New Zealand’s biggest city may have been ranked one of the top cities in the world for quality of life, but it failed to win me over during my three days there. I had a good time, overall, but I didn’t want to stay longer.
I arrived at the bustling Nomads hostel on Friday, February 17, and spent my first evening drinking beer on the rooftop with one of my roommates, Zoe, 25, from Ireland, and her friends.
Over the weekend, I went up the Sky Tower, which at 328m is the tallest man-made structure in New Zealand. The views were spectacular. There was a discount for backpackers as well as students, which was nice. I also chilled out in the pleasant Albert Park.
On Saturday night I went out for dinner with Aussies Tasha, 22, and Nick, 35, before heading to the harbour. We went to a pub where a good band was performing covers such as Sweet Home Alabama and Summer of ’69. Then we went clubbing for a bit.
Life in the hostel was eventful. Tasha fell through her bunk bed. Irish Andy, who was wasted, went for a walk while stark naked, and disappeared. He was eventually found passed out on the fire escape. Two of my new friends had their phones stolen. I had the opposite security problem – in my rush to join Dutch Judy, 27, in the hot tub on the roof, I padlocked my drawer shut before realising that the key was inside. I had to get the maintenance man to break it open the next morning. In future, I’ll use a combination lock instead!