Neighbourly New Zealand

1. What country and city did you travel to?

 I visited the amazing city of Auckland in New Zealand.

2. What time of the year did you travel? 

Middle January, Summer

3. Where did you stay? 

I stayed at the Celestion Waldorf Apartment Hotel. It was perfectly located central to all the amenities and the room i had was a spacious apartment which was very comfortable, spotlessly clean and well fitted out.

4. What was your favourite location?

It would have to be the Hobbiton Movie set, it was something that ive never ever seen before and was truely a beautiful place to visit. You will need at least a good couple of hours to enjoy and walk around the place. Make sure to visit on a sunny day so you really get to enjoy it. Pricing is also reasonable and ranges from $75 AUD.
                                     

5. What was your favourite activity? 

My ultimate favourite activity would have to be the auckland adventure jet, it was the first sea jet boat of its kind in NZ to offer that kind of thrill seeking ride on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour. 

For all you adrenaline seeking people who love living on the edge, i would suggest to go and see the sky tower. It is honestly the largest buildings i have even seen and after researching it when i came home i found out that it is apparently the largest in the southern hemisphere. Also another unique experience to try whilst going to the sky tower is to have a meal at one of the two restaurants at the top of the Sky Tower, including the revolving Orbit restaurant. 

6. Name a song that framed your trip? 

The one song that truly reminds me of my time in NZ was i have a good feeling by the black eyed peas.

7. List the 5 words you need to know in that country? 

Luckily most of the people in NZ actually speak english so its really easy to get around and communicate with the locals. Although if you feel like being a bit adventurous and want to know a few basic words, below are 5 key words you could learn. 

-kia ora= hello
-Hei konā rā"= goodbye ( less formal)
-Haere mai / Nau mai= welcome
-Kei te pai= how are you?
-tēnā koe!= thank you

8. Words of Warning 

Make sure to check the weather warnings well before travelling to new zealand because they have crazy weather for instance you can expect to have at least all the seasons in one day. So its better to be safe than sorry!

9. List 3 essential clothing items

-Thongs/flip flops
- A warm jacket possibly even water proof 
-Swimmers

10. List 3 essential personal items

-Camera/Batteries
-Insect Repellent/ a good sunscreen
-Mobile Phone with local calling cards. SOOO much cheaper than calling directly from your home mobile phone.

11. Currency convertor 

 1 AUD= 1.26 NZD

12. Name one thing that is highly recommended by you which is great value for money.

One of the best things to see in Auckland that is ABSOLUTELY FREEE... is to climb an Auckland Volcano.  I would recommend seeing Mount Eden as it has the highest natural point in Auckland and offers a 360-degree view of the city.

13. Traditional food that you recommend to try 

If you get the chance i recommend having your food cooked in a hangi. The first time i tried it was when we had fish cooked in this way. It is such a memorable experience because of the way it was cooked and how much respect the local people had for the earth and their food. Also something that  isn't a food but definitely something to try is ..L&P. This soft drink is strictly a New Zealand product; you won’t be able to find it anywhere else in the world, unless it’s in a NZ specialty store, so its definitely worth trying it.

14. Something to push your boundaries 

For all you adrenaline seeking people who love living on the edge, i would suggest to go and see the sky tower. It is honestly the largest buildings i have even seen and after researching it when i came home i found out that it is apparently the largest in the southern hemisphere. Also another unique experience to try whilst going to the sky tower is to have a meal at one of the two restaurants at the top of the Sky Tower, including the revolving Orbit restaurant. 

Written specially for you  by Toula :)

Love 

The Travel Buggers