Length of stay: 3 days
Visited: March 2025
Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand. It’s known as the City of Sails as its harbours are often filled with thousands of sailboats and yachts. It’s located in the North Island and it’s typically where most international travellers begin their journey to New Zealand. With several museums, parks and other points of interest it’s the perfect spot to spend a few days to acclimatize.
Day 1: Parks
New Zealand has been on our bucket list for quite some time, after watching Lord of the Rings actually. From snow-capped mountains, turquoise lakes, stunning coastlines, and ancient rainforests, the scenery is breathtaking. But it’s far from home. It’s not the sort of place you can visit for a week or two, or even three. But then the stars aligned when K took parental leave and I returned to work with over two and a half years worth of vacation days. So naturally we planned a long vacation, and there was no debate about where we were going.
There is no direct flight from Toronto to New Zealand. So we flew into Vancouver a couple days beforehand to help break up the flight and adjust to the time change. The time difference between Vancouver and Auckland actually isn’t too bad. Vancouver is 20 hours behind Auckland, so it’s pretty much just a four hour difference.
We left on a Thursday evening at 7:55pm and fourteen hours later, arrived in Auckland bright and early Saturday morning at 5am. The flight went surprisingly well and M slept on my lap for the majority of it. We paid a bit more for the seats with extra leg room, which was fantastic. The plane was mostly empty though and pretty much everyone could have had their own row if they wanted.
We had no issues going through customs, but were required to get our bags screened and to take out our hiking boots. New Zealand has strict rules and regulations for what you can bring into the country, including camping gear and footwear. Our shoes were deemed clean enough and off we went to pick up our car rental.
The city was still quiet and nothing was open. K used this as an opportunity to practice driving around on the left side of the road while baby M and I took a nap in the back. We arrived at the Auckland Botanic Gardens right when the visitor centre opened at 8am. Admission is free. It contains several trails, many of them paved, through different types of gardens, including perennials, herbs, roses, palm trees and native plants. Even though it was the middle of fall there was still quite a few flowers in bloom. We recognized a few flowers, but there were several plants we’ve never seen before.
We headed closer to downtown Auckland, stopping at Mount Eden, a former caldera. It is the highest natural point in Auckland and is reputed to offer fabulous views of the city. There’s a paved path that leads up to the caldera and around the rim to several viewing platforms overlooking the surrounding area.
All this walking had worked up our appetite so we headed to a grocery store to pick up something for lunch, along with some food for the next few days. We made one last stop at Cornwall Park. It contains several points of interest including, a working farm, the oldest surviving residential building in Auckland and another former caldera.
We had no set path in mind but simply meandered through the urban park, admiring the lush landscape. There were several farm fields filled with cows and sheep that drew our little one’s attention.
We passed by Acacia Cottage where we could take a peek inside. It was built in 1841 on Shortland Street, but was moved to Cornwall Park in the 1920s to save it from being redeveloped. It’s believed to be the oldest surviving wooden residential building in Auckland. It’s been restored and furnished with period pieces of furniture and decor.
And no matter where we walked, the One Tree Hill was visible. It’s a former caldera that once contained a single tree on the summit. New trees were planted in the same spot in the hopes that one of them will remain and replace the original tree. There’s also now an obelisk at the summit and the grave of Sir John Logan Campbell, an early pioneer who gifted Cornwall Park to the city. There’s an option to walk all the way up to the summit of the volcanic crater, but these weary travellers were getting tired.
Once we looped back to the car we headed into downtown Auckland to find our hotel. Traffic was terrible and there was a lot of construction going on, not that different from back home. We found a spot to park at a parking garage nearby then hauled in all our luggage and groceries. We’d be staying here for the next three nights.
Our place came equipped with a small kitchen, which included a stove, fridge, microwave, pots, pans and dishes. After making ourselves at home we made an early dinner. We then retired to bed, perhaps a bit too early.
Day 2: Waterfront
Baby M woke up at 4:15am, which meant we all got up. It’s going to take some time to adjust to the time change. They say it takes a day for every hour of the time change. It was supposed to be another beautiful day of sunshine and reach a high of 21°C. Perfect weather for wandering around and exploring the city.
