Day 38: re-packing and resting
Our first day in Auckland was pretty chill. We re-packed some of our things and spent most of the day resting and napping. Ship life was hard work. I kept wondering when the relaxing would kick in.
We took a bus to the harbour and went for a short walk. It was dreary and sprinkled a little, but it was nice. We found a sailboat so big I had to take two pictures to get it all.
Day 39: New Year’s Eve
Our first real day in Auckland was fun. We went up in the tower and took in the views of the harbour and city.
We also found a Wētā Workshop. We didn’t take a full tour, but we did see a few movie creations in and around the gift shop.
We took a couple of busses to a nearby bar area for a lovely Thai dinner. Auckland’s public transportation was easy to use, had frequent busses, had simple/fast payments on board, and even has a good app. And our food was great!
Back in November, we tried to find a good NYE party, but we couldn’t. Then, once we were on the ship, C&E told us about one, but it was both Black Tie and sold out. Once we were on land with real geo-based Internet, it was easier to find the parties, but there were only two kinds: $300pp and sold out or $18-40pp and overpriced for what they were. We gave up. Instead, we got to see the first city fireworks of the world, which were right outside our hotel….and then we texted a bunch of folks that we were “first”.
Day 40: New Year’s Day
We ventured out for food and found this along the way!
…and a cute indoor cafe with a very outdoor feel
Day 41: Shire
So here is an odd “goof” on the hotel’s part that is a bit PITA for guests. This tour was also our “move” from Auckland (to The Shire and then on) to Rotorua. We were checking out of a “boutique” Marriott property. The Hobbiton tour was to pick us up from another Marriott property exactly behind us on the same block. We get it, go with the masses. However, from one hotel to the other, the hike up three flights of stairs while schlepping two cases and one back pack each was a bit intense. Hobbiton tours are every day and most people leave from Auckland. The hotel staff know how early the Hobbiton pickups are. There is a door joining the two properties. We asked about using it, but “it doesn’t open until 7am” and we had to be in the other lobby by 6:45am. Really? Security can’t just come let us through the door and then make sure it locks behind us? Or, they can’t open it at 6:40am on those days? All that just to be the only ones getting picked up from either hotel. Why couldn’t they just get us from ours? Why can’t the two Marriott properties talk to each other?
Our bus was really a big van, but it was quite nice. Our tour guide was also great. He talked for about ten minutes and then let us just spend the rest of the ride napping or waking up or enjoying the view. There were even some 80s tunes on the radio station he picked. ha!
One of the cool stories about Hobbiton is that it wasn’t really meant to be. Peter Jackson and his team had to convince the farm’s owner to let them use the land for Lord of the Rings. They promised that it would be put back exactly as it was. They didn’t even use the owner’s 13,000 sheep for filming. PJ considered them “too modern.” I took that to mean too clean.
After filming, they removed every trace of the Shire. When the crew approached the owner again for The Hobbit, he said yes, but had a condition: leave the set. In the years since LOTR’s release, nerds far and wide had been showing up to this man’s property asking to see where The Shire had been. He’s nice, so he’d let them when he could, but he saw an opportunity as well. It’s now a huge operation. They even added two 10-room interiors in 2023 because people kept asking to go “inside” the (false, of course) homes.
After Hobbiton, our bus continued on. There was a meal stop, but it was crowded. Since we were getting out next, our driver offered to take us to our hotel while the rest of the gang grabbed lunch. He was super helpful with good information about Rotorua.
At his suggestion, we walked to Eat Street for dinner, and found a good Italian restaurant. On the way back, we walked through a small street festival.
Day 42: re-packing and resting in Smelly Rotoura
Rotoura is one of the best places in the world for therapeutic soaks and mud baths. And the town smells stinks like it would be good for that. It’s also a pretty tiny place without much to do.
Back in November, at the end of packing to leave for this trip, I hit a wall. Part of that was The Drama™, but most of it was just fatigue from planning, packing planning, and packing. At the end, I just threw it all into the bags and we left. I completely forgot any jewelry and if not for the makeup bag I keep by the front door for when we are running late, I’d have forgotten any of that, too. I thought I’d get organized when we unpacked in the ship and re-packed. That–and the stay in Auckland–helped.
So, I used our extra time to get serious about my packing. I wanted all my daily stuff in my backpack and small carry on, and the occasional stuff in the bigger suitcase. Hopefully, this way, I won’t need to get into the big one more than once every 3-4 days. He did some similar rearranging. During that time, I noticed that we can’t use Pandora in New Zealand. So, I started a playlist in Spotify. I hate the idea of going back after a terrible experience with them (and I really, really like the way Pandora can make a playlist for me), but what else is there?
For lunch the next day, we went across the street for some Korean Fried Chicken where nearly everything was too sweet for me. And then after, we both ended up napping. When we woke up, he wanted to go to a nearby park. I tried and made it as far as the lobby, but then came back up to lie back down.
He brought me ginger ale and ice. Later, he went out for chicken sandwich and brought me some plain noodles.