J chillin in Auckland

Last weekend I decided to take a little break from traveling and stay in Auckland, which ended up being a great time. On Saturday afternoon, me and the host fam, Jess and hers, Heather and hers, Bri, and a few other Tiri teacher friends ventured for a picnic and look around at the local Auckland zoo. I had not seen a ton of native animals and birds, so I was excited to see some there!

After eating some great picnic food (thanks to Miriana and Heather's host mom, Julie), I took the girls, and along with Heather and Bri, we went around to the various exhibits and had a ton of fun. I saw a kiwi for the first time, along with a kea bird (which are infamously known for being naughty/cheeky). It was organized by continent, so I also saw the usual lions, tigers, (bears), etc.

Here are just a few photos of my goofy girls:

What a fun time ;) They keep me on my toes!

On Sunday I planned on catching a ferry to a local island and hiking up the mountain there after meeting Bri and Heather, but after many problems including the trains down for maintenance, an extra LONG bus ride, etc, I (literally) got off the bus and ran to the wharf to only find the tickets sold out for the ferry. I was pretty upset since I was so looking forward to it, but after taking a few minutes, I realized maybe this was meant to be and I wasn't supposed to go to Rangitoto for the day.

I looked at the ticket board and found a cheap ticket to a city very close by (much more easily accessible by the ferry), and I decided to just grab one and go! I would be going by myself but I knew I'd be fine.

The ferry ride was only about 10 minutes total--very short and sweet. It was a cloudy day but still great weather.

Beautiful Auckland:

I only stayed in Devonport about an hour(ish), but honestly it was a wonderful time. I did some window shopping, walked around the city, and just witnessed the beautiful views of Auckland across the bay.

Sometimes, I think it's important for me to remember to not always take life so seriously. Ya, I didn't go to Rangitoto, but I got to go somewhere instead. This whole experience has been a dream so far, and I can't imagine it changing drastically for the next month.