After about a million hours of air travel, I finally arrived in Auckland. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in the city for very long…something that will be fixed next time I come because the area is beautiful and as someone has pointed out (repeatedly), I did not go to Hobbiton.

I arrived and my shuttle took me to my hotel, The Pullman. It was the nicest hotel I have ever stayed at…there was even a bathrobe! As mentioned, I looked like shit when I arrived. I hadn’t really slept, I was in sweats, my hair had seen better days…I could have cried when I showed up to the hotel and they gave me an upgrade! It was awesome and I did feel guilty because I looked so rough, but that all went away with a hot shower! I did make sure to walk slowly past the front desk when I left later that evening so they did know I looked like a real person on occasion!

My first night was the only night I had to really explore Auckland and I didn’t get very far. My hotel was very close to the shopping district so I spent a couple hours wandering around (part of this was I got a tad lost). I needed to buy a duffle bag because Qantas does not let you combine your luggage weights and even though I only had one bag, it was over the baggage weight and cost me $60 (which would then be for each additional flight…so additional luggage it was). So I stopped by Kathmandu, the Kiwi version of The North Face (my favorite and the store was closed), and they were having a massive sale. I bought a great duffle that I will use for years and a great wish that they had them in the states-but they do ship here so just take my money!

Be sure to check out Albert Park! It was right across from my hotel and was stunning. I especially loved these trees that wrapped around. While there were people, like myself, taking leisurely strolls, I can imagine the park is quite lively in the summer months!

I was really surprised at how much they like American fast food…so many options! I ate at the hotel that night because I wanted real food, it was nice, and I was exhausted. But if you like Carl’s Jr., McDonalds, or Subway, you’re all set!

Like most of my trip, the city was main base and I did so much outside! That will be my next few posts of my experiences within a couple of hours outside of Auckland (but no Hobbiton). They will be filled with animals, geysers, and why you should live furiously!