A day, two beaches, and three seasons

Since our arrival in Auckland, we haven't even seen the sun, let alone the blue sky of New Zealand. The gray clouds have been hanging over the city for days, and it doesn't seem to be changing today either. Despite the drizzle, we made our way to Mission Bay because we didn't want to miss this sight before continuing our journey. Plus, it's only an 8 km walk there and back. Easy peasy. Occasionally, the rain gave us a few minutes of respite, only to be blown in our faces with full force in the next moment. Strangely enough, not only the rain couldn't decide what it wanted, the temperature also fluctuated wildly.

Hot, cold, no, warm, cold again, stop. No, take off the jacket, put on the jacket, take off the jacket, put on the second jacket. Oh, it's raining. That was unexpected. New Zealand, make up your mind!

After about an hour and a half, we finally arrived at Mission Bay, but we were so drenched that we first went in search of a snack. First, we came across a shop called "The Taste of New Zealand," but - I'm not kidding - they only had ice cream. So we went to the neighboring burger joint. By the way, one of the best burgers I've ever had. Although our expectations weren't particularly high after visiting Burger King on Thursday.

Refreshed and somewhat dry, we made our way down to the beach, which was smaller than we had imagined but still beautiful. Some individuals even went swimming, despite the 12°C outside temperature, gusts of wind, and regular rainfall. A father pushed his son in. He found it funny - crazy New Zealanders. Ulli also had an encounter with the ocean, but probably unintentionally. She was so engrossed in taking photos that she didn't notice the approaching wave in time. But at least she was able to fully test the waterproofness of her shoes. Result of the Ulli test: A+. Feet dry, return trip secured, cold avoided.

In the distance, we saw another beach and decided to explore it as well (we hadn't walked enough today). The so-called Kohimarama Beach is similar in length and shape to Mission Bay. The only noticeable difference: different birds fighting for their territory. The group of seagulls won, there were just so many of them.

When we couldn't enjoy the breathtaking view anymore due to the clouds and rain, we started our way back home. But after a few minutes, the weather once again decided to make a 180° turn, and for the first time since our arrival, we saw the sun and the blue, New Zealand sky. The view felt ten times more beautiful, and the temperature quickly rose. So off went the jacket again - but this time, it stayed off until the end. Thank you, New Zealand, for not changing your mind again.