E Noho Ra Auckland

"Goodbye, Auckland."

I squeezed in a (free) half-day tour of Auckland yesterday. There are two major bus companies here who cater to the backpacker and they both offer free day tours of the city as a chance to sell you on their bigger trip packages around both islands. This is a backpacker-oriented country in that most of the people who arrive here are young and eager to forge their own unique path through the country. That naturally means that everyone I've met thus far is a transient--each has their own timeline, their peculiar to-do and to-see list; hence, their own path. Many come with friends, some alone. A lot of English and Germans make the long trip.

Auckland is a beautiful city, even if it lacks the charm you'd expect upon landing at its airport. One of the first things the bus tour operator said to us yesterday was, "get out of Auckland." Indeed.

My dorm-mates and I (all 6 of us--three girls, three guys) went out for a quick drink last night. As everyone is on a tight budget, one drink at $7 NZD (nearly $5USD) is all anyone can afford at this point. Do you know how hard it is for me to have just one beer? It's like a heroin addict being satisfied with one cigarette. Ain't happenin'. But the budget is as flexible as Mr. Tin Man prior to Dorothy's arrival. So, one drink it was. Everyone arrived at the same time, so we're all a bit jet-lagged. That means, in bed by 9pm, up, showered, and ready to go by 7am. Two of my dorm-mates left for the northern part of the north island this morning and my Scottish buddy--who I had recite to me lines from Braveheart--is likely leaving tonight for Christchurch on the South Island.

"You can take my life, but you will never take my freedom!"

So, though Auckland has one-quarter of this country's population, it's time to leave it behind for now. I'm off to Wellington tomorrow morning for an all-day bus trip to the country's capital. One-third the size of Auckland, it reportedly boasts more charisma, more flair, and more charm than its larger counterpart. We'll see about that. Anyway, we'll be job-searching in Welly, hoping to find something that can get me out of a hostel and into a more normal living arrangement. Quickly. Living out of a bag? Not so much for CT. Contrast that with my Scottish buddy ("every man dies, not every man really lives"), who has actually slept on the roof of an American truck stop because he was too broke to afford a hostel during his worldly adventures and too wet to sleep on the recently-watered truck stop lawn. I guess if you want the experience badly enough, you'll do just about anything to make it work.

I would be on a plane so fast...

Well, that's about it for now. I'll be in touch from Wellington. Here's to a job...

CT