Auckland. Over it.

Auckland is pretty silly. The ants are so fast…like, the fastest little things you’ve ever seen. Seriously, you wouldn’t believe it. Also, hostels are more expensive than our nice hotel, and it just doesn’t make sense. The food here lacks…and is really terribly expensive. The best food we’ve found is this hole in the wall ramen place, where we’ve already dined twice. Bacon, as we know it, seems not to exist. You get this ham steak when you order bacon. Crazy.

Today has been, by far, the most beautiful day we’ve seen in Auckland. It has been rather misty and cloudy the whole week. We bought ferry passes yesterday and toured the harbor. Our first stop was Rangitoto island: a volcano formed about 600 years ago. The summit is 850ft above harbor, and takes about an hour to hike. There are lava caves and such towards the top of the mountain. Our particular tour company had oddly timed pick-ups, so we were unable to explore the caves and had to book it down to catch the boat to the next island. We did meet this very nice couple from the UK who were on the 161st day of their NZ journey. They were travelling with their young son, Geoffrey, who was the coolest kid I’ve ever met. Motuihe, the second island of the day, was much smaller, and was cleared many years ago for farming and a prison. They are now re-introducing the native trees, grass, and plants to bring it back to its original glory. It has become a great area for bird watching, and is a sanctuary for the native Kiwi.

We are looking at purchasing a vehicle by Wed. There is one we are looking at tonight that we are both pretty excited about. It’s a camper van that comes with all the camping equipment we’ll need. So, cross your fingers for us, should you be reading this before we see it. I also just found a car dealership that specializes in backpackers' vehicles, so we'll run down there tomorrow and maybe fall in love with something. We are getting pretty anxious to hit the road and see the sights. Our plan is still to drive all the way north first, and then head down to the south island to tour it top to bottom.
Finding an internet/wifi connection in this country could be listed as an Olympic sport, so, we will continue to post as often as possible!