Auckland and Mount Eden

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Auckland : Sun 17th:
So we get to Cairns airport and it’s the spookiest thing you’ve ever seen. An absolutely empty airport. Screens, lights. Escalators - everything is still on. But not one person in sight. So we sat around and eventually fell asleep. About 4.30am we picked up our bags and got on the plane. Landed at Brisbane and changed planes. Matt had a minor sulk because the security lady wouldn’t let the sniffer dog sniff his bag, or let him pet the dog.

In the afternoon we arrived in Auckland. It was quite strange to feel a slight nip in the air (10 Degrees Centigrade) for the first time in 4 months, but refreshing. We were a bit lost as to where to start when we first got there so got a bus and went to a backpacker hostel called The Fat Camel and that was about it really. Being a bit jet lagged we got an early night.

Mon 18th:
First thing we spoke to the tour/booking agent Nathan ‘Dribbles’ and got him to phone round for the cheapest campervan and then went for coffee. Met a Vietnamese girl at the coffee stand that had moved here years ago, interesting girl. Had a Chicken Satay Subway, walked round saw the sights - like the tower etc. and other mundanities and then went back to sort out the ‘van.

Got back and found out one of the girls working at the hostel went to school with Leanne (small world). Booked our van with Ezy/Jucy rentals and also booked 3 trips.

At night we drank in the hostel bar and spoke to another couple. The girl was travelling in Oz with some mates but when her taxi driver boyfriend decided to come visit, she decided to go to New Zealand with him instead, for the 2 weeks he was over. Did a quiz with them. Unfortunately the questions were all about the tours sold there and most the people in the quiz worked there. We came 2nd to last. And that was about it. Matt, when he nipped out for a cigarette saw a guy taking photos outside and got chatting. Turns out the guy was a film location scout. Interesting job.

Tue 19th:
Got picked up by the rental firm and went to pick up our campervan. Very similar to the last one, but slightly different layout inside (very yuppyish, but the Britz Backpacker ones are far more practical.) Came with a safe (very James Bond) a portable DVD player and a few other bits. It’s also a diesel which is very odd over here, it’s 40p (English pence) per litre, but you have to pay NZ$3.30 for every 100km you drive in tax. It was also an Automatic.

First stop was food town, stocked up on food blah blah blah.

Then on to Mount Eden. Which is the exact centre of Auckland and also where the monument is, to say that we colonized it is.

It’s basically a big hill on the top of a volcanic crater, but gives you a great view of Auckland from all sides whilst you can see straight down into a dormant volcano’s crater.

So after all that excitement we went straight up North along the East cost to Waipu Cove and stopped there for the night at a nice powered campsite. It was right on Waipu Beach which whilst very pretty wasn’t really of much interest (It’s winter here)

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