So what have we been doing to keep ourselves busy you ask? There has been an array of activities to keep us occupied! When we first arrived we were on the look out for anything that seemed interesting.  In doing so we have participated in some great activities.  One of my favorites so far was Chinese Lantern Festival.

Every year the Chinese community in Auckland puts on a festival to celebrate the Chinese new year. The back drop for the festival is Albert park in downtown Auckland. We arrived at the park just before sundown and already there was a bustle about the place.  Music and traditional dance entertained from the main stage while festival-goers bounced between the many food stalls offering all sorts of tasty treats from Japanese pancakes, skewered-coconut shrimp and yummy pot stickers (kind of like fried won-tons).

The grounds were decorated all sorts of different lanterns strewn around the park ranging from very simple to highly intricate. Even the trees were adorned with beautiful flowers and Chinese tea pots. The night was truly a whimsical one.

Till next time!