New Zealand > To New Zealand

Today we leave Fiji and return to Auckland. The flight is in the afternoon, so we have time for breakfast. At ten o’clock, we walk to the reception for checkout and say goodbye to the rest of the staff. Even this morning, we receive warm hugs. The funny thing is that many of the ladies look alike—same hairstyle and build. Everywhere in Fiji, it seems we keep seeing the same Fijians. We load our luggage into the car and drive to Nadi one last time. At the international airport, we park the car at the rental company. Then we check in our baggage and go through customs. We are well in time for our flight. In the departure hall, we wait for the call for our flight. At two o’clock, flight NZ 53 takes off toward Auckland, with a flight time of just over two and a half hours. Returning to Auckland gives a sense of familiarity. We follow the same procedures and fill out the same declarations. We are also asked the same questions about whether our hiking boots have been properly cleaned. Just outside the departure hall, a shuttle picks us up to take us to the car rental company. Shuttles from numerous rental companies and hotels come and go. The Hitch rental shuttle arrives shortly, and a little later we get into the Nissan X-Trail. With this car, we will be driving through New Zealand for the next four weeks.

New Zealand - The lively harbour of Auckland

Today, we limit ourselves to exploring the center of Auckland. We set the navigation to the first accommodation in New Zealand. The Quest Apartments are located in central Auckland, near Aotea Square and the Town Hall. The receptionist explains that we can easily reach the harbor by following the street where the hotel is located—“it can’t go wrong.” We follow Queens Road. Queens Road is a major shopping street in Auckland. Although many shops are already closed in the evening, the street is still busy. At the Waterfront and the harbor, it is also lively, with restaurants and bars everywhere. We order a beer at a café overlooking Waitemata Harbour. In the adjacent Mexican restaurant, we eat nachos. Via the Skytower, which at 328 meters is the tallest building in New Zealand, we walk back to the hotel.