After 30 hours travel, with an 8 hour stop off in Hong Kong including a 4 hour express visit to the centre and a wonderful vegetarian meal (thanks to Lynne T), we landed in Auckland mid-day Thursday local time. Clearing the airport, despite "forbidden-food" sniffing dogs, was simpler than we had expected & we immediately sped off to a pre- booked appartment with a South African female taxi driver. Many thousands of South Africans have emmigrated here & you find them everywhere. On Friday morning, on visiting the only kosher shop to buy provisions carrying a large back pack, we were greeted by locals as"here are the backpackers"! We visited the shule complex, which is next to the shop and which has recently been completed rebuilt, is shaped like Noa's Ark & houses a small primary school for 140 children. However, having prayed there over shabbat, we see that it is typical of diaspora communities- the Rabbi has just left but they are struggling on with the help of the Israeli Bnai Akiva shaliach, together with American & South African helpers. The locals do not want Chabad but, without their help , it is difficult to see how this community can progress. We have also found time since arriving to zoom 60 floors up the Sky Tower with its impressive views of the city & harbours ( where we walked this afternoon) as well as shopping for protective clothes to face the elements once we leave for the wilds tomorrow.