Auckland - Back After Two Years

It’s been exactly two years since I sat upon the top floor verandah at Verandahs Backpackers Lodge in Auckland, NZ. It seems like yesterday but not quite the same.

I sit with my laptop glancing above tree tops for a view of the Auckland Sky Tower and downtown. A few cranes muddy up the view as a symbol of a healthy economy but weaker exchange rate for the Yankee dollar. New Zealand has never been cheap but now it’s expensive. I spent my first 3 nights in the city at a nice hotel with a ninth floor balcony view via a fair internet rate but now I've returned to the backpacker trail. Verandahs is a mix of private and shared rooms set inside a large old Victorian home. Facilities are shared and there is a good sized kitchen/common area. It backs up to a park which makes it a pleasant setting. I was able to check into the same room I stayed in two years ago but the floor is sinking down to one side. I had to turn the bed around to be more comfortable which wasn’t the case before. Fine for a night.

I am not really sure why I purchased a ticket to New Zealand last November on cyber Monday other than it was a very good deal that was too hard to pass up. I guess the price, direct flights, and the fact I hadn’t traveled in awhile just made me pull out the credit card and push the buy button. That night I lost sleep not totally at peace with the purchase. The next day I almost canceled within the 24 grace period but didn’t. I figured if worse came to worse I could re-coupe most of the cost by changing to a later date. Maybe a ticket to a Cook Islands or something like that. Anyway, considering my fathers health I seriously doubted I would be going as planned but something told me not to cancel the ticket.

My father passed 3 weeks before I was do to leave but even so I thought it would be too soon to go. I was concerned that I simply wouldn’t be in the right frame of mind for a trip and there would be things that needed to be handled at home. Nonetheless, I was encouraged by friends and family to go anyway. Also, I thought it might be a good idea to just get away. It’s kind of a tough call but no big deal really. To change my ticket for an early return would cost but it’s much less expensive when changed in New Zealand. If I’m not feeling into it I can always make easy arrangements to pack it in early.

So far New Zealand feels ok. I’ve enjoyed a nice day in the seaside community of Devonport and got in a couple of nice runs around city parks as well as walked a lot. I can’t say I’m really feeling the spark or buzz that I normally feel at the beginning of a trip, however, sometimes travel just kind of goes that way until you get to moving about. Three days in Auckland is plenty but I am sticking around a couple of more as my friend Debbie is in the country and will be traveling through Auckland tomorrow. I wanted to catch up with her for a day before I got going. She’s en-route to house sit up North and I am curious about the Great Barrier Island of NZ. I suspect while crossing paths we will come up with a plan to meet up again at some point.

Anyway, The plan is one more day in Auckland then a 4 1/2 hour boat ride to the Great Barrier, Island.