Auckland, New Zealand New Tour

Jan 29, 2016

2 min read

I had a great start to my 6 week New Zealand trip. My good friend Tina Sweet put me in contact with her cousin Ashley who lives in a flat in the centre of Auckland. I landed and made my way to the city by bus and was dropped of about 3 miles away which meant I had to unpack and set my bike up in the street before riding to Ashley’s apartment. He was away himself and had left the key with a friend for me to collect and let myself in. As I had landed at 5am and had only managed 2 hours sleep my desire was to shower, eat then pass out for a while. I showered, ate then 5 hours later I awoke quite refreshed.

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For my first day I familiarised myself with the down town area, sorted a new SIM card, bought a coat and got hold of some maps. For my second day I went to another part of the city to ride in the parks and have a picnic. Later, Ashley returned from his trip and we went out for a beer with 2 of his friends in a really nice bar. Day 3 was a beach day, in fact it was a 3 beaches day. Mission Bay being my favourite. The sea is really warm here. Warmer than Sydney which is quite odd seeing we are further south.

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My final day was spent on Waiheke Island, a 35 minute ferry ride from Auckland harbour. I did the pan handle loop taking in some spectacular hills, some scary descents and some stunning bays. I want to thank Ashley for his hospitality, kindness and trust in letting me stay, even when he wasn’t there. Thank you also to Tina for sorting it in the first place. It’s going to be 5 or 6 weeks of cycling before I return but knowing I have somewhere to finish at is of great comfort.