TravelFeedTravelFeed Logo
Travel: In every end, there is also a beginning šŸ

Travel: In every end, there is also a beginning šŸ

June 2018 Ā· 9 min read Ā· Ōrākei

Today will be my last travel post about our stay in New Zealand. Iā€™ll combine our last day we spent on the water in Mission Bay and the travel back home days. Especially the travel day isnā€™t that excited, so I made the decision to write it all in one story.

Goodmorning ā˜•

But first we found a spot in a small harbor last night somewhere in Auckland. Sounds like a movie script isnā€™t it? Well the sunrise was one Hollywood loves to use in a movie. Looks like NZ would give us one more beautiful view while waking up behind my coffee.

Weā€™re not the only people who stayed here for the night. A few campers/cars are people who canā€™t afford a house in Auckland. Something we did hear a lot while traveling New Zealand. Things are getting way to expensive here. So, this morning we talked to one of the guys sleeping here, with a genius solution. He promotes himself on the internet as a house-sitter. He is actually a personal security guard when people are away for a longer period from their houses. But heā€™s not only keeping the house safe, heā€™s also keeping it tidy and in a good condition till the owners return. Heā€™s sleeping here in his car for a few days because he couldnā€™t manage to get his last customers contiguous on each other. He told us about his son whoā€™s living with his girlfriend. Both they have a great job with a more then average salary, but they still canā€™t afford a house in Auckland. Why does everyone want to live here? New Zealand is such a big country with so many beautiful places you could liveā€¦

We took the time today because we booked our SUP rentals later this morning. So, we enjoyed the sunshine and all the birds here at the harbor. Just no worries, only sunshine!

Mission Bay

The SUP adventure for today will be in Mission Bay in Auckland. This is a location for a perfect day at the beach, chilling, sporting and dining of course. When youā€™re tired of life above the water, you can go to the sea life aquarium. But donā€™t know if itā€™s any good, we didnā€™t check it out.


Funny trees growing here at Mission Bay

While renting the SUP we got included a lesson for today also from Garren. This guy is traveling the world with now and then a job as a sup/surf instructor or do some kayak tours. For now, we meet this guy working his last days for the SUP rental here in Mission Bay. He will go overseas in a few weeks for a new adventure in Bali.

Garren thought us some new tricks we actually already did (untaught). But those tricks we didn't perform them flawless, so they needed a little tweaking. For a quick turn we did learn the reverse paddle turn and for a better balance in the waves he showed us an easier way to get in the surf stance while keeping a better balance. He even looked at our paddle technique how to use the blade correctly. Like the height of your paddle, do we have a perfect stroke etc. Although weā€™re supping already for a few years itā€™s never wrong to get a lesson and let someone else have a look at your technique.

The rest of the day we scouted Mission Bay and hold little competitions with the techniques we learned. Like paddling fast with a left turn, paddle fast and get in surf stance quickly, whoā€™s the first at the buoy.

After a day of supping there is only one thing you can day. Way too tired for cooking a meal so we just got ourselves a takeaway with a beautiful sunset while watching the Auckland Skyline from Mission Bay. We went for a Thai takeaway and we had some noodles with lemon grass and spicy mango passion. After our dinner we walked along the beach and called it a day.

Shopping for the homefront

First, we needed to find a supermarket to get some things for the people at home before we could park our van for the night. One thing learned from here I love the pineapple lumps so I robbed the whole shelf in the supermarket, and my girlfriend brought some favorite chocolate bars we eat a lot here with her. We canā€™t bring bigger gifts with us on the plane so bring some candy with the tastes of New Zealand suits for us as a perfect gift. Did you like the lumps @dboontje? šŸ˜‰

After shopping we took our van to another beach here in Auckland. Think I'll miss this the most... freedom camping with all those beaches around you being with someone you love. šŸ˜

Last day

Next day we woke up at actually a nice-looking beach. People whoā€™re living here are really lucky! But we werenā€™t our trip will end todayā€¦ So, time to clean our van and see some last things today in Auckland and return home.

While cleaning the van, we had some oops why didnā€™t we see that thing way earlier!? We found another bedding and even a real wooden cutting board (why did they choose the same wood as the backwall!?) hanging at the back of a cupboard. Well we had a lot of fun for sure while cleaning our van.

After cleaning we did go out and explore the small beach, nothing special but just a small quiet beach ending in some rocks with small caves in them.

Mount Eden

Today time for some tourist things, first stop would be Mount Eden, the volcano is the highest point of the city. Itā€™s cloudy today but we do hope to get a clear view over the city. The gardens around this volcano should be beautiful to wander around as well. We parked the van and started our walk to the top. Itā€™s not that high around 200m I guess. The info signs at the top mentions that the crater is still 50m deep. But it isnā€™t looking like a crater anymore with all the grass inside. But the views are spectacular. You can watch 360 degrees Auckland and all the waters surrounding it. Very touristic but itā€™s a must see. One funny fact, while enjoying the views here, you see two oceans and the harbors from Auckland. There arenā€™t many cities in the world with harbors touching two oceans.

