Welcome to Auckland

Schwupp die Wupp, Mom broke through the date wall within 13 hours. Sunday night at 0:05, she took a flight from Buenos Aires to Auckland with Air New Zealand, and bam, she landed there on Tuesday morning at 5:30. I highly recommend flying with Air New Zealand. Excellent service and friendliness! Attention: You must declare anything that could be contaminated in any way. Also, declare your travel pharmacy and throw away all food before immigration in the disposal containers. Otherwise, you'll have to pay 400 NZ dollars. Because: New Zealand is clean, tidy, and foreign germ-free!
"One ring to rule them all..." The moment you arrive at the airport, you dive into the scenery of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit a little bit.

Oh my God, I look exhausted. More like "A flight to rule me..." Mom actually experienced a bit of jet lag for the first time!!!
With the Skybus, you can reach the city from the airport at an affordable price. Just tell the ticket counter the name of the hostel, and they will tell you the stop where you need to get off. You can also get a New Zealand SIM card at the airport for a small fee. WhatsApp unlimited and 4G network.

:-p

Since check-in at the hostel wasn't until 13:00, I made myself breakfast and then went on an exploration tour. A little walk through Albert Park and Auckland Domain, including the Winter Garden, did me good after the long flight.

The kitchen at the hostel was well-equipped. Spices and a community food box included.

However, the jet lag hit me in the late afternoon. Mom in zombie mode and then driving on the left side of the road. I ended up sleeping until late afternoon.
In the evening, there was top-notch kitchen cabaret. Because here, 90% are chicks who just lost the last pieces of their eggshells behind their ears. Wonderful!!! From "how to blend my soup correctly" to "how to turn on the gas stove" to "extremely 'male' flirting", everything was included. But New Zealand is also the right choice for a first long-haul trip/work and travel to get away from the apron strings. New Zealand is said to be one of the safest countries in the world. So, change of audience and resist the urge to have a letdown.

The next day, after sleeping in, I went to Sky City and the harbor.

Auckland doesn't feel quite as big, and you can divide the city a bit if you stay there for several days. So, in the afternoon, there was always a little program called "feet up". Also, from 19:30, there was always rush hour in the kitchen. Therefore, it was good to cook before the big cooking and eating. You know, when Mom gets too hungry, things get critical!

On Thursday, I walked to Mount Eden. The hostel advised me to take the bus for sure. But not for 3km. Mom confidently walks down.
Mount Eden is an extinct volcano from which you can have a wonderful overview of Auckland.

By the way, Auckland was built on more than 40 extinct volcanoes.
Also, I recommend enjoying Auckland at night.

After three days in Auckland, it was time to pick up the campervan and go on a exploration tour of the North Island. The first time in left-hand traffic. Oh dear!

In this spirit: On the trail of the elves, dwarves, hobbits, and orcs!

Have Fun & Be Proud!

Your Jan/Mom