Getting settled in Auckland...

Kia Ora!

I've finally arrived in Auckland! I'm staying with Michelle's friend Marcus at his flat in central Auckland. The flatmates are all really welcoming and have been showing us around town... So far we've explored central Auckland, Tatharanui, Takapuna, and Mission Bay. Auckland reminds me a lot of San Francisco, so not much culture shock there. Tawharanui is my favorite so far. It's a beauuutiful beach about an hour north of Auckland. Not a lot of people know about it, so we were lucky to have a local show us around.

I've found that kiwis love 3 things: coffee, ice cream, and drinking in parks. Lucky for me, I love all of those things. New Zealanders pride themselves on their coffee so there's really good cafes on every block. Too bad everything is ridiculously expensive here :(

Tomorrow is a big day!! I'll (hopefully) be moving into a hostel in the morning and then starting work at Curl at noon. I'm soooo excited!!! The office is in Whangaparaua, which is a 30 minute drive north of where I'll be staying. Since the public transportation is horrible here, I decided to buy a car. 1992 Honda Civic hatchback. I bought it for $1,600 (about $1200 US dollars) and should be able to sell it back for that much (or maybe more). It also gives me a lot more freedom to explore different parts of New Zealand. Driving on the left was crazy at first but I think I got the hang out it. Now where should I drive off to next???

More to come tomorrow!