We ventured out after M got up from her morning nap and headed to the Sky Tower. It’s one of the most iconic buildings in Auckland. It’s 328 metres high and is the tallest building in New Zealand. Entrance includes a ride up the elevators to three observation decks for a panoramic view of the surrounding area. There’s also a revolving restaurant, cafe and bar. And for those that are looking for a thrill, there’s an option to walk along the edge or jump off it.
We walked along the waterfront for a different view of the city.
The New Zealand Maritime Museum piqued our interest so we went inside to check it out. It contains a series of exhibits about the seafaring history of New Zealand, including about the early days to the present. It’s spread across two floors and also showcases several boats.
We walked back to our hotel for lunch. There was no afternoon nap to be had so we ventured out again to the Auckland Art Gallery. Except baby M was having none of that either. Admission is free so we decided to come back tomorrow. Instead we went for a walk through the nearby Albert Park. It’s a relatively small park, but it contains several mature trees, a fountain and a few sculptures and monuments. There’s a paved path that loops around the outer perimeter.
That was that. We returned to our hotel to get started on dinner. Nothing special, just simple: pasta and vegetables.
Day 3: Museums, Gardens and Art
We’ve been getting up a bit later and later each morning. This morning we were awake at 5:30am. Not bad. Today was supposed to be cloudy, but warm (23°C). Similar to yesterday, we ventured out after M got up from her morning nap around 10:30am.
We headed for the Auckland War Memorial Museum, which is a 45 minute walk from where we were staying. Although it probably took us longer on account of all the uphills and stairs. The museum is situated on Observatory Hill, another dormant volcano. In fact most of the Auckland region sits on a volcanic field with the remains of about 50 volcanic cones and craters. This probably explains all the ups and downs.
Getting there required a mix between walking through the city and passing through a few parks, including Albert Park again and the Domain Gardens. The path we picked wasn’t the greatest with a stroller. We’d have to choose a different way to get back.
The Auckland War Memorial Museum contains several exhibits on New Zealand’s military and natural history. The neoclassical building commemorates those that fought in World War I and is quite the contrast compared to all the other buildings in the area. It contains galleries and exhibits relating to the Maori and other early settlers; New Zealand’s geology and landscape; and New Zealand’s involvement in wars at home and across the world.
The section on volcanoes was one of our favourites. While the last recent eruption was 600 years ago, the volcanic field in the Auckland region is still active. Much of the city’s success is from its volcanoes. They helped create fertile soil, strong building materials and beautiful scenery.
Afterwards we walked through the Domain Wintergardens. Entrance is free. It consists of two glass greenhouses that contain an assortment of tropical flowers, plants and cacti. Between the greenhouses there’s a courtyard with access to the Fernery, a sunken garden with ferns growing everywhere, including all over the walls.
On the way back to our hotel we walked through Domain Park again, but picked a different path. Lover’s Lane is paved and lined with mature trees. And best of all, there were no stairs. After passing through Albert Park we made another attempt to visit the Auckland Art Gallery. M was in a much more agreeable mood, but we didn’t want to push our luck, so we did a quick walk through. The gallery contains an extensive collection of New Zealand Art, along with contemporary art, international historical art and a small collection of modern and impressionist art.
We headed back to the hotel to take an afternoon nap and got up just in time to get started on dinner. Our hotel room had a washer and dryer. Even though we’ve only been away for a few days, we did a load of laundry. We might as well take advantage of it because tomorrow we were leaving Auckland and heading to the Northland for the next few days.
L
How wonderful that you were able to take a trip to New Zealand! It sounds like a super trip so far and I look forward to more.
I’m glad we finally found the time to go to New Zealand, which was in large part thanks to our little one. We had a fabulous time. We were there for five weeks and could have easily stayed longer.
My favorite is the Lover’s Lane, Linda. And it’s good that some parks and galleries are free to enter. I enjoyed the photos, especially the garden, and nature. Thanks so much for sharing.
