Auckland

When we arrived in Auckland, we first took care of the important organizational things: applying for an IRD number (tax identification number, without which you are not allowed to work in NZ), opening a New Zealand bank account and buying a car/campervan. As is so often the case in life, the task (IRD number) that we had the most respect for was solved the quickest/easiest and the task (buying a car/campervan) that we were actually looking forward to was or is still being shaped always the most difficult.

The first few nights in Auckland weren't really relaxing as we were both pretty jet lagged. We woke up between 3 and 5 a.m. every night and were actually wide awake. It wasn't the hostel's fault, as it was really nice and looked more like a house than a hostel (we felt very at home and comfortable). The hostel is located right next to a large park and has a beautiful garden. There were also some nice cafes and restaurants right around the corner. Otherwise Auckland is not really earth-shattering. There is a city center with a very nice skyline and a beautiful harbor. Unfortunately we didn't have the best weather (it rained a lot and was quite windy), which meant we couldn't do as much sightseeing.

One day we walked up Mount Eden, a volcano right in Auckland. From this you have a beautiful view over the city. We also took the ferry (45 min drive) to Waiheke Island with a group of other backpackers. Waiheke is a beautiful island just off Auckland known for its wine growing. Here we visited two wineries and hiked across the island or took the bus.

Our stay in Auckland was dominated by the search for a campervan and our jet lag. Since most backpackers arrive between October and December and almost all of them arrive in Auckland, the market for cars and campers in Auckland is quite overpriced and rather moderate. That's why we decided to move on to Wellington, also because we had several campers in sight there. So on Sunday October 8th we took the bus to Wellington.