The journey to and through Aotearoa - part 1

The last 2 days have been so chilled and thank goodness for that, I started to feel that I was taking part in the amazing race!

Early 2017 I received a call from my good mate Tim, saying Sham, #LionsWeries, #NewZealand, let's do it. Being a proper die hard #AllBlack fan, I was all in particularly after i missed the #RWC in 2011. So in Jan I booked my flight only to get confirmation from Tim that he had ditched me for cricket at Lords with his missus, can't fault the lad, priorities right. Whatever happened I was still all in 3 weeks in #Aotearoa....the land of the long white cloud. 

Before i knew it, it was here 15th June, I had no time to plan or do anything, didn't even have an opportunity to get excited about the trip, the only time i figured out when I landed was when I was on the flight, in my mind 24 hrs meant i would get there around 2pm when i left #CapeTown, add a few hours thanks to time zones. Fortunately though because I know myself, I had booked a hotel for the first 2 nights in #Auckland. 

We landed at about 11.20pm, Friday the 16th, the day that some of my people shed their lives so I could be able to live my life, crazy world! Anyway, I got my bags and then had to figure it out. Google told me the #SkyBus was my best bet, so off i went 18NZD later I was on my way to town a short 10 minute walk later i was at the hotel, pleasant apartment #VRAucklandCity. First thing was a good shower!

The next morning I had to do what i normally do, hop on hop off bus tour, but before i could, i had brought a wee parcel for a mate's niece and i decided mailing it was much easier than carrying it with me because it meant responsibility. It took around 3 hrs or so to find a damn post office that was open on a SATURDAY (who woulda thunk?!), but that was all good because my Garmin didn't mind at all, #DiscoveryVitality #Diamond I'm coming for you. So parcel mailed. I was free.

I found my nearest bus stop and sat there waiting, whilst sitting there, i saw Brodie Retalick and his partner strolling their youngster, i stepped up to him to say howdy, fortunately he recalled meeting me a few weeks ago in Cape Town. He told me the team were staying a few steps down the way, I had about 40 minutes to wait and the hotel was 3minutes away, what ever did we do without #GoogleMaps? So i went to the hotel and just as i got there I saw Keiran Read who remembered me and was even nice enough to take a detour from where he was going to have a yarn with me, whilst we were chatting Beauden walked by too and we had a rap, as well I was like sheet man this trip is a ripper and it is only day 1 :) anyway I let them be and headed back to my bus stop. Did the tour of Auckland, man I can see exactly why it is amongst the #Telegraph's 20 Greatest cities to live in. Place is just lovely.

After the tour, i got back to the hotel, took a shower and headed to find a place to watch the #MaoriAllBlacks v #LionsOfficial, the biggest game of #lionsNZ2107 thus far. Whilst walking i saw a group of Lions supporters heading to a bar, clearly i had no idea where i was going to watch the game, so i asked them if i could join them and they gleefully said yeah. I walked a few meters with them to a pub, whose name i have forgotten. Not wanting to infiltrate too much, i bought a beer and went my own way found a table and started watching the game. That #haka...bliss!! I met this dude called Casey, pissed as, but pleasant dude. He was waxing lyrical about how i must go south Lake Taupo is where he is from and it is majestic. Anyway we had a beer, watched the first half and i set off to find another place to watch the second half. I ended up at the #Viaduct, this place was festive fair amount of people floating about. I was like let me settle here for a bit. Found a little table and watched a miserable performance by the #Maori, but at the same time a great performance by the Lions. After the game, I asked a security dude where else is good in Auckland, he said Ponsonby Road. It was roughly 2km from me, a 30min walk, so armed with my google maps i was on my way. Randomly strolling the streets, I bumped into TJ the scrummy, I asked if he remembered me, he said from gym? Naturally of course, I was like nah man, Joburg, he said VIP Room, i smiled, we spoke so much shaite that night, small wonder he remembered, but anyway it was a ripper seeing him again good lad that, but i left him be and carried on wandering the streets. 

I hopped 3 or 4 bars, just checking what the scene was like and ended up at a bar called #George what a cool place. The DJ was playing some CARRRAAAZEE tracks, a bit of old school mixed in with some new school, seeing #JulianSavea jaming to and singing #JustinBeiber's #Despacito was a sight to behold. I kept to myself though mostly, found a lovely corner like i do, but man what a pleasant bunch New Zealanders are. So many dudes would come to me "where you from brother" "come drink with us", "come join us" did a "hongi" or 2 followed by Kia Ora Brother. Such a cool solo night. but dawn was errr dawning and I had to check out of my hotel with no plan for what was next. I decided to take a stroll home again about 20 minutes the map said. Got to my room and whipped out the good ol MacBook it was time. I had flown 24hrs, been out all day and night had a few, it was after 3.30am on sunday, yep this was the perfect time to sort out my travel life. Fortunately the #Boks were playing #France so that helped keep me awake.

During the day and evening I had been speaking to people and they had said get out of Auckland go here go there etc. so after a few minutes google what to do on the south island, New Zealand top cities, reading some articles, i decided I would hire a car. I went onto my favorite site #RentalCars.com and managed to find a pretty sweet deal and I was off to lala land. Up early like i normally am, re-packed, cleaned up my damn self, checked out and made my way to the car rental place. I was offered an excess waiver for a couple of hundred rand, I don't normally take those things, but not knowing these roads and an excess of R20k that was going to be held on my card, i decided what the hell right? So i got my #Renault #Captur and off i went, whilst filling out the car rental forms etc. i had a chat with Marco, the guy helping me, who was also from SA and he agreed heading south was a no brainer, so it was settled, I punched in #Tauranga into the SatNav system and off I was...

Man we live in a beautiful country South Africa, but the scenery in New Zealand, from the little I have seen so far is something to behold, mountains, oceans, rivers, lakes, trees that line your path, green fields, hot springs. I had to fight the urge to stop and take photos every 5 minutes, but then i thought why not where am i going? The speed limit here is 100 which was great because it gave me an excuse to drive slowly and take it all in. Just me, my thoughts and the south island roads. After about 3hrs or so i had covered 215km or so. I had arrived what a great little city. But wait before i can get excited about the place i needed a place to lay my head. I got in there around 3.30 pm, looked at a few hotels, i was like all i need is a place to put my bags, lay my head, shower in the morning and off on my bicycle i go again. So i logged onto #Airbnb, found a cool looking place that was near the parking lot i had stopped at to search. I put in a request and within minutes it was accepted. I drove about 2 minutes to the place lovely home, great room. I dropped my bag and said i would...i would...do absolutely nothing, i lay in the bed read a little watched stuff on the laptop think the travel had caught up with me, I was knackered! i definitely passed out for a few hrs, woke again, then passed out again till morning.

So ended my first weekend in Aotearoa