New Zealand, the land of the Kiwi's, Lord of the Rings, untamed nature, friendly people, heaps of sheep and ever changing weather. This country stole my heart last time I visited and once again it does not disappoint! We arrived in Auckland and spent our first two weeks in the North Island.
Reverse culture shock
After a 10 hour flight from Manila we arrived in Auckland, the biggest and most multicultural city of New Zealand. After spending almost three months in Asia, it feels like a reverse culture shock to arrive in the clean, modern, well organised New Zealand. Everything suddenly seems extremely expensive, much calmer and also more familiar. It's great that you can just speak the language and enjoy a nice hot shower! But I did spend my first night in NZ with bedbugs (creepy crawlers that bite) while nothing like that happened in Asia. Wifi turned out to be much better in Asia and to be honest, so were many of the hostels in terms of service. In Asia all hostels are pretty much tour operators as well and they will do and organise anything for you. Here you have to find your way on your own. But hey, the way is beautiful.
5 Auckland highlights
1. Strolling around the waterfront and Central Business District (CBD) - Auckland is situated next to the sea, with various islands and peninsulas around it. It makes for a beautiful walk along the waterfront, or go people and boat watching while sipping some amazing coffee. Currently there was quite a lot of construction in the city which took away the vibe somewhat, but it's beautiful. The city itself is a modern mix of highrise buildings, parks, modern shopping streets and plenty of bars and restaurants.
2. Going up to Mount Eden - a short busride away from the city centre you will find Mount Eden, a volcanic crater. You can walk up to the top (pretty easy walking for around 30 min) and enjoy a great view over the city. We went for a sunset!
3. Skytower and Skycity - Like many big cities, Auckland has a high tower that you can go up, the Skytower. Usually I skip these things as they are quite expensive. However this time we did go up and really enjoyed it. From the skydeck you can walk around and see the city, the sea, the volcano island Rangitoto and the streets right below you. Yes you can walk glass so you can look down! We also enjoyed a fairly priced coffee in the sky cafe. After the tower, we went the casino in the skycity (shopping center right next to the skytower). Great fun for an afternoon.
4. Cornwall Park - For a great day hike, take the bus to Cornwall park and walk and around it. You will find yourself sharing the road with cows, sheep and birds. It is the perfect escape from the city and a favorite with the locals. The park contains a hill with a memorial at the top. if you go there, another nice view awaits!
5. Waiheke island - If you like nature, wine and good food, you can take a ferry to waiheke island. This pretty island is full of vineyards where you can taste and eat your way through the afternoon. This time we didn't make it there, but I have very good memories from going there last time.
Did you know? Auckland is not the capital city of New Zealand (anymore). When the European Settlers first came to New Zealand, Auckland was named the capital city, but that only lasted around 25 years before Wellington, much more centrally located, took it's place. Auckland however remains the main industrial center of New Zealand.
Comentários