Friday, 21.02., from Tutukaka Coast to Auckland

Once again we wake up to sunrise, have breakfast overlooking the sea, and use all 5 senses to capture the moment so that we can remember it on gray days. With heavy hearts, we say goodbye to the Lighthouse Lookout and Suzy and Brett. And we also take the chutney recipe with us - for Christmas 2020!

As we say goodbye, a Pukeko crosses our path and then disappears into the rosemary hedge. Today it's only a 3-hour drive.

And then Auckland appears, which we already bypassed 3 days ago. Auckland is the largest and most diverse city in New Zealand. Wherever you are in Auckland, the sea is never far away. The water, the islands, and the bays of the surrounding area are as diverse as the city itself. First, we drop off our rental car and then get chauffeured to our accommodation. We are staying in one of the most beautiful neighborhoods, Ponsonby, in a Garden Cottage = a tiny house. Since we are a bit early, we drop off our luggage and have a coffee at Honeybones nearby. We notice another mural and the view of the Skytower in the city center.

Then we take over the Garden Cottage and have dinner in the garden. Afterwards, we take a first walk towards the city center and are delighted by our neighborhood with its beautiful and partly very nicely renovated houses. And we notice how hilly Auckland is and how it goes up and down. After all, Auckland is the city of volcanoes. The last volcanic eruption 600 years ago spewed a lot of lava and left behind 48 erupting mountains within a radius of 20 km. Most of them can be recognized today as green hills and many main roads are built on lava tongues.

Well, let's have a look!!

We stroll through Queensstreet, visit the long-established department store Smith & Caughey's, and give in to a dress for Linni. And then there's not much left and we take the bus almost to our front door. Dinner and a cold Monteith's Pale Ale conclude the day!