End of Contiki

This morning, we got up really early to head back down to Auckland. When we got into Auckland, we waited by the bus for nearly an hour while everyone chatted and some people checked into the hotel that Contiki had organized for those who were willing to pay for it. We decided to all get lunch, but that didn’t end up happening exactly. Instead, I went with a group down the street to check into our hostels and then we went for ice cream.

It seemed like it was going to be difficult to walk around in such a big group and actually do anything, so after saying goodbye to a couple of people heading to the airport, Jacob and I split off from the rest of the group and walked around town.

We tried to find the Victoria Markets but ended up walking way past them to a city on the top of College Hill. It turned out the markets were closed for construction anyways, so we didn’t miss much. We headed back to the city and found a cute little café where I could get some chips for a snack and sat and talked, then we stopped back at my hostel for a little bit so I could show him where I’m staying because he had never been inside a hostel. Finally, we ended up in a mall across the street from the Mercure, where everyone else is staying, and sat and talked for an hour or so. We ended up getting locked in the mall because there was no announcement or anything saying it was closing, the lights just shut off. Luckily, we were able to get out through a restaurant that was still open.

We met up with the rest of the Contiki group still in New Zealand for dinner at O’Hagan’s Irish pub. I had the most amazing steak with mushrooms, barbecue sauce, chips, and a glass of wine. There was no way I could finish it, so I took a doggy bag home for breakfast. While we were waiting for dinner to be ready, we all stood up and said our parting to the group. It was actually a really sweet evening, one that probably maybe the trip for me.

Jacob and I at the Sky Tower -- the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere

Most amazing steak, ever