The second leg of our trip was off to Auckland, New Zealand. We flew from Sydney to Aukland on Air New Zealand and we chose the late flight to maximize our time! We stayed at a nearby airport hotel the first night called Naumi Auckland Airport Hotel. It was super affordable and very nice! For the rest of our time in New Zealand we stayed in an Airbnb a little outside the city. We were so impressed by the house and the view but I will say if we had to do it again we might chose to stay a little closer to the city. The traffic was terrible in and around Auckland and we almost missed our fairy to Waiheke Island and our flight to Fiji!
Day 1: Auckland
As you probably already know we are fast and efficient travelers! I know my style of traveling isn’t for everyone but I like it! I try to plan everything out to a T to maximize my time and organize my days just right. This allows us to be able to see more places and spend less money. With that being said, we only spent two full days in New Zealand. We spent the first day exploring the downtown area, walking around the harbour. We ate lunch at a very cute Italian restaurant in the North Wharf called Baduzzi. They had amazing drinks! We also ventured to a really cool rooftop bar called Seven which had great views of the harbour.
Day 2: Waiheke Island
For my birthday, we took the ferry over to Waiheke Island for a full day of zipline and wine tours! It was so much fun and Waiheke Island is breathtakingly gorgeous! They had a bus that they shuttled us around to the different wineries and provided a very nice lunch! We visited Stonyridge Winery, Rangihoua Estate, Thomas Bach Winery and Mudbrick Vineyard. If you are visiting Auckland then a day on Waiheke Island is an absolute must! It was the perfect way to turn 30!
Birthday Dinner
My birthday dinner was back on the mainland at this super cool restaurant called Jervois Steak House. We were so impressed by the ambiance and the food! We ordered all my favorites! Oysters, prawns, margaritas and Adam splurged with the A5 Wagyu steak. It was amazing!
