We had packed all the bags on Monday and loaded the car
and at 0800 we left Mangonui in the mist and headed south. This Cable Bay area
is a long way from normal civilisation and the locals joke about as saying we
are an hour from the nearest roundabout and two hours from the nearest traffic
light!
It took us longer to reach Auckland than planned
primarily due to the deep mist which slowed us down for about the first 90
minutes and then it started clearing. It’s a pleasant drive and then you reach
the motorway on the outskirts of Auckland and then cross the famous bridge and
then on to the Airport. We stopped at a burger joint near the Airport as it was
about 14.00 and did not want to leave it much later as we only had toast for
breakfast at around 7.15 am.
We checked in the Airport Novatel which was ideal for
us as we only needed to walk across the road and directly in to the departure
terminal, two minutes from Hotel to check-in. After obtaining our room at the
hotel we took the rental car back to USAVE Car Rental and they have been very
good and would re-use.
An afternoon walk through the terminal to see layout
and then a light sleep in the Hotel for an hour as we were both a little tired
and tomorrow will be a long day. We were not really hungry and although we
looked in the Hotel restaurant it would have been expensive for when we don’t want
much so we returned across the road to the terminal and found a sandwich joint
and a coke, much cheaper and all we needed. The Novatel is a nice Hotel with
really comfortable beds and they did not vibrate unlike the one in the
maisonette when if a heavy lorry went by the floor vibrated.
And so to sleep.