Thanks for reading. Lover’s Lane was a very lovely path to walk along with a stroller as it was paved and lined with mature trees. Agreed, it was nice that some of the museums and gardens were free to enter. Staying in Auckland for the first few days was a great way to get over our jet lag. And once we got to our hotel downtown, it was nice that we didn’t have to drive anywhere until it was time to head to the next place.
It’s always my pleasure, Linda. I enjoyed your adventures, especially in nature. Hugs and blessings!
You are too kind. Have a fabulous weekend!
Love and gratitude, Linda. Have a a blessed weekend, too
You had two and a half years of holidays built? Wow! I’m impressed! I was never able to do that but terrific that you could and able to put them together with K’s leave.
Thanks for your very enjoyable overview of Auckland, Linda. It sounds like you had a great place to stay too, especially with little M. NZ is on our bucket list also but we still haven’t visited for various reasons. I’m looking forward to the next piece about your trip. Cheers.
I continued to accrue vacation while on maternity leave, which was one of the big reasons why I had so many vacation days. I was also able to carry over unused days before I went on maternity leave and because I returned to work at the beginning of the year, that’s when our vacation entitlements restart.
I hope you’re able to make it to New Zealand. We had such a wonderful time. It’s one of the few places we’ve visited where I could imagine myself living there … if it wasn’t so far away from friends and family. Maybe someday.
Fantastic that you were able to do that, Linda! Yes, I hope we can, too. Cheers.
Definitely. And I’m glad we were able to share the experience with our little one as she’s the reason we were able to finally make this trip happen!
Love New Zealand. We flew in to Christchurch then spent three weeks driving up to Auckland, taking in many of the destinations on our bucket list en route.
How wonderful! Glad to hear that you enjoyed your time in New Zealand as well. It’s such an incredibly scenic country and the people are so friendly. We were there for five weeks and spent about an equal amount of time between the North and South Islands. I could have easily stayed longer. There’s still so many places and trails left for us to explore.
I’ve been looking forward to your posts from your New Zealand travels! How awesome you had a plane ride that was mostly empty. I always imagined the long plane ride being overcrowded and exhausting. I would love to visit each of the places you went to! Thanks so much for sharing this. I can hardly wait to read your next post. ☺️
Thanks so much for your lovely comment Rose. I was worried about how our little one would handle the long flight. But she did really well. She ended up falling asleep as we were taking off. She woke up a few times, but it was easy to get her settled again. Even though the plane was mostly empty, I’m glad we booked the seats with the extra leg room. Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful weekend.
I’ve been waiting for your posts Linda and this one did not disappoint. As you know, we have been to NZ many times and hope to go again this fall. Auckland is a beautiful city and so much more adventurous and modern than it was when we first visited in 1988 with our 16 month old. Looks like you had a great time in Auckland. Happy Wednesday. Allan
Thanks Allan. How exciting that you’re hoping to return to New Zealand again in the fall. I can totally see why you keep returning. It’s such a beautiful country and there’s no shortage of scenic drives and stunning scenery. We ended up staying in the same spot as you when you went to Auckland – Barclay Suites. It was centrally located, had a full-sized kitchen and laundry facilities in the bathroom. And it was clean and quiet. Happy trip planning! And have a lovely weekend. Linda
I love your beautifully captured photos, Linda! New Zealand made it to my travel wish list after I watched The Lord of the Rings, too! I am glad to see that you finally made your dream come true and visited this beautiful country. Thanks for the tour around Auckland. It looks like an urban delight set against beautiful coastal scenery. I very much look forward to your New Zealand posts. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
Thanks for your kind words Aiva. It’s hard not be inspired to visit New Zealand after watching Lord of the Rings. The scenery was even more breathtaking in person. It’s amazing at how varied it is between the North and South Islands too. I hope you’re able to make it there someday. Auckland was the perfect spot to spend the first few days before beginning our road trip. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful weekend. Linda
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Ha, we also had to take our hiking boots out at customs in Auckland (luckily, we had cleaned them thoroughly at home and didn’t have any problems) 😉. Back in 2019 when we visited NZ, there was also construction going on in Auckland – and for us, who are used to driving on the left side of the road, it was quite a challenge to drive there! We stayed on the outskirts of Auckland and didn’t spend much time in Auckland itself. We did visit the waterfront a few times and also visited the Sky Tower, but none of the gardens and museums. It was nice to see Auckland through your eyes.
