Christchurch to Auckland

After two amazing weeks exploring New Zealand's South Island with our personal tour guides, Sierra and Kyle, our time with them came to an end. They dropped Mary Kay and I off at the Christchurch Airport and drove the rental car back to Nelson. While Sierra and Kyle returned to work and resumed their lives in Nelson, Mary Kay and I flew to Auckland to spend our last week of vacation exploring New Zealand's North Island.

Traveling from Christchurch to Auckland

Our flight from Christchurch to Auckland was smooth and short, barely more than an hour. We picked up our luggage from baggage claim and took a shuttle bus to Scotties off-airport car rental just a few minutes from the airport. After clearing up a bit of confusion regarding our rental car reservation, we reached the most stressful part of my trip... having to drive on the wrong side of the road! Mary Kay took photos of existing dents and scratches while I gave myself a pep talk. Then we were off!

Our first goal was to get away from the city center and safely reach our vacation rental in Buckland Beach, a suburb of Auckland. With Mary Kay focused on navigating and me focused on driving on the right side of the road... and by "right" I mean left, I'm happy to report that we accomplished our first goal!

Our second goal on the North Island was to meet up with an old friend of mine, Rose. I first met Rose in Colorado when our kids were babies. She's a New Zealand native and relocated back to the North Island with her family when her kids were in school. Rose's home was three hours away but she happened to be in the Auckland area that day and we had a great time catching up with eachother over pastries at Kreem.

Our third and final goal for the day was to pick up groceries. After saying goodbye to Rose, Mary Kay and I stopped at a supermarket for food and, more imporantly, drinks! We returned to our cozy vacation rental, which we would call home for 3 nights, and celebrated our successful day on our charming patio.

You can view the Wheels Up for New Zealand 2026 trip page to see all my blog posts, photos, and Wanderlog info.