New Zealand > The apartment is already occupied

From a note in the apartment, we gather that breakfast is included with the stay. Checking with the reception confirms that this is indeed the case. A simple breakfast is ready in the Balcony Restaurant on the first floor.After breakfast, we walk into Auckland. Near the hotel, we explore the old houses in Queens Town, the wedge-shaped Town Hall, and Aotea Square. Although the square is quiet now, concerts are often held here in the evenings. At the Waterfront, we stroll along Viaduct Harbour—a harbor area with luxury yachts, apartments, and trendy restaurants. This area has only developed into a hotspot in Auckland in recent decades.In the characteristic baroque Ferry Building from 1912, we order coffee. Around eleven o’clock, we are back at the car, ready to drive north. We leave the city via the 43-meter-high Auckland Harbour Bridge. Traffic is busy on the highway. Bottlenecks or on-ramps regularly cause congestion, especially in towns where cross traffic wants to merge.Meanwhile, we receive a message from our accommodation for tonight. We haven’t paid yet. Without payment, we get no information about the key or access. We are unable to make a transfer to the provided account number. As an alternative, we can deposit cash at an ASB Bank. We stop in the next town to visit a bank. The transfer goes surprisingly easily. Done. At least we can sleep tonight.Further along State Highway 1, we turn left toward Waipoua Forest. This natural area is home to very old and massive Kauri trees. These trees grow only on the North Island. In the past, Kauri wood was used to make seaworthy canoes. In Waipoua Forest, we search for the Giant Kauri. We don’t immediately find the right route. Navigation leads us onto an unpaved road, probably toward the middle of the forest. We quickly realize this and adjust the destination to the Giant Kauri. Here we can’t miss it. Numerous cars are already parked along the roadside.Via a wooden walkway, we reach the enormous tree in about five minutes. I estimate the diameter at about five meters. A local Maori guide sings a Maori song for her tour group—a beautiful combination in this setting.It is now half past four in the afternoon, and we still have over 150 kilometers to drive to Russell. To reach Russell, we also need to take a ferry. We set off quickly. The road winds through the mountainous surroundings. In New Zealand, they are not strict about road speeds. Outside of towns, the limit is 100 km/h. That this is practically impossible in most places is considered the driver’s responsibility. Every sharp bend has a recommended speed, which is wise to follow with some margin.At Paihia, we reach the east coast of the North Island. Russell, our destination, lies on the other side of the bay. Just south of Paihia, we join the queue for the ferry.

New Zealand - The Duke of Marlborough is New Zealands oldest restaurant

At this time, the crossing is still busy. We just manage to catch the next ferry. We drive on to Russell.At the cottage, we have received a code for the key to the west studio. Unfortunately, there is no key in the locker—only for the east studio and the main house. What now? We call the owner, but there is no answer. We send him a text message. The man in the west studio received exactly the same instructions yesterday for the key. We could take ‘east,’ but previous guests have just left, and the apartment hasn’t been cleaned.We decide to eat in Russell first, hoping for a response. Unfortunately, nothing has changed when we return. We move into the main house. At least we can sleep here. Unless…Around nine o’clock, two Brazilian families arrive at the main house. They are also trying to reach the owner, without success. By half past nine, we have to do something. Together, we search for a solution. In the main house, we find a cupboard with sheets and make the bed ourselves. The Brazilians are fine with us using two towels from their apartment. The problem seems solved, but it doesn’t feel entirely right.