Glad to hear that you had no issues bringing your hiking boots in either. It’s funny to hear that construction in Auckland was a problem when you were there too. Driving in Auckland was terrible. Once we made it to our hotel, we kept our car parked there until it was time to head to the next place. We ended up just walking everywhere we needed to go, which worked out well. We did the same when we were in Queenstown too.
Your level of energy after a 14 hour flight is simply admirable!
Thanks! It helped immensely that our little one was able to get a full night’s sleep on the flight! But we were all pretty exhausted by the time we checked into our hotel and went to bed shortly after dinner.
Dear Linda
Thanks for showing your pictures.
We are looking forward seeing more of NZ.
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thanks for your lovely comment. Even though we flew half way around the world and went from spring to fall, it didn’t take long to adjust to the time change and our new surroundings. We had a wonderful time in Auckland.
Such a beautiful city!! ❤️ I hope the caldera doesn’t wake up.
Same!! I was reading somewhere that there is a 10% chance of Auckland having a volcanic eruption in the next 50 years.
That’s not good. The islands are on a fault line I think. Part of the Ring Of Fire.
That’s right. And that’s why New Zealand, especially around Wellington and Christchurch, gets a lot of earthquakes.
I remember the really bad quake ChristChurch had a few years ago. Terrible. 😭
We could still see some of the damage from the earthquake in Christchurch even though it happened back in 2011. It’s impact was devastating. And apparently it caught many scientists by surprise. We ended up going to a museum in Christchurch, Quake City, that provided more info and stories from the major earthquakes that hit the region in 2010 and 2011.
Wow, that would be very interesting. And so sad. Las Vegas is on an active fault area… 😕
I didn’t realize that Las Vegas was on a fault line, or rather several fault lines. I did a quick search and saw that Nevada actually has a lot of seismic activity, although many of the earthquakes are minor.
Minor indeed, I’ve never felt one shake in the ten years I’ve been here! I hope it stays that way. 🙏🏻
Fingers crossed! And if there is a major earthquake, at least you don’t have to worry about tsunamis!
Right, Vegas is hours away from the Pacific! 😂
I visited NZ many years ago so remember a few of these sites, but not all. I was 21, so travelled a little differently then too. 😊 I can’t believe how many of the places you visited were free! Lovely pictures of the greenery in this pretty city. Maggie
It’s funny how much our style of travel changes as we get older. We couldn’t do as much as we normally would as we were travelling with our little one who was about 16 months at the time. But we wouldn’t have been able to take this trip if it wasn’t for her. I was pleasantly surprised at how much we were still able to do though. New Zealand is such a beautiful country. And our first few days in Auckland were a great start to the trip.
What a great introduction to New Zealand! I love all the plants, the museums sound really interesting, and of course the views from the tower and the high point are great. Honestly, I’m kind of ready to move to New Zealand just from this post.
Thanks!! New Zealand is pretty amazing. We actually looked into the requirements for moving there. If only it wasn’t so far from family.
Jealous. I’d SO like to visit New Zealand.
I hope you’re able to make it there someday. It’s such an amazing country and the people are so lovely. We had a fabulous time exploring New Zealand for five weeks and could have easily stayed longer.
I lived in NZ for a while, it remains one of my fav expat destination! People are the loveliest and sceneries keep on giving! Have a fab time !!
It’s wonderful that you lived in New Zealand. It’s one of the few places that we’ve visited that I could imagine myself living there. Maybe someday. I totally agree about the stunning scenery and the people being so friendly (I love their accents too)!
It’s definitely the best place to live in! Their accents is awesome! Haven’t quite come by anything like it! Maybe in Oz, though, I see theirs as a knock-off kiwi accent. Shhh, don’t tell them, though haha!
Ha! We haven’t been to Australia yet, but it would be neat to visit to see how the accents, scenery and culture compare to New Zealand. I imagine it’s all very different. And there’s so many bite-y things there!
