© NZPocketGuide.com
© NZPocketGuide.com

Last Day in Auckland

© NZPocketGuide.com

-1 Days on the Road

Our last day in the big city was pretty full-on, like our life has mostly been leading up to the New Zealand’s Biggest Gap Year (starting tomorrow, OMG!) We were bouncing all around the Auckland City, from the campervan, to a hotel, to a cafe, to the shops, back to the campervan, and finally back to the hotel… Phewww. Talk about a “laid back” lifestyle in New Zealand…

Let’s rewind to this morning. We promise we had only one final issue to sort out with our 28-year-old box we call a campervan. If you have read any of our previous blog posts, you’ll see there has been plenty issues, starting with this one). This time, there was a leak in the roof, which had really been put through its paces over the last few days with the torrential rain in Auckland.

Leaks, be gone! Robin got some silicon recommended by our DIY expert (and Silverfern Hostel owner), Dom, climbed on the roof of the camper, and was let loose with the toothpaste-like substance. About half an hour later, nature gave us a test by unleashing the rain. Wahoo! It works! Now let’s hope the silicon has time to dry…

Our first (and probably not last) stay in Jucy Snooze

Because we were moving out of our apartment and we had one more night before departure, Jucy (the company that installed our camper’s fridge) offered us a night in their Jucy Snooze hotel in exchange for some 360 pictures of their facilities. Nice one! We took the grand tour of the hotel-meets-backpacker accommodation, complete with that instantly recognisable green and purple colour scheme you see all over their eye-catching campers. In short, Jucy Snooze is a great mix between a hotel and a hostel with a mix of rooms and facilities so everybody can get what they are looking for.

Snoozing at Jucy Snooze would definitely be something to look forward to before spending 365 days in a campervan!

One last hot chocolate at The Shelf

As a mark of our last day in Auckland, there was no other option than to treat ourselves at our favourite cafe in Auckland Central, The Shelf. Every time we meet someone new to the city, we always suggest hot chocolates at The Shelf on High Street. One tip: make sure you eat the stick of Whittaker’s chocolate in the drink quickly before it melts!

Turns out they do great food too. Dayyyym, those waffles!

 

One last look at our apartment

Next, it was time to officially leave the apartment (complete with the dreaded apartment inspection). It really felt like the last episode of Friends with the panoramic shot around an empty home…

It’s weird, you would have thought that it would be an emotional moment leaving what has been our home and office, such as breaking down on the ground screaming: “It’s the end of an era!!” But, no. Our feelings of excitement, anticipation (and maybe a bit of stress) of the year ahead overwhelmed any need for breakdowns.

One last shopping trip

There was one last thing Laura needed to get before we departed: a bikini. Because Laura is your standard “cheap as chips” English lassy, she had been carrying the same mismatched bikini around the world with her for too Goddamn long! No more! It was time to stop being such a pauper and buy a new one! After trying about 10 different ones and killing Robin of both boredom and self-conscious questions, she FINALLY picked one.

One last clean of the camper

Everything was finally packed and organised in the campervan. Robin even started to get out his labels to label all the boxes and stack them in alphabetical order. (Ok, so he wasn’t that crazy, but, ya know, he’s still pretty f**king organised). The last thing to do to get the old girl ready for the road was to vacuum her down. Ahhhh, clean as a whistle.

One last snooze as Auckland residents

That was what we call a long day, so relaxing at Jucy Snooze was so welcome!

Tomorrow, IT’S ON! First stop, Thames in The Coromandel! Join us here on our blog tomorrow!

One last treat before 12 months of backpacker budget food

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But our blog is just getting started!

We are so stoked to get this 12-month road trip started. Check out the whole itinerary at The Itinerary of the New Zealand’s Biggest Gap Year. Check out our Instagram for our latest pretty New Zealand pictures too.

Don’t forget to check out our articles to help you plan your Auckland trip!

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