Running A Thousand Miles: The North Island of New Zealand

Our flight to Auckland left Christchurch around 10:30am on Tuesday.

We arrived right in time for lunch and grabbed a quick bite at an alley cafe before checking into our hostel. We also ventured out to the docks to check out the view from the water.

After relaxing by the water for a bit, we walked over to the Sky Tower for a birdseye view of the city. We went up about 700 feet (or 60ish stories). I was able to use my 5+ year old college ID for a student discount...still got it!

After the tower, we checked into our hostel to rest a bit. I went for a run while Janie and Korie went souvenir shopping. Sorry friends & family...most of your gifts will be coming from Melbourne since I don't have too much room in my small luggage here!

Just from spending one afternoon in Auckland, I can tell it's very different from the South Island. It is much more internationally diverse, populated and developed. It's beautiful by the water, but the city center itself is basically just like any other city (but very hilly).

Wednesday, we woke up and took a 30 minute ferry ride from Auckland to Waiheke Island. The island has a population of about 8,500, but has a school, grocery store, police station, etc. and is fairly well developed. There's about 60 vineyards on the island as well...my kind of place! We took an hour and a half bus tour around the island and then grabbed lunch at a cafe with ocean views and walked around the shops for a bit.

After the ferry back, we took a quick nap back at the hostel before exploring other areas of town for dinner. There are tons of Asian food options around the city...Chinese, Korean, Thai, Indian, etc...and while we love ourselves some Asian food, if you're not in the mood for it, it can be hard to find other (healthy) options. So Korie and I walked, and walked some more, until we stumbled across a neighborhood called Ponsonby and found this cute alleyway lined with street food and small restaurants. It was an instant hit, especially when we found a Mexican restaurant. When we can get a margarita, we will.

It hit the spot and we hurried back home in the cooler "spring" weather.

Thursday, we checked out of the hostel and rented a car to explore some of the north island. We drove about 3 hours south down to the town of Rotorua, home of the Maori natives. We walked around the town a bit and went to a night time market where they had fresh food, desserts, accessories, etc. We all ended up selecting the meat kebobs (3 for $5...a steal) and bought a few dessert items and wine to bring back to the hotel since the temps dropped significantly. It was warm in the afternoon, but fell to 50ish when we were walking around. We ended the night with New Zealand mud facial masks, wine, and a Nashville Netflix binge.

Friday, we woke up and drove 30 minutes south to Wai-O-Tapu where there is an active geyser, natural hot springs and craters on an volcano. We did a little nature walk around the park and went to watch the geyser go off at 10:15.

After that, we drove back to Rotorua and grabbed lunch. We hung around the hotel before taking a shuttle to Te Puia, a native village here. We were greeted with a local chant and accepted into their grounds where we watched some of their native dances and songs.

After their performance, we were invited to join their feast, hanji, where there was a massive buffet of fresh chicken, lamb, beef, seafood, soup, salad, dessert, etc. most of which was cooked in the ground.

It was delicious and a great way to get a taste of their culture (no pun intended). We returned to our hotel in a food coma.

Saturday, we woke up and drove 3 hours back north to Auckland. We rented an AirBnB in a small suburb south of downtown called Mount Eden. So far, I like it a little better than the CBD...more quaint and less crowded. Korie and I took a 30 minute hike up to Mt. Eden, a dormant volcano and the highest point in central Auckland. There are some spectacular views from up there.