Sarah WallockThe journey from Santa Barbara, CA to New Zealand was surprisingly short and sweet. After getting 6 hours of sleep on the plane and watching a man storm down the aisle having a meltdown because his wife moved seats away from him (think Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids but less funny and more concerning), the 13-hour flight went by quickly. Once we landed in Auckland, Nick and I scanned our passports at automated border control and our visas were activated. I could not believe how easy it was. Dylan’s mom picked us up from the airport and drove us home. That morning we began to set up our bank accounts and I bought a new sim card. By the end of the first day, half of our logistical responsibilities were completed- woo!
On Saturday, we were excited to head into Auckland and drove over early in the morning. We walked all over the city. We walked down Queen Street, went over to the University of Auckland, headed over to Britomart (the central shopping market), and walked along the wharf at the Viaduct. Auckland was lively and comfortable. The weather, as everyone had mentioned, was unpredictable. One minute was sunshine and warmth, the next was rainstorms and wind tunnels.
After getting a really delicious curry and khao pad krapow at Thai Street, we drove over to the Auckland Botanic Gardens. We walked through the gardens and got completely soaked by the rain. I brought my camera and found some cactuses that captivated me. All in all, it was a fun and chill first day and we managed to do quite a bit!
After the gardens, we headed home. Then Sunday, we went to Auckland at 9am for the Car Fair. Within minutes of arriving, we found a match! We had been looking online for the duration of the week and we had found a car to test drive, but at the car fair we found the green machine- a 1997 Mitibuishi Chariot. We were looking for something a bit larger than a Camry or a compact car, and smaller than a jeep. We also wanted a car that we could sleep and camp in. For $2,150 NZD, we sealed the deal. Therefore, Nick and I each paid $703 USD. What a steal! (photos to come!)
Nick insisted to get a photo of me and the sign that said “American Idiot” 
Found a friend at the gardens
I’d say, we had a pretty eventful and successful first weekend in Auckland. And a huge huge thank you to the Lynch family for hosting us and feeding us and giving us great recommendations. More updates to come!
Grams is OVERWHELMED! What an exciting journey. Keep info flowing. Need pic of “ancient” transport you call car. Sadie and I are loving Paris …good weather, the French are, as always, FRENCH!! Lots of food, pics and tomorrow Versailles. Keep info coming. Miss you??, Grams
Thanks for always keeping up Grams! I am so excited that you and Sadie are having fun. More photos and updates soon to come. On Sunday, Nick and I went to a black sand beach- that was an adventure!