From the Mountains to the Sky: Act 18 - Auckland

The final day of our North Island journey was the least interesting. From Rotorua, we drove to Auckland via the Coastal Scenic Road, about a 3.5 hour drive. Here is a map of the entire route for the whole trip.

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We arrived in Auckland around noon and started walking around the city to get a feel for the place. We followed the walking tour outlined in Lonely Planet. It wasn't the most exciting thing to do but it did give us a nice overview of the city. We saw the Sky Tower, the University, the harbourfront, and the main shopping/touristy areas. Auckland really feels like another big city, with all of the trappings. After visiting the city centre, we drove out over the Auckland harbour bridge for a skyline view.

We returned our rental car, and caught our plane back to Christchurch. It was a very satisfying trip.