March 24 ( cont.) - 11 pm

Just a lot more park strolling and wandering today. I was killing time in the city until 4, when I thought church was, but turns out it was at 1, so I missed it. Saw a flash mob. That's all.

March 24 - 11 am

The day is starting out great. I got up early, like I always do, and showered/ate breakfast. Then called my bestest friend Brooke to talk! First time FaceTiming with her since I've been in NZ, so it was great to see her and talk. I miss her. Then I called my other bestest friend Kate! She was with another best friend Martha! So we all got to chat for a while. It was so nice to see some of the people I love so much today. One more month until I'm home with them again!
I headed out to the French market again for another treat. Cinnamon donut :) and walked to the Auckland domain, where I am now. At the tennis courts, watching old rich people play their Sunday matches. I wish I could play! Lots of tennis for me when I get back this summer!

March 23 - 10:30 pm

Everybody told me that Auckland wasn't too great, nothing special, just a big city. So I had low expectations.. Turns out I really like it. For a city, it's not bad at all! It is big, and so I'm limited in where I'll be able to go in the time I have, but I think I'll be able to do/see a lot still. Like today, I stumbled across two really great little Saturday markets. A French food market, which was amazing. The best food market I've ever been to. All kinds of pastries and breads and dips and cheeses and meats and cakes and coffees and produce! I sampled pretty much everything, and actually purchased a delicious blueberry danish. Walking further into town I stopped at a lot of good little clothing stores. Just to look, I don't think I'll be buying any clothes here. But it was fun. Right around the city centre I went to the Auckland Art Gallery. Beautiful building! Old, with modern updates. Lots of good art. The featured collection was Victorian art, which I'm not really in to, but they had quite a bit of contemporary art and Maori portraits that I liked.
After the art gallery I found Albert Park and sat there for a while, enjoying the sunshine. Great weather, kinda cloudy, but perfect temperature. When the sun came out it felt nice, but got too hot real fast.
From the park, I walked around more of the city. Up Queen Street and down K' Road. Those are the real big streets here. Queen is the main street. K' Road is the funky shopping road, like Haight and Ashbury. Spent quite a bit of time looking around. And then went to the Sky Tower! The tallest structure in New Zealand, and the Southern Hemisphere! Over 1000 ft. I paid $18 to go to the top. It was neat. Great 360 degree views. It really doesn't look that high from the ground, but from the top you feel like you're in the sky. Cool.
I was starving when I got down. But I had to drop off the cheese I had bought in the fridge at my hostel before I could get something to eat, so I walked the 40 minutes back. I had my mind set on having Burgerfuel for dinner. It's like a fancy fast food burger joint. I knew it was kinda pricey, but I worked up an appetite and deserved a good burger. For the bacon avocado burger and sweet potato fried it cost me $17. At a fast food place! This country has lost it's mind. But I will admit, it was one of the best burgers I've ever eaten. I liked it better than Fergburger in Queenstown..
Got back to the hostel and settled in. Another busy day ahead.

March 22 - 10:35 pm

Hello Auckland! Here I am in another city. The big one. It took a while to get here, but now I have time to explore and see what this city has got to offer.
Left John Wallace and Marion this morning after breakfast. I headed out with my hitchhiker sign that read "Whitianga". And less than five minutes went by when a kiwi couple pulled over and offered to take me to the ferry landing. That worked for me! From there, it was just $3 to cross to whitianga on the ferry, and then 3 hours to wait for my bus. I spent most of that time at the library, using wifi. Finally came time to catch the bus. Nd landed in Auckland at 5:00. I had contacted Winston about meeting up when I got to town. Unfortunately, he and his girlfriend were heading to the bay of islands for the weekend, but weren't leaving until about 8, so we were still able to meet for dinner. He picked me up at the bus station. We walked around town a little bit, picked up his girlfriend, Claire, from her job, and headed to an Indian place. They were both really nice, relatable people. A little hard understanding their accents sometimes, but I pretended like I got everything. Winston paid for dinner and took me to my hostel just before 8. It was really nice to meet him and Claire. Hopefully I'll see them again before I leave Auckland for Christchurch.
Staying in Lantana Lodge for a few nights. This hostel seems okay. Free wifi, all the time! So that's neat. Makes up for the higher price tag. A whopping $28/night! I want free again. Where's John Wallace when you need him?! Just kidding. I'd rather be here in Auckland tonight.

