Tourist Mode ON | Exploring Auckland, New Zealand

During the last leg of my trip to New Zealand, I was in Auckland. This entire travel was just a rollercoaster ride. So many things have happened, both good and bad. I’ve had the best experiences, and also many terrible ones. In a way, this trip was one of those events in my life that opened a door. It revealed to me that as long as I really put my heart and soul into something, no matter how anxious I could be throughout the whole thing, it will come true. I also realized that the world was open for me to explore. If I could visit New Zealand out of sheer will (and allotted funds), I could go anywhere.

So I found myself at the heart of Auckland with one of my close friends. We took the public transport, which were both a first for us. My friend has been living in Rotorua, New Zealand for a few years already. But she has never went out of her way to explore Auckland by bus or train. She said she’s scared to drive all the way there and find herself lost in the concrete jungle. But I was there, and I think that gave her some pressure, and also reassurance, to explore the city as a proper tourist.

We stepped out of the train station, and I felt like I was in Europe. Well, how I imagined Europe would be. The roads, the buildings, the people. Everything was just foreign to me. All very Western. In contrast, Rotorua was a sleepy garden town. Auckland was bustling, dynamic, even overwhelming. I get why my friend was scared to explore it on her own.

We walked for a bit, had some street food, and looked for a place for lunch. My friend wanted to have some Indian food, so we looked for a restaurant near the famous Sky Tower. We talked for a bit and keep reminding ourselves how far we’ve come. We were classmates back in grade school and again during college. And now, we were all the way in Auckland, having Indian food, very far from home, achieving our dreams. I was happy for my friend. She might be far away, but she’s still the friend I made many years ago.

After our lunch, we set out for the Sky Tower, a massive structure. We went in and tried to see what was inside. There were a lot of things you could do inside, but we didn’t plan on spending any money on activities that day. We were happy to walk around and see the sights. We continued our journey and saw an impressive church in the middle of the city. It’s like one of those churches that you see in the movies. I could imagine dramatic scenes happening inside.

We spent quite some time just walking around the city center. I didn’t really know where we were going. I was just letting my friend lead the way. It gives you so much bandwidth and freedom to enjoy many things when someone else does the thinking for you. She suggested we go see a museum. She said it was free, and that was all I needed to hear.

I think I’m going to end the blog here, and share our trip to the museum in the next part. As I am writing this, I realize I might be going back to New Zealand in several months. And it makes me so excited. I know I’ve been there, so what’s stopping me from coming back? I hope you stay tuned for the next part. Cheers!