Auckland, New Zealand

I’m beginning my world travels with New Zealand, where I intend to stay three months. I chose NZ because of its beautiful landscapes, as well as the kindness of people that I’ve been told about. So far, they are not wrong. My Airbnb host, an elderly woman named Marie, picked me up from the airport, which I was very grateful for because my backpacks were quite heavy and would have been a bit difficult to maneuver on a bus. 

I will say, my week of living with Marie has been the best experience to date with Airbnb stays. She has been downright delightful and cared for me in ways other hosts have not. After arriving to her home, she gave me a thorough tour of the place, and then we sat down to have tea. After a while, she went out to run some errands and even brought us lunch; meat pies! Meat pies are not that common in the US, but they are more prevalent in the U.K., and other British settlements, such as here. After a short nap, Marie took me on a drive to show me parks nearby and then we went to the grocery store. Here I bought some vegetables to roast and a pre-made chicken, and we enjoyed dinner together that night. We talked and talked, and I loved hearing her stories of her family and way of living. 

The next day I felt very ambitious. There is a walk you can do from harbor to harbor of Auckland, called the Coast to Coast Walkway. This is a 16-km or 10-mile walk that hits all of the major stops of the city. One thing to know about Auckland is that there are supposedly 55 volcanoes that can be climbed. Of course they are all dormant and grown in with lush greenery now, and make for nice walks. The Coast to Coast walk hits two of the largest ones. The first one was One Tree Hill.

One Tree Hill, or Maungakiekie in Maori, is one of Auckland’s largest volcanoes. At the top, you get 360 degrees view of the city. Leading up to the top, you see sheep grazing the land, runners jogging on the paths, and bikers pushing their way on the hill. It is a lovely park. 

Mount Eden was the other large volcano that I hiked, with heights rivaling One Tree Hill. The last eruption here was 15,000 years ago, and it left a large crater, about 50 meters deep. At the top here are also spectacular views of the city, as well as forceful gusts of wind.

I did the entire Coast to Coast Walk; my legs were sore for the next few days that followed. I knew that I needed a car to explore the country as a whole, and I had been researching the best ways to acquire one. Unfortunately, car rentals were a bit pricey and after reading some backpacker forums, many recommended buying a used car if you would be spending over two months in New Zealand. Marie told me that on Sundays there is a car fair in the city and there are usually pretty good prices at the event. So we went on an adventure to check out some cars. I was not ready to buy one, as I know pretty much nothing about cars, but I figured it would be a good opportunity to see what is out there. There were a fair amount of backpackers trying to sell their cars, as well as dealers with cars. There were many old cars, early 2000s or late 1990s, and cars with high mileage. But one car stood out to me, being sold by a teacher from London who had spent a semester in New Zealand and was now moving on to her next country. She was incredibly kind, and the car had low mileage and it was a good value for the money. After several hours of thinking it through, test driving the car, and getting advice from my father, I decided to buy the car. We made an arrangement where I would pick it up later in the week so that the owner could drive it to work for a few more days. I felt such a relief off my shoulders knowing that I had the car situation taken care of!

Waiheke Island

There are a number of islands off the coast of Auckland. Tourists and locals alike have recommended to me to visit Waiheke Island. This island is about 22 km away from Auckland, and it is the most populated and second largest island in the Hauraki Gulf. I took a ferry in the morning to enjoy a day trip. The island, despite being near Auckland, has a tropical microclimate, and is a popular get-a-way destination. It is also well-known for its vineyards and wineries. 

Upon arrival, I took a bus to the other end of the island, and got off at Onetangi beach. Boy, was it beautiful. I had brought a swimsuit and towel just in case, and I’m glad I did, because I found a nice spot on the beach and laid around for almost two hours. This beach is interesting in that there are deposits of water throughout the beach, almost like little pools all over. Once in the water, it takes a while to get to to waist deep water because it is so gradual. The water was cool and refreshing on a hot summer day. It was pleasant, both napping on the beach, and swimming in the water and admiring the scenery around me. 

After the beach and some ice cream, I was ready for some wine. I wandered up a road that had a sign saying wineries were in the given direction, but after about 20 minutes of walking, I began having doubts. I noticed a family walking up the road behind me, so I waited for them to catch up and asked if they knew where the wineries were. They said they were also heading in that direction and we were on the correct road, so I walked with them. 

I learned that this family from Canada, a husband and wife, and their three younger daughters, were on a year long traveling trip! They had previously spent three months in South America, and now are doing a short trip for Christmas in New Zealand, after which they would head up north to Southeast Asia. What an enriching experience for the children, as well as a bonding time with the whole family! I was fascinated by them. 

We finally made it to the first winery, Casita Mira, a Spanish style building at the top of the hill and enjoyed our first samplings together. I personally enjoy whites, so those were my favorite. The family was telling me that they had spent a separate three months in previous years in New Zealand, and were giving me advice on activities I could enjoy. Their daughters were also very well behaved and asked me questions about my life and travels. They spoke fluent French, and had learned Spanish for their trip to South America. 

From Casita Mira, there was a walkway through the vineyards that you could take that would lead you to the next wineries in the area. I felt as if I was strolling through a painting. Trees, grapevines, lush greenery, rolling hills; it was amazing. We reached the next winery, Obsidian, where we enjoyed more delicious wines. Afterwards, I separated from the family and wandered through the vineyard walkway to get to the main road. I probably stumbled around on this path for at least 30 minutes, all alone for what I could see around me, surrounded by vineyards, and slightly tipsy from the wine. It was like a fairy tale, and I felt completely safe here. 

Adjusting to a new life

My first week in New Zealand was shaped by plenty of rest, writing, running errands, and chatting for hours with Marie. I drank wine every day, and mostly ate home cooked meals. I can’t say Auckland is my favorite city that I have visited, and I am looking forward to exploring the rest of the island. I will be very sad to leave Marie however. I think visiting new countries gives you a different perspective when you are a “traveler” versus a “tourist.” As a traveler, I was and am very budget-conscious, rarely went out to eat, and spent lots of time with Marie. Listening to her speak brought me so much joy. I think the most enriching part of being a traveler is meeting new people and hearing new perspectives. When I’ve traveled in the past, it was always rush, rush, rush. I never got to know my Airbnb hosts on a personal level. And that’s to be expected, when you only have a limited amount of vacation days per year, you will focus more on sight-seeing rather than cooking at home and getting to know the locals. Marie’s compassion has really touched me, and I hope our paths cross again. I couldn’t have asked for a better start to my trip.

-Anastasia

“Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.”

Anita Desai