Anddd we have landed! We arrived in Auckland after a quick stop in LA from Toronto, and another not-so-quick flight over the Pacific! But we made it. Ahh!! Myself and a few others are running the Queenstown marathon as I talked about in my previous post and I’m def nervous and excited about that. We’re heading, of course, to Queenstown for the race but decided to check out Auckland while we had the chance! And I am actually glad we did. It’s a really fun city!
Auckland is located on the north island of New Zealand and right on the harbour front and kind of reminds me of Toronto in some ways! It’s so full of history and things to do, with tons of pubs and restaurants right along the water. And oh my goodness, the best gelato I’ve ever tasted!! Checking out Island Girl Gelato right on the pier by one of MasterChef New Zealand’s top competitors, Ana Schwarz, is def a must!
Another must is Waiheke Island! We headed to the island on a ferry from Auckland’s pier and arrived at Waiheke Island thirty mins later. We toured wineries and visited some really gorgeous beaches. An amazing thing about this island is that they are completely self-sufficient and even rely on rain water as their major source of water.
Another must, just outside Auckland is the Hobbiton tour for any Lord of the Rings fans. I wouldn’t call myself the MOST die hard fan and I still enjoyed the tour! So even if you haven’t seen the films or read the books, you’ll still have a great time in the gorgeous countryside and then sharing a pint in a little hobbit pub. Green Dragon, anyone??!
So that‘s my Auckland experience! We’re now off to Queenstown in the South Island for the race!
What places do you recommend in NZ??
xo
Christy