I tend to prefer NZ all the way. That said, Aus has some of the most spectacular landscapes I ever seen. Also quite a lot of things want to k*ll you if you ever get too close. NZ is much more relaxed, though.
Good to know. At one point we were contemplating whether to divide our time between New Zealand and Australia, but I’m glad we didn’t. One day we’ll be back Down Under and hopefully will have time to visit both countries to contrast and compare.
I think it was a good call. Each country needs a lot of time on their own. And dividing it might have felt like rushing. Oz is massive and though there is a lot to see and do. There is an awful amount of driving too. All part of the experience, don’t get me wrong!
I find the older I get the more I try to slow things down while travelling and just enjoy the moment. I’m not a ran of feeling rushed. Good to know about the driving. It just so happens we’re huge fans of road trips!
I hear you! I am the same. I prefer soaking it all in rather than sights jumping. It was fine when I was a tad younger and just trying to fit everything in a day or so. Now, I just go with the flow and with the local recommendations. Much more enjoyable not to have to run for the next bus or anything. Oh!! In that case, you guys are in for a perfect time !!
For sure. Younger me would have tried to pack in as much as I could. But current me is all about trying to savour the experience and taking my time to soak it all in. I like your approach to go with local recommendations. I should give that a whirl for our next trip.
This!! A backpack as big as you and as heavy as a boar! Oh the good ol days! Haha! Yeah, I’d defo recommend asking locals for recs, they have good ones. And also off the beaten paths, not too touristy either. And free, most of the time!
Love it. And free is always good!
NZ is such a beautiful and welcoming country. I found the people to be very friendly and helpful during my short time there. Your photos are beautiful; I particularly like the parks and gardens. How long did you stay there?
Thanks for your kind words. We found the people to be very lovely as well. And their accents are very cute. We were there for five weeks and spent about an equal amount of time between the North and South Islands.
Auckland looks like a fabulous city to spend a few days and you seem to have made the most of your time there. That’s a nice mix of gardens and museums. I had no idea Auckland was built on top of quite so many volcano cones – 50 is a lot! The views of the city from Mount Eden and the Sky Tower are lovely.
It was nice to spend a few days in Auckland to adjust to the time change and get some rest after a very long flight. It’s a big city with a lot to see and explore. I’m glad we didn’t have to do much driving downtown though as traffic was awful. But we got quite the workout from walking everywhere with all the hills!
Oh, it’s so exciting to be at the New Zealand part of your updates. Love how much you packed into your initial few days. Auckland looks so beautiful, reminds me of cities like Vancouver and Seattle (especially with the Sky Tower and Space Needle similarities).
The time adjustment must’ve been so annoying to adjust to with both baby M and for yourselves but it also meant you got to see much more in your day, from museums and wildlife. So fun!
And how the heck do you have 2.5 years of vacation time accrued?! 😂😂😂 Here I was quite impressed with my 13 weeks of vacation this year but you’ve got me beat by a long mile! Are you taking anymore big trips this year?
I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly we all adjusted to the time change, especially our little one. I can see why Auckland reminds you of Vancouver and Seattle. It’s also along the water and has a similar hip vibe. Oh, and the traffic is also horrendous. I’m glad we stayed downtown and were able to walk most places.
One of the main reasons I was able to accumulate so many vacation days was during my mat leave actually. So that was an extra year’s worth right there. And because I returned to work at the beginning of the year, that’s when our vacation entitlements restart, so there’s another year. And the other half a year I was able to carry over from before I went on maternity leave.
I’m impressed that you have 13 weeks!!
We’re planning on taking some time off this summer. Not sure where though. And will likely do a longer trip later in the fall. Also not sure where.
You’re gonna be carrying those parental leave vacation accruals for a while. I returned from my leave in 2017 and I still have time I’m carrying over. 😂 Enjoy it! And your summer ahead. Only 5 more days of school for us!!! 🙏
It is tough to figure out how to use them all! But, it’s not a bad problem to have!! I can’t believe it’s already nearly the end of the school year. Where does the time go!? Hope you’re surviving the heat.
Wow, it looks so beautiful there!!! The botanical gardens seem absolutely stunning, as well as the historical museums.
