REAL TALK WITH DANIELLE - Adventures in Auckland
/We only spent 3 days in Auckland, and yet it feels like we did so much more. I had a major “Come To Jesus” moment after our first night, which was that I’m done staying in hostels. Don’t get me wrong, hostels are great for a lot of things. They usually are right in the city center, offer free breakfast, and host tons of travelers. However, there are things I could tolerate in college that I am just a little too bougie for these days. Grimy showers, buggy accomodations, and weird smells are just a few of these things. So at the ripe old age of twenty-six, I am digging my hostel years a grave, thanking them for the memories, and never looking back.
Thankfully, we were able to find an AirBNB at the last minute. I was worried what this upgrade would do to the budget, but I realized it’s a trade-off because I feel a lot more willing to cook in these AirBNBs than the gross hostel kitchens. And cooking instead of eating out goes a long way in Auckland. Our host was wonderful - she had two cats, and she gave a lot of great suggestions for what to do in the area. Here are the highlights from our time in Auckland:
Activities:
Auckland Domain: This place is a super cute park, similar to Central Park in NYC, but a lot more hills, as Auckland is built on a bunch of volcanoes. Definite #1 best place to hang out, walk, or take ethereal pictures in the trees!
War Memorial Museum: The 1st floor had an enormous exhibit dedicated to Maori culture. Like, it had a literal ancestral house inside of the museum that we walked into with just our socks on! The 2nd floor had an exhibit which really emphasized the point that the New Zealand volcanoes can and will erupt, and there is no way to know when it happens... comforting. By the 3rd floor, I was too wound up in my awareness of my mortality to absorb any more information from the WWI and WWII exhibits - but there were some cool planes inside. The museum was $25 NZD each, and had some surprisingly good espresso and sandwiches near the entrance. There is also a Maori show at the museum, but we decided to skip it because $$$
Mount Rangitoto: Hiking is pretty brand spanking new to me, and this was an amazing hike. I’ll be honest, it was a moderate level of difficulty, and I did a lot of bitching and moaning... but after about an hour we reached the summit of the volcano (850 feet high) and saw some beautiful views of Auckland that were well worth it. On the way down, we also saw Lava Caves that had formed from the volcano’s initial eruption 600 years ago. ALSO, a proud moment for me, I learned that hiking is hard, and you’re supposed to not focus on the fact that it’s hard while you’re doing it. So Terrance and I sang Christmas songs with made up lyrics all the way down the mountain, and that day I became (in my opinion) a professional hiker.
Mount Eden: Same, only the summit is 643 feet high. It’s a 2K hike from Central Auckland that takes about an hour. We got a beautiful 360 degree view of Auckland here. It’s pretty cool, because we were on the opposite side from Rangitoto, and could see the volcano behind the city of Auckland. We brought a little picnic dinner and watched the sunset. Lol so cute, tho, right? ...Barf.
Food:
Donburi I: How this food has surpassed my sphere of edible goodness is beyond me. Donburi is a Japanese rice bowl dish. We ordered chicken teriyaki with beef and brown sauce over a bed of rice and salad. It was absolutely delicious and tasted so fresh. Plus, the cashiers were also the cooks, so they were able to tell us the exact ingredients or cook things exactly to our liking! (We weren’t picky so they didn’t have to, but it was comforting to know that this wasn’t just crappy mall food, you know?)
Travel Tips and Fun Facts:
It turns out that for just $5-$10 more than a hostel, we have been able to find some great AirBNB private rooms in shared spaces.
Groceries cost way less in Auckland than eating meals out. We paid at least $10 - $25 NZD each for most meals, while paying about $25 NZD total for 3 days of groceries.
Although there are a lot of fun things here, I would actually recommend only spending a day or two in Auckland if you have limited time! There are other places that offer richer experiences in seeing nature and embracing the Maori culture.
The next stops in New Zealand will be Tauranga, which has beautiful white sand beaches, and Rotorua which has glow worms and sulphur springs. We’re also going to tour the film set of Lord of the Rings in Hobbiton. Check back next week to follow the adventure!
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