We flew from Australia to New Zealand, then took a bus from Auckland airport to Sky city which was near our Airbnb.

Google said it was a 10-minute walk on flat ground from the bus stop to the AirBnB.

We felt like that was manageable, so we started walking with our heavy suitcases.

Google lied!🤥

The city of Auckland is made up of steep hills except around the harbor.

As elderly travelers, were  huffing and puffing right away.  Some very kind locals offered to give us a lift, but I smiled and said we were fine.  To be honest, I was completely exhausted though.

Auckland is a very beautiful city where urban life and nature mix seamlessly.

In particular the yacht harbor is a sight to behold.  Over 2000 yachts are moored there.

I was surprised to hear that a building that looks  like a giant Japanese multi story parking garage is entirely for yachts!

We stayed in Auckland for 6 days, spending our time relaxing.  We went to some small islands using public buses and ferries.  We strolled around leisurely, stopping for tea whenever we felt like it.

Public transportation was cheap and very convenient as you could just tap your credit card to pay.

By the way, we celebrated the New Year in Auckland.

We heard that fireworks would be displayed at the Sky Tower and we wanted to see them…. But we got tired of the crowds and decided to just go to bed.  We fell asleep with the festival commotion outside as our lullaby.