They do say the South Island is more beautiful than the North, but if this is the truth, it’s got a damn lot to live up to!