T
he last time I stepped
on New Zealand soil, I
was tip-toeing elegantly
off a plane in a state
of newlywed bliss. Fast forward
seven years and I was stumbling off
a Qantas jet, covered in crumbs,
hoisting a sleeping two-year-old and
shouting at a four-year-old to hurry
up.
It had been a dream to return
to this beautiful island nation in
the South Pacific. Having covered
much of the South Island on our
honeymoon, it was time for us to
discover what the North Island had to
offer. With eight days to play with, our
itinerary took in five stops, starting
from the nation’s capital – Wellington
– and finishing in the laid-back
metropolis of Auckland. I also decided
not to go down the campervan route
(hugely unappealing with two small
people involved), and so we stayed
at a nice mix of motels, B&Bs and
hotels.
Wellington is located on the
southernmost tip of the North
Island. Getting there was no easy
feat and involved a nine-hour flight
to Melbourne and then a three-hour
flight to Wellington. Luckily, we were
spending the first few days with an old
school friend so it was great to have a
large house to relax and unwind in,
rather than being thrown in the deep
May 2014
99