March 21 - 8:45 pm

More stories of hitchhiking and beaches and dinners with John. Today Marion and I failed to get up to see the sunrise. The bed was just too comfortable. But we had to get up around 8 to try and get a ride out to Hot Water Beach for low tide. Still, we got out the door a little late. Walked about a quarter mile up the road with our thumbs out. Finally, a farmer pulled over and took us all the way to our destination. Success! We found the spot where everyone was finding the hot water, and partook of the geologic wonder that is the Hot Water Beach. We dug our little pool where the water and sand are geo thermally heated, and enjoyed soaking in the water with the rest of the visitors. Okay, so maybe we did t dig our own hole, but we worked our way into somebody else's. The tide was only low enough for about an hour, so then we had to try and get a ride back to Hahei. Just a few minutes walking and boom. Two Uruguayan chicas picked us up in their rental car. It's true what they say- hitching in New Zealand is really easy.
So we got back to John's, had some cookies, and took on the next challenge: Kayaking! John has a two person kayak and was more than willing to let us take it out to the sea. It's something I haven't really ever done, and wanted to so here, so I was totally jazzed. It probably wasn't the smartest idea, the two of us, not really knowing what we were doing, but we were fearless, and it all ended up fine.. We took it out from Hahei Beach, around to Stingray Bay. We pulled up on the beach there and enjoyed the beauty and quiet there for a while. It was so serene. When it came time to go, we had no idea what we were doing. Pulling out into the sea was a challenge. Marion couldn't get in the kayak, and a big wave came and flipped the boat, I fell out, and the kayak landed on top of me. Bumped my head, but I was okay. But we thought it would probably be a good idea to ask a man on the beach to help push us out. So that worked out well. We paddled more around Cathedral Cove and back to Hahei Beach. It was a real blast. More kayaking to come in my future!
More time lounging on the beach before showers and dinner. John had made chicken and vegetables. Tasty. Leftover apple pie and ice cream for dessert. Followed by another evening stroll to the beach. All in all, a very nice stay in Hahei. I've appreciated the generosity of John here, but it's time for me to go. Leaving Frenchie here by herself tomorrow. I hope she'll be okay. I've got to get to Whitianga to catch my bus to Auckland tomorrow afternoon. Hoping ill be able to find a place to stay there this weekend! You never know!
Here's to more adventures in the great country of the Kiwis.

March 20 - 10:25 pm

Bonjour! I'm sleeping in a very comfy bed tonight. Thanks to the German girls I met in Rotorua. They had given me the contact info for an 80 year old man who lives alone in Hahei and is known for taking in stray backpackers. John Wallace is his name. And I just gave him a call this morning to see if I might be able to stay a night or two with him. His immediate answer was yes. So now I just had to get to Hahei from Whitianga. I just happened to ask a girl at my hostel what her plans for the day were. She said she was going to try and hitch to Hahei. Hey, me too! I had a travel buddy!
Marion, from France. Really lovely girl. We got on quite well. She has the most perfect accent. She doesn't understand a lot of English though. But we were able to communicate just fine. We headed to the ferry which takes you to Cooks Beach, close to Hahei. From the ferry landing, we started walking, hoping there would be a car heading the 20 km toward John Wallace's. And what do you know, the first car that drives by pulls over for us - a nice old painter man with a beard like St. Nick. He took us practically to dear John's doorstep, just hoping he would be willing to accommodate Marion as well. And he did. Very generous. Only a little senile. Most interesting man you'll ever meet. He loved Marion, and her French accent and sweet little voice. But he called her chubby at least twice to her face throughout the day. His instant nickname for her was Frenchie. mine was Miss America or The Yankee. I dont think he knows my real name. That's okay.
He showed us our room, with our own bathroom, shower. Offered to let us do our laundry. And then had us gather in the kitchen for tea and cookies. He made hot cocoa for me. Delicious homemade shortbread cookies, afghans, and macaroons. He talked and talked. Marion didn't understand a word of what he was saying. It was marvelous. Finally, we were allowed to go, and Marion and I walked to the Cathedral Cove. Amazing beach, with an archway that resembled a cathedral I guess. Really neat. We stayed on that beach for a few hours. The waves were a little too rough to swim, so we headed back to Hahei Beach and swam there. Big waves, but fun! It felt pretty warm too. heavenly.
Back at the house we showered and got ready for dinner. John was making stir fry. It tasted pretty great. Oh, and for dessert, he had made a homemade apple pie with apples from his own tree, and hokey pokey ice cream. It was really good! He talked more and more. Lots of stories about travelers who have stayed with him, and his late wife, and the occasional inappropriate old person story or remark. I'm glad Marion is here with me. It would have been a bit weird staying here without her. We went for an evening stroll to the beach before turning in for the night just before now.
I will just stay here one more night, then on to Auckland!

March 19 - 10:15 pm

I didn't feel like writing a proper blogpost today, so these are bullet points
-travel day
-McDonald's hoecakes for breakfast.. Wifi!
-bus from mt. Maunganui to tauranga to Thames to whitianga
-gotta get to Hahei tomorrow!
-no word from Margot the photographer
-old man John Wallace?
-$20 for bus from whitianga to Hahei.. I don't think so. Hitchhike time.
-funky weather today. Rain/mist
-yesterday homesick. Today = much better.

March 18 - 4:40 pm

I do not like this hostel. Bottom of the list. They charge you to use sheets or a duvet. They charge for Internet when the brochure said it was free. It's too far from town. Checkout time is 9:30. Too many people. Etc. but I'll last here one more night. I am, however, very happy I came here to Mt. Maunganui. I spent the day by the beach, and hiking to the summit of Mt. Maunganui, and climbing to the very end of Moturiki - the jetty that looks out over the ocean, and back at the bay/mount. Perfect weather. Quite windy, but it felt nice in the warm sun. It is humid here! So humid! Hiking up to the summit this morning, I was drenched in perspiration after 15 minutes of moderate/partly cloudy hiking. I could have spent all day watching the waves, sitting on the rocks at Moturiki, but I got really thirsty all of a sudden, so I headed toward the city centre. Free water sitting there, waiting for me in a pitcher next to plastic cups in the local Starbucks. I slid in and took two cups for myself, unnoticed.
Dinner tonight: spaghetti in olive oil and cheese with toast. Typical. Mini donuts from the grocery store for dessert!
Excited to head to the coromandel tomorrow. Just beaches and beauty.