We have arrived! After Shannon and Andrew dropped us off at YVR at about 4:15pm on Sunday afternoon, our flight to Auckland left slightly late but still managed to arrive early in Auckland at around 6:12am this (Tuesday) morning after 13 hours and 37 minutes of flying time. We are very happy with Air New Zealand: a pleasant flight with friendly staff and excellent meals. Neither of us managed to get more than a few hours of sleep but that was to be expected.
It took a while to clear immigration and customs as New Zealand has a strict biohazard protocol and eg any used outdoor equipment such as tents and hiking shoes has to be declared, is inspected and is cleaned if it does not meet their standard of cleanliness. From the airport a courtesy shuttle took us to the car rental company where we had booked a Toyota Corolla hatchback, thinking that would be fine for just the two of us and our luggage. After we put everything - including the Mobicool cooler we brought with us - in the Corolla it was rather full and everything fit rather awkwardly. We discussed various options with the rental company and ended up upgrading to a Toyota RAV 4 in which everything fit very nicely. Next it was time for a grocery run at the Pak 'N Save and picking up a few odds and ends at two other stores.
Although the temperature was pleasant enough today with a high of about 21 degrees (C) it rained on and off all day. On our way north to the Bay of Islands we had a picnic lunch in our car as it was too wet to sit or stand outside. As we discovered, New Zealand and the North Island in particular was being hit by former cyclone and now tropical storm Hale, resulting in significant flooding. Although the worst of it is supposed to have passed, we decided to play it safe and stay in a (very basic) small cabin at the campground near Russell where we camped in 2018 as well. After a delicious meal cooked in one of the common kitchens at the campground, we will try to catch up on some sleep soon.
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