(Way Over-due) New Zealand Trip Day 1 - Auckland

I had my graduation trip a few months back, 5th May til 20th May to be exact. It was with a close group of university friends.
The place was New Zealand.

4 months have passed, but the excitement still gushed back whenever I think of the clear blue sky and sea, the friendliness of the kiwis, the near-death rafting experience, the LOTR scenery, meal preparation at hostels, the snow mountain and so much more.
I am going to try and capture back these memories and hopefully to relive the experience as I do so.

Day 1 - Reaching Auckland Int Airport


After a long 16 hours flight with 2 transit and stopover, we finally reached Auckland Int Airport. The arrival level was nice but small. But recognizing it to be the start of a backpack adventure got me excited despite lack of sleep on board.

We had our first taste of backpacking adventure - brushing teeth and washing up in the airport toilet. LOL... It was our first taste of New Zealand, literally. After I was done, I exited the airport. What greeted me was this bright clear blue sky, with no clouds in sight. The sun was shining but you don't feel hot. With my jacket on, I wandered about the vicinity. The cool air freshened me as I walked and snapped some photos. I was only at the airport but I knew I would love New Zealand.


The few of us hopped onto a van with a trailer behind where we placed our big backpacks. It was an experience itself. Don't get to see these trailer in Singapore. With the van on its way, we bid farewell to the Airport which we would only see at the very last day of our road trip. Due to time constraint, we did not stay overnight in Auckland, but rather headed for a bus terminal (sort of) where we waited for our coach to pick us up to the next town, Rotorua. These kind of coaches is the Kiwis' (New Zealanders) common way of transport from one town to the other. It is this form of transport we relied on for most part of our Journey. Happily settled our lunch at a cafe in the bus terminal, we were on our way to the first real destination - Rotorua.