The city of bad drivers & the Hone Heke Lodge 🌈🚎

Auckland - with 1.5 million inhabitants, the largest city in New Zealand and the gateway to the world due to the numerous international flights. At the same time, it is known for having the worst drivers on the island, as every European confidently throws themselves into driving on the left. Even without a car, we had our problems with driving on the left and have been diligently looking both ways on the streets to stay alive. 🚗

We were greeted by a pleasant climate and then faced the biosecurity screening of our backpacks. The question of whether we were bringing fresh food into the country felt like an interrogation in front of a higher regional court, and we became afraid because in the worst case scenario, we faced a $400 fine. Steffi's overpriced apple from Singapore fell victim to this high court. After passing immigration and customs, we continued on to the hotel.🍎⛔️

The next day, we explored Auckland. After the majestic beauty of Singapore, Auckland seemed like the city of Ulm and we felt at home. 🏘

After a visit to the Sky Tower, we took a longer walk to Mount Eden (former volcano) and back.

We took a bus to the north to Kerikeri, to the lovely Hone Heke Lodge. 🚎

After a five-hour bus ride, we carried the 17 kg on our shoulders through the town in 25 degrees heat and arrived visibly exhausted at the hostel, where Dave, the host, greeted us warmly with a glass of water and chocolate. 🍫❤️

After a short break, we followed Dave's tip to check out the Rainbow Waterfalls on a nice little walk. However, it turned out to be a several-hour hike with flip flops and mediocre motivation. But the destination was worth all the effort.🌈

If you're looking for Steffi in vain in the photos - she had 2 'very' unphotogenic days.😬😆