Desmond, one of the Kiwi Elves, and I have become fast friends. He and his Kiwi friend Andy, both native Aucklanders, have been showing me the sights with zeal. These are a phenomenally kind bunch of people. They just ARE nice, that is their state of being. Nothing is too much and they are so proud of their country and really want to show you around.

Auckland is very pretty, being a harbour city and all, and it seems I’ve brought the good weather with me from Fiji. It has been nothing but sunshine and 20+ degrees since I arrived here last Sunday. I met a Brit girl in my hostel and we’ve been kicking around the city when I’m not having dinner at one of the Kiwi’s places, or being carted around to meet Des’ friends and his friends’ friends!

I’ve had a bit of analysis paralysis since getting here, it just seems like there are so many options and I don’t quite know what to do. Des and the gang are really pushing for me to stay here in Auckland, many have offered up their places for me to crash at, and they’ve even talked to their friends about finding me some work. And yet...I don’t really want to stay here. What can I say? It’s a big city, and it has a number of Starbucks and office towers. I don’t have any basis for what I’m saying; it’s all about gut feeling. I feel like I need to get moving. So this weekend I will visit a couple of islands off the coast of Auckland and then Monday Des and I and whoever else we can rustle up will go and have a look at the Bay of Islands, which is about a 3 hour drive north of Auckland. By the end of next week I suspect I will be making my way south to Wellington