Auckland is very lovely. Most cities in New Zealand have their own botanic gardens, which are typically free. The one in Auckland was massive and we could have easily spent half the day there. There are plenty of walking paths and the gardens are all nicely maintained. It was neat to see so many different plants and flowers.
Oh, I’m so excited for this series since New Zealand is one of the countries I want to visit the most. How lovely that the weather was mostly pleasant when you were in Auckland. I love the look of the parks and the museums too. I’m a bit jealous with the fact that you can get all those vacation days accrued!
It was nice to spend a few days in Auckland to recover from the long flight and time change before before starting our road trip. And yes, it was nice to have pleasant weather which always makes it more enjoyable to wander around. We visited during the middle of fall and it still felt like summer. I hope you’re able to make it there someday. New Zealand is such a wonderful country. The main reason we were able to go was thanks to our little one. My husband was on parental leave and I had accumulated a lot of vacation days, many of which was during my maternity leave.
It’s a good start to your stay in New Zealand. I found Auckland rather scattered, and the city centre that you can visit on foot is fairly limited around the harbour. Then the points of interest are scattered further afield.
That’s true. Our strategy was to visit some of the places and parks outside the core of the city on our first day. But once we made it to our hotel in downtown Auckland, we didn’t take the car back out until it was time to leave. We were actually able to explore quite a bit on foot, but wow was it quite the workout given all the hills!
I’m still looking for a time and opportunity to visit New Zealand. Looks like Auckland should be on the list of stops! I would love the hiking and the sailing, my wife would love the art and the gardens.
I hope you’re able to make it there someday. You’d absolutely love the scenery and there’s so many fantastic hiking trails. We’d love to return when our little one is older and do a multi-day hike. New Zealand has such an extensive network of backcountry huts, which is really cool. Many of the towns and cities have their own botanic garden, which are typically free to visit, so your wife would have plenty of gardens to explore throughout the country.
W’ve explored the interesting topography of the North Island from Auckland and I highly recommend it to you for hiking.
After Auckland we took a five day road trip through the Northland region of the North Island. We managed to do a bit of hiking, but unfortunately the weather wasn’t the greatest and we got quite a bit of rain. It was really such a shame. But I guess this means we’ll just have to come back. And we totally will someday. New Zealand is such a lovely country.
What a lovely few days in Auckland to start off your NZ adventure. I’m pleased you had good weather and those gardens look lovely. I hope Baby M didn’t take too many days to adjust to the time difference, it’s really heavy going for an adult, let alone a little one.
It was nice to spend a few days in Auckland to recover from the long flight and adjust to the time change. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly we, and especially M, got over the jet lag. We had some struggles figuring out nap time logistics, but we managed. And yes, it was lovely to have nice weather on our first few days in Auckland. The rain caught up to us later in the week though.
Lovely photos & wonderful city.
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. We had no issues finding things to do for our first few days in Auckland. I’m glad we got to explore downtown on foot though as I don’t imagine driving and fighting for parking would have been very fun.
What a lovely tour! I was here almost ten years ago and really loved it- thanks for the trip down memory lane!
Thanks! It’s hard not hard to fall in love with New Zealand. Glad you got to enjoy the scenery for yourself. And the people are so kind and friendly. Even though we were there for five weeks, there’s still so much we didn’t have time for. I’d go back in a heartbeat!
Auckland is awesome and wonderful and superb 🌷🙏👍🏻 it’s beautiful garden, lovely 🌵 cactus surrounded,
Very healthy sheep , the light house and so many interesting things photos can view 😍sea view gorgeous 👌
Museum photos are beautiful 😍 Thank you so much for sharing and graceful wishes my dear friend 🙏❤️🎉
Thanks for your lovely comment. The Auckland Botanic Garden is lovely. It was neat to see all the different plants and flowers that grow on this side of the world. And we couldn’t have asked for better weather for wandering around Auckland. Enjoy the rest of the weekend. Linda
Yes! I’ve been waiting for this series. I love that you love TLofR. Me too! I have dreams of visiting the filming sites.en
Thanks for a great overview of Aukland. What a fantastic way to get acclimatized to the time change. The 4:00am wake ups are something else, but I’m sure that got better every day.