Auckland War Memorial museum

After Mount Eden we head out for a lunch at the park around the Auckland War Memorial museum. It was kinda crowdy here, and the moment we entered the museum we know why. It was a special day for the kids and with an exhibition called Brickman: Wonders of the world you can do the math. We could wander over the heads inside the museum.

Ryan McNaught (aka Brickman) and his team have spent a jaw-dropping 4,944 hours building 50 incredible LEGO masterpieces. The museum made a nice movie about an interview with one of the builders. Doesnā€™t he have an awesome job!? The expedition is there till the 13th of May. So, if youā€™re in the area go check it out!

Now I begin with the sad part of this last travel story about New Zealand. But please no tears while reading. We had an awesome adventure traveling around and bring back a lot of beautiful memories. Weā€™re saying goodbye to our beloved van Bumblebee with a last hug we left him at the depot of the rental company. The mechanics working there assured us they would take care of Bumblebee and that heā€™s in good hands with them.
Goodbye bumblebee!

Airport adventures

A taxi brought us to the airport where we thought the adventure ended, well guess what itā€™s not ending! Our plan was to have an easy flight back home. But that didnā€™t work out. The moment we wanted to check-in there was an error on the screen. Oh no not a good start indeed so, we went out for some help. Turns out we needed to buy our ESTA form to get in the USA. After we got our ESTA arranged, and while waiting for the moment we could board we heard the delay message from the airport speaker. The airco in the plane was broken and needed to be fixed. Problem for us the plane couldnā€™t leave. Repair time got us one hour plus at the original time of taking off. Wow our stopover will be a close call.

Ready to Blog & Earn?

With TravelFeed, easily start your own travel blog and earn as you go. It's the smart platform for travelers who want to profit from their passion. Create a free account

While we arrived in the USA, we got into a waiting line so while waiting our plane leaves without us. The airport speaker repeated our flight multiple times, but we couldnā€™t do anything about it. And now the fun part starts, while we got at our gate the guy from the ground crew said he was done with everything. He called for us multiple times over the speakers and now the plane is boarding. So, he said we needed to fix things by ourselves and he just walked awayā€¦ First time Iā€™m having this experience while flying. Think the guy didnā€™t have its day. Luckily for us a nice lady saw everything, and she told us to get at her desk (flight to Paris) a few hours later she would arrange a new flight for us, if we didnā€™t mind having a stopover extra in Paris. We totally donā€™t care thanks for the help! We took the extra time to enjoy some of the best things in the USA, the fast food! Burgers and milkshakes for us.

After boarding on our flight to Paris everything went smooth. No more delays and from Paris we got in Amsterdam. We had a great trip, and Iā€™m really grateful Iā€™m able to do these kinds of things.

Thanks, Dikkie for being there on my trip with all my whims and bad humor! šŸ˜˜

Don't Forget: Get Travel Health Insurance!

To make your trip a worry-free experience, TravelFeed recommends SafetyWing Nomad Insurance. It provides comprehensive health coverage while you travel, so you can focus on exploring, not the unexpected. Get a quote here

The next dayā€¦

Sorry one more thing to end this story. You guys already know what view I like the most enjoying my coffee. Well guess what I did while waking up being back in Holland?

Indeed, I went out to the beach!šŸ˜Ž Missed our beaches way to much. Can't explain why but our sand is the best between your toes you got to believe me.

Thanks for reading along with me during my adventures in New Zealand. Lots of new adventures will come! Hope you will join me again on those. Cheers!

Travel Resources for your trip to New Zealand

Recommended by TravelFeed

Flights: We recommend checking Kiwi.com to find the best and cheapest flights to New Zealand.

Accomodation: Explore the best places to stay in New Zealand on Booking.com, Agoda and Hostelworld.

Travel Insurance: Medical emergencies abroad can be pricey, but travel health insurance is not. We always use SafetyWing for affordable and reliable coverage.

Transportation: Use 12go and Omio to find detailed bus and train schedules, making travel planning easier.

Car Rental: For hassle-free car hiring, DiscoverCars is our trusted choice with a wide selection of vehicles.

Internet: Got an eSIM compatible phone? Airalo is perfect for reliable internet access during your trip. Just install it before you go, and you're set!

Day Trips & Tours: We recommend GetYourGuide for a variety of well-organized and enjoyable activities.

Tickets: Save on entrance fees in New Zealand with Klook and Tiquets.

Travel Planner: Need a hand planning? Our free travel planner chatbot is your personal guide to New Zealand. Chat now.

Disclosure: Posts on TravelFeed may contain affiliate links. See affiliate disclosure.


Share this post