We made it to Auckland, New Zealand, on the north island of this country! Our day started early as we needed to leave our apartment (for the last time!), drive to the airport, return the rental car and check in two hours ahead of our international flight time of 9 AM. There was very little traffic at 6 AM on this Saturday morning and we had a quick and easy time of returning the rental car, which gave us lots of time to kill at the Melbourne. Unfortunately, the wine tasting tables at the airport were not opened yet!
Our flight to Auckland was uneventful, which is the way we like them. New Zealand has moved to daylight savings time so they are 3 hours ahead of Melbourne, until tomorrow, when Melbourne Springs Forward! The sun did not set until 7:29PM which was to our advantage as once we were settled into our B&B, we took a long walk down the wharf area.
We have rented a Jucy camper van for travelling in for the next week. Jucy is a rental company throughout Australia and New Zealand ( and California!) with very distinctive purple and green camper vans, with the picture of a very pretty girl somewhere on the outside of the van. Jim has been a fan since the first time he saw one! So the Jucy Pick-up van collected us from the airport and drove us to the Jucy lot where our camper an was waiting for us. Here are a couple of photos and I will provide a better tour when we are actually out camping with it!
Jucy (what we call the camper van) is currently parked in the car park of a very lovely B&B, the Ascot Parnell B&B, where will will spend our first night in Auckland. There is a lovely view from the B&B’s balcony of the wharf area, where we walked before going to dinner. Here is are two photos from the balcony, one taken during the late afternoon and the other at 9:30 PM.
The city lights are lovely!
I am including here a photo of a piece of art that was in the courtyard of the restaurant where we ate dinner tonight. There was an art gallery right next door and the piece belonged to them. I present to you, The Brick Zipper!
Tomorrow we head out on our very loosely planned trip of the Northern Island. We will be camping and I have no idea what our Internet access will be for the next few days. So, stay tuned!
Cheers from New Zealand!
Southern Crossings 2013 
Hi Marji & Jim, pleased to hear that you have arrived safely in New Zealand and are staying at the Ascot Parnell B&B. Brought back happy memories of our first night in Auckland with Carl & Nan in 1999 when we also stayed at the same B & B.
We are coming to New Zealand on Oct 19 on a Princess Cruise. Have loved your blog!!!