The first week (3.12.-11.12.17)

Thanks to airport Wi-Fi and Google Maps, we quickly found a suitable bus and train connection to take us to our first accommodation. However, things turned out differently. While looking for the train station at our first transfer point, a woman approached us and asked where we were going. It turned out that she was driving to the church in Newmarket with her two young girls - the district of Auckland where we needed to go. She kindly offered to give us a ride to the church. We were completely surprised by so much helpfulness and loaded our luggage into her trunk. Soon after, we found ourselves on an informative ride through the streets of Auckland. When we arrived at the church, we decided to walk the last stretch. Not even 20 meters later, while checking the map, we were approached again. This time by a man with a dog, who offered to take us to our accommodation as he was going in that direction anyway. Helpfulness seems to be the middle name of New Zealanders! After receiving some useful tips and facts about the area, we found ourselves right at the correct address. We were warmly welcomed by our hosts Colleen and Clyde (both estimated to be in their late 50s) and were able to immediately settle into our room. Finally, we could unload our luggage! However, due to jet lag setting in, we could only manage a short tour of the center of Newmarket. So, we returned to bed and slept.

The morning of Monday started with a much-needed rest and a breakfast (around seven :-D) filled with a sense of adventure. The plan was to open a bank account and take a train ride to the CBD (Central Business District) of Auckland, the heart of the city. We had no problems with the first point and proudly received our bank cards, which are used to pay for everything here. The system is called EFTPOS and is similar to our card payment system - with the difference that here, everything is paid for with a card. New Zealanders never carry cash. That's how I like it! :-)

Taking the train here is just as great as cashless payment, because there is the so-called AT Hop Card. It costs $10 once and can be loaded with any amount, similar to a prepaid card. When boarding and disembarking, you hold it against a scanner, which records how far you have traveled and deducts the corresponding amount. Trains, buses, and even some ferries can be used with this system. And the best part: with the card, you get half off the regular price!

Once we arrived in the CBD, we strolled along the harbor and enjoyed the beautiful weather. Bright sunshine and blue sky at 24 degrees, while the first snow is falling in Germany - it could be worse.

On Tuesday, we applied for our New Zealand tax numbers. After about 10 days, our 'IRD', as it is called here, will be mailed to us. Together with our newly opened bank account, we have now laid the foundation to officially be able to work here. However, we're not in a hurry to do that just yet.

In the beautiful weather, we then visited the Auckland Domains, a huge park with typical New Zealand rainforest. Huge ferns, palms, and other plants grow densely here. It's very unreal to have this in the middle of the city, but very worth seeing!

In addition, we now each have a New Zealand phone number - thanks to a SIM card from Vodafone New Zealand. We have taken care of all the important things. Time to celebrate! However, it's embarrassing when you accidentally grab Australian wine instead of New Zealand wine in the supermarket. Our host Colleen pointed it out to us with a slight amusement.

On Wednesday, we declared it a beach day. Our destination was Mission Bay and after a twenty-minute train and bus ride, we were able to admire the beautiful setting of clear, turquoise water and white sandy beach. Behind it, a promenade lined with a kind of park with grassy areas and cozy shady spots under New Zealand 'Christmas Trees'. These trees can be found everywhere and are named because they bloom bright red around Christmas time.

Swimming in the South Pacific for the first time was something special. Later, we indulged in Fish & Chips in true Kiwi style, which unfortunately disappointed us - it was too greasy. The guidebook says that Kiwis eat Fish & Chips at least once a week. Well, bon appétit. But we'll definitely give it another chance in a different place.

In the evening, we wanted to make up for our wine faux pas from the previous day and confidently chose a New Zealand wine. However, at the cash register, we were disappointed: no alcohol without a passport, which BOTH of us have to show. Great. So, no wine today.

On Thursday, Mount Eden was on the itinerary, the highest natural elevation in Auckland at 196 meters and also a dormant volcano. The 50-meter-deep crater is covered with grass both inside and out, and after taking a shortcut off the paved path, we quickly regretted it. We got a rash on our legs, itchy eyes, and a runny nose. Yes, even at the other end of the world, you can have hay fever.

However, the view from the top made us forget about our discomfort: an impressive panorama of Auckland's skyline lay before us. After an excessive photo session, we walked to Ponsonby, another district of Auckland. Our destination: 'Ponsonby Central', a former printing house that is now filled with various small cafés, trendy restaurants, a coffee roastery, an organic food market, and other small shops. It's a really charming place, partly covered, partly open-air, very modern and super cozy at the same time. Here, we had to recover with a delicious meal. We had already walked 16 kilometers up until this point. On the way back, we were grateful for a bus. By the way: our favorite part of taking the bus is that absolutely everyone thanks the bus driver when getting off! :-) No one in Berlin would think of doing that. It's a shame, really!

Friday! We were useless for half the day. We were tired and just hung around on the bed. We decided to go out in the evening to take some photos of Auckland at night.

After unsuccessfully trying to walk to the Auckland Harbour Bridge to photograph the city from there (only the motorway), we stumbled upon a 'Night Noodle Market' on our way back to the center - a colorful Asian street food market with all kinds of delicious dishes, unfortunately, with only three vegetarian options. Luckily, those were super tasty, but overall, we can say that the food options in New Zealand restaurants are more meat-heavy. As a vegetarian or even a vegan, you can't be too picky here (unless you cook for yourself, of course).

We also got some great photos of Auckland at night!

On Saturday, we drove to Parnell, the neighborhood right next to Newmarket, and visited the Parnell Rose Gardens. It's mainly a beautiful park, slightly elevated, which provides great views of the city here and there. But the best part was the little bay on the edge of the park! Again, with super clear water and a very idyllic location.

In the evening, we stopped by the park (there are really quite a few of them here) just around the corner from us to attend the annual 'Newmarket Christmas Party'. Colleen and Clyde gave us the tip, and we really had a nice evening, complete with a lit-up Christmas tree, live music, and fireworks.

Nevertheless, it's difficult to get into the Christmas spirit with this summer weather, even though the Kiwis are doing their best. There is Christmas decoration everywhere, and we even discovered a brass band the other day. In the blazing sun, they played Christmas songs in front of a shopping center. :-D

For Sunday, we had a first appointment to view a campervan owned by a German couple. We spent the entire morning researching what to look for when buying a used car. However, one hour before our planned meeting, we received a cancellation. Sold already. Darn it. So, we spent the rest of the day looking for new interesting vans, which led us to just take a short evening walk around Newmarket. Tomorrow morning at 10 a.m., we will check out. Then, we will head north to our new accommodation with Emma and her dog, Mona.