Auckland & Piha Beach

Today is our last day in New Zealand. I can't believe it, but also, I am exhausted; New Zealand has been a total whirlwind of activity and sightseeing, and today is no different.

We spent our last morning exploring the city. Our first stop was Auckland Harbor Bridge. Prior to coming to Auckland, Allan described it as a poor man's Sydney, and he wasn't far off. The bridge was a lot shorter than I expected for such a big city, and did look like a Sydney copycat. We parked at the harbor and walked along the waterfront taking pictures and enjoying the beautiful day. We drove across the bridge and parked on the other side nearby Sulphur Beach. There wasn't much to see at Sulphur Beach, but we got another view of Auckland CBD and the bridge. 

After our brief Auckland exploring, we drove just over an hour to Piha Beach. Piha Beach is a black sand beach, and while the sand was dark, I wouldn't go as far as black. Certainly not like the black sand beaches I am used to from Hawaii and Iceland! This beach was the filming location for a beach in Rings of Power. We officially hit the Lord of the Rings saga trifecta! Phia Beach was also listed as one of the best things to do in Auckland, despite being on the other side of the island. We walked around the beach looking at the rock formations and the well weathered cliff faces. We also had our lunch here before making the drive back to Auckland for a reservation at the Sky Bar. 

Back in Auckland, we parked at SkyCity where the Sky Bar is. We had a quick walk to the main plaza to see it and then walked back in time for our reservation. We went up and up and up in the elevator and popped out into a classic round, all glass window room. We timed it so that we would be here for sunset and it was shaping up to be a good one. We deliberated on which drinks to pick and how to meet the minimum spend as cheaply as possible with the prices. I got a spicy mango margarita and Allan got a delicious sounding old fashioned that I was also tempted by. He also ordered a pistachio cake because he was driving, but I was going to save my spend for a beer. 

We sat and watched a gorgeous golden sun start to set while drinking our delicious drinks (I definitely preferred Allan's). As the sun got closer, Allan and our kind waiter surprised me with an early birthday surprise. On the plate of the cake Allan ordered was a sweet message for me and a birthday candle. I was super cute and it tied in with the sunset. It was the perfect ending to our time in New Zealand and the last proper travel section of our trip: Hawaii. 

We shared the cake and the beer before heading to the airport to leave New Zealand. At the airport we got checked in without hassle and didn't have a lot of time, but managed to squeeze in some very tasty bagels with our lounge pass as well as a quick trip to the actual lounge for some drinks before the flight. It is an overnight flight, but not very long so let's hope we can get some sleep and do this whole day over again!Read more