I didn’t know that New Zealond was so volanic. That’s really interesting, and makes for a completely different mountain mass. Now I’m really intrigued.
So glad you made your travel dream come true! Can’t wait to read more soon.
Alisen
I hope you’re able to make it to New Zealand someday as you’d love the hiking and scenery there, especially if you’re a huge LOTR fan. I’m glad we spent the first few days in Auckland to get over the jet lag. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly we all adjusted to the time change. Auckland is a lovely city, but it also suffers from some of the same issues we have in Toronto – construction and a lot of traffic. The volcanic field in the region is still active. I read somewhere that there is a 10% chance of Auckland having a volcanic eruption in the next 50 years.
10% over 50 years… Yikes! I guess the locals are used to that, but it sound ominous to me.
I know. I don’t think I could handle the stress of knowing a major earthquake is going to happen, but not knowing when or where. I guess it’s the same as people who live in areas that are prone to tornados, hurricanes or flooding.
True. I guess it’s what you get used to. I hope they have proper drills on how to escape or where to go in case of emergency.
Living where I do, with no major weather events, I will admit to not really understanding how others can live with insane weather. The urge to say ‘move!’ is strong 🙂
I imagine they would, but I didn’t see any visible signage. I guess the tourists are left to fend for themselves!!
I know what you mean about living in a place that’s not prone to natural disasters like hurricanes, tsunamis, volcanoes or tornadoes. But after visiting NZ, I kind of get it. It looks like a much nicer place to live than Ontario! I’ll trade cars to sheep any day!
Nice to see some photos of this city. I am looking forward to read the rest of your adventures.
Thanks! I’m glad we decided to spend a few days in Auckland to adjust to the time change and get some rest after flying half way around the world. It was a lovely introduction to New Zealand.
New Zealand has been a bucket list item for me too. I think LOTR had that affect on a lot of people 🙂 You got some great pictures that really show the variety there. Can’t wait to read more about your trip!
After visiting New Zealand, I can totally see why it was chosen to film LOTR. It’s not a very big country, but the landscape is so beautiful and varied. It’s a perfect spot to enjoy the outdoors.
Gorgeous pictures as always.3 days seems like such a short time for New Zealand but it looks like you packed in quite a bit.I look forward to catching up on your other posts.Best wishes.
Thanks for your kind words. We actually spent five weeks in New Zealand. Auckland was our first stop of the trip. We were there for three days to help get over the jet lag. Despite the traffic, it’s a very lovely city.
ahhh, that makes sense. 5 weeks seems much more reasonable, considering the long flight from your home base. I hope you all had a wonderful time!
We certainly did! New Zealand is such an incredible country and the people are so lovely. We’d love to come back someday.
My entire family flew on a mostly empty jet from Phoenix to Anchorage. It was a luxury for each of us, spreading out on our own row. We all slept for most of the trip. I remember on landing it Anchorage my 6 year old daughter asked where all the igloos were. 😀
Thanks for sharing your post. I have never been ‘down under’, perhaps I should remedy that. 🏄♂️
That’s amazing! It’s always a much nicer experience when the flight isn’t full and you’re actually able to get some sleep. It’s cute how your daughter asked about the igloos. We’d love to go to Alaska someday. Hopefully soon.
It’s amazing what volcanos and other nature can bring. The pictures you took are awesome 😎 new Zealand in on my bucket list for sure. We love the Lord of the Rings, too so that was one of the reasons why. the country side is so beautiful. The picture of the sheep is so cute . I would be gaping like little M. The botanical garden looks lovely as well. It’s amazing what you can find in other countries.
Oh I know. It was neat to hear how much the landscape in Auckland was created and shaped by volcanoes. It’s still an active volcanic field though and there is a 10% chance of a volcanic eruption in the next 50 years. I hope you’re able to visit someday. New Zealand is such a beautiful country. And there is more sheep than people! Most cities also have their own botanic garden, which is typically free to visit. We tried to go to as many as we could during our road trip. It was neat to see how they have a lot of similar flowers, but also a lot of different stuff as well.
