My first Saturday in NZ and it is raining. However, it was the perfect excuse for a relaxing
day in. I slept in til about 10AM and came down to paparazzi. As much as I insisted I really am not the sleeping beauty, she still thought we looked great. What a host mum. I think she was just glad we finally woke up so we could begin exploring the island some more. She wakes up very early and loves the morning air; usually through embracing it on her morning walk to the beach. The bay is about a mile walk there and back, but the hill is what makes the walk (for me) bloody awful. Traveling Tip #4: Make sure you wear gym shoes on your first long walk. I'm panting trying to keep up instead of able to soak up the fresh air. Maybe next weekend I'll get a little better.
Once we recovered from jet lag, officially, I was eager to get to the city. I wanted to travel and see the big skyline and towers and beaches and shops. But, like I said, it was still raining. We took a road trip through the middle of town (busy streets and looking like a cleaner North Shore of Chicago beach front), up to Parnell Village (beautiful scenic, old houses and shops), and to Bastion Point (a look out over the beautiful Maori islands and hills). Along the way, we passed the Waitemata Harbour (aka the most expensive place to live in the North Shore, maybe even all of NZ) and then "Ladies Bay" which is a nude beach...but thankfully, again, it was still raining. Starving, we found a cute little french restaurant for some dinner. Mid-conversation, my host mum began questioning my decisions and plans as I didn't know the answer to them. This was the first time I got frustrated, followed by a few tears.
My friends from the program who are teaching at a primary school down the way invited me to go out to the bars. I didn't ask many questions or get detailed because we were out to dinner, but that resulted in not know the answers to questions my host mum asked. I became frustrated with myself for not being decisive on whether I wanted to tag along, my host mum wanted to know details I could not answer, and my friends for constantly changing their minds. In the end, once I calmed down, I decided to go to the bars in Takapuna, which turned out to be a lovely time.
My friends took the bus over to my house, we got ready and took the bus to the bars. Then, my host mum volunteered to drive us to Takapuna where she recommended "The Elephant Wrestler" as the go-to even though it wasn't "poppin'" on Saturdays..."it's a Thursday, Friday bar." Traveling Tip #5: Use dating apps (Tinder, Bumble) to locate the 'happenin' and go-to restaurants/nightlife, the internet can only be so reliable. But, we met some fellows who were extremely welcoming and had the most attractive accents. We danced and talked and it was quite a night. Not too crazy, but the perfect amount of fun for our first night out in New Zealand. We ubered home and got home safe...just a $16 uber thankfully.
Sunday wasn't anything exciting, just more rain and able to write my first paper. Let me tell you, those are enough to keep me busy all day. Traveling Tip #6: Use the rainy/bad weather days to relax and plan for the sunnier adventures!
Last but not least, we couldn't forget Mother's Day! Our host MUM has been so lovely to my roommate and I so we felt a little extra color in the house could remind her how grateful we are! Traveling Tip #7: Don't forget to thank the people helping your stay go smoothly, don't let anyone go unnoticed!
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