Auckland - Day 2 Part 2

Once it stopped raining, we, being the forward-thinking people we are, grabbed our raincoats and headed towards the harbor. When we arrived there, Leonie had the idea that we could take a ferry to one of the surrounding islands. So, we bought tickets and off we went to Waiheke Island.

What we didn't consider is that the rain doesn't simply disappear here, so we just followed it without a care in the world. At the beginning of our four-hour hike, it was still relatively dry, so we chose a longer route. But as predicted, it didn't take long and it started pouring down.

Of course, we bravely continued our hike, accompanied by various birds and their chirping, rabbits, and sheep.

After we had made quite some progress and reached Church Bay, we experienced an unwelcome surprise: 'Storm damages. This way could be unsafe for you!' was written on a neon yellow sign. As we didn't want to take any risks, we went all the way back to the last intersection and continued on a whim. By now, the rain had also received support from its friend, the wind, and it was whipping us mercilessly. Our raincoats stood no chance.

Despite all the inconveniences, it was truly beautiful. Nature as one imagines it in New Zealand, amazing houses that look like they cost a fortune, and a turbulent sea as far as the eye can see.

Back at the hostel, we took a hot shower because we were soaked to the skin.

A good conclusion for today might be: If you receive an emergency rain poncho as a birthday present, make sure to pack it in your backpack on a rainy day and don't leave it in the hostel. Because there, it won't do you any good.

With that said, I wish you all a great day, hopefully with better weather :)

We're going to have dinner now and then we'll be pretty exhausted when we go to bed.