Finally made it to NZ! It’s been a long time planning and not even sure this day would  come. We got in after midnight and since I am cheap didn’t feel like spending money on a hotel for the first night. For those who haven’t slept in an airport yet you’re missing out on one of the great experiences of life. There were actually quite a few backpackers strewn around the airport on chairs and in various corners. I wake up a little sore - even the “carpet” in airports isn’t very comfortable. We pick up the car, grab a map and some snacks (which always includes tim tams and digestives) before heading out to our first stop. Piha Beach is on the western shore about an hour outside of Auckland. It’s a large, black sand beach popular among surfers. There is a large rock formation in the middle of it called Lion Rock - an obvious name as it rests majestically looking out. There is a great lookout from the road that gives a view of the entire beach and surrounding valley. Piha is one of the places that takes the breath away on first view. It is unique and magnificent. The sand is fine and wonderful between the toes as you walk barefoot along the beach. The water is cold at first but cooling to the feet as the day begins to warm up. We were able to climb up Lion Rock, but unfortunately they closed off the top portion due to safety issues. I didn’t bring my slippers because it was cool at first, but walking back to the car the sand had become extremely hot and I was forced to skip/run as fast as possible to get off the beach that had turned into a stovetop. 

Out next stop were a couple of walks; one long, one short. We first went to Karekare Falls. This is right off the road and is a nice falls with a small pool at the bottom to wade in. There was a family of locals skipping rocks from the shore to the falls. A little up the trail there is another pool that my brother and I ventured into. It was cold…very cold. Almost immediately I began breathing quickly as if I was hyperventilating. Standing under the water only made it worse. It always amazes me how cold water gets in these springs even on hot summer days. The Buck Taylor track was our next stop. I had come across this in a list of 10 top walks in New Zealand. This one did not disappoint. It was maybe an hour and a half round trip up a hill and then down into a valley towards a beach. The woods were beautiful. I never tire of walking through forests and enjoying the smells and sounds of the outdoors. Speaking of smells - I have not smelled such freshness, such “green-ness”, in a very long time. There were surprisingly not that many people on the hike besides us. The valley we ended up in - Pararaha - was pretty much a swamp that if you pass through leads to another beach. The view is wonderful, but it is hot and stifling especially with the sun out. Climbing out of the valley was a little tough for me. At times like this I tell myself I should do more cardio and especially stairs. Then I forget when I get home. The toughness made it that much more rewarding though to do it. And it doesn’t take away from the beauty of the world around me. 

We made our way back to Auckland stopping for lunch at a Turkish restaurant. I had beetroot hummus for the first time ever. It was probably the best hummus I have ever had. In Auckland we stopped by Eden Park home of the All Blacks and walked around the stadium a bit. Then we made our way to the War Memorial and Museum. I never get tired of looking at the war memorials. Unfortunately the museum was less than an hour from closing and cost $25 so we passed. We then proceeded to the extremely fancy hostel we would make our home for the next couple of nights. Hostels - especially in big cities - are amazing at bringing in some of the most interesting young people from around the world. Those who are looking to discover themselves, or escape from home and responsibility for a few months. It was wonderful to finally have a shower and a real bed after more than 48 hours of planes, airports, walk and driving around. Sleep was good.

A side note - driving a manual transmission is not difficult for me as my truck is a stick shift. However…my old Ranger is not a Yaris and shifting with my left hand while trying to drive on the left side of the road is not as easy as it probably should be. Basically I have stalled out more this trip than I have since I was 16. Also, for some reason in addition to putting the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car, the turn signal is also switched. Every time I go to turn I end up turning on my windshield wipers, which may or may not get me frustrated. Especially after the fiftieth time.