That’s pretty awesome that they have some flowers the same and some that are different . It’s amazing about the volcano having a ten percent chance of erupting. I hope it doesn’t any time soon. I would seeing all of the sheep. My friend John leaves in Europe and there are all over where he’s at
Auckland seems as nice of an introduction to a new country as one can get. The gardens are lovely, and the museums all sound quite fascinating. I am in an absolute minority here as a non-fan of LOTR, but I agree that NZ landscapes are incredible and well-worth a visit. We would also like to have a few weeks for such a far-away trip. Looking forward to reading more about your NZ adventures.
Absolutely. And it was nice to explore Auckland on foot given the heavy traffic. I also don’t think we would have enjoyed trying to adjust to driving on the left side of the road while still feeling a bit of jet lag. I’m just going to pretend I didn’t read the part of you not being a fan of LOTR. But even if you’re not a fan, it’s undeniable how beautiful the scenery in New Zealand is!
I admire how you make the time to do travel right, and with a little one in tow, no less! You’re really learning about places as opposed to just rushing through and ticking items off on a list. That’s fascinating the impact volcanoes have had on Auckland. And the fern garden looks magical… I can smell and feel the clean air!
Thanks for your kind words. Travel looks a bit different for us now with a little one, but it’s been kind of nice to take things at a slower pace. Auckland is a lovely city. I’m glad we stayed for a few days to recover from the long flight and to get our bearings. And we certainly got a good workout from climbing up and down all those former volcanic calderas!
You sure got your steps in! Happy to read you reached a bucket list destination and you had ample vacation time. That’s great! Looks like a gorgeous place with a variety of things to do. Thank you for sharing with us!
Absolutely! Walking is such a great way to get a feel for the city. And it was kind of nice to not have to drive the first few days, especially since we were tired and were a bit anxious to drive on the left side of the road. Thanks for reading. Linda
What an incredible journey, beautifully written and full of heart and excitement. I Felt like I was right there with you. 🌿✈️⛰️
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. I’m glad the flight went well and we were able to spend a few days in Auckland to adjust to the time change. We had a wonderful time exploring the city.
Can’t wait to follow along on your New Zealand adventure! It’s on our radar too…yup Lord of the Rings all the way 🙂
Glad to hear I’m not the only LOTR fan! The scenery in New Zealand is something else. And it’s really quite varied in the South Island compared to the North Island. I hope you’re able to make it there someday. You’d love it!
Go Aragorn! teehee
I actually started rewatching LOTR. I must say, it’s aged well. And yes, I am team Aragorn all the way too!
What an incredible city! I’m so glad you were able to go and have a good time!
Besides the heavy traffic, Auckland was very lovely. It was the perfect spot to spend a few days to recover after a long day of travelling. And it was nice to just park the car and not have to worry about driving on the left side of the road just yet!
Oh boy. I would be an intimidated by the left side of the road driving. Besides, walking is the best way to get to know a place so that did work out!
My husband did all the driving. It took some time getting used to driving on the other side of the road, but we were there for five weeks, so he got plenty of time to practice. It’s funny because when we got home he then had a hard time adjusting back to driving on the right side of the road. He’ll still occasionally get the turn signal mixed up with the windshield wipers lever.
Five weeks is a nice long time to adapt and explore. What a lovely, magical adventure!
This was our longest vacation that we’ve ever taken by far. And oddly enough, I felt it wasn’t long enough! I was looking forward to seeing family and friends again (and my cat), but I wasn’t quite ready to leave NZ. It’s one of the few places I’ve visited where I could imagine living there.
Isn’t it fun picturing yourself living different places? It’s also wonderful to leave wanting more. Perhaps someday!
Exactly. Perhaps someday. Life is full of possibilities, even as we get older.
Especially as we get older. It’s a terrific time for a second act!
Very true. We also have a very different perspective of life as we age and become more mindful of our time. I’m also realizing I can’t really get by on my youthful vigour the same way!
Oh, how I miss youthful vigour!
Me too! Sigh.
Lovely to see this – we were to spend a few days there at the end but had to abort.. Nice to see the photos…