Auckland

The Skybus stop was right in front of my apartment hotel, CityLife, so I was thankful for that. The hotel was conveniently located right in the middle of Queen Street, similar to our Portage Avenue. That was the only similarity as the streets were crowded with shoppers and the many restaurants were busy. I explored the downtown area as well as the waterfront, which was undergoing a massive expansion project with an anticipated completion date in 2021. It was a mess to navigate and unsightly. The marina had several bars and restaurants that were alive with mostly young people going out for drinks after work or for the evening.

The museum was also closed for renovation and the Art Gallery charged a $20 admission for tourists but free if you lived in AU or NZ. So I saw neither. I soon realized that allowing 3 days in Auckland was far too much. I had intended to do day trips but the prices were exorbitant. A 12 hour day trip to Hobbiton (The Lord of the Rings film site) and Waitomo Caves (to see glow worms) was $369 NZD! The bus ride was 3 hours each way. When I went to the tourist office for information I was handed a bunch of brochures with equally pricey tours and told to come back when I was ready to book. They work on a commission basis and aren’t really helpful.Read more