We finished up our packing and loaded the truck. An hour and a half later we were in Auckland. We went to another Icebreaker outlet store since we had some time to kill before returning our vehicle. At the car rental place, we said goodbye to our trusty truck and got in the van headed to the airport. Ryan checked in for his flight and dropped off his luggage. We ate airport sushi and enjoyed our last few hours. Our trip together, though 19 days long, went by way too fast. It seemed like moments ago we were catching our flight down to Queenstown to begin our journey. We managed to do a lot in the 19 days, through all kinds of weather and through many areas of the country.
I had booked an Air B&B and the host was there to pick me up at 4:30. Ryan and I said goodbye, as I caught my ride and Ryan went to catch his plane. Back on my own, I rode with the host, Josef, to a suburb in Auckland called Hillsborough. His wife and young baby were out of town. The home was large and had a bold, rock exterior. The kitchen was nice and the upstairs bathroom was clean and modern. My room downstairs must have been a second living room or a very big dining room prior to becoming a rented out bedroom. It had two pianos off to the side, two white leather couches, a large blow up mattress in between them, and big windows. I settled in for awhile and relaxed in the peace and quiet.
After a bit, I attempted to walk to a nearby mini mart that Josef told me about. I didn't quite remember his directions fully so I ended up walking much further and to a different mart than the one he mentioned. At the mart, not many packages were in English so I just bought what I knew I would eat and headed back. It was quite a long walk back even though I found a quicker route. I was actually glad I wore my hiking boots instead of my little flip flops because I had to walk down a very steep concrete pathway near the house.
I relaxed and enjoyed the house's speedy wifi before going to bed.
