The Sky Tower, Auckland

This is the view from my apartment balcony. Not bad really to wake upto for a couple of weeks. The tall tower is the iconic Sky Tower. here is a description.

The Sky Tower is an observation and telecommunications tower located on the corner of Victoria and Federal Streets in the Auckland CBD, Auckland City, New Zealand. It is 328 metres (1,076 ft) tall, as measured from ground level to the top of the mast,[4] making it the tallest man-made structure in the Southern Hemisphere. It has become an iconic landmark in Auckland's skyline due to its height and unique design. It was completed in August 1997.

So why am I in a prison in Auckland? Well as some will know I run a contract research centre in the UK. We work within criminal justice - probation, prisons, courts and police. For some years we have been discussing with this prison a contract to research and evaluate their work on an ongoing basis. We now have a four year contract. Most of the work we do from the UK but this is like an annual service visit to discuss the work, plan for the coming year and see initiatives. I will also be presenting our first evaluation report whilst here, once I have written it! So it's quite an interesting piece of work and someone's got to do it.

So a new day is dawning here so will send and catch up later after my day's work! Off to see a new prison being built today!